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The Book of Q
Asia Minor, sixth century: After several centuries of conflict with the early Christian church, the Manichaeans, a heretical sect, vanish from the historical record.
Bosnia, 1992: Ian Pearse, a young American relief worker destined for the priesthood, has his faith tested by the horrors of war, but is jolted from his despair by a passionate affair with a Croatian woman named Petra.
Rome, present day: Father Pearse, now a researcher at the Vatican Library, comes into possession of an ancient scroll after the mysterious death of one Vatican priest and the disappearance of another. His scholar's curiosity aroused, he has the document translated by an old friend in Rome. He is stunned to learn that the scroll contains ingeniously coded letters and the text of the "Perfect Light," a Manichaean prayer that has never been found in its written form.
In the early days of the Christian church the Manichaeans had been an overly zealous, highly organized secret society, scorned by the church and seemingly driven out of existence. But these newly discovered documents indicate an earth-shattering alternate history, a long-dormant, highly evolved conspiracy carefully nurtured for centuries, and an even more important scroll hinted at in the letters that will facilitate "the great awakening."
When the pope dies of a sudden illness, Pearse is roughed up by Vatican security, who want the scroll, and when the woman who translated the prayer for him is kidnapped, he realizes that "the great awakening" is not an academic concept but something very real and dangerous. With his friend's life at stake, Pearse must find the document that holds the key to this Manichaean conspiracy.
Racing from the Vatican to Greece and back to Bosnia, Pearse has to decipher the cryptograms and codes that have been passed down for centuries from one Manichaean sect to another in the documents he finds. He is also reunited with Petra, the passionate, determined Croatian woman who has lingered in his mind since their time together in Bosnia years earlier. Together they must face a heresy that has been vigilantly guarded and cared for throughout the centuries until the time is right to unleash it on the world. And the time is now. . . .
Bosnia, 1992: Ian Pearse, a young American relief worker destined for the priesthood, has his faith tested by the horrors of war, but is jolted from his despair by a passionate affair with a Croatian woman named Petra.
Rome, present day: Father Pearse, now a researcher at the Vatican Library, comes into possession of an ancient scroll after the mysterious death of one Vatican priest and the disappearance of another. His scholar's curiosity aroused, he has the document translated by an old friend in Rome. He is stunned to learn that the scroll contains ingeniously coded letters and the text of the "Perfect Light," a Manichaean prayer that has never been found in its written form.
In the early days of the Christian church the Manichaeans had been an overly zealous, highly organized secret society, scorned by the church and seemingly driven out of existence. But these newly discovered documents indicate an earth-shattering alternate history, a long-dormant, highly evolved conspiracy carefully nurtured for centuries, and an even more important scroll hinted at in the letters that will facilitate "the great awakening."
When the pope dies of a sudden illness, Pearse is roughed up by Vatican security, who want the scroll, and when the woman who translated the prayer for him is kidnapped, he realizes that "the great awakening" is not an academic concept but something very real and dangerous. With his friend's life at stake, Pearse must find the document that holds the key to this Manichaean conspiracy.
Racing from the Vatican to Greece and back to Bosnia, Pearse has to decipher the cryptograms and codes that have been passed down for centuries from one Manichaean sect to another in the documents he finds. He is also reunited with Petra, the passionate, determined Croatian woman who has lingered in his mind since their time together in Bosnia years earlier. Together they must face a heresy that has been vigilantly guarded and cared for throughout the centuries until the time is right to unleash it on the world. And the time is now. . . .
377 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
15 people are currently reading
485 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Rabb
15 books120 followersJonathan Rabb grew up knowing he would be an academic. The son and grandson (on both sides) of historians, Rabb’s world shook at its very core when he opted to try his hand at political theory. As an undergraduate at Yale, Rabb divided his time among Locke and Hobbes and Hegel while spending his more reckless hours singing with the Whiffenpoofs and galloping across stage in such roles as Harry the Horse and a perfectly bean-poled Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha. He even went so far as to make his living his first years out of college as an actor in New York before settling on a PhD program at Columbia.
