The Expected One (Magdalene Line Trilogy 1)

Magdalene Line Trilogy #1

by Kathleen McGowan

“Riveting” (People): When journalist Maureen goes in search of a book, she has no idea that it will throw her into the epicenter of an ancient mystery that entwines Mary Magdalene, two secret societies, and long-protected truths… A “highly evocative” and “keenly imaginative” series starter (USA Today) that’s perfect for fans of The Da Vinci Code.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Religion, Thriller, Historical, Book Club

Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Kathleen McGowan is an internationally published writer whose work has appeared on five continents and in at least fifteen languages. She is notable for her claim to be the descendant of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary Magdalene

Reviews

[رغد فريحات · Rating 2 out of 5]

على مدى ألفي عام ، انتظر كنز غير مكتشف داخل جبال البرانس الحمراء البرية في جنوب غرب فرنسا

كان هذا الكنز سلسلة من اللفائف كتبتها مريم المجدلية في القرن الأول احتوت على ما روته المجدلية لأحداث وشخصيات العهد الجديد وهي محمية في انتظار وصول المنتظرة لتكشف عنها

المرأة المعروفة في النبوة باسم المنتظرة والتي تم إختيارها لهذه المهمة من قبل العناية الإلهية لتكشف عن الأسرار التي خبئتها المجدلية بعد هجرتها عندما صُلب يسوع ولتنفض الغبار عن الحقائق المخفية

مورين باسكال , مؤلفة وصحفية تهتم في حقيقة سوء معاملة النساء في التاريخ وما روج من سمعة سيئة عنهن. تشمل موضوعاتها مريم المجدلية

بعد زيارتها للقدس وإلتقائها بتاجر أثريات فلسطيني أعطاها بشكل غامض خاتمًا غير عادي في متجر في القدس

خاتم فضي ذو تسع دوائر تدور حول دائرة مركزية . كان هذا الخاتم يعود للمجدلية دون ان تعلم

فهل كانت صدفة؟



بدأت الرؤى تراود مورين . ليس لدى مورين أدنى فكرة عن أنها تدخل في لغز قديم أودى بحياة الآلاف من الناس ولا انها بشعرها الأحمر والسلالة التي تنحدر منها هي المختارة
تسير في مسيرتها لتستكشف النظرية القائلة بأن يسوع ومريم المجدلية كانا رجلًا وزوجة قانونيًا وانها مقتنعة تمامًا بهذا الأمر وبتدبير البابوات لإخفاء هذه الحقيقة لإغراض كنسية

يجب عليها الآن ان تستكشف ماتريد الرؤى منها وان تتبع الخيوط فورائها لغز عظيم مندثر ينتظرها



تقول الكاتبة كاثلين أنها بدأت العمل على الرواية في عام 1989 - قبل 14 عامًا من نشر "شفرة دافنشي". لذلك ، من المصادفة وجود أي تشابهات بين الروايتين

تدعي ايضًا أنها تنحدر من نسل مريم المجدلية بكل ثقة.

في خاتمة الرواية ، ذكرت أن هذه الرواية مبنية على حياتها وخبراتها أي تقريبًا انها هي البطلة نوعًا ما.

-الكاتبة-

عملها مأخوذ من مصادر لم يتم الكشف عنها سابقًا والتي لم يتم الكشف عنها للجمهور
لم تفصح عن مصادرها أيضًا من أجل حماية الطبيعة المقدسة لهذه المعلومات ومن يحتفظون بها

هذا الادعاء مريب ولا يدخل العقول إن كان ماتقول صحيح فهل كان ليتركها الباباوت والكنيسة الكاثوليكية في سبيل حالها ؟ وإن كان صحيحًا فلماذا لم تظهر على الأقل بعض من مراجع روايتها ؟ فهي اصلا ذكرت إقتباسات من مصادرها في الرواية كيف سنصدق هذه الإقتباسات ام هل يجب علينا فقط تصديقها والوثوق بها ؟

ما اثار سخطي انها عندما ذكرت أحداث من حياة مريم التي صورتها في ذهنها وحاولت ان تظهرها على انها حقائق قامت بالتخبيص بشكل مبالغ

فمثلًا إدعائها بحدوث خلاف قوي بين سيدنا يحيى او يوحنا العمدان وعيسى عليهما السلام وإظهارها لسيدنا يحيى بكونه رجل كاره للنساء ويراهن غير متطهرات وصروته انه مثل الكرة التي يلعب بها الحاخامات ويسيرونه كما يريدون ليس كأنه نبي من انبياء الله

والطريقة التي أجبرت فيها مريم المجدلية على الزواج اولًا بيوحنا المعمدان ومعاملته الحيوانية لها وإنجابها منه صبي ثم بعد قتله من قبل الحاكم هيرودس تزوجت بعيسى عليه السلام وانجبت منه فتاة وصبي وقصة عشقهما ولقائتهما السرية قبل الزواج

اعني ان الخلاف حول إذا ماكانت مريم زوجته ام لا معروف منذ زمن بعيد والرأي الإسلامي يقول اننا لا نثبت ولاننفي زواجهما لكن من أين أتت بكل ما ذكرته عن يحيى وزواج مريم منه؟

عدا ان الرواية كانت مملة ومليئة بتفاصيل غير مهمة وأحداث بطيئة جدًا وإفتقادها لعنصر المتعة إلا بنواحي محدودة جدًا ودحشها لعدد لانهائي من الشخصيات

ثم بووووم تأتي الكاتبة وتقول نعم انا كنت أرى الرؤى وانا من نسل مريم المجدلية وعيسى

الله الله

إذا كانت رغبتها في ان تدافع عن مريم وتبرئها وتنفي عنها ما قيل عنها بكونها عاهرة وزانية تائبة فبالفعل هناك طرق أفضل من تخبيصها بهذه الرواية

عالعموم أعلم انها رواية ولا تشترط ان تتبع المسار المعروف تعليقي كان بشأن إدعائاتها وإظهارها لإقتباساتها عن حياة مريم المجدلية كأنها حقائق وقد قرأت من قبل رواية شيفرة دافنتشي الرائعة ولم يكن تعليقي على أحداث الرواية او سخطي على تصوير حياة مريم بالشكل الذي روته

إذا كنت مهتمًا مريم المجدلية ، ومنفتحًا على وجهات نظر بديلة عن الأساطير المسيحية ، فقد تكون هذه الرواية جذابة لك ولكن إياك ان تعتبر هذا الكتاب مرجع حقيقي معتمد بشأن حياة مريم المجدلية وعيسى عليه السلام

[Kara Babcock · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never thought this day would come. Ladies and gentlemen, I have found a book that rivals The Art Thief for the title of "Worst Book I Have Ever Read [and Finished:]." What begins as innocuous conspiracy-orientated historical fiction ends up becoming a delusional and boring dissertation on the "truth" behind Mary Magdalene.

