don't like it. full stop. i have nothing against Dekker really. but i would suggest him to really study the religion before he tries to write about it. nothing in the book shows the way a Muslim live.first, Muslims take each of the five pillars seriously. not one is less important than the other. second, no religious man would have commit violence against woman. if he do, that means he is not a religions man. simple. (an uncle kicking his niece until she is being admitted into the hospital for a week, where are her parents anyway?)third, no Muslim woman (a good one) will touch a man (which she is not married to, unless it is her father, brother or son), yet alone kiss him. (Miriam had done with her boyfriend and Seth)forth, a Muslim is not allowed to and won't drink wine, scotch or any alcoholic drinks. period. fifth, Muslims won't sentence a punishment on anyone without proof or witness. to blindly punish others is just plain ridiculous. no one with wits will do that.sixth, everything that is being portrayed in the story is the lifestyle of the Arabs thousands years back. it does not show the current Arabs at all.seventh, no Muslim woman would be able to feel comfortable without her veil let alone wearing a fitted dress. so in conclusion, miriam does not portray islam at all. she acts more like a filthy rich teenage american girl whom run away across the globe using the first flight when she disagrees with her parents. i admit that Dekker wrote the story with just the right choice of words and suspense. he is a good story teller. i guess being a Muslim I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable being stereotyped that way. worse, the wrong way. it'll be nice if he could write the story with less ethnocentrism. Seth. i like Seth. despite his refusal to admit God, i like his wit. i was feeling, if he really is a genius, why is it so hard for him to see that God exists? it is a simple math. we have a smart phone, wouldn't the smart phone creator would be smarter? he is a genius. why couldn't he figure it out? he even had came out with a mathematical equation which supposed to convince him that God exists. anyway, i have a complicated feeling about this book. it is a mess of frustrating ideas and content. but i'll give thumbs up for the pace and diction.
The plot was super irritating and quite popular nowadays ~ an adventurous tale about a super brilliant and equally attractive American white male who gets thrust into world politics. In this case, it's a Westernized fantasy about a Saudi princess named "Miriam" (which is totally an Arabic name) who flees the oppressive prospect of marriage in her country and experiences "true freedom", that is, not wearing an abaya (which Dekker equates with looking like Darth Vader) and having titillating encounters with the Greek sculpture (yes, the white boy is a Greek sculpture. SMH)In any case, there was very little spiritual development in which the most concrete Biblical "truth", if you will, is when the hot-headed protagonist after a flirting session enters a church building where he meets a pastor, who, like in many Christian fiction stories, seems to have all the answers. Towards the end there is an appeal to the Christian God, though, why Miriam would make such a drastic change after being raised a Muslim isn't really expanded on other than the idea that she's equating her religion with the supposed cultural duties she has observed being thrust upon women. The issues within the Arabian Gulf do need to be addressed, however, the sensationalization by the Western media that exploits the trope of defenseless and oppressed Middle-Eastern women does little to help improve the issues. Arab and Muslim women do not need liberation in the form of marriage to white men or Westernization. They simply need education and resources that they can utilize to improve the political and social environments that they live in.[Edit]The cover has the Dome of the Rock. The Dome of the Rock is in Al-Aqsa, Palestine. That is a Palestinian monument. That has absolutely NO relation to Saudi Arabia at ALL. (for those of you who don't know much about the Mashriq, al-Aqsa is in Israel/Palestine, Saudi Arabia is MILES away.) Further driving my point about Orientalist narratives.
Do You like book Blink (2004)?
First off, Ted Dekker is not qualified to write this novel. He is neither an expert in physics nor an expert in Saudi Arabia. It was almost insulting that he puts on the front of having deep insight into either. Second, the use of seeing the future as a plot device felt like a huge cop out. Dekker takes the supposedly smartest man in the world and instead of using his intellect, he uses magic to get out of the random sticky situations he finds himself in. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for magic in literature... It just belongs in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. The main character Seth is certainly no Kwisatz Haderach who can be many places at once. On a final note, the religious message of this book feels completely forced. The characters practically sit down and take a break to shove Dekker's religious views about Islam and Christianity down our throats. Now I don't mind religion in books, but Dekker doesn't even try to blend it into the story as thematic or symbolic elements. Sure this book is a fast paced page turner, but that doesn't excuse it's many flaws. The 'story', while unbelievable is somewhat intriguing. But eventually I just got tired of checking my brain at the door, and no amount of story was going to make the book worth the time.
—Brett
This novel is an amazing wild ride. I loved every second. The author gave a fascinating look at a princess who runs to America. She doesn’t want to marry a man she despises. It is her duty and custom to marry her family has chosen. This author does a brilliant job of allowing the reader to get into the skin of a woman who has been veiled all of her life and is suddenly exposed for all the world to see. It’s freeing and terrifying to come out from behind the cloth. When the princess arrives in America she starts to run for her life. She finds someone to will help in her escape from her father’s clutches. There is an emotional transformation of this princess as she runs away from the men who want to take her back to the only home she has known. This story is a very action packed, heart racing page turning novel; full of twists and turns. You will be up all night reading this great story and have a compassion for the women behind the cloth of their country..Disclosure of Material Connection:I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”Nora St LaurenttTBCN Where Book Fun Begins www.bookfun.org The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
—Nora St Laurent
I won't waste electrons by repeating the plot of the book--there's a sketch above--but I will give my uncensored opinion. This book is an indictment on Anglo bibliophiles. In other words, we're a bunch of tarnal fools, and Ted Dekker knows it. Here's the method: Take an attention-getting subject like islamic extremism--never mind where you buy it, whether it's the genuine article, or whether you even know what it is. Take some cool surfing stuff from California. Add in some royalty to spice up the first and some genius to justify the second (that is just to show up on the ingredients list, because it really won't affect the taste of the final product at all). Add three tablespoons of your broadest and blandest Christianity, --don't mix it in too well, so it will leave startling pockets in the batter--oh, and DON'T put it on the ingredients list, unless serving at CBD--and half a teaspoon of tolerance for world religions. Grease your eyes. Bake at 150° F for two minutes. Voila, and congratulations on your bestseller. Enjoy after 8 ounces of absinthe. Serves Rambo lovers.
—Nathan C.
