A review by paulopaperbooksonly
Grim Reaper: End of Days by Steve Alten
2.0
After beingin a reading slump I try this game since it's a thriller with post apocalpytic fiction so I thought it would be a sure win....
~
Well first of all, Steve Alten is not a unknown guy. I've already tried reading 7 years ago Loch having not enjoyed or at least not getting to enter the novel and giving up after 50 pages or so.
I read Meg and gave it 2 stars so not that hopeful...
So let start, first of all, this novel is divided in 3 parts. The first part is the introduction of the characters; the second part it focus on the main plot/deliver of the plague and the last part is the voyage of our main character through the nine levels of hell (allegory not real one like in dante).
This novel, if you know Dante's Inferno then you will probably enjoy a bit more, it's not necessary BUT it gives another layer. OR at least go to wikipedia and read about it. Just know what the nine levels of hell are and what they mean.
So, to start let us talk about what this novel is about. This novel is about the end of days (it's in the title) where a new disease is being conceived and delivered into US Soil. At the same time this novel is about redemption, it's about a man journey through "hell" to get salvation; it's about conspiracy theories, pseudo-religions & about the way USA treats his war veterans (spoiler - Like crap) and why and how they go to war.
I am trying not to spoil the novel BUT it's fairly difficult not to do it.
Steven Alten get us to think - and that's a good thing. I like to think about it. I like to think about why wars happen, how they happen, I like tot hink about religion and how I see it and other people see it. I like to read conspiracies theories - some may even be true, who knows it. After all a conspiracy theory is the un-accepted reality. If most people believe that X happen - then X happen. Unfortunately that's how history is make. The Nazis were the bad guys because they lost the war. If they had won, they would be "good". Isn't that so? One beautiful example is URSS - some countries are pro-communist so it's good and others it's bad. That's "History" to you guys.
Well, as I said I like all that - but I don't like being called stupid or self-blind if you will. When talking about the 9/11 you've got the "told" history like the planes hit the towers and the pentagon but there are conspiracies theories that don't support that view and think it was man-made, explosions and such. Is it true? Who knows it. I, as reader, and with open mind, have my own opinion - and I accept you have yours. Will not try to say - you're wrong. But our "writer" say just that. When they are talking about 9/11 he puts in the last line a author's note saying - "see X and Y links or don't see it....." Why? This is not the first instance he put that links and such... Why not in the end put all that stuff and either I read it or not - it's my choice but no, he had to call people who don't believe in the conspiracy theories to be self-blind and plain idiot. To me was a turnoff. so great that I stop enjoying the novel.
I don't like being told If I don't accept X I am wrong. I like authors who can give their political, religious whatever views without making you feel stupid if you don't follow them.
Another stuff, was the all pseudo-religion - he mixes several religions and twist them to his own purpose, yeah I can grab a line in the Bible and make look that all Christians are nothing but a bunch of machismo or haters. Anyone can do that. I can twist Budhism and Judaism as well... But here he just made god really un-caring and Satan the real main character of religion- It's like seeing Lucifer tv Series.
Alten also doesn't like war or soldiers - he depicts every soldier as un-caring, happy to gun down without discrimination and so on. There are bad evil soldier? Of course but not 100%.
Then there is the far-left touching communist agenda (why so many rich authors are communists? - in the communist soviet or china they would be censored and criticized or killed lol and their rich life? yeah not gonna happen) - he criticises openly about the war machine that operates in USA and their right wing agenda (LOL). He is not shy to say all wars on terrorism were bush fault and they were money related. As a portuguese I believe USA didn't enter Iraq to free Iraq. Saddam Hussein was against Bin Laden. They went due to the Oil. In Afeghnestian it's another thing... They try to take the power from the Taliban (the same ones they help during the Soviet war - if you don't want to read just watch Rambo 3)
Alten goes everywhere criticizing everything and everyone that even remotes of people of power. I am going to stop here because my complains would only amount.
