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Kansas City Blues #3
Tribulation House
IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD—WHICH COULD BE A PROBLEM... Mark Hogan has it all. The job. The family. A position on the board at church. All he’s missing is a boat. Not just any boat—a 2008 Bayliner 192. When Reverend Daniel Glory announces that the Rapture is taking place on October 17 at 5:51am, Hogan realizes his boat–buying days are numbered. So he does what any man in his situation would do—he borrows a load of money from the mob. Not that there’s any risk After all, when the Rapture comes, Hogan will be long gone. The mob will never find him. But when Jesus fails to come back on schedule, Mark Hogan finds the mob is in no mood to discuss the finer points of end–times theology... Chris Well’s laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers appeal to the millions of readers who gobble up the rollicking crime fiction of Janet Evanovich and Elmore Leonard.
253 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Chris Well
22 books22 followersHere's the deal: When I was in the first grade, my life goal was that I would grow up to be Batman. Because I thought it was a vocation—you know, policeman, fireman, Batman. Once my first grade teacher crushed the dreams of that little boy, I guess I decided I would do the next best thing and make up stories about Batman. And then somewhere after that I learned about things like "intellectual property" and "copyright law" and "cease and desist" and decided I would have to make up stories about my own characters.
So today, I do just that: Write stories about my own characters— whether it's a doomed hitman named Solomon Long or a grumpy old amateur sleuth named Earl Walker or an out-of-work smart alec crime reporter named Truman.
So today, I do just that: Write stories about my own characters— whether it's a doomed hitman named Solomon Long or a grumpy old amateur sleuth named Earl Walker or an out-of-work smart alec crime reporter named Truman.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 2, 2013
The book opens with far too much exposition, and many of the characters are underdeveloped. The plot is promising, and one of the characters (Charlie) offers a glimpse of a well developed character that the reader can empathise with. The main protaganist does little but whine and the main antagonist barely plays a role in the book.
The story picks up after the slow opening and is mildly enjoyable, with some laugh out loud moments, but it should've been edited much more harshly and it should've continued for another 50-100 pages to further develop some of the characters and their stories.
As the book currently stands, it has a promising set of characters who make only a little progress while the protaganist makes great progress on a painfully slow-witted journey (five days driving around in a daze? Seriously?)
To be clear, I don't dislike the story, just the way it's been told. It feels more like a well-polished but incomplete draft than a fully developed and well-edited novel.
The story picks up after the slow opening and is mildly enjoyable, with some laugh out loud moments, but it should've been edited much more harshly and it should've continued for another 50-100 pages to further develop some of the characters and their stories.
As the book currently stands, it has a promising set of characters who make only a little progress while the protaganist makes great progress on a painfully slow-witted journey (five days driving around in a daze? Seriously?)
To be clear, I don't dislike the story, just the way it's been told. It feels more like a well-polished but incomplete draft than a fully developed and well-edited novel.
November 16, 2009
A very odd book, supposed to be funny. I didn't connect with the humor.
October 2, 2018
RATING 3.75 STARS
A long time has passed between when I read the first two Kansas City Blues books and this one, but when I came across TRIBULATION HOUSE in my perennial "to read" pile last month, I decided to finally check this one off the list. I was not disappointed. And then, I was.
First off, I really enjoy Well's style of writing. The book consists of several short segments (chapters) that bounce between different perspectives of the overall narrative and simultaneously make it easy to take breaks as needed and pick up without losing steam - or blast through and feel very accomplished for having read 15 chapters in one brief sitting.
Then there's the actual content. It's quite entertaining, driven by engaging dialogue and just enough details to visualize what is going on in each scene. It's humorous and serious, logical and absurd. Fraught with scores of pop culture references, it reads almost like a hit television show.
All good. And as a reader, you care about the characters as they develop throughout the book and then, the book ends with a bang. A bombshell. A cliffhanger. An open door to the next book... which doesn't appear to exist. Enter disappointment.
