The Source: A Novel by James A. Michener Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Source: A Novel
Book Review: A mixed bag
Summary: 4 Stars
I actually didn't get four stars of enjoyment out of "The Source", but it's such a tremendous effort by Michener that I couldn't in good conscience rate it at three. At nearly 1100 pages in the Fawcett Crest edition and meticulously researched, the effort alone deserves great praise.
Within the overarching backstory of an architectural dig in Israel near the modern town of Acre, there are a total of some fifteen short stories set a couple hundred years apart from each other. Most of these stories have sad endings, reflecting the violent history of the region extending even into the present day with the volatile Palestinian conflict.
The problem is, the novel drags. First of all, the novel contains too many separate stories with little connection to each other. The stories generally aren't long enough to provide good closure for the number of characters and plot events introduced. In addition, each story typically ends in tragedy and then it's immediately on to the next story, for which there's yet another tragedy to look forward to.
To me, the stories varied significantly in quality. In general, the earlier ones seemed to me to be more cohesive and interesting. The quality of the later stories seemed to decline and I got the impression that Michener himself was running out of patience in working his way to the modern era. A couple stories I found simply pointless and depressing, such as "A Day in the Life of a Desert Rider".
Somehow Michener was able to get a similar narrative structure to work well in "Poland", which I thought was a fantastic read despite it consisting of several short stories with sad endings. I think there were fewer stories there and they were longer, so each was brought to good closure. In addition, I think the quality of writing was generally better in "Poland".
Overall, "The Source" taught me much about the history of Israel (assuming that most of it is factually correct) and made me appreciate the tremendous turbulence and uncertainties the people of the region have had to endure over the last couple thousand years. I recommend reading perhaps the better 50% of the short stories in "The Source". Reading the entire novel is a bit too much time commitment for the enjoyment gained. I'm sure there's a web page out there with a suggested ranking of the short stories.
Book Review: Added color to a recent trip to Israel
Summary: 5 Stars
One of my favorite books when I had moved to Albuqueruqe years ago was Michener's "Centennial". I was taken by the historical scope of the book and it added to my appreciation of the West. Later,I enjoyed reading "Hawaii" and "Chesapeake"; but felt that they went on too too long and finishing these two took some effort.
A year ago I had the oppurtunity to visit Israel and decided that outside of the Bible the "Source" might make learning about the history of the place within fictional stories enjoyable. The book proved to be much longer than my stay. I continued to read the book and was very glad that I did. Like "Centennial" years ago I was highly entertained and had a better understanding of the people and the land of Israel.
The chapters making up the "Source" revolve around the artifacts that are unearthed at various levels at a "dig" in Israel. Each artifact at each level relates to a time and a story which makes up a chapter of the book. Since each chapter is a story in itself the 850 page book is very manageable.
Whether you are planning to go to Israel someday or just would like to know more about this land its people and the the birth of monotheism, I highly recommend this book.
Book Review: Another great
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a lover of historical fiction and this book is one of my favorites. I highly recommend it for anyone familiar with some of the history but even more so for those looking to learn more about the evolution of religion.Book Review: BECOME
Summary: 5 Stars
As With Michener... Read it, Live in it and then Be Transformed. Stupendous novel! Mr. Michener sure knew how PACK A WHALLOP at the end of his books and this one will not be forgotten! R.I.P. JAM. You sure are missed.Book Review: Best book ever
Summary: 5 Stars
I absolutely loved this book. I learned so much about humankind and the history of religion. The stories enterwined made the books so readable. Great writing.
I appreciate Michener more and more as I get older.