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Jon Mote Mysteries #1
Death Comes for the Deconstructionist
Jon Mote—grad school dropout and serial failure—has been hired to investigate the murder of his erstwhile mentor, Richard Pratt, a star in the firmament of literary theory. Feeling unequal to the task, Mote skitters on the edge of madness, trying to stifle the increasingly threatening voices in his head. His only source of hope is the dogged love of his developmentally disabled sister, Judy, who serves as cheerleader, critic, and moral compass.
Death Comes for the Deconstructionist follows Mote and his sister through the streets and neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota—from crime scenes to the halls of academe. Mote's investigation uncovers a series of suspects—including the victim's wife, mistress, and intellectual rivals. Along the way he stumbles onto Pratt's terrible secret, one that prompts the discovery of an equally dark mystery from his own past.
These revelations hasten Mote's descent into darkness, putting both him and Judy at grave risk. Death Comes for the Deconstructionist is a tragicomic mystery, a detective story that is at once suspenseful, provocative, and emotionally resonant. It asks not only "whodunit" but whether truth is ultimately something we create rather than discover.
Death Comes for the Deconstructionist follows Mote and his sister through the streets and neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota—from crime scenes to the halls of academe. Mote's investigation uncovers a series of suspects—including the victim's wife, mistress, and intellectual rivals. Along the way he stumbles onto Pratt's terrible secret, one that prompts the discovery of an equally dark mystery from his own past.
These revelations hasten Mote's descent into darkness, putting both him and Judy at grave risk. Death Comes for the Deconstructionist is a tragicomic mystery, a detective story that is at once suspenseful, provocative, and emotionally resonant. It asks not only "whodunit" but whether truth is ultimately something we create rather than discover.
199 pages, Hardcover
First published December 15, 2014
20 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Taylor
162 books62 followersDaniel Taylor (Ph.D., Emory University) is the author of eighteen books, including The Myth of Certainty, Letters to My Children, Tell Me A Story: The Life-Shaping Power of Our Stories, Creating a Spiritual Legacy, The Skeptical Believer: Telling Stories to Your Inner Atheist, Believing Again: Stories of Leaving and Returning to Faith, and a four novel mystery series, beginning with Death Comes for the Decontructionist and ending with The Mystery of Iniquity. His most recent novel, The Prodigal of Leningrad, is set in that city during the Nazi siege of World War II. He has also worked on a number of Bible translations. He speaks frequently at conferences, colleges, retreats, and churches on a variety of topics. Dr. Taylor is also co-founder of The Legacy Center, an organization devoted to helping individuals and organizations identify and preserve the values and stories that have shaped their lives. He was a contributing editor for Books and Culture. Dr. Taylor is married and the father of four adult children. Website: www.WordTaylor.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
February 4, 2018
I was blindsided by deconstructionism in college. Now I realize that was part of the point: welcome innocent literature-loving lambs into your classroom then unzip your sheep costume and awe them with your wolfish wisdom as you dismember their favorite books. Who among them will be able to disagree or even add anything? They must simply absorb and articulate your own ideas back to you. What could be more satisfying?
I exaggerate for effect. But nonetheless, it was a rude shock to read literature in college. I had to unlearn everything I thought I knew. Suddenly every story was seething just under the surface with a lust for sex and power. I didn't know what to say in the face of these impressive orators who were my teachers, didn't think they were listening when I tried to "discuss" literature with them, and I didn't even know how to even articulate my disappointment. I wanted to read the classics and learn to speak about what literature could do in front of students. Instead, I learned about all the things I ought NOT teach (things written by white males, i.e. pretty much everything I'd ever been taught to read) and started my teaching career without a very clear idea of why literature needed to be taught at all, much less how to do it.
My teaching career began to flourish once I decided that my professors had been pretty out of touch, and besides, they couldn't see me now.
All that to say, this book was an immensely satisfying expose of the flimsy ideas of deconstructionism (and the sordid motivation for holding those ideas). Dan Taylor knows of what he speaks (he's a lit professor himself) and reading this was like therapy for a recovering English major. Highly recommend to English majors! (It's probably a solid 4 star book for me, but I add a star simply for being so original & for his compassionate, honest, but not saccharine portrayal of Judy, an adult with developmental disabilities.)
I exaggerate for effect. But nonetheless, it was a rude shock to read literature in college. I had to unlearn everything I thought I knew. Suddenly every story was seething just under the surface with a lust for sex and power. I didn't know what to say in the face of these impressive orators who were my teachers, didn't think they were listening when I tried to "discuss" literature with them, and I didn't even know how to even articulate my disappointment. I wanted to read the classics and learn to speak about what literature could do in front of students. Instead, I learned about all the things I ought NOT teach (things written by white males, i.e. pretty much everything I'd ever been taught to read) and started my teaching career without a very clear idea of why literature needed to be taught at all, much less how to do it.
My teaching career began to flourish once I decided that my professors had been pretty out of touch, and besides, they couldn't see me now.
All that to say, this book was an immensely satisfying expose of the flimsy ideas of deconstructionism (and the sordid motivation for holding those ideas). Dan Taylor knows of what he speaks (he's a lit professor himself) and reading this was like therapy for a recovering English major. Highly recommend to English majors! (It's probably a solid 4 star book for me, but I add a star simply for being so original & for his compassionate, honest, but not saccharine portrayal of Judy, an adult with developmental disabilities.)
February 18, 2015
But I'm biased, because I published this terrific literary mystery!