Somehow, though, that was not to be. While in Germany researching the very compelling and very obscure seventeenth-century theorist Samuel von Pufendorf (Whiffenpoof on Pufendorf), Rabb got the idea for a thriller in which a young professor at Columbia gets caught up in a vast conspiracy predicated on deciphering a centuries-old manuscript, a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Suddenly theater and history had come together in the form of historical fiction and, leaving his Fulbright and academia behind, Rabb spent the next two years teaching test prep and writing furiously.
In 1998, his first novel, The Overseer, reached bookshelves, followed three years later by The Book of Q—another historical thriller—and his marriage to Andra Reeve, the director of prime time casting at CBS television. Having discovered a new kind of bliss in his private life, Rabb decided it was time to dive into the decay and despair of Berlin between the wars. He set to work on what would be the first in his Berlin Trilogy, Rosa, and also began to teach fiction at the 92nd Street Y. In July 2004 his wife had twins, and for the next two years, while writing and researching Shadow and Light, Rabb became their primary caretaker. Somehow, they continued to grow and flourish, and Shadow and Light found its way to the page.
Rabb is now deep into the final book of the trilogy, and still finds time to perform Gilbert and Sullivan with the Blue Hill Troupe of New York, the Harrisburg Symphony, and anyone else willing to indulge his love of Patter roles. This fall, Rabb started teaching in the NYU Creative Writing Program and continues to write reviews for Opera News and essays for the series I Wish I’d Been There.
Somehow, though, that was not to be. While in Germany researching the very compelling and very obscure seventeenth-century theorist Samuel von Pufendorf (Whiffenpoof on Pufendorf), Rabb got the idea for a thriller in which a young professor at Columbia gets caught up in a vast conspiracy predicated on deciphering a centuries-old manuscript, a response to Machiavelli’s The Prince. Suddenly theater and history had come together in the form of historical fiction and, leaving his Fulbright and academia behind, Rabb spent the next two years teaching test prep and writing furiously.
In 1998, his first novel, The Overseer, reached bookshelves, followed three years later by The Book of Q—another historical thriller—and his marriage to Andra Reeve, the director of prime time casting at CBS television. Having discovered a new kind of bliss in his private life, Rabb decided it was time to dive into the decay and despair of Berlin between the wars. He set to work on what would be the first in his Berlin Trilogy, Rosa, and also began to teach fiction at the 92nd Street Y. In July 2004 his wife had twins, and for the next two years, while writing and researching Shadow and Light, Rabb became their primary caretaker. Somehow, they continued to grow and flourish, and Shadow and Light found its way to the page.
Rabb is now deep into the final book of the trilogy, and still finds time to perform Gilbert and Sullivan with the Blue Hill Troupe of New York, the Harrisburg Symphony, and anyone else willing to indulge his love of Patter roles. This fall, Rabb started teaching in the NYU Creative Writing Program and continues to write reviews for Opera News and essays for the series I Wish I’d Been There.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 17, 2019
4.5 "exciting, well-crafted and fascinating" stars !!!
2016 Honorable Mention Read
I very much enjoyed this two week journey with Father Ian Pearse as he searches for the book of Q that has the potential to bring down the Catholic Church.
The writing is clear, the plot exciting and extremely well thought out and characters that are fairly three dimensional which is unusual and welcome in the genre of religious conspiracy adventures.
Throughout the book I was on the edge of my seat with not a moment of boredom. The story twisted and turned and there was tragedy, love, spiritual guidance, politics, intrigue, history, architecture and a visit to the Vatican, Greece and Bosnia.
It was fascinating to learn about an early Christian sect known as the Manichaens and the author's imagination if they survived over the centuries to try and usurp the current world order through a combination of their doctrines and human greed and corruption.
There was also a very powerful love story that held the story together with the priest, his one-time Yugoslavian girlfriend (prior to joining the priesthood). There is also a lovely surprise that awaits if you choose to read this book.
I also liked the material that was described in the book of Q which are the lost teachings of Jesus akin to the Dead Sea Scrolls and I would like to do some further research in this area.
