Reflections 7

This Present Darkness
By Frank E. Peretti

This book is by a Christian writer, and I would dare say that he's quite charismatic. His stories talk alot about spiritual battles, angels, demons, the lot.

"This Present Darkness" is set in a town called Ashton, where a Coporation that has ties with evil spirits is trying to take over the town by gaining possesion of the college. In a small town, the college plays a huge part in the lives of the people. Marshall Hogan, editor of the small town newspaper who moved in from New York, as well as Bernice Krueger, a young woman searching for the truth behind her sister's gruesome suicide, start chasing leads and uncovering truths. People who were defamed and chased out of town, who paid their taxes but were still driven out from their homes. But nothing makes sense. How is the coporation able to get away with all it has done?

Henry Busche, a newly elected pastor of a church that "didn't seem to want him", keeps encountering resistance from some older members in the church whenever he tries to preach the Word of God. He doesn't understand either. Why would people elect him into a church just to go against him? And why is there so much spiritual resistance too?

Peretti's writing is almost similar to Archer's, in a sense that there is a twist in the story. What seemed bad at first turns out for good. When all hope seemed lost, it actually wasn't. In a touching story about good vs evil, it shows the power that God gives to his people when they pray, trust and obey. It also reflects much about the unity for a single cause and care among the hosts of a good God, against the distrust and rivalry of the evil spirits.

Spirits were never something I gave much thought about before I read this book. Angels, yes, I knew about them, and as a Christian knew about the promise of protection in the Bible. But demons were something I never really thought about. At first I was frightened by the thought, but realised that I didn't have to be that way. And now I find myself less afraid of the dark and of being alone. The truth really sets one free, doesn't it? I found this story touching, moving, exciting and uplifting.

But as for Peretti's descriptions of casting out of demons etc, I was not really able to visualise those as, growing up in a conservative church, I've never really seen or heard about those experiences. But, I suppose, all things are possible with God.

Reflections 6

Shall we tell the President?
By Jeffrey Archer

I have always enjoyed books by Jeffrey Archer. They unfurl slowly, gradually, then speed up and just when everything is going full speed, the problem is solved, with the signature twist at the end.

This story comes after "The Prodigal Daughter", which is about the rise of power of the first female president of the United States. She has strong views against the usgae of guns, and this earns her many enemies. An FBI officer finds out about a plot to kill the president. He and a small group of colleagues, including the Director, whose initials are H.A.L.T. are the only ones who can stop the would-be assasins. As the story progresses, all those who know are killed off one by one, until only the main character and the Director are the ones alive. In a dramatic climax where they finally uncover the senator plotting against the president, and successfully stop the assasin. All without the president's knowledge. The tale ends with the officer asking the Director, "Shall we tell the President?"

I was really intrigued by this plot and the way Archer could cleverly come up with such a plot. It is fresh, interesting, and definately one-of-a-kind. It also has its momentary moments of amusement. All the FBI staff and officers take part in a lottery, whereby one has to pay ten dollars to make a guess on what the Director's first name could be. If the person gets it right, he or she can take the winnings, which at the time of the story, have run up to about ten thousand dollars. If he is wrong, his ten dollars goes into the "fund". Our main character has made a few guesses, but all of them failed. At the end of the adventure, the officer has become the right hand man of the Director. "You may call me by my first name," said the Director after some time. "It unerves me to always have someone calling me 'sir'." And so our lucky main character wins the money. But the thing that really tickled me was his name: Horatio. No one ever thought he would have such a... name. And rightfully so.

Although there were occasional crude words and some "adult" content, I learnt to overlook those. It would be a pity to put such an interesting plot down because of a few unpleasantries. But I do wish he'd stop writing such things. They're really quite unnecesaary.

Reflections 5

The Storyteller's Daughter.
By Saira Shah

Enter a world of subtle magic. This is the "Arabian Nights" retold, and, according to the prologue, is told by the storyteller (or drabadi) herself. This makes it even more intriguing, as the reader now sees a totally different part of the story.

Subtle magic. Magic found in the stories that speak of life, and how to live it. Every person draws a different piece of cloth from the drabadi's old chest. The storyteller, Shahrazad, then "reads" the cloth and tells the person his or her personal story. This story is not a biography, rather it speaks to the person's own personal problems and feelings. All this against the background of plots and schemes among the royal, those in power, and those who have fallen.

What I really like about this "magic" is that it allows the story to unfold. After all, how can one story relate to every character? But yet, at the same time, it is not fantastic or unbelievable, and this allows the story to keep its feet on the ground.

The storyteller and the king are people who have locked their hearts away from the rest of the world. This results in much miscommunication and hurt feelings. Still, they sort out the mess right at the end, and it leaves one with a feeling of satisfaction and relief.

I enjoyed reading this story. It was literally stuck to me the whole time I was reading it. It has a tinge of magic, lots of mystery, and at the same time remains realistic.