April 1, 2015
Full disclosure to begin. First, Dan Taylor was my favorite English professor in college. His 20th Century Lit class was among my favorites from which I likely learned and still remember the most important insights into life. Second, I generally do not read detective stories. I think not being able to figure out Encyclopedia Brown stories as a kid put me off of mysteries and trying to figure things out kind of books.
But "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist" is far more than a detective story. It is searing critique of academic pretentiousness and the intellectual vacuity that inhabits most literature departments on secularized campuses today. In the process Dan deconstructs deconstructionism and shows why the reader should be skeptical of radical skepticism. It is a story that takes story seriously and allows for the possibility of faith, hope, love and transformation. The climatic scene in the black gospel church is an ideal setting for turning academic arrogance on its head.
Readers unfamiliar with the evolution of the academy (particularly English departments) over the last generation may feel a bit disoriented by some of the insider dialogue, but it is worth the effort to sort out those arguments, especially if one is sending a loved one to the local state university or, even worse, an ivy league school.
I hope Dan gets a wide reading. Thanks to him, I enjoyed my first detective novel in a long while.
But "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist" is far more than a detective story. It is searing critique of academic pretentiousness and the intellectual vacuity that inhabits most literature departments on secularized campuses today. In the process Dan deconstructs deconstructionism and shows why the reader should be skeptical of radical skepticism. It is a story that takes story seriously and allows for the possibility of faith, hope, love and transformation. The climatic scene in the black gospel church is an ideal setting for turning academic arrogance on its head.
Readers unfamiliar with the evolution of the academy (particularly English departments) over the last generation may feel a bit disoriented by some of the insider dialogue, but it is worth the effort to sort out those arguments, especially if one is sending a loved one to the local state university or, even worse, an ivy league school.
I hope Dan gets a wide reading. Thanks to him, I enjoyed my first detective novel in a long while.
May 5, 2017
A mystery more about the schizophrenic private investigator and his cognitively-disabled sidekick than about the murder of the nihilist professor of English lit. Existential, and at times funny, it brought me to tears in the end, then wiped them away with a smile.
The eBook is available at Wipf & Stock and in a Kindle edition. And if you are non-committal you can read the first three chapters here (PDF).
The eBook is available at Wipf & Stock and in a Kindle edition. And if you are non-committal you can read the first three chapters here (PDF).
April 19, 2015
My review: "A Whodunnit with Depth and Nuance" at Englewood Review of Books.
Death Comes for The Deconstructionist: A Novel by Daniel Taylor
Reviewed by Lesa Engelthaler
I have a thing for short first sentences. In Death Comes for The Deconstructionist, Daniel Taylor delivers three of them rapid-fire in the opening of the first chapter, “Something is wrong. I’m not well. The voices are back.”
Taylor has written eleven books, though this is his first venture into the vast frontier of fiction. I admit I hold fiction on a bit of a pedestal. To me, only the best of the best write fiction. Taylor’s debut novel does not disappoint.
Jon Mote, the main character, is, according to soon to be ex-wife, a cosmic screw-up. Along with his marriage, Jon has also failed at school, his career and even in his relationship with his developmentally disabled sister, Judy. Even so, Jon has been hired to investigate the murder of a former grad school English professor. Sherlock Jon does at least one thing right in allowing Judy to be his Watson.
The ironic and completely unqualified detective duo of Jon and Judy is brilliant. I was reminded of the scrappy underdogs Swede and Reuben in Enger’s Peace Like a River. As in Enger’s powerful tale, I felt a strong pull to both of Taylor’s characters: I am two-parts dark, lost Jon and, yet, I aspire to be even one part remarkable Judy.
While Death Comes For the Deconstructionist is indeed a page-turner whodunit, the reader delightfully discovers a depth and nuance in the character development. In an interview with the author, Taylor relates his connection to his protagonist: “Jon has my ‘mental furniture’–books read, movies seen, hymns sung.” It would seem the living room arrangement of Taylor’s mind provides comfortable and familiar furniture for all who enter this tragic-comedic tale.
Taylor satiates his literary crowd with allusions to Poe and clever prose like, “Starting and finishing sentences is a bridge too far.” Those who grew up in church will be delighted by Taylor’s biblical references with a twist: “If Judy is for you, who can be against you?” He offers just the kind of Flannery O’Connor wit we love to read. The deconstruction of Jon’s own faith could be the admission of any vulnerable seeker, “People do kill their gods. I know I did.”
Admittedly, as the voices in Jon’s head grew louder and the plot progressed towards nasty grim, I dreaded where Taylor might be taking us. However, readers will discover Taylor is a much better writer than to revert to senseless violence. He even goes as far as to shine a bit of redemption in the darkest parts.
Taylor has found himself in fiction, and has only scratched the surface of what beloved Judy can do with Jon. I hope a sequel is not far off. Grab a copy of Death Comes for The Deconstructionist so you aren’t behind.
Death Comes for The Deconstructionist: A Novel by Daniel Taylor
Reviewed by Lesa Engelthaler
I have a thing for short first sentences. In Death Comes for The Deconstructionist, Daniel Taylor delivers three of them rapid-fire in the opening of the first chapter, “Something is wrong. I’m not well. The voices are back.”
Taylor has written eleven books, though this is his first venture into the vast frontier of fiction. I admit I hold fiction on a bit of a pedestal. To me, only the best of the best write fiction. Taylor’s debut novel does not disappoint.