Conspiracy theories attract us because they appeal to our innate need for order and relationships; they draw connections among disparate elements of society and history. It's no wonder, then, that the historical fiction market is flooded with novels expounding every possible permutation of every possible conspiracy theory. Being a popular religion, Christianity draws more than its fair share of those theories. And nothing is more popular than an account of what "really" happened two thousand years ago at the dawn of Christianity.

The Expected One actually isn't that bad at first. Maureen Paschal begins experiencing visions of Mary Magdalene and investigates them with her journalistic abilities. Soon she's in the middle of one of the oldest conspiracies, the focal point of a conflict between two rival secret societies, the heir to Mary Magdalene. It all sounds intriguing, which is part of the reason the book is so disappointing. It sets the bar high and then fails to meet expectations.

As with many conspiracy novels, The Expected One falls victim to the temptation to make every character a part of the conspiracy. In fact, I don't think we meet one "innocent" person in this entire book; even Maureen's best friend and closest confidante are both "in the know" before Maureen herself becomes involved! When everyone has an angle, it's hard for the protagonist to assert herself. As a character and a heroine, Maureen suffers as a result--she's used by the various parties involved in this conspiracy. I never felt like Maureen had any input or any control over what was happening.

Once she uncovers Mary Magdalene's lost gospel, McGowan begins including chapters told from the perspective of Magdalene, specifically regarding her marriage to John the Baptist and then Christ's crucifixion. At least The Betrayal established the dual time period setting from the beginning. While I realize there's a reason for the sudden new narrator in the narrative itself, it is still a bit jarring.

Beyond the revelation of Magdalene's gospel, however, there's very little in The Expected One. The best thing I can say about it is that Maureen definitely changed, so she's dynamic; I'll give McGowan that. Otherwise, nothing in the modern day world seems to change with the discovery of Mary Magdalene's own perspective on Christ. While I realize that this is just "book one" of what will obviously be a series (next up: finding the gospel of Jesus himself!), the lack of any meaningful consequences in this book left me unfulfilled.

I finished the book nonetheless and then, as always, read the author's afterword. This usually consists of notes regarding the historicity of the events in the book--what's real and what isn't. Warning sirens went off when I read this:

I began to experience a series of haunting, recurring dreams that centered on the events and characters of the Passion. Unexplainable occurrences, like those that Maureen experiences.... I would come to understand that most of my life had been lived in preparation for this specific journey of discovery.... The ultimate shock came with the revelation that my own birth date was the subject of a prophecy related to Mary Magdalene and her descendants ... many of my protagonist's adventures and virtually all of her supernatural encounters are based in my own life experiences.

That's right: this novel is semi-autobiographical, which makes Maureen a Canon Mary Sue. It gets worse:

I must be circumspect about the primary source of the new information presented here for reasons of security, but I will say this: The content of the gospel of Mary Magdalene as I interpret it here is taken from previously undisclosed source material. It has never been released to the public before.

In my need to protect the sacred nature of this information and those who hold it, I had no choice but to write this, and the subsequent books in this series, as fiction.

Reading this just made me shudder, because it feels so self-righteous and ... earnest. I'd much rather have an author just tell me, "Well, most of this is made up," or, "This is historically accurate, according to these non-mainstream sources: [list here:]." But no, McGowan feels the need to extrude the conspiracy in her book into real life, and it all gets way too meta for me....

Lest you think I'm panning this book solely because I'm leery of its author's proclamations, let me finish my review by returning to criticism of the book itself. If The Expected One were truly fascinating, if it presented McGowan's ... "experiences" in a suitably satisfying story, then I'd be OK with it. Instead, The Expected One is empty; the story, its inspiration aside, is poorly written. A good book should appeal to the reader even if he or she disagrees with its themes. The reader should be entertained by the quality of its writing and its story. When a book becomes limited to an audience of approval, there's something wrong.

I need to begin listening to my library instincts more. When I picked this book up off the New Books shelf, a little tingle warned me I should put it back. I ignored it, and look at what happened. The unfortunate drawback to my goal of being less picky about what books I read is that occasionally bad books get past my defences.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Expected One challenges what we think we know of the life and times of Jesus Christ & Mary Magdalene, in a modern conspiratorial form, but lacking the false sense of mystery and overwrought crypticism of such tales as the Davinci Code. It has excerpts from the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and really gives a loving and honored sense of the day to day rituals and life of biblical times. It also recounts several people and tales from the Bible that never sat right with me as a child, and having read these versions of events now, i find great peace and clarity about these moments in history, which were so distorted by politics, religious domination, and the hatred and misunderstanding toward great women of all times and eras.
I salute the Author, Kathleen McGowan, with my highest praise and admiration for writing what should be considered an eye-opening and life altering read amongst anyone who truly believes in the power of the female, the kingdom of god, and the ability for love to truly be the utmost healing & present power in the universe. May you all have a chance to read this fine tale....

