The Source: A Novel by James A. Michener Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Source: A Novel
Book Review: James Michener's book "The Source"
Summary: 4 Stars
An excellent, rich book. But I gave up after 889 pages, thinking every other chapter would end in a massacre, just as the rest of the book seemed to. But it was terrific storytelling.Book Review: LOVED it!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite books I've ever read. The fictional story brings in so much historical information that you learn a lot reading it. It brought insights into my faith and allowed me to see why certain aspects of faith in Scripture were as tempting as they were [i.e. baal worship]. It is an interesting look into the history of the Jewish nation and will challenge you to think on whole new levels as you look at your faith through a different lense. I'd recommend it to anyone!Book Review: Large, Dry, and Dubious
Summary: 3 Stars
This book is big. Normally I wouldn't notice this sort of thing, but the writing is so dry I'm beginning to wonder if it'll ever end.
First of all, as a graduate of anthropology, I must mention that the author's understanding of archaeology is antiquated. Secondly, the only thing interesting about this book is his discussions on history, but even that should be put up against fact-checking to be taken seriously.
The minor stories all read like bible tales, which is okay for a while, but quickly becomes tedious reading. The main tale that is threaded throughout the book has very thin characters that don't come across as all that bright, despite being written up as being great scholars. Furthermore, a lot of the book, particularly at the beginning, presents itself as a pro-Israel piece. I no longer necessarily think this is the case, but if you read the book, I think you can understand why I believed that for some time while reading.
All in all, this book is large, dry, and dubious.
Book Review: MICHENER ROCKS
Summary: 5 Stars
Forever will new issues of his writing be missed. The greatest of greats in Historical Novels. You become so immersed in his writing that "the end" is a let down.
The book takes you from the begining of time in Judiasim to Israels' present day struggle to become an Independant State, Michener weaves his magic between historical fact and fictional scenario so beautifully .Makes you pick up the history books,Bible and encyclopedia for more in depth reading
Book Review: Michener's Best Historical Novel
Summary: 5 Stars
Note: I received a personal email from one of the researchers for Michener's novels. He gave me a thumbs up on this review. Nice, and thanks.
Obviously, from the votes, some people don't like Michener's comments about the name "Jehovah," but they won't attempt to refute it. Intellectual honesty requires that if you don't agree with Mchener, then you must refute him.
As always, Michener fills his novels with fascinating historical facts and insights. The start thousands of years into the past and take the reader to the present day.
I've read several of his novels, and I would say this one is the best--a sweaping drama about the rise of the Jews from earliest times to the present. Michener's comments on the word "Jehovah" are interesting in light of its modern use by the "Jehovah's Witnesses" and in the last lines of the Book of Mormon.
"(Since) any deity must be referred to in some manner the custom had grown up of calling YHWH by the arbitrary Hebrew word `Adonai,' which would later be translated into other languages as Lord. When the vowel indications for `Adonai' were added tot eh letters YHWH, a curious symbol developed which German scholars many centuries later would mistakenly read as Jehovah, a word that had never existed and that had never in any way been applied to the austere Hebrew deity. Thus the greatest of Gods was called YHWH, which had no pronunciation; he was known to ordinary Jews as `Adonai,' which was purely arbitrary; and he would conquer the world as Jehovah, a name which had never belonged to him or to anything else" (p. 399).