Jon Mote, the main character, is, according to soon to be ex-wife, a cosmic screw-up. Along with his marriage, Jon has also failed at school, his career and even in his relationship with his developmentally disabled sister, Judy. Even so, Jon has been hired to investigate the murder of a former grad school English professor. Sherlock Jon does at least one thing right in allowing Judy to be his Watson.
The ironic and completely unqualified detective duo of Jon and Judy is brilliant. I was reminded of the scrappy underdogs Swede and Reuben in Enger’s Peace Like a River. As in Enger’s powerful tale, I felt a strong pull to both of Taylor’s characters: I am two-parts dark, lost Jon and, yet, I aspire to be even one part remarkable Judy.
While Death Comes For the Deconstructionist is indeed a page-turner whodunit, the reader delightfully discovers a depth and nuance in the character development. In an interview with the author, Taylor relates his connection to his protagonist: “Jon has my ‘mental furniture’–books read, movies seen, hymns sung.” It would seem the living room arrangement of Taylor’s mind provides comfortable and familiar furniture for all who enter this tragic-comedic tale.
Taylor satiates his literary crowd with allusions to Poe and clever prose like, “Starting and finishing sentences is a bridge too far.” Those who grew up in church will be delighted by Taylor’s biblical references with a twist: “If Judy is for you, who can be against you?” He offers just the kind of Flannery O’Connor wit we love to read. The deconstruction of Jon’s own faith could be the admission of any vulnerable seeker, “People do kill their gods. I know I did.”
Admittedly, as the voices in Jon’s head grew louder and the plot progressed towards nasty grim, I dreaded where Taylor might be taking us. However, readers will discover Taylor is a much better writer than to revert to senseless violence. He even goes as far as to shine a bit of redemption in the darkest parts.
Taylor has found himself in fiction, and has only scratched the surface of what beloved Judy can do with Jon. I hope a sequel is not far off. Grab a copy of Death Comes for The Deconstructionist so you aren’t behind.
January 19, 2016
An intelligent, page-turner of a mystery. Grad school dropout Jon Mote is tasked with investigating the murder of his one-time mentor, a deconstructionist literary theorist. As Mote offers sardonic observations and ruminates on philosophical and theological quandaries, he is accompanied by his mentally-disabled (oh HOW do you phrase it most politely? And what would Dr. Pratt say?) sister, Judy. This provides a powerful balance throughout the novel - Mote, acerbic, resourceful, skeptical; Judy, simple, sincere, with a "child-like" faith. Speaking of faith, Daniel Taylor runs a gamut of biblical metaphors and allusions - suffocatingly at times. Philosophy, literary criticism and ideology are prevalent throughout; Daniel Taylor is far better at making snappy quips about worldview than he is at crafting a tight and layered mystery (clues come a bit too conveniently, but then, Jon Mote is not a professional detective). Almost a 5/5 but the ending was rather (I'm afraid) underwhelming. Still, it is very deserving of Christianity Today's award for fiction.
June 4, 2016
Daniel Taylor, Death Comes for the Deconstructionist (Eugene, OR: Slant, 2014).
Daniel Taylor’s Death Comes for the Deconstructionist is a story about a man, a murder, and a movement.
The man is Jon Mote, grad school dropout (all but dissertation), soon-to-be ex-huband and researcher for hire who is asked to look into the death of his former dissertation director, Richard Pratt. The murder victim, Pratt, was a Deconstructionist literarature professor whose luster, once avant-garde, is already becoming passé. The movement is Deconstructionism, which is complex and hard to explain, but for the purposes of this book holds that words point only to other words, not a reality outside themselves. Assertions of inherent meaning are really, then, just power plays between groups. In killing off Richard Pratt, then, Daniel Taylor kills of Deconstructionism too.
Taylor is an insightful stylist. Any number of sentences caught my eye, but this one about Baptists made me laugh out loud: “But they were Swedish Baptists, not Texas Baptists, so even though they thought you were going to hell if you didn’t believe in Jesus, they at least felt bad about it.” There’s a lot of truth—about Baptists, Swedes, and Texans—wrapped up in that sentence. And it’s made by Mote, who’s recovering from his fundamentalist upbringing and narrates the story throughout.
The book contains interesting characters and descriptions of events. Though Mote narrates, his mentally handicapped older sister Judith steals the show. She is the counterpoint to Mote’s anguished internal dialogue and Pratt’s decadent sophistication. The description of her putting on her winter clothes is hilarious. The description of Mote’s breakdown in a black Pentecostal church down by the river is engrossing. The solution of Pratt’s murder has a Paul-de-Man quality to it, which you’ll understand if you know who that is. On the plus side, I didn’t see it coming until it was just climbing on top of me.
And that brings me to a criticism of the book. It is full of literary allusions, some of which Mote draws readers’ attention to. Many of which he doesn’t. If you’re familiar with the stories or with postmodern literary theory, you’ll understand a lot of Mote’s internal dialogue and the tensions between characters. If not, you may not appreciate this book as much. (If you don’t know who Paul de Man is, or if you know but don’t see why Pratt’s past feels like an allusion to de Man, this might not be the book for you either, which, by the way, does not mention de Man explicitly.)
That said, I still read Death Comes for the Deconstructionist in one sitting (give or take a few coffee and bathroom breaks). My number one test for murder stories is whether they keep me turning pages. This one did. I liked it a lot.
Daniel Taylor’s Death Comes for the Deconstructionist is a story about a man, a murder, and a movement.