[Lessil Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly amazing read. I am a published author myself. This novel made me feel like an amateur in comparison. I read and re-read at least thirty of the poor ratings on this book and am flabbergasted at the reaction and review others gave of this book. I am religious and spiritual, but I pride myself on being open minded as well. My only conclusions I can draw from the one star reviews is that some people may not be open minded. Perhaps they are brain washed. I really do not intend to add to the controversy nor insult anyone. I respect freedom of speech and opinion and realize that in part this adds to the montage and melting pot of this great nation and the world as a whole. I am pleased we can express our opinions freely and live in a world where that is still tolerated. When I previously used the word brain washed I meant it in very general terms, and I am sure many of us are affected by our upbringings and surroundings whether we are truly aware of it or not.
Many people remain in the same religious affiliation as their parents and their parents before them. That can also be said for political ideologies as well. Therefore, if one feels strongly or believes wholeheartedly a certain way they may not be open minded enough to step out of their particular perspective to view things from a different point of view that might be in opposition to what they have always believed. As a teacher myself, I often hear students recite opinions held by their parents but cannot seem to substantiate the logical reasoning behind the generalization or statement. I suspect that some people who read this astonishing book already consciously or subconsciously prejudged the contents before reading it, absorbing it, and imagining "other" possible historical realities. I further suspect some people purposely read it to discredit the book, its extraordinary contents, and the author who would dare write such a controversial book.
As an author myself I commend this author for her bravery, for her research, dedication, knowledge(which clearly shows throughout the book)and ultimately her patience to complete it and publish it, knowing full well that there would be backwash, controversy, and those who would purposely want to discredit her for this work.
Having read several other books recently, by both self published authors and renowned authors from big publishing companies, I was honestly impressed and delighted by the quality of this book. I seldom read a book without finding dozens of errors...many of which are understandable and really do not distract from the pleasure of reading the book, but I did not find even the most common errors in this book. I sincerely felt it was very well written, extremely detailed, and overall an inspiring perspective on a history which has been altered by humans multitudes of times.
Personally, I know that word meanings change over time. Even when words are translated correctly, the meanings evolve over time. There is a mindset that believe the words in the Bible are completely literal. I might offer an analogy: raining cats and dogs. If one were to believe in all aspects of written works as literal rather than at times figurative, one would run to the window and expect to see cats and dogs falling from heaven. When in reality in England and probably in Europe as well homes were often built from stone with straw or thatched roofs. In rural communities the usually stone houses with thatched roofs had a lean-to built on the side for shelter for the domestic or farm animals. During the frequent rainy periods animals would climb up into the straw of the roof to stay warm or perhaps chase after a mouse or rat and due to the saturation of the roof from the rain on occasion the roof would collapse and it would rain cats and dogs.
I felt this book was a master piece, well written, well researched, and to me at least personally called to me. I believe in progressive revelation, and that religion all points to one God or unknowable essence. I believe there is a higher power, yet I believe religion and science should agree or one is flawed. I believe there is Not just one single path to salvation. I would like to think that I'm open minded. For me, this historical perspective made logical sense to the math teacher within me, and resonated passionately, hence this long review. The Hollywood movie of Da Vinci Code appealed to me as well, so much so, that I saw it in the theater on opening night and went back the very next day to see it a second time. I spent nearly six weeks reading "The Expected One" as I felt the need to digest the information, and often found myself rereading it over and over again. To each our own of course. To me, it was superbly written, and astonishing book that captivated my full attention, and truly inspired me. Well Done!
Sincerely, Lessil Richards

[أروى · Rating 4 out of 5]

كلما أردت أن أكتب عن هذا الكتاب توقفت..ولم أعرف من أين أبدأ
..!
قررت أن أبدأ بقول الكاتبة التي أوردته في آخر فصل من الكتاب
:تقول الكاتبة

"إني، منذ عهد بعيد ، مسكونة بهاجس رواية الحكايات العظيمة التي لم يسردها أحد وكشف طبقات التجربة الإنسانية المطمورة بصمت،وعن عمد أحياناً لإعتبارات أكاديمية، وكما تذكرنا بطلة الرواية مورين"ليس التاريخ ما حدث فعلاً، التاريه هو ما دوّن". فما نعرفه ونقبل به كوقائع تاريخية يكون غالباً من وضع مؤلف ذي غايات سياسية . وقد حولني هذا الفهم إلى باحثة في التراث الشعبي الشفهي، وأنا أجد متعة في نبش الثقافات من منابعها باحثة عن المؤرخين المحليين ورواة القصص التقليدين لسبر أغوار التاريخ البشري الحقيقي"

يتحدث الكتاب عن زمنين، يبدأ السرد في الزمن الحاضر، مورين التي ترى رؤى والأحداث التي تتعاقب وتقودها لكشف سر – كما تزعم- من أقدس وأهم أسرار البشرية، يدور هذا الجزء من الرواية حول عدد من الطوائف المسيحية ، أصول عقائدها، وأوجه الشبه والإختلاف بينها.
المحرك الرئيسي في كل الرواية "مريم المجدلية" والتي من خلال سرد الأحداث تريد الكاتبة أن تثبت أنها زوجة سيدنا عيسى عليه السلام وليست عاهرة كما كانت تصفها بعض الطوائف المسيحية..

أثناء قراءتي لهذا الجزء..كنت أتمثل آيات القرآن الكريم التي وصفت النصارى بأنهم قوم قد ضلوا طريقهم، كثرة الأناجيل والتضارب بينها ، عدم الوضوح والتخبط في المعتقدات وتقديس ما ليس بمقدس ، كل ذلك ظهر واضحاً وجلياً من خلال الفصول الأولى...

يستمر السرد حتى تجد هذه الفتاة "مورين" والتي أطلقوا عليها لقب المنتظرة إنجيلاً قديماً مخبوءاً كتبته مريم المجدلية..
يبدأ زمن السرد بالإختلاف إذ ينتقل إلى عصر سيدنا عيسى ويسرد قصة كاملة عن حياته وزواجه وحوارييه، علاقته بالإمبراطور الروماني وبيوحنا المعمدان (النبي يحي)، شفائه بإذن الله للمرضى ووقدرته بإذن الله أيضاً على إحياء الموتى،ثم سجنه وتعذيبه واتهامه بالهرطقة ، وبعد ذلك صلبه كما يدعون ثم قيامته ورفعه في السماء..