Bear in mind that is not the worst book ever BUT it's not good by any means unless you are a far left communist anti-estabelishment american (which it seems there are a lot nowadays on twitter).
~
Well first of all, Steve Alten is not a unknown guy. I've already tried reading 7 years ago Loch having not enjoyed or at least not getting to enter the novel and giving up after 50 pages or so.
I read Meg and gave it 2 stars so not that hopeful...
So let start, first of all, this novel is divided in 3 parts. The first part is the introduction of the characters; the second part it focus on the main plot/deliver of the plague and the last part is the voyage of our main character through the nine levels of hell (allegory not real one like in dante).
This novel, if you know Dante's Inferno then you will probably enjoy a bit more, it's not necessary BUT it gives another layer. OR at least go to wikipedia and read about it. Just know what the nine levels of hell are and what they mean.
So, to start let us talk about what this novel is about. This novel is about the end of days (it's in the title) where a new disease is being conceived and delivered into US Soil. At the same time this novel is about redemption, it's about a man journey through "hell" to get salvation; it's about conspiracy theories, pseudo-religions & about the way USA treats his war veterans (spoiler - Like crap) and why and how they go to war.
I am trying not to spoil the novel BUT it's fairly difficult not to do it.
Steven Alten get us to think - and that's a good thing. I like to think about it. I like to think about why wars happen, how they happen, I like tot hink about religion and how I see it and other people see it. I like to read conspiracies theories - some may even be true, who knows it. After all a conspiracy theory is the un-accepted reality. If most people believe that X happen - then X happen. Unfortunately that's how history is make. The Nazis were the bad guys because they lost the war. If they had won, they would be "good". Isn't that so? One beautiful example is URSS - some countries are pro-communist so it's good and others it's bad. That's "History" to you guys.
Well, as I said I like all that - but I don't like being called stupid or self-blind if you will. When talking about the 9/11 you've got the "told" history like the planes hit the towers and the pentagon but there are conspiracies theories that don't support that view and think it was man-made, explosions and such. Is it true? Who knows it. I, as reader, and with open mind, have my own opinion - and I accept you have yours. Will not try to say - you're wrong. But our "writer" say just that. When they are talking about 9/11 he puts in the last line a author's note saying - "see X and Y links or don't see it....." Why? This is not the first instance he put that links and such... Why not in the end put all that stuff and either I read it or not - it's my choice but no, he had to call people who don't believe in the conspiracy theories to be self-blind and plain idiot. To me was a turnoff. so great that I stop enjoying the novel.
I don't like being told If I don't accept X I am wrong. I like authors who can give their political, religious whatever views without making you feel stupid if you don't follow them.
Another stuff, was the all pseudo-religion - he mixes several religions and twist them to his own purpose, yeah I can grab a line in the Bible and make look that all Christians are nothing but a bunch of machismo or haters. Anyone can do that. I can twist Budhism and Judaism as well... But here he just made god really un-caring and Satan the real main character of religion- It's like seeing Lucifer tv Series.
Alten also doesn't like war or soldiers - he depicts every soldier as un-caring, happy to gun down without discrimination and so on. There are bad evil soldier? Of course but not 100%.
Then there is the far-left touching communist agenda (why so many rich authors are communists? - in the communist soviet or china they would be censored and criticized or killed lol and their rich life? yeah not gonna happen) - he criticises openly about the war machine that operates in USA and their right wing agenda (LOL). He is not shy to say all wars on terrorism were bush fault and they were money related. As a portuguese I believe USA didn't enter Iraq to free Iraq. Saddam Hussein was against Bin Laden. They went due to the Oil. In Afeghnestian it's another thing... They try to take the power from the Taliban (the same ones they help during the Soviet war - if you don't want to read just watch Rambo 3)
Alten goes everywhere criticizing everything and everyone that even remotes of people of power. I am going to stop here because my complains would only amount.
Bear in mind that is not the worst book ever BUT it's not good by any means unless you are a far left communist anti-estabelishment american (which it seems there are a lot nowadays on twitter).