Most overrated book

The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey and The Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins... What garbage in my book!... Brother Glen

 

I'm with Glen.

 

I'm with alll of you.

 

I am also with Glen.

 

Count me on that list as well.

If we're all in agreement, it must really be the work of the Holy Spirit.

Joshua

 

I'm also in total agreement with all of you.

 

I like to read christian romances. While they definitely do not qualify as literature, lots of us ladies love romance the way men love adventure. The mainstream romances are not fit for a christian woman ( or any woman for that matter) to read. I read christian romances before I started going to church, I can honestly say that they have helped to lead me to Christ.

As for the left behind series, I am trudging my way through book 2. Obviously i am unenamoured with it. I haven't picked it up for a couple of weeks.

 

Ah, the mysteries of the Christian life, how such a great group can collectively be wrong!

I would respectfully say that the reason you all think this is because Left Behind does not reflect your eschatological views.
Not the best books written, surely, but not "garbage".

Stylistically, I would have to say that Theodosia Ernest volumes 1 and 2 are high on my worst list.
No, I'm not kidding. Written over a hundred years ago by a Landmark Baptist, they are sermons disguised as a novel. Nothing wrong with the sermons from the Landmark viewpoint, but missing a lot as novels.

Karen

 

Karen,

While I'm not much of a novelist, I would agree "Theodosia Ernest" by A.C. Dayton is lacking as a novel. I have an original (1855) 2 volume set and count it as one of my most prized books. However it is a great book on historic Baptist doctrine. What's also interesting is that the Methodists and Presbyterians were also publishing fictonial doctrinal books both before and after the Civil War. I have a number of these. Even Southern Baptists contintued to publish some of these (The Little Baptist, Mabel Clement, etc) into the early 1900's. However none every sold as many copies or had the influence of Theodosia Ernest.

 

With respect to theology, I agree with Psa104 that The Prayer of Jabez is right up there as the most overrated book. But between it and Experiencing God, the race for that particular title is a photo-finish.

For most overrated novel, it's probably a toss-up between Ulysses by James Joyce, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

[ August 12, 2002, 12:59 PM: Message edited by: Ransom ]

 

Well, I would be hard pressed to think of anything positive coming from the Landmark world, but if I could think of something, it certainly wouldn't be Theodosia Earnetst.

As for the LeHaye/Jenkins tripe, even if it did reflect my eschatology (which, as you correctly surmised, it does not) the writing would still be lousy and the character development no thicker than cardboard.

Joshua

 

Smoke eater that is so funny.LOL
Since Late Great Planet Earth and The Left Behind books are really the same book...They are combined as one, The Jabez stuff is ridiculous and deserves some consideration but the Rescuing the Bible from the Fundamentalists by Bishop John Shelby Spong was horrible! Talk about overhyped! How do you rescue something you don't even believe? He got so much press for saying nothing,and embrassing even his own denomination, which is saying something! That would be my vote. The Trail of Blood, also right up there.

 

Responding to a few posts.

Psa104 said:

Actually I was thinking along the lines of just Christian books although I have to disagree with you on Atlas Shtrugged, I thought it was one of the best books I ever read.

I was thinking more in terms of the cult of personality that has grown up around Rand over the philosophy of Objectivism, which Atlas Shrugged was intended to promote. Objectivism is an atheistic philosophy, but it is held so tenaciously by the "Randroids" that it is practically a religion. I tried reading Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead but found them both unreadable. Rand is neither a good novelist nor a good philosopher.

I tries Ulyses and couldnt grasp it.

Same here.

Re: the Left Behind books, Baptist Believer said:

The characters don't seem to have any real motivations except to go from one plot point to the next.

This is my impression as well. All too often, it seems to me, something happens for no reason except that LaHaye's eschatology demands it. One example occurs at the end of the first book where Nicolae announces that UN headquarters are to be moved from New York to Babylon. Why? No one says. It's almost as though Jenkins can't come up with a good reason for it to be, but that's what LaHaye wanted, so in it goes regardless. Very, very sloppy. Unfortunately, that's the way the story goes all the way through.

Also, the novels suffer from "Hero Death Exemption Syndrome": a major character like Buck can jump out of a fast-moving airplane and survive, but no one outside of the Big Four lasts more than two novels without dying.

Smoke_Eater added:

They're so bad, I actually found myself rooting for the anti-Christ.

ROFL! By any chance have you read the parody book Right Behind by Nathan Wilson?

Finally, go2church said concerning Bishop Spongggg!:

Rescuing the Bible from the Fundamentalists by Bishop John Shelby Spong was horrible!

Yeah, but it's a treasure trove of sermon illustrations when you're preaching through Galations on the defense of the true Gospel.

[ August 13, 2002, 11:26 AM: Message edited by: Ransom ]

 

Most overated:

Christian non-fiction: Scofield Reference Bible

Christian fiction: Norm Geisler's Chosen But Free