أقول الحق...رق قلبي أثناء قراءة هذا الجزء، إنه سيرة جميلة لعيسى عليه السلام،ولم أجد فيه ما يخالف عقيدتي ماعدا الجزء المتعلق بالصلب، بالرغم من أن الكاتبة لم تقل أبداً أن عيسى هو ابن الله . وقد تحدثت عن رفعه إلى السماء ولكن بعد صلبه بيوم واحد..

تفاصيل كثيرة عج بها هذا الجزء كان الهدف منها إثبات أن مريم المجدلية هي زوجة سيدنا عيسى وأن له أبناء وسلالة امتدت حتى يومنا الحاضر في أجزاء من إيرلندا وفرنسا.

في تراثنا الإسلامي لا شيء ذكر عن ذلك..وقد رجعت الكاتبة كما تقول في كتابتها إلى كثير من الكتب والمصادر المسيحية واليهودية القديمة..بالإضافة إلى مخطوطات ولوحات عصر النهضة،ولو كانت رجعت إلى تصور الإسلام عن سيدنا عيسى وأمه مريم لوجدت ما يدعم كثير من نظرياتها ورؤاها...
.
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كتاب ممتع لمن أراد أن يقرأ شيئاً مختلفاً.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some of the book caught my interest, but then there was too much "filler" and I got bored. It took me months to finish this book and I read probably 20 others in the meantime. It started to get pretty good toward the end. Then I realized that the author actually believed this stuff and is rather strange. It's a good premise for a fiction "what if" but loses its luster when it becomes fanaticism.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Expected One explores the long untold story of Mary Magdalene. It follows a journalist as she begins to investigate that much maligned woman following a series of visions that she believes are guiding her towards something--and finds out much more than she had anticipated, including her own role in the story that, after 2,000 years, is still being played out.

The story told in this book is an interesting one, although the writing wasn't the greatest. (Nor, however, is it the worst--it's merely simplistic and at times has too much monologue-as-exposition.) At any rate, it was interesting enough that I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the planned trilogy.

This book will inevitably be compared to The Da Vinci Code, because of their shared themes of ancient secret societies, intrigue and betrayal in Southern France, clues hidden in famous renaissance paintings, and the relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus. They have other similarities, including a lot of interesting ideas about history that are very tempting to believe (despite the lack of any need to cite--or even have--sources in fiction), and a writing style that belies more of an interest in telling a story than in creating high quality prose with any depth.

However, beyond these thematic and technical similarities, the two books tell very different stories. This one deals with fulfilling an ancient prophesy in this time, and also goes back 2,000 years to telling the story of Mary Magdalene's life, of Jesus and the apostles, and of the other people and events that surrounded them. That story is different from any others I've seen, has a very good message, and was worthwhile for me to read.

[Deborah Joyner · Rating 1 out of 5]

Worthless. Okay that's a bit harsh, but this was the only thing I had to read while waiting to be called for jury duty. So, this novel, very loosely based on the real experiences of the author, is about that elusive (or not so elusive) bloodline of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. A historian, Marilyn Paschal, find herself having incredible realistic dreams and visions of Mary Magdalene's life, and after finding a ring in the Holy Land, Paschal gets pulled into a web of conspiracies between competing Magdalene and John the Baptist groups (first husbands, they're the worst!). Perhaps the problem stems from the fact that this book lacks a full cohesive story, trying to also tell the story of Mary Magdalene, from Mary's point of view. In addition, it lacks the feeling of drama of other Religious Thrillers, the only person to die - you don't really care about. This book is intended to set up a series, so much is left unfinished. That being the case, I suggest finding other stories to occupy your time.

[Daniel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another Mary Magdalane story - a cheap imitation of the DaVinci Code. Do your self a favor and read something else.

[Marcy Theobald · Rating 5 out of 5]

What food for thought! This is the fictional story of a writer/professor who goes on a journey that leads her to discover the lost Gospel of Mary Magdalene, which the author of this novel suggests is real and was discovered about 15 years ago in France in a location where many historians suggest Mary lived out the last 30 years of her life. Within this book, the author includes what she claims is actual translations from the Arques Gospel (Mary's Gospel). Through the Gospel we learn that Mary was married to Jesus (her second marriage) and they had two children. Moreover, we learn what Jesus was like on a more human level -- so full of life and love. Even the Catholic Church today has reversed its position on Mary Magdalene as a prostitute, a title given to her in 591 by Pope Gregory the Great. In 1969 the Church proclaimed that she wasn't the great sinner as the Pope suggested, but instead was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples. This reversal comes a overly late, in my opinion.

Many historians and scholars know that in 285 AD when today's Bible was assembled, the priests had more than 40 gospels to choose from to illustrate Jesus' teachings, but only chose four. Further, in the Bible they downplayed female roles in history. If they did include women, it was generally to illustrate women’s sinning nature (Mary Magdalene as a prostitute, Salome who requested John the Baptist's head on a platter, Heriodias who came to be Herod's wife through adultery, to name a few).

When the Bible was assembled one of the gospels that was put aside was the Gospel of Judas, a translations of which was unearthed in the 1970's but wasn't identified and translated into English until the past decade. This Gospel, a Coptic translation of the original confirmed by carbon dating to be written around 280 AD plus/minus 50 years, tells a very different version of Judas’ role in the days leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. In order for God's will to be carried out, Jesus planned his arrest very carefully to avoid rioting and violence. Therefore, he asked one of his most trusted disciples, Judas, to go to the Romans and bring them to Jesus in the garden. According to the Gospel of Judas, Jesus didn't tell anyone but Judas, therefore Judas' actions were seen by the others as traitorous. Judas, grief stricken by the events that followed, was dead within a day of the crucifixion by, most say, his own hand.

