TITLE: Children of the Last Days: Eclipse of the Sun
GENRE: Book Review
REVIEWED BY: SH

Stationed this summer far away from a movie theater, books became (once again) a great source of entertainment.  If you haven't read a good book in a while, it's like finding an old friend.  I have been in the process of reading Michael D. O'Brien's  "Children of the Last Days" series.  Like many novels out there today, this series is apocalyptic, or having to do with the end of the world.  Unlike many novels, this series is well written and thoroughly Catholic.  I spent most of my time on the book, Eclipse of the Sun, the story of a family, a priest and a child in Canada when the world ends.  It is at once a refreshing story and a commentary on the world in which we find ourselves in 2006.  A very hopeful book, it nonetheless uses many of the very startling factors of today's world and puts them in such an order that gives the reader pause.  Not as great as the other books in the series--Father Elijah, Plague Journal, or Strangers and Sojourners--this installment of the series is still good.  Each of the books can be read independently, so if you haven't read any of the other books in the series, starting here is as good as any other place.  Of course, this novel weighs in at near 900 pages, so it is good to make sure you have some free time!  O'Brien is a truly captivating author.  His Father Elijah is easily one of the finest novels written this decade.  O'Brien himself is an author and a painter, making his writing vivid and incredibly visual in its descriptions.  Eclipse of the Sun is a fast read, an intriguing story, and a great way to get away from the T.V.

posted by: crossman at 22:18 | link | comments |
catholic blog review