Again, this ride was thrilling, touching, interesting and extremely well written and entertaining. Mass market popular fiction at its very best :)
I look forward to reading many more of Mr. Jonathan Rabb's books!
2016 Honorable Mention Read
I very much enjoyed this two week journey with Father Ian Pearse as he searches for the book of Q that has the potential to bring down the Catholic Church.
The writing is clear, the plot exciting and extremely well thought out and characters that are fairly three dimensional which is unusual and welcome in the genre of religious conspiracy adventures.
Throughout the book I was on the edge of my seat with not a moment of boredom. The story twisted and turned and there was tragedy, love, spiritual guidance, politics, intrigue, history, architecture and a visit to the Vatican, Greece and Bosnia.
It was fascinating to learn about an early Christian sect known as the Manichaens and the author's imagination if they survived over the centuries to try and usurp the current world order through a combination of their doctrines and human greed and corruption.
There was also a very powerful love story that held the story together with the priest, his one-time Yugoslavian girlfriend (prior to joining the priesthood). There is also a lovely surprise that awaits if you choose to read this book.
I also liked the material that was described in the book of Q which are the lost teachings of Jesus akin to the Dead Sea Scrolls and I would like to do some further research in this area.
Again, this ride was thrilling, touching, interesting and extremely well written and entertaining. Mass market popular fiction at its very best :)
I look forward to reading many more of Mr. Jonathan Rabb's books!
January 9, 2013
Good story, although not a fast-paced read like The DaVinci Code. In fact, the pacing is my only real complaint. At times the story is fast moving, and tense, plenty of jeopardy; but then it slows down or even stalls out while a character explains some historical info. There's a real art to sharing factual, historical details with readers in a novel, (Dan Brown probably being the master). Rabb is a good story-teller in terms of the characters and actual plot. I actually liked the characters a lot-- very "3-dimensional". The ending managed to surprise me, and I realized at the end that my confusion about some of the characters was because their allegiances were unclear, (as opposed to being due to poor writing). The author clearly did a lot of research; I think sometimes an author does so much research that he bogs the story down with too much information, or telling it in too much detail. As I said, there's a real art to it.
As a student of religion, and Christianity in particular, the subject matter was very interesting-- the early church, Manichaeism, and the nefarious means used by "the church" to keep its power. Definitely worth reading for those with an interest in the church-- or The Church.
As a student of religion, and Christianity in particular, the subject matter was very interesting-- the early church, Manichaeism, and the nefarious means used by "the church" to keep its power. Definitely worth reading for those with an interest in the church-- or The Church.
May 18, 2020
Boek wat vergelijkbaar is met de Da Vinci Code. Complexe materie, die het boek geregeld droog van stof en moeilijk te volgen maakt. De rode lijn is interessant om te volgen, maar verder toch te veel complexe ballast in mijn ogen.
July 30, 2008
Even if it was in the same vein as Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code, The Book of Q was a fun read, and somehow -- even for a skeptic such as myself -- the implausibilities and stretched connections didn't get in the way as they do in many other mysteries of this fast-developing 'historical Christianity fiction' genre. If anything, the many tangents on what defined and limited faith -- all part of a larger conversation woven throughout the book -- may have been what gave it such great appeal. All in all, a fully enjoyable read.
April 21, 2009
This really shouldn't be on my "read" shelf because I decided to take it back to the library. Once I put it down it didn't call to me. Maybe too similar to "DaVinci Code" or "Angels and Demons" which I liked well enough but wasn't excited about this one at all.
September 12, 2022
As a strictly-reared Catholic, now "lapsed", I am fascinated by what the Church decided to keep as dogma as well as what it chose to discard and actively denigrate throughout its rise to dominance. I read books like this to broaden my understanding of how/why the Church became the monolith that it is. For someone like me, the Catholic Church is often a villain in modern life and capable of any violence to keep power. This novel supports my beliefs but does not add to my knowledge of the ancient religion that became Catholicism.