I make the reference to the Gospel of Judas for two reasons. First, it lends hope to the possibility that the Arques Gospel of Mary Magdalene exists, not to mention the dozens of other Gospels whose existence is only known to the Vatican or those that haven’t been unearthed yet. I truly believe that other accounts exist of Jesus' life were or are suppressed for political, financial and/or religious reasons. The second reason is that within the Argues Gospels, according to this author, Mary makes a reference to Judas and his role in Jesus' arrest, corroborating the same story found in the Gospel of Judas.

I found this book utterly fascinating. Moreover, it was an enjoyable read and a true page-turner. In the afterward, the author, Kathleen McGowan, makes a suggestion that the road traveled by our fictional heroine is the path that she herself followed. Is she the Expected One? I would love to know. But moreover, if it proves true -- if the Arques Gospel is released to the public -- that Jesus was in fact married (as the vast majority of Jewish leaders were in Jesus’ time), I would welcome the truth. It would, in fact, make Him more human and accessible to me.

I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series, The Book of Love.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I continue to be fascinated by the cult of Mary as it existed in the early church thru to the present. How overjoyed am I that there is another cult of Mary (the "other" Mary--Mary Magdalene) that exists parallel to the church! The book obviously begs the comparison to the Da Vinci Code and other books of that ilk. But this "novel" goes beyond the present day investigations of the author to visit the fictionalized historical characters, explore their documented lives, and mine the theoretical potential of their UNrecorded experiences. I look forward to the promised sequel of this unexpected tale.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 2 out of 5]

‘What is truth?’

Two thousand years ago, Mary Magdalene hid a set of scrolls in the French Pyrenees. These scrolls contained her version of the events and characters of the New Testament and are protected, awaiting the arrival of The Expected One.

‘You have to look very carefully to see it for what it is.’

Maureen Paschal is the author of a book examining the truth about the ill-treatment of women in history. Her subjects include Mary Magdalene and, shortly after being given an unusual ring in a Jerusalem store, Maureen begins experiencing visions. Maureen has no idea that she is stepping into an ancient mystery which has already cost the lives of thousands of people.

Fascination with Mary Magdalene is not new: it predates Dan Brown’s novel ‘The Da Vinci Code’ by centuries. And, although this novel was not first published until 2005, Ms McGowan says she began working on it in 1989 – 14 years before ‘The Da Vinci Code’ published. So it’s coincidence, then, that some similar terrain is covered - but probably a happy coincidence for Ms McGowan in terms of book sales.

Kathleen McGowan, as I discovered after reading this novel, claims to be descended from Mary Magdalene. In her Afterword to the novel, she states that this novel is based on her life and experiences. So why then is the book published as fiction? And where does Ms McGowan’s version of the facts end, and the fiction begin? I enjoyed parts of this novel, was irritated by some aspects and then was completely frustrated by the author’s Afterword. I wish I’d read the Afterword first: at least then I would have been aware of Ms McGowan’s framework for the novel.

If you are interested in Mary Magdalene, and open to alternate views of Christian mythology, then this novel may appeal.

‘You cannot just pick and choose your messiahs like items in a bazaar.’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Aliaa Mohamed · Rating 4 out of 5]

أود الاعتراف اننى أعشق هذه النوعية من الروايات ، فبعد قراءتى لرواية " اللوح الأزرق " وكنت دائمة البحث عن عمل ع شاكلته حتى وجدت ضالتى بالصدفة البحتة فى رواية " سر مريم المجدلية " ، فبمجرد قراءتى لنبذة تلك الرواية حتى صرخت وقلت وجدتها أخيراً !!

الرواية باختصار تدور حول بعدين زمنيين يربط بينهما شئ وثيق ، البعد الزمنى الحديث عن صحفية وكاتبة تدعى " مورين " وقامت بتأليف كتاب عن النساء المضطهدات ع مر التاريخ من بينهن مريم المجدلية ، ومن هنا يظهر البعد الزمنى القديم المتمثل ف صفحات منفردة بين فصول الرواية يتضح من خلال قيام مريم بكتابة قصة حياتها المرتبطة بسيدنا عيسى حتى يعلم الجميع الحقيقة .

ومع تتابع الأحداث تظهر العلاقة بين مورين ومريم المجدلية من خلال الأحلام التى تراودها أثناء النوم وتعلم من خلالها إنها المنتظرة التى تستطيع إيجاد أوراق قصة حياة مريم المجدلية ، لتتوالى الأحداث بعد ذلك وتجد الأوراق بالفعل والتى تسرد علينا أشياء عن عيسى ومريم وقصة الصلب والدوافع وراء ذلك وأشياء آخرى لا اعلم مدى صحتها نظرا لعدم قراءاتى المتعمقة ف تلك الأحداث .

ولكن أيا كانت صحة هذه المعلومات فإن أسلوب السرد به من التشويق ما يجعلك تتغاضى عن كل شئ وتغوص بين طيات الرواية حتى تجد نفسك تنتهى منها ف وقت قصير .

وليكن ف علمك أيها القارئ أن هناك مفاجأة ف انتظارك بنهاية صفحات الرواية لن أحرقها لك فعليك اكتشافها بنفسك .

ملحوظة : الروايات والأعمال الأدبية الجيدة هى التى تدفعك بمجرد الانتهاء منها إلى البحث عن أعمال اخرى ذات صلة بالمعلومات الواردة لمزيد من التأكد وجمع المعلومات من أكثر من مصدر .