The man is Jon Mote, grad school dropout (all but dissertation), soon-to-be ex-huband and researcher for hire who is asked to look into the death of his former dissertation director, Richard Pratt. The murder victim, Pratt, was a Deconstructionist literarature professor whose luster, once avant-garde, is already becoming passé. The movement is Deconstructionism, which is complex and hard to explain, but for the purposes of this book holds that words point only to other words, not a reality outside themselves. Assertions of inherent meaning are really, then, just power plays between groups. In killing off Richard Pratt, then, Daniel Taylor kills of Deconstructionism too.
Taylor is an insightful stylist. Any number of sentences caught my eye, but this one about Baptists made me laugh out loud: “But they were Swedish Baptists, not Texas Baptists, so even though they thought you were going to hell if you didn’t believe in Jesus, they at least felt bad about it.” There’s a lot of truth—about Baptists, Swedes, and Texans—wrapped up in that sentence. And it’s made by Mote, who’s recovering from his fundamentalist upbringing and narrates the story throughout.
The book contains interesting characters and descriptions of events. Though Mote narrates, his mentally handicapped older sister Judith steals the show. She is the counterpoint to Mote’s anguished internal dialogue and Pratt’s decadent sophistication. The description of her putting on her winter clothes is hilarious. The description of Mote’s breakdown in a black Pentecostal church down by the river is engrossing. The solution of Pratt’s murder has a Paul-de-Man quality to it, which you’ll understand if you know who that is. On the plus side, I didn’t see it coming until it was just climbing on top of me.
And that brings me to a criticism of the book. It is full of literary allusions, some of which Mote draws readers’ attention to. Many of which he doesn’t. If you’re familiar with the stories or with postmodern literary theory, you’ll understand a lot of Mote’s internal dialogue and the tensions between characters. If not, you may not appreciate this book as much. (If you don’t know who Paul de Man is, or if you know but don’t see why Pratt’s past feels like an allusion to de Man, this might not be the book for you either, which, by the way, does not mention de Man explicitly.)
That said, I still read Death Comes for the Deconstructionist in one sitting (give or take a few coffee and bathroom breaks). My number one test for murder stories is whether they keep me turning pages. This one did. I liked it a lot.
July 8, 2016
This metaphysical mystery toys with deconstructionist theory (hence the title), faculty politics, mental disability, family intrigue, love and death, and God and eternal verities. The protagonist, Jon Mote, and his disabled sister Judy make up an unlikely detective duo, but each contributes insight into finding out who caused Dr. Pratt's death. Pratt, the deconstructionist of the title, chaired the English department from which Mote once sought his Ph.D., but after his dissertation was discouraged (by Pratt), Mote wandered through various depths seeking a new path for himself - and one of those is solving mysteries, originally at the suggestion of a lawyer friend. Written with skill and grace, and probably best enjoyed by English majors and those familiar with the workings of universities. Those who know the Twin Cities will find the local landmarks entertaining.
June 22, 2016
This was a powerful book. It drew me in more than I expected. I was preparing for more satire, although it contains satire within its mystery premise, but the mystery was only part of the theme. Another element was how the events within the plot awaken destructive elements within the protagonist. It was a page-turner that skewers deconstruction as a literary philosophy, but also lets you see how we sinners turn to any number of false ideas to deal with our sin rather than to Christ. Not a preachy book by a long shot, but it will leave you thinking for a while after reading it.
February 13, 2015
An interesting concept--an English literature researcher hired to research the murder of a literary theorist. Add to that, the researcher/detective is hearing voices and his sidekick is his mentally limited, but unique sister. It doesn't have the tension of a mystery but it has insight.
January 18, 2016
Social conservative revenge fantasy that would have been a remarkable read in 1985. Well-written, nicely paced, and predictable without being cliched. Taylor needs to put the compelling Judy into her own mystery series; I can see her dragging her brother Jon into case after case.
February 9, 2021
I liked this book because of the brother-sister relationship. I liked it for its witty, sardonic, humour. I liked since it mostly gores oxen not mine own, oxen I think ought to be gored. I like the way the author uses words an cultural allusions.
It is Christian fiction, which I had not realized, and did not fully discover until near the end. I could tell it was written by somebody who knew his evangelical/fundamentalist Sunday School as only one who has spent childhood there can know it.
It isn't timeless, those oxen are really already nearly extinct as academia has jettisoned that fad and moved on to new things. 20 yrs from now people might not know what the author is talking about. It's message fiction, but I liked the message and the story, though the end came too fast and, like the sister Judy her own self, is not entirely plausible.
It is Christian fiction, which I had not realized, and did not fully discover until near the end. I could tell it was written by somebody who knew his evangelical/fundamentalist Sunday School as only one who has spent childhood there can know it.
It isn't timeless, those oxen are really already nearly extinct as academia has jettisoned that fad and moved on to new things. 20 yrs from now people might not know what the author is talking about. It's message fiction, but I liked the message and the story, though the end came too fast and, like the sister Judy her own self, is not entirely plausible.
March 26, 2018
This was an interesting take on the detective story — a detective who seems to uncover more about himself than the actual case. I enjoyed the philosophical musings, and I immediately felt attached to protagonist's sister, who carries the heart of the novel. Taylor's storytelling is audacious and inventive; but ultimately, the novel's effect on me was inconsistent.
May 21, 2021
This kept me interested, but I don't think I'll seek out the sequels. Not bad, but just a strange style of writing.