I've read Dan Brown of course, but Rabb is a better, more complete writer with a clearer and less confusing plot line, based on the findings of the Dead Sea scrolls and the presumptive damage that many ancient writings could do to the doctrines of Catholicism. It's fun reading for me and moves quickly to the climax that was a bit surprising for me. I enjoyed the geography of the book, as I have been to most of the cities and countries that Pearce (the protagonist) races through in pursuit of Truth.
A flaw is that the characters are rather stock: the priest agonizing over his decision to wed the Church and not the woman he loves, the sensitive young boy intrigued by the occult, a strong and beautiful woman torn by war and passion, the evil cardinal. I've seen these before but they were interesting in their ways and moved the story along.
I liked it, recommend it to someone who is curious about alternatives to current Catholic tenets and the history of how these were selected or suppressed.
I've read Dan Brown of course, but Rabb is a better, more complete writer with a clearer and less confusing plot line, based on the findings of the Dead Sea scrolls and the presumptive damage that many ancient writings could do to the doctrines of Catholicism. It's fun reading for me and moves quickly to the climax that was a bit surprising for me. I enjoyed the geography of the book, as I have been to most of the cities and countries that Pearce (the protagonist) races through in pursuit of Truth.
A flaw is that the characters are rather stock: the priest agonizing over his decision to wed the Church and not the woman he loves, the sensitive young boy intrigued by the occult, a strong and beautiful woman torn by war and passion, the evil cardinal. I've seen these before but they were interesting in their ways and moved the story along.
I liked it, recommend it to someone who is curious about alternatives to current Catholic tenets and the history of how these were selected or suppressed.
August 16, 2019
An extremely well-written, well-edited and exciting thriller. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is because so much of the religious history and jargon was difficult to get through. I would still recommend it highly!
July 13, 2023
Either read the DaVinci Code or read this. They're practically the same plot but once you've read one, you've read the other.
May 25, 2024
An interesting look into a possible extremist group of the Catholic Church.
September 2, 2024
Much like a Dan Brown quest thriller. Three popes in a few days and a shootout with opposing Vatican security guards. What's not to like?
August 10, 2016
Την Μεγάλη Συνωμοσία των Μανιχαίων την είχα διαβάσει πριν κάποια χρόνια και θυμόμουν οτι δεν μου άρεσε ιδιαίτερα. Το βιβλίο το δάνεισα σε μια φίλη που της αρέσουν τα "συνωμοσιολογικά" η οποία ενθουσιάστηκε και όταν το επέστρεψε έτυχε να έχω μόλις τελειώσει αυτό που διάβαζα, οπότε άρχισα να το διαβάζω πάλι.
Δυστυχώς η γνώμη μου δεν άλλαξε... Δεν είμαι κατα των βιβλίων τέτοιας θεματολογίας, αν είναι ένα βιβλίο καλογραμμένο διαβάζω το οτιδήποτε, ωστόσο θεωρώ ότι ο συγγραφέας στο συγκεκριμένο παίρνει τους έρμους τους Μανιχαίους και τους παρουσιάζει άλλα ντ΄άλλων σε σχέση με αυτό που ήταν, χωρίς να καταφέρει να γράψει και τίποτα της προκοπής... Κρίμα δεν είναι; Οι γενικές ιδέες του συγγραφέα θα μπορούσαν να δώσουν ένα καλύτερο βιβλίο, ωστόσο στην πράξη έχουμε μια τρύπα στο νερό...
Οι διάλογοι είναι εντελώς αφύσικοι, ειδικά στην αρχή του βιβλίου δεν βγάζουν καν νόημα, η γραφή είναι εντελώς ξερή χωρίς καμιά ζωντάνια και η πλοκή είναι υπερβολική με πολλά κενά, ενώ μία παράλληλη γραμμή της αφήγησης που θα είχε κάποιο ενδιαφέρον -αυτή της εσωτερικής πάλης του Πιρς- είναι δοσμένη τόσο άκομψα που δεν δημιουργεί κανένα συναίσθημα στον αναγνώστη.
