The Second

by Alan J. Cooper

Belief as upbringing, belief as social fact, belief as a species of American Christian The Second is a work of nonreligious religious fiction that engages all the markers of religion, with “belief” as the core of a modern-day American Gothic in which a trinity of characters clash over the complex ideologies that shape politics, religion, and spirituality. The vibrant, French Canadian Chantelle—a woman who promotes a spirituality based on principles and not traditional dogma—must balance her rocky romance with an aspiring half-Jewish architect, the continuing embrace with her activism, and a connection to a New York organization run by a secretive anti-Semite. But, such a caustic entanglement creates a situation ripe for a devastating conclusion, as the “religious” more frequently lean toward evil over good, the novel’s characters ultimately confronting their individual identities through the realization of just how hard it is to make belief believable.

584 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alan J Cooper embarked on a writing career after being struck by an impaired driver and incurring a severe brain injury. He began by writing articles on spiritual issues for Canadian journals, including Toronto’s national newspaper The Globe & Mail but established himself as a full-fledged author with the publication, to great acclaim, of BRAIN INJURY in 2006.

After his catastrophic accident, Alan also embarked on a life of philanthropy and social justice, serving on a number of Boards dedicated to helping those less fortunate, and being a career counselor to people who have lost their jobs. He devoted a full year to helping prisoners in Toronto’s notorious Don Jail. Alan speed-walked the 25th New York Marathon, on behalf of brain-injured people who were being unfairly treated, and presented to the world brain injury conference in Dallas in 1996.

Prior to his brain injury, Alan Cooper was a senior private and public sector executive, singer in the world famous Mendelssohn Choir and frequent interviewee on radio and television. But the issue of religion as a source of injustice and often abuse of spirituality had intrigued him even before his brain injury. Alan’s fiction novel, The SECOND about the difference between religion and spirituality, was published in 2013 ― Alan holds 5 degrees from the University of Toronto, including 2 Masters, the first examining how values affect human behavior, the second a Master of Education, focusing on the need for freedom throughout the learning process.

Reviews

[Paul]

despite the good reviews I just couldn't get into this one

DNF

[Anna Casamento Arrigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a quick read with plots, sub-plots, and a myriad of characters, and wish for quick reading, page turning, on the edge of your seat, The Second by Alan J Cooper may not be the book for you. Quite frankly, however, this brilliantly penned look and exploration of one’s religious piety, spirituality, or the journey thereof, that may lead you to a higher awareness of what is, in my opinion, the ability to question dogma (often founded upon the machinations of those whose sole purpose is to gain or maintain the status quo). Truly an extraordinary, thought-provoking read revealed through its main characters. It is Chantelle, for me, the somewhat naive, yet well-versed, erudite, who while traveling from Canada to the U.S., speaks to the breadth and scope of humanity and casts down her gauntlet-challenging one to examine not only ideologies, dogma, spirituality, one’s sense of purpose, political manipulations, and on and on. I found myself having to put the book down (several times) to truly appreciate and digest the relationships and the complexities of living an honest examination of not only life, but, one’s sense of purpose, and understanding (on a deeper level) how and, most importantly, why-
One of my favorite Shakespearean plays is Henry V. A brutal war to regain French territory. In any case, what stood out for me, was how easily (and without regard for the moral or ethical) the church’s officiants manipulated the young prince to war!
The Stand, moreover, written in journal form, also, speaks to the romantic, love lost, and the endearing love between a daughter and her father. These particular entries, for me, were enriching and refreshing. A POWERFUL, THOUGHT PROVOKING MUST READ!!

[Vera Tarman]

This is not your typical book. Don't expect the character development or plot lines that come with a love story or the road journey that this book loosely chronicles. This book is much bigger than the travels of a middle-aged Jewish man captivated by, and now searching for, the brilliant yet elusive Christian Chantelle. This is essentially a book of ideas, a marriage of the cynical and the idealistic - made flesh.

With the same disregard for convention that we see with James Joyce or John Cage, Alan Cooper has taken the genre of the novel and reworked it so he can uniquely explore the metaphysical issues of the 20th century. The author does not attempt to address these complexities in a linear fashion. Instead, Characters opine and debate through cardboard 'talking heads', alongside historical stories which are recounted and reinterpreted, and holding these and other disparate elements is the tender romance between two mismatched lovers. The book is a symphonic whirlwind of ideas: How should we understand our current day humanity? Can we salvage and make sense of the complexities of traditional faith, given the historical and political realities that shaped them? Can the germ of these beliefs still inform the spiritual needs of modern day society?

Reading this book is like walking through a fugue state. At times brilliant and at other times mundane (just like life itself), Cooper takes you to many destinations, allowing you to find your own answers...without ever quite knowing how you got there.

[Isabel Pietri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Second: A Novel of Spirituality, Religion and Politics

Mr. Cooper doesn't lie. This novel is loaded with detail of spirituality, religion and politics. It is not an easy read and requires the attention and patience of the reader. But, I promise it is well worth the effort.

Arthur, the narrator, meets and falls in love with Chantelle, the protagonist, but he is plagued with his own demons and sabotages the relationship only to pursue her later through letters. Chantelle, an extremely bright, altruistic young woman whose one fault is her naïveté, travels from Canada to the U. S. on her own mission to enlighten all who listen to her talks. The antagonist, Terry Hardy, goes out of his way to befriend Chantelle for his own nefarious reason. Then there is the relationship between Chantelle and her father, Pantel, which is extraordinary and beautiful.

The Second is a moving and thought provoking tale masterfully crafted by Mr. Cooper who uses spirituality, religion and politics to define his characters and propel the story forward. I would add that it is also a story of unconditional love.