December 30, 2018
As a mystery, the book was a bit predictable (I guessed the answer 1/3 of the way through the book) and didn't have a ton of real twists. However, the brilliant style & plethora of literary allusions woven into the text, combined with interesting themes regarding the problems of deconstructionism, made this a rather enjoyable read. Plus, I really liked the brother/sister dynamic, particularly when dealing with a disability here. Judy was fantastic as a character. So what the book lacks for in plot, it more than makes up for in characters and theme.
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
May 4, 2017
Loved it for its ambition, although I wish the mystery was a bit more present (in terms of incident) and the main character a bit more hard-boiled or noir-esque (the main character is a schizophrenic grad-school dropout investigating a murder in the world of postmodern lit-crit). The mystery was alright so your enjoyment will largely depend on how much you like the philosophical musings.
"How can I make myself understood, for God's sake, to people who don't share the same shards of pop culture that I have shored against my ruins?"
"Each sentence usually made sense, and was winsomely expressed, but there was often just a tiny bit of logical slippage between one sentence and the next, until one was enveloped in a fog of assertions whose implausibility seemed irrelevant compared to its enchantment."
"She has a kind of dignity that we used to respect before we were taught to associate dignity with pretense and reserve with inhibition."
"I am unfit to be a professor of stories today. I had read too much too soon with too much at stake to believe that stories are just power moves."
"Now we are told there's no such thing as Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. There's only power. The former are empty of meaning until the latter fills them up in whatever way suits it. Those in power assert whatever truth works best for them. Given that the powerful rule over a self-evidently unjust and corrupt world, the only ethical thing to do, we are told, is to destroy existing notions of truth in the name of the oppressed, thereby undercutting the powerful architects of so-called truth."
"How can I make myself understood, for God's sake, to people who don't share the same shards of pop culture that I have shored against my ruins?"
"Each sentence usually made sense, and was winsomely expressed, but there was often just a tiny bit of logical slippage between one sentence and the next, until one was enveloped in a fog of assertions whose implausibility seemed irrelevant compared to its enchantment."
"She has a kind of dignity that we used to respect before we were taught to associate dignity with pretense and reserve with inhibition."
"I am unfit to be a professor of stories today. I had read too much too soon with too much at stake to believe that stories are just power moves."
"Now we are told there's no such thing as Truth, Beauty, and Goodness. There's only power. The former are empty of meaning until the latter fills them up in whatever way suits it. Those in power assert whatever truth works best for them. Given that the powerful rule over a self-evidently unjust and corrupt world, the only ethical thing to do, we are told, is to destroy existing notions of truth in the name of the oppressed, thereby undercutting the powerful architects of so-called truth."
October 28, 2017
This was a cleverly written book that I greatly enjoyed.
Rather than a review, here are some quotes from the book that I thought were noteworthy.
An African-American colleague of Dr. Pratt, the deconstructionist, has this negative critique of deconstruction: "If words are such weak and self-destructing things, then there is no truth, and if no truth, there is only power, and we, of all people, know what it's like to be on the receiving end of power" (p. 45). "If they [poor people] don't have words that can truthfully and powerfully tell their stories--in a way that can change things--they are poor indeed. . . . Words may just be play for him, but they aren't play for people like me who depend on their stories" (p. 46).
Jon, the main character, muses that "what's only in your head doesn't have a ghost of a chance against what's in your bones" (p. 53).
Concerning Judy, Jon's mentally challenged sister, Jon thinks, "Maybe she lacks the complexity necessary for sustained unhappiness" (p. 58).
In watching a video of Pratts last speech, Jon notices that some of the audience looks bored. He remarks, "The deconstructionist, the shape-changer, can work with any response--except a yan. Heresy is exciting; ho-hum is death" (p. 61).
Rather than a review, here are some quotes from the book that I thought were noteworthy.
An African-American colleague of Dr. Pratt, the deconstructionist, has this negative critique of deconstruction: "If words are such weak and self-destructing things, then there is no truth, and if no truth, there is only power, and we, of all people, know what it's like to be on the receiving end of power" (p. 45). "If they [poor people] don't have words that can truthfully and powerfully tell their stories--in a way that can change things--they are poor indeed. . . . Words may just be play for him, but they aren't play for people like me who depend on their stories" (p. 46).
Jon, the main character, muses that "what's only in your head doesn't have a ghost of a chance against what's in your bones" (p. 53).
Concerning Judy, Jon's mentally challenged sister, Jon thinks, "Maybe she lacks the complexity necessary for sustained unhappiness" (p. 58).
In watching a video of Pratts last speech, Jon notices that some of the audience looks bored. He remarks, "The deconstructionist, the shape-changer, can work with any response--except a yan. Heresy is exciting; ho-hum is death" (p. 61).
December 26, 2015
I'll admit, I was skeptical at this book recommendation. Typically I associate the publisher, Wipf & Stock, with highly academic monographs and dissertations, with minimal to no editing. And while this book could have used a good proofreader, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.
It's a murder mystery; it's a story of deep distress and darkness. But even more it's a story of healing, of relationship, and of the power Truth has in a world that desires to extinguish truth. Don't let the title scare you. While Derrida and friends are not quoted directly, you will have a good grasp of how despicable their ideas are and the havoc they have wreaked in this world. Just one more example of how the world is ready, willing, and able to exchange the truth of God for a lie.