Μέχρι τουλάχιστον τα μισά το βιβλίο είναι τόσο αργόσυρτο που κάποιος λιγότερο υπομονετικός απο εμένα ίσως θα το παρατούσε πριν φτάσει καν στην μέση. Προς το τέλος αποκτά λίγο περισσότερη δράση και σου κινεί κάπως το ενδιαφέρον να παρακολουθήσεις την συνέχεια και πως θα τελειώσει, αλλά και πάλι σαν σύνολο δεν σώζεται...
Επειδή στο πολύ τέλος του βιβλιου, οι ήρωες καταφέρνουν να δημιουργήσουν επιτέλους κάποια συναισθήματα στον αναγνώστη, το βιβλίο κερδίζει ένα πόντο και πάει στο 2 και κάτι στα 5 (το και κάτι πάντα μετράει υπέρ του συγγραφέα στην βαθμολογία μου, εξ'ού και τα 3 αστεράκια...) Αν ήμουν στην θέση σας, δεν θα έτρεχα να το διαβάσω πάντως...
Δυστυχώς η γνώμη μου δεν άλλαξε... Δεν είμαι κατα των βιβλίων τέτοιας θεματολογίας, αν είναι ένα βιβλίο καλογραμμένο διαβάζω το οτιδήποτε, ωστόσο θεωρώ ότι ο συγγραφέας στο συγκεκριμένο παίρνει τους έρμους τους Μανιχαίους και τους παρουσιάζει άλλα ντ΄άλλων σε σχέση με αυτό που ήταν, χωρίς να καταφέρει να γράψει και τίποτα της προκοπής... Κρίμα δεν είναι; Οι γενικές ιδέες του συγγραφέα θα μπορούσαν να δώσουν ένα καλύτερο βιβλίο, ωστόσο στην πράξη έχουμε μια τρύπα στο νερό...
Οι διάλογοι είναι εντελώς αφύσικοι, ειδικά στην αρχή του βιβλίου δεν βγάζουν καν νόημα, η γραφή είναι εντελώς ξερή χωρίς καμιά ζωντάνια και η πλοκή είναι υπερβολική με πολλά κενά, ενώ μία παράλληλη γραμμή της αφήγησης που θα είχε κάποιο ενδιαφέρον -αυτή της εσωτερικής πάλης του Πιρς- είναι δοσμένη τόσο άκομψα που δεν δημιουργεί κανένα συναίσθημα στον αναγνώστη.
Μέχρι τουλάχιστον τα μισά το βιβλίο είναι τόσο αργόσυρτο που κάποιος λιγότερο υπομονετικός απο εμένα ίσως θα το παρατούσε πριν φτάσει καν στην μέση. Προς το τέλος αποκτά λίγο περισσότερη δράση και σου κινεί κάπως το ενδιαφέρον να παρακολουθήσεις την συνέχεια και πως θα τελειώσει, αλλά και πάλι σαν σύνολο δεν σώζεται...
Επειδή στο πολύ τέλος του βιβλιου, οι ήρωες καταφέρνουν να δημιουργήσουν επιτέλους κάποια συναισθήματα στον αναγνώστη, το βιβλίο κερδίζει ένα πόντο και πάει στο 2 και κάτι στα 5 (το και κάτι πάντα μετράει υπέρ του συγγραφέα στην βαθμολογία μου, εξ'ού και τα 3 αστεράκια...) Αν ήμουν στην θέση σας, δεν θα έτρεχα να το διαβάσω πάντως...
August 10, 2016
Cue ubiquitous movie trailer guy voice: "In a world where execrable Dan Brown novels sell in the millions comes a book written by an author who can write a decent, understandable sentence."
However, saying it is better than Dan Brown is like saying water is wet. The good thing is that the Manichean conspiracy is wonderfully over-the-top and can almost be believed. The conspiracy also ties in well with character motivations and histories - i.e. what the Manicheans believe and do are mirrored by qualities in the people involved. Which is a level of insight that is at a level much higher than is expected in a book of this genre.
