We All Fall Down

For many years now, there have been an awful lot of books produced about Revelations. The emphasis is on awful. For whatever reason, those books have often been poorly writen, preachy to the point of offensive, and completely lacking any real spiritual insight. Finally, in the last few years, two authors have produced amazing books about Revelations. Brian Caldwell's We All Fall Down is the first truly mature look at Revelations. It's not a book for people looking to stand at a distance, as it is an emotionally devistating piece of fiction. It is raw and uncompromising, a book that will grab you by the throat and shake your soul. I don't think I have ever read a book that challenged me to examine my faith so strongly. BeauSeigneur's Christ Clone Trilogy is equally impressive, if in a different way. While Caldwell's book focuses on the spiritual psychology of a single character, Beausigneur tackles the big picture. His novels are intellegent and incredibly well-researched. His novels make you believe that the end of the world could happen, not just spiritually, but intellectually as well. The two authors complement each other quite well, with BeauSigneur tackling the big picture and Caldwell zeroing in on the personal. What both writers have in common is a perfect ear for dialouge, a scathing intellegence, and an insight into spiritual matters that was exciting to read. After suffering through so many second rate novelists tackle revelations, it was an incomparable pleasure to read these magnificent books.

I was talking to a friend of mine who had just finished this book yesterday and he hated it. I was surprised, because I thought it was one of the best books I've read in years. I spoke to a few other people I knew who had read it a month or so ago and found the exact same response. Three loved it, two hated it. The people who hated it didn't have a problem with the writing, which they thought was excellent, but with the whole tone of the story.I can understand that. We All Fall Down is a fairly depressing story. That was actually what I loved about it. My thinking is that, if you're going to show what earth would be like without spirituality, it's going to be a pretty depressing picture. The main character falls deeper and deeper into a Hell of his own making and it's not always pleasent to watch. Caldwell ups the ante even more, by describing Caldwell almost wholey from the outside. Even though its the main character himself who narrates the whole book, that narration is done in a detached voice, describing what's happening, but almost never indulging in introspection. It can be off putting, because we want to know why he's making the choices he is.But I think it was a wise choice, because as the character says at the end, "What else is left to say? It would all be excuses. We just use words to hide the truth." Instead, we have to view Jimmy though other people's eyes and through his exterior actions. It forces us to be more active as readers, to become more involved in the story if we're going to judge it.This is a spiritual book, but it defines its spirituality by its very absence. We are taken on a guided tour through a world without God and through the life of a man who cannot accept God. Caldwell doesn't flinch from showing the ramifications of that absence, and it's hard to watch sometimes. But in showing the evil that arises without spirituality, he very effectively defines spirituality as its opposite. It's an interesting literary choice, but one that works spectacularly. I can understand why people wouldn't like this book. It tells us something about humanity that a lot of people would rather ignore. I can see why people wouldn't want to read about a world without God. But I found it to be an illuminating and thrilling read. And in my opinion, any book than can polarize people into such strong feelings, be they love or hate, is a succesful piece of literature. Novels are suypposed to evoke feeling, and this one succeeds. Try it yourself and see which side you fall on.

For far too long, fictional explorations of Christianity have been held hostage by poorly written novels that seemed more interested in progaganda than in truth. It's a history that has done too much damage on both sides of the fence...............................................On the other side, novels that take such simplistic viewpoints about the faith utterly fail to engage practicing Christians or challenge them to explore their beliefs with any real depth. Left Behind turns off non-Christians and allows Christians to develop a sense of self-satisfaction. Both results are harmful.Caldwell's novel avoids both traps. I have no idea if Caldwell is a Christian or not. What I do know after reading his novel is that he takes the Christian faith seriously, seriously enough to honestly look at why so many people reject it, to honestly look at what it is in humanity that keeps us seperate from God. This novel can be read as a character study, an exploration of spirituality, or simply a good adventure. It succeeds on all levels.It's my dearest hope that We All Fall Down becomes a widely read novel because Christianity needs to be talked about in a mature, intellegent fashion, both so that non-Christians can feel like there is a door that is open to them, through which they feel comfortable in exploring these issues and so that practicing Christians have help in engaging themselves in a deeper exploration of their faith. Caldwell's novel brilliantly achives both of these tasks. It is a novel that is a pleasure to read and one that lingers in the thoughts for months after it's completion.Buy this book.Recomend it to your friends, both Christian and non.It's an important work

I'm no stranger to Endtimes fiction. I've always been fascinated by the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. As a Christian, I've wanted to read a work that faithfully holds true to the Biblical prophecies and presents the message of Christianity, but as a lover of literature, I wanted a quality piece of writing as well. Unfortunately, until recently, the closest that I had found was the Left Behind series which reeks of inept writing, simplistic plots and themes, two-dimensional characters, and bad evangelicalism. Then, recently, I discovered the Christ Clone Trilogy, a work that perfectly fit what I was looking for in Endtimes fiction. It featured excellent story-telling, three-dimensional characters, and an impeccable knowledge of prophecy, history, science, technology, New Age, and all other subjects covered in the story. Hence, it provided not only quality, but also accuracy and believability. Not only that, but it also managed to practice the often difficult art of good evangelicalism, i.e. presenting the message of Christianity to a secular audience in a non-offensive manner that might actually peak their curiosity in the Bible and Christianity.But now I've seen something even better.Brian Caldwell has done something completely different. Instead of dramatizing the Endtimes events prophesized in Revelation, he has used them merely as a backdrop to tell a riveting and very human story of one man's confrontation with himself, God, and human nature._We All Fall Down_ isn't simply a good read - it's an artistic work of true literary merit. When reading this novel, I found myself thinking of the likes of Kafka, Camu, Dostoyevski, Ellison, Conrad, and Steinbeck. Caldwell creates thoroughly fleshed out living, breathing characters who experience complex emotions and behave in the often confusing manner of real life people. Focusing on character development, Caldwell weaves his plot as a natural consequence of who his characters are and how they interact rather than creating characters to satisfy plot requirements. Out of this rich character study, he develops complex themes about human nature, divinity, hatred, and relationships. I haven't read a more powerful and moving novel in quite some time.Whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian makes no difference as to the value of this novel.This work should be read by anyone who loves great literature that makes one think and feel. I cannot stress this enough.