But this novel ends in hope...hope that in the end the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
It's a murder mystery; it's a story of deep distress and darkness. But even more it's a story of healing, of relationship, and of the power Truth has in a world that desires to extinguish truth. Don't let the title scare you. While Derrida and friends are not quoted directly, you will have a good grasp of how despicable their ideas are and the havoc they have wreaked in this world. Just one more example of how the world is ready, willing, and able to exchange the truth of God for a lie.
But this novel ends in hope...hope that in the end the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
June 8, 2019
This book has a darn good title. The title is so good, in fact, that I was able to remember it verbatim about three years after hearing about the book in the first place. Unfortunately, the title is definitely the high point of "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist." It's a decent story with a great concept: a murder mystery, the solving of which centers around the radical deconstructionist philosophy of the victim. The problem lies in the somewhat amateurish writing and the overarching sense that the author is trying a bit too hard. It's a book with Christian messaging, but lacks the tastefulness or the level of talent one would find in a C.S. Lewis or G.K. Chesterton. "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist" is not terrible, but not terribly inspiring, either.
May 6, 2017
This is a nice story. Daniel Taylor very smartly tells his tale. He has fun with post-modernism while never sacrificing story. Funny the absurdities that make up everyday life.
Notes:
(1) Truth may be a chameleon, but it's not a unicorn (46)
(2) Eat anything smaller than you, run from things bigger than you, and negotiate with things your own size
(3) Leftist ideas about solidarity with the poor are largely based on naïveté 132
(4) The professionalization of doing good is a dodgey proposition 136
(5) They say speak to power, but God help you if you speak to their power. Page 137
Notes:
(1) Truth may be a chameleon, but it's not a unicorn (46)
(2) Eat anything smaller than you, run from things bigger than you, and negotiate with things your own size
(3) Leftist ideas about solidarity with the poor are largely based on naïveté 132
(4) The professionalization of doing good is a dodgey proposition 136
(5) They say speak to power, but God help you if you speak to their power. Page 137
March 20, 2020
Daniel spoke to JBU students on March 5th (one of our last public events before everything shut down for the coronavirus): the topic of his lecture was, "Will I Still be a Christian When I'm 30?" It was a good message, but even better is his meditation on the meaning of life and death in this amazing first novel. I especially loved his portrayal of Judy, Jon's special needs sister / saint.
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March 28, 2016This book is thought-provoking. It has a few painful moments in it, and the main character certainly has his struggles, but the book also has a good amount of humor. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to those who can stomach some violence and sexual content.
January 20, 2017
Quite possibly my second favorite contemporary fiction novel of all time. And Judy? Judy!!!
March 17, 2021
Unemployed, approaching middle age, and hearing voices (again), Jon Mote is hardly the sleuth type; indeed, his developmentally challenged sister-turned-ever-supportive sidekick is often much more successful with people than he. Nonetheless, when the wife of his previous literary criticism professor asks him to investigate her husband's death, the erstwhile graduate student must return to academia to find what enemies a post-modernist could have made—which, he finds, is not a short list.
Death Comes for the Deconstructionist mixes metaphysical crises with the murder-mystery plot. Throughout the main plot, the first-person narrator of Mote experiences the deeper subplot of his investigation's effect on his own mania. With both, Daniel Taylor examines the bases and implications (rarely just theoretical) of modern deconstructionist perspectives regarding things like truth, beauty, goodness, and the ability or inability of language, reason, and literature to accurately reveal them.
In his dual professors, the older classicist Dr. Abramson and the younger, modern, and dead Dr. Pratt, as well as other characters, Taylor also articulates the debates between the old and new schools that have characterized academia in recent decades, as well as the internal politics and non-theoretical conflicts therein. Through the academic, civic, and at times evangelical milieus into which Jon and Judy find themselves, Taylor examines how one's past shapes their consciousness as much as it does their stated beliefs and convictions, and he questions many of modern academia's assumptions about reality and human psychological health—a conflict concretized most consistently in the contrast between the manic Jon's experience of the world and that of his challenged but free sister.
I would recommend this book mostly on account of the narrator (reminds me of Raskalnikov from Crime and Punishment, with which this book has many thematic parallels) and because of how well it articulates the changes in academia and why they might matter, on both broad and individual levels. While I'm at best an amateur at evaluating crime dramas, the book's pacing is excellent, its characters deeper than they initially seem, and its themes relevant to today. The well-prepared climax brought me to tears.
Death Comes for the Deconstructionist mixes metaphysical crises with the murder-mystery plot. Throughout the main plot, the first-person narrator of Mote experiences the deeper subplot of his investigation's effect on his own mania. With both, Daniel Taylor examines the bases and implications (rarely just theoretical) of modern deconstructionist perspectives regarding things like truth, beauty, goodness, and the ability or inability of language, reason, and literature to accurately reveal them.
In his dual professors, the older classicist Dr. Abramson and the younger, modern, and dead Dr. Pratt, as well as other characters, Taylor also articulates the debates between the old and new schools that have characterized academia in recent decades, as well as the internal politics and non-theoretical conflicts therein. Through the academic, civic, and at times evangelical milieus into which Jon and Judy find themselves, Taylor examines how one's past shapes their consciousness as much as it does their stated beliefs and convictions, and he questions many of modern academia's assumptions about reality and human psychological health—a conflict concretized most consistently in the contrast between the manic Jon's experience of the world and that of his challenged but free sister.