[Mashael Alamri · Rating 5 out of 5]

إني، منذ عهد بعيد ، مسكونة بهاجس رواية الحكايات العظيمة التي لم يسردها أحد وكشف طبقات التجربة الإنسانية المطمورة بصمت،وعن عمد أحياناً لإعتبارات أكاديمية، وكما تذكرنا بطلة الرواية مورين"ليس التاريخ ما حدث فعلاً، التاريخ هو ما دوّن". فما نعرفه ونقبل به كوقائع تاريخية يكون غالباً من وضع مؤلف ذي غايات سياسية . وقد حولني هذا الفهم إلى باحثة في التراث الشعبي الشفهي، وأنا أجد متعة في نبش الثقافات من منابعها باحثة عن المؤرخين المحليين ورواة القصص التقليدين لسبر أغوار التاريخ البشري الحقيقي"



رواية استندت فيها المؤلفة على الموروث الشفهي الشعبي لتحسين صورة ( مريم المجدلية ) التي اعتبرتها أكثر طوائف المسيح ( عاهرة ) بصراحة كنت أبحث عن كتاب أقرأ فيه عن المجدلية بعد أن قرأت عنها في أكثر من رواية أمريكية لأعرف سرها .
كانت المنتظرة ( ممتعه جداً ) بالسرد مليئة بالأسرار عن المسيحية وتلاميذ عيسى عليه السلام ,
تقريباً هناك تشابه بين مانعتقده عن عيسى عليه السلام في الإسلام وبين ما يعتقده المسيح إلا في بعض الأحداث ,


إممممم تفاجأت بوجود عدة نسخ من الإنجيل لأكثر من مؤلف كنت أضن أنه كتاب واحد فقط والغريب أن أغلب هذه الروايات تعتد بها الكنيسة !


قراءتي لهذا الكتاب زاد من حماسي لزيارة متحف اللوفر لرؤية اللوحات التي ذكرت في الرواية

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first sin of this book was presenting a main character without giving us any reason to love her. We were told she wore Manolos, she was a successful author, had a fancy condo, AND people thought she was the reincarnation of Mary Magdalene. Meanwhile I'm thinking, "Who gives a sh*t?". Oh wait. Apparently the author, who from the jacket cover is a dead ringer for "Maureen" even down to the signature ring, ADORES her. Please.

Toss in stilted, amateurish prose and an overload of conspiracy theory that's thrown at you so fast you need a scorecard to keep up and you have a book not even worth it's fancy, cut-out dust jacket.

I would say it's a poor man's "Da Vinci Code" but the poor deserve better.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

مع انتهاء صفحات هذه الرواية ستدرك أن بعض التفاصيل الصغيرة في شخصية لورين باسكال "في الرواية" مستوحاة من شخصية و ظروف عاشتها الكاتبة كاتلين مارك غوان " اعترف أن الأمر اثأر استغرابي /أحلامها عن المسيح و ألامه و معرفتها بسر عائلتها كون جديها عضوين في جماعة البنائيين الأحرار كما الفت كاتلين كتاب عن النساء اللواتي أسيء فهمهن في التاريخ و هنا بدأ هاجسها بالمجدلية (تماما كلورين بطلة روايتها) و عيد ميلادها المرتبط بأحد نبوءات مريم المجدلية

عن مريم المجدلية

مريم المجدلية شخصية أثارت الكثير من الجدل البعض يصفها بالعاهرة و الخاطئة و المسكونة بسبع شياطين قبل أن تشفى على يد عيسى عليه السلام " كما ورد في إنجيل " وتمسح قدميه بالطيب بمنزل سمعان الفريسي و أخرون يعتقدون أن مريم المجدلية و مريم من بيت عنيا أخت مارتا و أليعازر هما شخصية واحدة و البعض الأخر يتبنى نظرية أخرى و يعتقدون أنها الزوجة الشرعية للمسيح و لها أبناء منه ولكن المتفق عليه حسب الأناجيل أنها أول من رأت عيسى عليه السلام بعد قيامته

عن الرواية

في رحلتها إلى القدس تبدأ لورين باسكال التي تعمل كصحفية و باحثة أكاديمية برؤية رؤى سماوية عن مريم المجدلية و يوم صلب عيسى عليه السلام "على حسب المعتقد المسيحي" ومن هنا ستبدأ رحلتها للإيجاد تفسير لما تراه
إلى أن تصل إلى جنوب غرب فرنسا لتكتشف هناك إنها محور نبوءة عمرها أكثر من ألفي سنة تتعلق بإنجيل ترويه مريم المجدلية
ولا يحقق هده النبوءة غير الراعية "المنظرة"

مما أعجبني في الرواية3نجوم لهذا الجزءمنها

هده الرواية أخذتني في رحلة لتعرفني بالعديد من رسامي عصر النهضة و العصور
الوسطى و فن الباروكي وكيف عبر كل واحد منهم عن رأيه في المجدلية بريشته

لوحة المجدلية التائبة

غوستاف مورو و لوحة سالومة تحمل راس يوحنا

لوحة سيدة الصخور المرفوضة لدافينشي

لوحةالربيع لساندرو بوتيتشيلي

بوسان ET IN ARCADIA EGO



و القبر المطابق لرسم بوسان في الواقع


لم يعجبني

لم ترقني طريقة تصوير شخصية يوحنا المعمدان" أو يحي عليه السلام " كنبي غليظ القلب. مضطهد و متعصب لليهود و يكره النساء و يعتبرهن نجاسة و يمقت المعاقين و يصف البرص بالقذرين
مما جعلني أعتقد أنني اقرأ عن هتلر و ليس عن نبي كريم



و مما أثار انزعاجي أنها في خاتمة الكتاب تأمل ألا يتهمها القارئ بالتحامل على يوحنا المعمدان على حساب عيسى " عليهما السلام"
اعترف بداية إنني أعجبت بإعطاء سالوميه و بيلاطس و يهوذا الاسخريوطي بعدا إنسانيا قبل أن أدرك أنني بدأت أتعاطف و أعطي التبريرات للقتلة مع الأسف وهدا ما لم تفعله هي مع يوحنا المعمدان برغم من نبوءته
لا ادري على أي أساس استندت لتدعيم روايتها عنه
اذا كانت أطلقت العنان لمخيلتها لفعل ذلك فهذا اسمه تحامل
أما اذا استندت على مراجع من نوع ما فقد وقعت في الخطأ التي ترجو منا جميعا تفاديه


تنبيه

هذه الرواية تشبه لحد بعيد شيفرة دافنشي ل دان براون

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

No se por donde empezar esta reseña ya que el libro me ha dejado un descolocada.... por una parte puede parecer que se parece al codigo da vinci ( por la tematica de la figura de Maria Magdalena) pero la verdad es que es mejor ( aunque claro hay unas licencias al escribir el libro que me hacen pensar que es ficcion pura y dura ya que no tenemos relatos ni testimonios de la Maria Magdalena)...