The book was also published a few months before 9/11, yet Rabb presciently describes a situation where a catastrophe is executed for nefarious religious ends by manipulating over-the-top reactions to the catastrophe. It was scary to see how obviously "easy" it is for someone to pick up on it and yet governments and people still go to over-react mode and multiply the catastrophe. Did the 9/11 people damage the Constitution of the US? Not even close. Did we afterwards? Absolutely. Rabb definitely gets this mindset.
What was interesting was that in a previous book I've read this year, Saving the Appearances: A Study in Idolatry, I also ran into the theme of Jesus representing a personal journey with enlightenment, supplanting hierarchies and authorities of churches. But, humans, geez, we do somehow always end up bureacrating the crap out of everything...
However, saying it is better than Dan Brown is like saying water is wet. The good thing is that the Manichean conspiracy is wonderfully over-the-top and can almost be believed. The conspiracy also ties in well with character motivations and histories - i.e. what the Manicheans believe and do are mirrored by qualities in the people involved. Which is a level of insight that is at a level much higher than is expected in a book of this genre.
The book was also published a few months before 9/11, yet Rabb presciently describes a situation where a catastrophe is executed for nefarious religious ends by manipulating over-the-top reactions to the catastrophe. It was scary to see how obviously "easy" it is for someone to pick up on it and yet governments and people still go to over-react mode and multiply the catastrophe. Did the 9/11 people damage the Constitution of the US? Not even close. Did we afterwards? Absolutely. Rabb definitely gets this mindset.
What was interesting was that in a previous book I've read this year, Saving the Appearances: A Study in Idolatry, I also ran into the theme of Jesus representing a personal journey with enlightenment, supplanting hierarchies and authorities of churches. But, humans, geez, we do somehow always end up bureacrating the crap out of everything...
August 24, 2016
Father Pearse's adventure begins before he becomes a Catholic priest. From Bosnia, to Rome, and back to Bosnia, he follows clues to the location of a manuscript as he deciphers messages in an ancient language. A heretic sect wants the hidden manuscript, so they can use it to dominate all other religions. Intrigue and fighting abound over this manuscript and whatever hidden truths it may contain. Pearse doesn't know who is trying to kill him and who is protecting him as he dodges his pursuers while racing toward his goal. Meanwhile he struggles to understand his own spiritual beliefs.
I was by turns fascinated and bored as I was yanked from one scene and character to another, and yet another. There were many character viewpoints and a few places where the reader could have used a reminder of which person was which.
Rabb's use of description brought each scene to life, and we particularly marveled at the revelation of what a refugee camp is like. The sights, smells, sounds.
I wonder, though, if the author blooped in one of the early scenes, where Pearse is dealing with a man that we are told was killed but seems very much alive, and then after their exchange, the man is in the midst of decay. Was Pearse hallucinating or dreaming? Maybe I missed an explanation there and couldn't find it.
When the Book of Q is found and its contents revealed, I wonder if the intrigue, the pursuit, the killings , the heresy were blown out of proportion. But then, in my own experience, I can see how mole hills are made into mountains.
There's a lot to learn and to enjoy in this read.
I was by turns fascinated and bored as I was yanked from one scene and character to another, and yet another. There were many character viewpoints and a few places where the reader could have used a reminder of which person was which.
Rabb's use of description brought each scene to life, and we particularly marveled at the revelation of what a refugee camp is like. The sights, smells, sounds.
I wonder, though, if the author blooped in one of the early scenes, where Pearse is dealing with a man that we are told was killed but seems very much alive, and then after their exchange, the man is in the midst of decay. Was Pearse hallucinating or dreaming? Maybe I missed an explanation there and couldn't find it.
When the Book of Q is found and its contents revealed, I wonder if the intrigue, the pursuit, the killings , the heresy were blown out of proportion. But then, in my own experience, I can see how mole hills are made into mountains.
There's a lot to learn and to enjoy in this read.
April 11, 2009
Not only is the ancient heretical sect of Manicheans alive and well, its "cells" have been plotting world domination for centuries. This is the laughable premise behind this would-be thriller set in Italy, Greece, and Serbo-Croatia. Since I've always had a soft spot for Manicheans, it pained me to see them doing all sorts of dastardly stunts in this book, like blowing up churches and blackmailing members of the College of Cardinals. Way to go, Rabb: Pick on the poor old Manicheans who can't defend themselves because they've been extinct for a millennium and a half. It pained me even more to wade through the interminable pages of theology and ancient church history offered as background material. A couple of plot holes bothered me as well. To wit, 1) The protagonist leaps off a moving train to escape the bad guys, then miraculously, still has his luggage in the next scene. 2) A bad guy shows a newspaper ad asking the clueless protagonist to call the good guys. When he does, badman then cuts off the call. Why bother to tell him in the first place? Some of the chase episodes and descriptions of Rome, Athos, and Croatia are done well. But in the last analysis, I don't think the "thrilling" part of it was all that thrilling, and certainly not the hours I spent slogging through all 375 pages hoping it would get better.
February 27, 2011
In the vein of The DaVinci Code, this novel tells the story of an attempt by a long forgotten heretical group called the Manicheans who seek to take over the papacy and initiate a process uniting all faiths under the "one true church." Mixing history, fiction and speculation that story follows Fr. Pearce as he wanders through Eastern Europe looking for a lost scroll that will initiate the Manichean revolution. At times the author added too many surprises and twists and turns, but if one liked the DaVinci Code, one would like this book.
What intrigues me is the fascination that authors like Rabb and Brown have with the secrets and hidden mysteries of the Roman Catholic Church. Brown was clearly out to discredit the church, whereas Rabb in this book seems to have more deference for the church, although in the end he seems to promote a faith without a church or a religious structure. He promotes Jesus without the trappings of 2000 years of church history and tradition. While one has to be somewhat familiar with that history and tradition to understand this novel, one should not depend on this book for an accurate picture of them.
What intrigues me is the fascination that authors like Rabb and Brown have with the secrets and hidden mysteries of the Roman Catholic Church. Brown was clearly out to discredit the church, whereas Rabb in this book seems to have more deference for the church, although in the end he seems to promote a faith without a church or a religious structure. He promotes Jesus without the trappings of 2000 years of church history and tradition. While one has to be somewhat familiar with that history and tradition to understand this novel, one should not depend on this book for an accurate picture of them.
November 9, 2008
It's unfortunate that I read Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code before reading the Book of Q, because in my opinion Jonathan Rabb does a much more interesting job with a plot thread similar enough to Da Vinci to seem almost redundant. Still, it was worth it - a wandering thriller from Bosnia to Rome to Greece and back with Catholic priests, high-level conspiracy, hidden code from an ancient secret sect of Christianity, lots of mind-bending puzzles, freedom fighters, numerous betrayals that send the plot veering off multiple times and then a cozy resolution for our main character.
It did get a little hard to follow in some of the deep religious philosophy deconstruction sections, but that's probably partially attributable to my reading it several nights before bed and having limited focus. All in all, a handy pick at random from the library shelves.
It did get a little hard to follow in some of the deep religious philosophy deconstruction sections, but that's probably partially attributable to my reading it several nights before bed and having limited focus. All in all, a handy pick at random from the library shelves.
June 20, 2012
Overplotted, overlong, overwrought. I bump it up to 3 stars because I have a soft spot for historical novels and this one covered a period I don't know much about. But the conspiracy part of this is absolutely ridiculous and way too convulted. Plus I didn't care for the main character at all. He is a scholarly priest who seems to be constantly thinking about religion and God instead of saving the people around him who are in immediate trouble. Then in the middle of a chase across the Balkan peninsula he stops to help war refugees (in Kosovo, I think) because he feels bad about not doing enough earlier. He is a mess. And it is also not believable that the Croatian girlfriend of his pre-priesthood days would be waiting 7 years for him to come back to her. He's just not worth it.
July 21, 2024
I bought this book for two reasons: it was on a heavy discount at the bookshop and the synopsis reminded me a lot of Dan Brown's work (wich I enyojed years ago). This ended up making the comparisons between the two books inevitable.