I would recommend this book mostly on account of the narrator (reminds me of Raskalnikov from Crime and Punishment, with which this book has many thematic parallels) and because of how well it articulates the changes in academia and why they might matter, on both broad and individual levels. While I'm at best an amateur at evaluating crime dramas, the book's pacing is excellent, its characters deeper than they initially seem, and its themes relevant to today. The well-prepared climax brought me to tears.
January 24, 2020
The protagonist Jon Mote makes this book worth reading. This quirky first-person narrative deals with the investigation into the death of a successful university professor, a man who appears to have everything. Mote is asked by the widow to look into the death, and the narrative is an unfolding of all Mote discovers, as we also learn about his own emotional instability and recovery. As a seasoned mystery reader, I thought the author was telling me that Mote was an unreliable narrator (think: The Cyprian Cat by Dorothy Sayers), but it seems that this author is not completely familiar with the mystery genre in which his book was promoted. I have come across a number of books lately that publishers classify as mystery, possibly because they don’t know where else to put them. Often the work is literary and very engaging – as this one is - but I respectfully reclassify this book as Slipstream. You can find the definition of this genre on Wikipedia, but this is how I describe it based on my reading experiences: every plot point and character is something that could exist in real life, but the combination of events that make up the story would defy statistics. The writer can ignore convention because there is no convention. Characters exist in a world of high-jinx that is preposterous, but the way these stories unfold keeps the reader too engaged to notice. I enjoyed the way the author created Mote’s voice and the book is worth reading for that reason alone. At times, some of the hat-tips to the true mystery genre created false red herrings. I had to read the book a second time to “get” it. But I’m not complaining! All-in-all, the plot devices this author used were not as strong as they could have been, but he did succeed in peeling back the layers in such a way that the ending was an unexpected reveal that worked. The book has an intellectual bent, yet is accessible to an intelligent reader.
January 28, 2022
Pretty good. I admit, it took a few chapters to get into it. The main character, who's perspective we're dropped into, has a certain way of thinking and narrating that feels like a shtick or a type. But once you get used to his cadence and buy into it more, you really do start to connect with and care for him. I'm
The mystery itself is so-so. The book is a lot less concerned with ramping up narrative tension than it is and using that narrative as a space to discuss philosophical and religious ideas and get to know these characters a bit. I really can't say I cared about the victim or the murder mystery at all through the entirety of the book, but I really did start to care for the characters. Judy, the main character's sister who seems to have some sort of spectrum or developmental disorder, is pretty endearing and engaging, even if she's a little flat as a character.
The prose is clear and straightforward, even in it's philosophical or theological musings. And while most of the book is a pretty casual beach read level, man, there really are some profound and stunningly beautiful lines sprinkled throughout the book—"literary", even. There's even more than a few lines I laughed out loud at.
I like the way the author's brain seems to work. I don't know if this is his first book or not, but I can imagine future novels becoming more refined and sophisticated. So I'm excited to read more of his work.
But overall, I would say this was more of a fun book than a philosophical novel, though at times I think it was trying to be the latter. Unfortunately, it's not; but a good and interesting read nonetheless.
The mystery itself is so-so. The book is a lot less concerned with ramping up narrative tension than it is and using that narrative as a space to discuss philosophical and religious ideas and get to know these characters a bit. I really can't say I cared about the victim or the murder mystery at all through the entirety of the book, but I really did start to care for the characters. Judy, the main character's sister who seems to have some sort of spectrum or developmental disorder, is pretty endearing and engaging, even if she's a little flat as a character.
The prose is clear and straightforward, even in it's philosophical or theological musings. And while most of the book is a pretty casual beach read level, man, there really are some profound and stunningly beautiful lines sprinkled throughout the book—"literary", even. There's even more than a few lines I laughed out loud at.
I like the way the author's brain seems to work. I don't know if this is his first book or not, but I can imagine future novels becoming more refined and sophisticated. So I'm excited to read more of his work.
But overall, I would say this was more of a fun book than a philosophical novel, though at times I think it was trying to be the latter. Unfortunately, it's not; but a good and interesting read nonetheless.
May 23, 2023
The title and the elements in this book held a lot of promise. Unfortunately, the book just did not live up to its potential.
The sister, Judy, was written really well. I also laughed out loud several times throughout the book. And, when you can find it, the murder mystery is interesting (albeit with a predictable but enjoyable plot twist at the end). But those are the only positives that I can say about the book.
The author couldn't seem to make up his mind about what was truly important in "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist." It was almost like the author wrote a book about philosophy and another book with a mystery and decided to smush the two of them together by alternating between one chapter of one book and one chapter of another. The two concepts could have been integrated with each other seamlessly (as evidenced in "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom and the "All Creatures Great and Small" book series by James Herriot). Instead, the murder mystery was almost lost in the book where it should have been the primary focus.
I also couldn't tell if the author held a positive or negative view of Christianity. On one hand, the book certainly shows the despair that a person has without God. On the other hand, the book views Christianity in a negative way throughout the entire book and offers no positive look on Christianity during or after the spiritual turning point of the book.
Even though "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist" received the 2016 "Christianity Today Book Award" and the 2016 "Illumination Book Award," I wouldn't recommend it, and I am now skeptical of any books that have received either of these awards.
The sister, Judy, was written really well. I also laughed out loud several times throughout the book. And, when you can find it, the murder mystery is interesting (albeit with a predictable but enjoyable plot twist at the end). But those are the only positives that I can say about the book.