Es un libro que se lee rapido donde la teoria de la conspiracion esta en el aire y donde la protagonista se cuestiona el tema religioso y el papel de la mujer en la Historia ( porque este libro tambien es una reinvidicacion del papel de tantas y tantas mujeres de la historia que han sido sepultadas por falsos testimonios de los hombres, donde se las calumnia, insulta o hacen desaparecer de la historia ( aunque jugaran un papel mas importante que el hombre))....

Es un libro para tener la mente abierta en el tema religioso, ya que hace unas teorias que ( si fueran cierto) revolucionarian la iglesia y la fe tan y como la conocemos ...

Os recomiendo leerla, bien para pasar un buen rato por las aventuras bien para pensar un poco en el papel de las mujeres en la historia y de Maria Magdalena en la historia de la fe y de la iglesia...

[Jackie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fun fictional and religious romp! Similar to The Da Vinci Code, but more imaginative and well-written.

The Afterward was oddly confessional, and just odd; I am not sure what to think of Kathleen McGowan's claims that her presentation of ancient history is more than fiction: that, indeed, her work is "taken from previously undisclosed source material [which has] never been released to the public before" (438). Alas, she does not disclose her sources either, "in order to protect the sacred nature of this information and those who hold it" (439). This claim does not reassure me; rather, it makes me raise my eyebrows an inch higher.

Together with McGowan's own claim that she is a descendent of Jesus (what?!), all of this gives me pause. Also, the novel's emphasis on Jesus' "bloodline" is a little creepy.

All this to say: as a novel, yay! As something more, nope.

Also, as a religion scholar, I have to say that, when talking about the New Testament, McGowan often gets her facts wrong. The NT was definitely written in Greek, for example. And: many scholars do not think Paul was the one who wrote that women should be silent in churches. Rather, it was a later church leader.

[Jachin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was as powerful as The Da Vinci Code and much more exciting. Kathleen takes her readers into a whole new world that merges faith, history and lessons we can all learn from our lives and the lives of our ancestors. I HIGHLY reccomend this book... and can't wait to read Kathleen's next project "The Book of Love".

[Mohammed Orabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

" لقد جعلت لكم من نفسي قدوة لتصنعوا أنتم ايضا ماصنعت لكم .. ولتقروا بأن الآخرين مساوون لكم أمام الله .. وأعطيكم الليلة وصية جديدة : أحبوا بعضكم بعضا كما أحببتكم .. وإذا أحب بعضكم بعضا عرف الناس جميعا أنكم تلاميذي "

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback

Helaas doet uitgeverij A.W.Bruna de schrijfster onrecht aan. Het gooit het boek voor de onwetende lezer als het ware op de stapel Da Vinci Code-clonen die de laatste jaren het boekenlandschap teisteren. Maar het is véél meer dan dat!

Je kan aanvankelijk niet naast de parallellen kijken die het boek heeft met zijn beroemde voorganger. Maureen Paschal=Sofie Neveu, Peter Healy=Robert Langdon, Lord Berenger Sinclair=Sir Leigh Teabing, het Genootschap van de Gerechtigen=Opus Dei, de hele Jezus/Magdalena bloedlijn die terugkomt, het kasteel... Maar wat mij daarbij erg opviel was de ingetogenheid en oprechtheid waarmee het allemaal wordt verteld. Het valt ook op hoe de eventuele scepsis van mij telkens op een aannemelijke manier weet te tackelen. We krijgen het evangelie van Magdalena aangeboden.

Ik ben een wedergeboren Christen maar mij boeide het verhaal.

Wat te denken de schrijvers claim dat zij zelf van de christelijke bloedlijn afstamt? En dat zij in feite de echte Maureen Paschal is, inclusief visioenen? Dat het Magdalena-evangelie een gemoderniseerde versie is van een authentiek geschrift? Ik durf er geen uitspraak over te doen.

Op het moment dat we voor Jezus kiezen zijn we erfgenaam. We zijn geschapen naar Gods evenbeeld. Twee verschillende gezichtspunten maar zeker boeiend.

Erg sterk, ik kijk uit naar het vervolg!

  

[Misa212 · Rating 1 out of 5]

A man and a woman on a mysterious trip along the Rose Line in France? A mysterious, fantastically wealthy man who is fond of riddles and puzzles along for the ride? Mythic tales of the "Sang Real" stirred in for good measure.....hey, I already read this!

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessant leesvoer dat me met momenten niet los liet, maar me uiteindelijk toch een beetje op mijn honger liet zitten.

Het gehele verhaal is goed verzonnen en duidelijk/sterk uitgewerkt (het neemt de lezer mee), al waren sommige passages te lang en kwamen enkele plotpoints te snel.

De uiteindelijke "bad guy" was in dit deel niet zo doemsvoorspellend als ik hoopte, al kan dat mogelijk veranderen in het tweede boek.

EDIT: de auteur baseerde het boek op haar eigen ervaringen etc. (zie nawoord), wat me toch lichtjes de wenkbrauwen deed het fronsen. Onduidelijk waar haar waarheid en de fictie elkaar kruisen, wel erg interessant dat ze erg veel onderzoek uitvoerde.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that whether or not you believe some of the less spiritual beliefs on the subject of Mary Magdalene, it should not keep you from reading this book.

This book is about a woman, Maureen, who starts having visions of events related to Mary Magdalene and Jesus. Events related to the crucifixion and the resurrection. She begins to research these events only to open and draw out skeletons from her own closet.

There is some very good historical references in this book. I like how you get drawn across the world as her adventure unfolds to learn the truth about Mary Magdalene and her place in Jesus' closest circle of Apostles. I learned about places of importance to MM and paintings that depict something far different than what you initially think.