I want the rest of the story. And I suppose that further solidifies the merits of the book as a whole, but it does still leave one a little frustrated.
A long time has passed between when I read the first two Kansas City Blues books and this one, but when I came across TRIBULATION HOUSE in my perennial "to read" pile last month, I decided to finally check this one off the list. I was not disappointed. And then, I was.
First off, I really enjoy Well's style of writing. The book consists of several short segments (chapters) that bounce between different perspectives of the overall narrative and simultaneously make it easy to take breaks as needed and pick up without losing steam - or blast through and feel very accomplished for having read 15 chapters in one brief sitting.
Then there's the actual content. It's quite entertaining, driven by engaging dialogue and just enough details to visualize what is going on in each scene. It's humorous and serious, logical and absurd. Fraught with scores of pop culture references, it reads almost like a hit television show.
All good. And as a reader, you care about the characters as they develop throughout the book and then, the book ends with a bang. A bombshell. A cliffhanger. An open door to the next book... which doesn't appear to exist. Enter disappointment.
I want the rest of the story. And I suppose that further solidifies the merits of the book as a whole, but it does still leave one a little frustrated.
June 21, 2010
I’ve pondered now for several days on how to review Chris Well's Tribulation House. It’s one of the most unique books I’ve read, both in scope and in style. About the best generic descriptor I think I can muster is “compassionate satire”. Is that a curious mix, or what? Let me take it a piece at a time.
First, the scope.
It’s really hard to recap the story in a tidy little package. Mr. Well entertains a variety of social, spiritual and personal issues through a network of loosely, but definitely, connected subplots. I know that sounds rather complicated, like you could get lost in its intricacy. And it is intricate. But you won’t get lost. He does such a great job of undergirding the network with solid writing that mapping the characters and their dilemmas—oh yes, they all have dilemmas—flows quite smoothly.
Okay, an example: The first line of the synopsis on the back cover was enough for me to take it to the checkout counter. “It’s not the end of the world--which could be a problem...” I mean, how do you not read a book with that kind of introduction? In this subplot, Mark Hogan has bought into his pastor’s carefully calculated conclusion that Jesus is coming back in less than two months. On October 17, 2007, to be exact. At 5:51 am, to be even more exact. That’s all well and good, but it does present him a quandary. You see, Mark Hogan wants a boat. He’s always wanted a boat. Now it’s too late…or is it? Of course not. All it takes is a quick loan from his friendly neighborhood Mafia shark to secure him his dream craft. Naturally, he won’t have to pay back the loan, for he’s about to be raptured—and everybody knows the Mafia is going to be ‘left behind’. Well, the fact that you’re reading this review is proof enough of his pastor’s miscalculation. Now Mr. Hogan is faced with an impossible debt, and kneecaps in imminent threat of extinction at the hands of Mob thugs. Oh, the dilemma is resolved, but not how you might expect.
Other characters include Charlie Pasch, a police detective who stumbles through areas of service at his church until he finds his niche in the most unexpected way; Tom Griggs, Charlie’s detective partner, who is estranged from his father, and whose story ends up harboring the final and most poignant twist in the entire book; Hank Barton, another church member running for a vacant city council seat, with all the campaigning trials and tribulations you might expect (and some you might not); Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb, a bumbling pair of Mob thugs who have their own issues—well, it just goes on.
Second, the style.
After reading Tribulation House, I envisioned Mr. Well's tongue so firmly planted in his cheek that I feared he may never be able to enjoy solid food again. The number of times I found myself laughing out loud is surpassed only by the number of times I found myself nodding my head and smiling. The satirical element elicited the former response, the compassion the latter. Gifted storytelling!
Mr. Well employs a clipped style of narration that may catch you a little off guard at first, but you’ll get used to it. It’s very effective in delivering quick punches of plot, and you’ll appreciate it in that context. In my estimation, though, it may be a bit overused; that is, applied in passages that require no such rhetorical device to push them along. But, again, the story is well worth any minor stylistic distraction you may encounter. Indeed, it may not bother you at all.