However, even without comparisons, the Book of Q fails even at the most basic promise of a thriller: being exciting. I struggled to not fall sleep in several ocations and the "plot twist" or final revelation didn't feel worthy of the time I spent reading it.
I originally wanted to compare it with other religious-themed thrillers, but it would be one-sided. The only good thing I can say for this book is that it made me appreciate Dan Brown's work after a decade of having forgot it...
I think I'm going to read Angels and Demons again.
However, even without comparisons, the Book of Q fails even at the most basic promise of a thriller: being exciting. I struggled to not fall sleep in several ocations and the "plot twist" or final revelation didn't feel worthy of the time I spent reading it.
I originally wanted to compare it with other religious-themed thrillers, but it would be one-sided. The only good thing I can say for this book is that it made me appreciate Dan Brown's work after a decade of having forgot it...
I think I'm going to read Angels and Demons again.
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March 12, 2010From my review:
The characters, perhaps because they meet during wartime Bosnia, I’m not sure, are more well rounded than the usual set found in the pulp genre. True, the main character is a priest who must struggle with his feeling about a woman, but it comes off with a certain amount of believability, though certainly it is thrown in there to offer jealousy and sexiness among the characters.
read the rest of my review here: http://bibliofreakblog.com/fiction/bo...
The characters, perhaps because they meet during wartime Bosnia, I’m not sure, are more well rounded than the usual set found in the pulp genre. True, the main character is a priest who must struggle with his feeling about a woman, but it comes off with a certain amount of believability, though certainly it is thrown in there to offer jealousy and sexiness among the characters.
read the rest of my review here: http://bibliofreakblog.com/fiction/bo...
May 23, 2013
This started out slowly and with a lot of head scratching trying to figure out where the storyline was headed. The last 2/3 of the story made sense (some of the beginning started to make sense)and it all ended up as something that was intriguing to read.
Another in the run of religious fanatic fiction. Almost realistic and believable due to the secrecy that the "Roman" church has surrounded itself with over the ages.
Another in the run of religious fanatic fiction. Almost realistic and believable due to the secrecy that the "Roman" church has surrounded itself with over the ages.
August 13, 2009
I should have known better as I am not a huge davinci fan either. The first part of the story when he was in Bosnia was great, the rest completely predicitable and mundane. If you like these theological mysteries, don't listen to my review as you may enjoy all the vatacian henchmen running around after the "great mystery"
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August 29, 2009The DaVinci Code but better written? An ancient religious group that survived into the modern era wants to take over the Catholic church. The premise was interesting and based on true events (to an extent) but the book seemed to go on too long and also read like the author was planning the screenplay. I started getting bored. Maybe I'll try again later or listen to it as an audio book.
March 27, 2008
I liked The Overseer so much that I thought I'd like this one, too. Nope. Thriller involving a secret manuscript that the Catholic church doesn't want revealed...I've seen this before and this one isn't as good.
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September 28, 2009I didn't read this. It was supposed to be a book like The DaVinci Code, with religious stuff and the main character was a soon-to-be priest, but there was a graphic sex scene right at the beginning. Sigh.
March 13, 2011
Uno más sobre conspiraciones de la iglesia y grupos secretos que van a contar la la verdad al mundo. No me ha ofrecido nada nuevo pero hay que reconocer que está bien escrito y que entretiene bastante.
April 26, 2014
I read this years ago when it first came out - and loved it. I couldn't put it down at that time, and I remember when I read angels and demons, thinking how it was sad that that got so much attention, for basically ripping off the plot of this book.
February 10, 2016
Perhaps not quite as sophisticated as the Berlin trilogy, but a good read never-the less. Very much in the vein of DaVinci Code, but with better writing, less misogyny and no pretense at being more scholarly than it actually is.
January 26, 2008
A more intricate version of Dan Brown...
May 4, 2009
This is a really tough read. Way too much information and not enough story.
September 17, 2009
Great fun-a grand religious conspiracy, obscure history, travels in Europe-what more could you ask for? I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more Jonathan Rabb.
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