There are a lot of references to Mary's Gospel as written by her which I found very interesting. They tell a whole different side of the story that we were never told.

I cannot 100% say that I believe everything that is said in this book. I cannot completely back all of the said "facts" without my own proof that all of it is true. Do I believe that it is possible that MM was Jesus' wife and not just his Apostle? Well sure. Jesus was the "Son of Man." It is negligent to believe that a man of God would have a woman in his bed without approval of the church and God. There is much more to Jesus Christ than what the Bible tells you. I have always believed that.

There are a lot of books out there that tell this same story, only a different way. The Catholic church has kept a lot of information from people to conserve the church and it's position in the world. But it is not to say what all of that information is. We can speculate until we are blue in the face but it will not solve anything. So, please go into this book with an open mind. If not for the story line than at least for the history lesson provided.

[megHan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at the library the other day and something made me pick it up and add it to my list. I'm sure that it's a book my mom would tell me I'm going to hell for reading (we are both devout Catholics), but I just can't help myself. I am always curious about other people's beliefs and about the what ifs that "conspiracy theories" put out there.

I have to say that it was a very good novel, right up there with Dan Brown books (which I love) and, honestly, maybe even better. There are "conspiracy theories," secret societies, the teachings of Jesus and his followers, and quite a few moments where you hold your breath waiting for what's going to happen next. There were several nights where I was up til 2am still reading, mornings when I woke up with the book open on my chest.

On a side note, I love the teachings that the author had Mary Magdalene teach us in this book - love, tolerance, forgiveness, personal accountability; "a message of unity and nonjudgment for all belief systems." These are things that I wish we all learned and understood, things that would bring this planet together instead of constantly fighting.

On a second side note, the author calls herself a "antiacademic" - defining her "radical belief" that it is "irresponsible to accept what was written down." At the beginning of the book, she has her main character say to her students, "History is not what happened. History is what was written down." I want you to think about that for a moment ... Interesting way to look at things, huh?

Will I be finding the next two books in this trilogy? With the way this ended (answering all questions, but opening it up with just enough new information to leave me filled with more questions) you bet!! :)

[Lyda Van Den Bos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een bijzondere bijbelse thriller met veel historische feiten.

[Al e · Rating 4 out of 5]

«Donna, perché piangi? Chi cerchi?».
♥

[Wan Ni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books presents a few good arguments. Some of which I remember: (1) If an apostle by the church’s standard is one who witnessed the fall and rise of Christ, then Mary Magdalene (M.M) is the ONLY legitimate apostle because she was the first person Christ appeared to after he came back from the dead. (2) According to culture of the people during that era, the person who washes and prepares the body for burial is usually the wife of the deceased, and in this case, M.M washes the body of Christ. (3) Translation of the Bible and gospels were done in an ethnocentric manner; some were translated from Greek to Latin to English, and during that process words were mashed and mistranslated. For example, what meant “do not cling on to me” (as said by Christ to M.M after he came back) but is often translated as “do not touch me”. These two words have very different connotations.

I really liked the part where the journalist (Paschal) wrote a book called HerStory to give mouthpiece to important women in history, such as Marie Antionette, who never said “let them eat cake”. It’s quite refreshing and it makes a lot of sense. And I liked a line, which goes something like, “history is not what happened, but what was written down.” History is biased, and we should never take anything as face value.

Also, one interesting this I learnt about this book is that Da Vinci actually painted two versions of Madonna on the Rocks. Now one is in London, and one in the Louvre. There are differences in the two paintings, and this book has capitalised in those differences and tagged ideological value to them. Whether Da Vinci had intended them that way, we’ll never know but it’s fun to see how people can read that much into paintings.

[Ien van Houten · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say about this trilogy. Da Vinci Code meets Mists of Avalon? Call it fantasy or spiritual fiction and keep in mind that the Universe is queerer than we can suppose.

I read part one a few years ago. For the duration of the reading I was willing to suspend disbelief and entertain the concept that Kathleen McGowan had some of the experiences she gives her heroine Maureen Paschal. The idea that a Jewish religious teacher named Jeshua Ben Joseph had a wife makes perfect sense. A line of descendants from the union of said teacher and his wife/disciple Mary Magdalene? Why not? The idea that a power-hungry, patriarchal church would suppress the original teachings is entirely plausible. The plot kept my interest and I quite enjoyed The Expected One at the time.

This review is written shortly after finishing the two sequels. This time I was struck by how wooden the writing was and how one-dimensional the characters. They are all SO noble and SO spiritual and SO destined by birth for great things. I found myself less moved and more irritated.

I did enjoy the historical aspects and the lessons in art history. Meeting Mathilda of Tuscany in book 2 was a treat. It also prompted me to take a virtual tour of Chartres, a place I have always wanted to visit but most likely won't.
http://www.cathedrale-chartres.org/

Book 3, dealing with Florence at the times of Lorenzo de Medici, inspired a ditto search for Renaissance art, all so available on this wonderful medium!

Overall, I do not begrudge the time spent on the books, but great literature they are not.

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself completely fascinated by the premise of this book. I wouldn't call myself religious by any stretch of the word, but I did grow up in a Lutheran family. One of the things I remember about all those Sunday School mornings and sermons was the overwhelming propagation of the idea of Mary Magdalene being a prostitute [I specifically remember a whole hour of Sunday School dedicated to teaching us the difference between the Biblical Mary's].

This book makes the whole story much more palatable. While I haven't found a new burst of religious faith, I appreciated every bit of fact and speculation within the book.

Two gripes:
1) perhaps I would believe a bit more if Kathleen McGowan hadn't written the entire book with fair haired/fair skinned/fair eyed people. While her research is evident throughout the book, this is one glaring omission that I can't stomach.
2) at times, the writing seemed a little lackluster, though not for lack of using a thesaurus... This wasn't consistent by any means, but was present enough times throughout the book that it started to irk me.

Three stars for the writing (average), four stars for the subject matter, and another little boost because I had never known my birthday was quite so exciting [here I thought I just shared it with Reese Witherspoon and William Shatner].