Damascus Gate

Too long, too self indulgent in its pseudo erudition, too self masturbatory for my taste. Stopped reading it 100 times, but returned due to sheer stubbornness every time. I like RS very much, but believe he says it all in his brilliant short stories. Damascus Gate has its moments, but far too many of them to the point of confusion and convolution. Not for me this book. I’ll never regain all the time spent... *JQ

The range of evaluations for this book in the customer reviews is all the way from one star to five. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Robert Stone's Damascus Gate, I have to wonder why the numerous one and two star reviews. The most frequent criticisms are ones that are quite true: the book is long on description, it is very complex, there are a lot of characters and much of the situation in which the plot unfolds must be inferred since the author doesn't spell it out for us.Nevertheless, the writing is brilliant. This is a book for people who love reading; not for people who simply want a good story with familiar characters and a predictable conclusion. Stone spends a lot of time in this book really setting the stage before the plot is even unwound. To readers who are impatient to 'get on with the story', this approach is going to be frustrating. But to readers who appreciate what Stone does with language and can revel in the images created, this part of the book is a pleasure in itself. I would not recommend this book to everyone. It does require more effort and concentration than a typical thriller (just as Le Carre does) and the pleasures derived from the character and plot presuppose a reader more in tune with Graham Greene than with Grisham. The author wants us to think long and hard about what we are reading and he has done an admirable job of creating a scenario where all the forces that have made the middle east a consistently unstable place are shown coming together in the crisis situation the plot leads to. I found this book very satisfying.

A quite beautiful novel, written with a style and grace most authors only dream of. The story of the search for spiritual meaning is moving and the thriller aspects very exciting. Stone is a sophisticated author who challenges one's mind and richly rewards the reader. Especially in this, one of his finest novels yet.

A really great book on the nature of faith and a darn good thriller as well. Difficult subject, but this is one heck of a writer. I liked it so much I returned to it for a second reading. One of the most interesting novels you'll read, _if_ you like to think.

I agree with the reader who found his hope for the American novel renewed by this book. Robert Stone is a unique, powerful presence in literature and this is a wonderful book of the human spirt. The search for meaning, set against the backdrop of the Holy Land at millennial's eve, is a Stone triumph. The elements of mystery and thriller simply add to the novel's power. Not an easy read, so I understand some of the reaction to it, but it remains unforgettable and worth the effort.

I appreciate novels which have ideas and make me consider the validity of my world-view. Stone is not a favorite of mine, but this is a novel of such profound beauty that I can't find the words to describe it. I hope those who look for meaningful, richly textured novels as a source of personal joy will give this book a chance.