If chuckling at yourself doesn’t come easy, you may have a more difficult time with Tribulation House. It will stomp on your toes, like any good satire. But keep reading. As the story unfolds, you’ll discover Mr. Well's stomping shoes to be so generously padded with compassion, the pain becomes quite bearable.
If you’re a Christian who can laugh at yourself, make this the next book on your reading list. If you aren’t, make this the next book on your reading list; you’ll surely be one by the time you’ve finished.
Tribulation House was just plain ‘really, really good’. Bravo to Mr. Well!
First, the scope.
It’s really hard to recap the story in a tidy little package. Mr. Well entertains a variety of social, spiritual and personal issues through a network of loosely, but definitely, connected subplots. I know that sounds rather complicated, like you could get lost in its intricacy. And it is intricate. But you won’t get lost. He does such a great job of undergirding the network with solid writing that mapping the characters and their dilemmas—oh yes, they all have dilemmas—flows quite smoothly.
Okay, an example: The first line of the synopsis on the back cover was enough for me to take it to the checkout counter. “It’s not the end of the world--which could be a problem...” I mean, how do you not read a book with that kind of introduction? In this subplot, Mark Hogan has bought into his pastor’s carefully calculated conclusion that Jesus is coming back in less than two months. On October 17, 2007, to be exact. At 5:51 am, to be even more exact. That’s all well and good, but it does present him a quandary. You see, Mark Hogan wants a boat. He’s always wanted a boat. Now it’s too late…or is it? Of course not. All it takes is a quick loan from his friendly neighborhood Mafia shark to secure him his dream craft. Naturally, he won’t have to pay back the loan, for he’s about to be raptured—and everybody knows the Mafia is going to be ‘left behind’. Well, the fact that you’re reading this review is proof enough of his pastor’s miscalculation. Now Mr. Hogan is faced with an impossible debt, and kneecaps in imminent threat of extinction at the hands of Mob thugs. Oh, the dilemma is resolved, but not how you might expect.
Other characters include Charlie Pasch, a police detective who stumbles through areas of service at his church until he finds his niche in the most unexpected way; Tom Griggs, Charlie’s detective partner, who is estranged from his father, and whose story ends up harboring the final and most poignant twist in the entire book; Hank Barton, another church member running for a vacant city council seat, with all the campaigning trials and tribulations you might expect (and some you might not); Ross Cleaver and Bill Lamb, a bumbling pair of Mob thugs who have their own issues—well, it just goes on.
Second, the style.
After reading Tribulation House, I envisioned Mr. Well's tongue so firmly planted in his cheek that I feared he may never be able to enjoy solid food again. The number of times I found myself laughing out loud is surpassed only by the number of times I found myself nodding my head and smiling. The satirical element elicited the former response, the compassion the latter. Gifted storytelling!
Mr. Well employs a clipped style of narration that may catch you a little off guard at first, but you’ll get used to it. It’s very effective in delivering quick punches of plot, and you’ll appreciate it in that context. In my estimation, though, it may be a bit overused; that is, applied in passages that require no such rhetorical device to push them along. But, again, the story is well worth any minor stylistic distraction you may encounter. Indeed, it may not bother you at all.
If chuckling at yourself doesn’t come easy, you may have a more difficult time with Tribulation House. It will stomp on your toes, like any good satire. But keep reading. As the story unfolds, you’ll discover Mr. Well's stomping shoes to be so generously padded with compassion, the pain becomes quite bearable.
If you’re a Christian who can laugh at yourself, make this the next book on your reading list. If you aren’t, make this the next book on your reading list; you’ll surely be one by the time you’ve finished.
Tribulation House was just plain ‘really, really good’. Bravo to Mr. Well!
September 12, 2014
Funny story about a large group of people. One gets in trouble when he believes the rapture is going to occur on a certain day.
May 21, 2016
Kind of weird, and makes Christians look bad.
January 28, 2010
Sorry, Judy. Strike two.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews