The Gnostic Mystery
Randy Davila
Hierophant Publishing, 2008
My Rating F
This is my first ”Did Not Finish” book of 2009. I won this book from the Early Reviewer program on Library Thing. I was so excited when I first read the the synopsis. It sounded like a thriller set in Israel that might be part Davincci Code, part Dead Sea Scrolls. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Here’s the synopsis that tempted me:
An ancient mystery in todays Middle East . . . Jack Staunton, an American businessman, makes a pilgrimage to war-torn Israel in hopes of rekindling his Christian faith. While traveling with his friend Punjeeh, an ER doctor from Jerusalem, Jack acquires an ancient scroll written by the Gnostics, a mystical group of early Christians, and his spiritual quest takes an unexpected turn. The scroll makes the startling claim that the Gnostics were the original followers of Jesus, and that they retained secret knowledge of Jesus that was not included in the Bible. With the help of the ingenious Chloe Eisenberg, a professor of Philosophy and Religion, Jack and Punjeeh navigate the dangerous terrain of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in an attempt to decipher the puzzle of the scroll and bring the Gnostics revelations about Jesus to light. Threaded with the searing realities of today’s Middle East, The Gnostic Mystery is packed with historical facts about the Christian religion. The thrilling mystery makes a compelling case that the origins of Christianity are far different than we believed . . . until now.
For me the book was a religious pamphlet. thinly disguised as a novel. Maybe I should say it was a weak and poorly written novel with loads of religious argument. Either way, it didn’t work for me. I’ve read plenty of religious fiction over the years but I like that genre to be heavy on a well written story and subtle with the religious message. This one was not.
I honestly stayed with the book until two-thirds of the way through. I hate giving up on a book, but I just couldn’t finish it. My recommendation: don’t bother.
Thanks!! I too thought this sounded like a fun Da Vinci Code kind of book. So glad I didn’t win it. I don’t think it’d be right for me either.
The write-up does sound interesting – I can see why you picked it. I’m having trouble with my (different) LT ER book too this time!
Oh no! I haven’t had to do that for a Library Thing book yet. I agres with you about the religious fiction, it needs to be light on the religion and heavy on the story and characters.
Both the title and the synopsis sound so interesting! It’s too bad it wasn’t anywhere near as good as it sounded.
I read an article long ago about divorcing a book after 50 pages if it isn’t working for you and 9 times out of 10, I will follow that rule. Sometimes I stick it out if it is a book group pick but not often. So sorry it didn’t work for you but so glad you didn’t waste any more time on it.
That is too bad. I hate when I get books I don’t like via review programs because then I feel obligated to finish it. Good for you!
The synopsis would have interested me too! How disappointing. And like Jenners I feel I should finish a book when it has been sent to me to review, so well done for ditching it.
It must be pretty bad if you couldn’t finish it – I think I’ll skip it.