The author couldn't seem to make up his mind about what was truly important in "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist." It was almost like the author wrote a book about philosophy and another book with a mystery and decided to smush the two of them together by alternating between one chapter of one book and one chapter of another. The two concepts could have been integrated with each other seamlessly (as evidenced in "The Hiding Place" by Corrie Ten Boom and the "All Creatures Great and Small" book series by James Herriot). Instead, the murder mystery was almost lost in the book where it should have been the primary focus.
I also couldn't tell if the author held a positive or negative view of Christianity. On one hand, the book certainly shows the despair that a person has without God. On the other hand, the book views Christianity in a negative way throughout the entire book and offers no positive look on Christianity during or after the spiritual turning point of the book.
Even though "Death Comes for the Deconstructionist" received the 2016 "Christianity Today Book Award" and the 2016 "Illumination Book Award," I wouldn't recommend it, and I am now skeptical of any books that have received either of these awards.
February 9, 2018
Well-written & entertaining first novel by a literature from professor from Minnesota! Jon Mote—grad school dropout & serial failure—has been hired to investigate the murder of his one-time mentor, Richard Pratt, a major player in post-modern literary theory. Feeling not up to the task, Mote skates on the edge of madness, trying to stifle the threatening voices in his head. His best source of hope is the love of his developmentally-disabled sister, Judy (often singing gospel tunes), who serves as cheerleader, critic, sidekick, & moral compass. Marketing copy: Death Comes for the Deconstructionist follows Mote and his sister through the streets and neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota—from crime scenes to the halls of academe. Mote's investigation uncovers a series of suspects—including the victim's wife, mistress, and intellectual rivals. Along the way he stumbles onto Pratt's terrible secret, one that prompts the discovery of an equally dark mystery from his own past. These revelations hasten Mote's descent into darkness, putting both him and Judy at grave risk. Death Comes for the Deconstructionist is a tragicomic mystery, a detective story that is at once suspenseful, provocative, illuminating and emotionally resonant. It asks not only "whodunit" but whether truth & the good is ultimately something we create rather than discover.
May 30, 2023
I wanted to like this book. I mean, it's a murder mystery (check), with philosophical themes (check), set in my adoptive hometown of Saint Paul, MN (check). It's even reasonably well-written (triple check).
However, there's an aimlessness and lack of intensity to the novel that can't be all chalked up to the main character's significant mental health issues. There's also even more suspension of disbelief required than in most mystery novels, and very little "localness" of the sort that makes a place come alive in a good novel (the first example that comes to mind is New Orleans in A Confederacy of Dunces).
The character of Judy was extremely compelling. A loving, sensitive portrayal of a woman with severe cognitive impairment and how she deals with the extremely difficult events of her past. In a sense, this character and her healing relationship with her brother Jon (the main character) is a lot more vivid and important-seeming than anything else in the novel.
I enjoyed the discussions of deconstructionism. These were very fluent and, I think, quite effective in showing the reader how hollow deconstructionism really is. The author succeeds in this at least.
So, three stars. This has been on my To Read list for almost a decade and I have to admit to being a little disappointed now that I finally got around to it.
However, there's an aimlessness and lack of intensity to the novel that can't be all chalked up to the main character's significant mental health issues. There's also even more suspension of disbelief required than in most mystery novels, and very little "localness" of the sort that makes a place come alive in a good novel (the first example that comes to mind is New Orleans in A Confederacy of Dunces).
The character of Judy was extremely compelling. A loving, sensitive portrayal of a woman with severe cognitive impairment and how she deals with the extremely difficult events of her past. In a sense, this character and her healing relationship with her brother Jon (the main character) is a lot more vivid and important-seeming than anything else in the novel.
I enjoyed the discussions of deconstructionism. These were very fluent and, I think, quite effective in showing the reader how hollow deconstructionism really is. The author succeeds in this at least.
So, three stars. This has been on my To Read list for almost a decade and I have to admit to being a little disappointed now that I finally got around to it.
May 16, 2017
I absolutely loved reading this novel.
"Death Comes to the Deconstructionist" combines all kinds of things I love: detective fiction, first-person narratives of a complex inner life, page-turning stories written in a minor-key, the clash of big ideas, subtleties, literary allusions, unexpected juxtapositions, and the beautiful craftsmanship of good wordsmithing.
Daniel Taylor's writing is kind of like Flannery O'Conner meets Dorothy Sayers meets Leif Enger with a touch of Lewis's "Surprised by Joy." Or something. It's hard to describe--which is often a mark of a book I really love.
This book is not for everyone (there are some very dark parts, though carefully executed), but I'm glad that I followed John Piper's recommendation in this article and borrowed a copy through our wonderful inter-library loan. I'm thinking about buying my own copy so that I can re-read it whenever I want.
"Death Comes to the Deconstructionist" combines all kinds of things I love: detective fiction, first-person narratives of a complex inner life, page-turning stories written in a minor-key, the clash of big ideas, subtleties, literary allusions, unexpected juxtapositions, and the beautiful craftsmanship of good wordsmithing.
Daniel Taylor's writing is kind of like Flannery O'Conner meets Dorothy Sayers meets Leif Enger with a touch of Lewis's "Surprised by Joy." Or something. It's hard to describe--which is often a mark of a book I really love.
This book is not for everyone (there are some very dark parts, though carefully executed), but I'm glad that I followed John Piper's recommendation in this article and borrowed a copy through our wonderful inter-library loan. I'm thinking about buying my own copy so that I can re-read it whenever I want.
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