Tuesday

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About God (but were afraid to ask)

I recently came across this book. It was published in late 2005. I thought the concept was interesting & could be something good. It was not. Mr. Metaxas has been a humor writer for Atlantic Monthly & The New York Times, but this book falls flat.
The format is different, but I find it more hindrance than help. Mr. Metaxas uses a Q & A format, trying to use a dialogue instead of monologue. (See example below). The humor he uses also seems too contrived. Here is a sampling:

"Q: Okay, for now let's say that God exists. But if he exists, what's he like?"
A: He likes walks in the rain...fluffy pillows...quiet candlelit dinners...

"Q: Very funny. I didn't mean what does he like; I meant what is he like?
A: Sorry, I couldn't resist."

The humor throughout is similar & unengaging. In all honesty, Mr. Metaxas has some decent things to say, for the most part, but the format & humor completely mask that over.

Lauren Winner (author of Girl Meets God) wrote a positive remark of this book, so I decided that I would check out Amazon to see what comments were left regarding the book, to see if I was way out in left field.
Out of the 10 reviews posted, 8 were positive, 2 were scathing. So, obviously, I could be completely wrong about this. However, the great thing about books is that they effect everyone in different ways.
Check this book out for yourself here.


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