Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. With the sure touch of a master, Michener pulls us into the private world of these unforgettable characters, exposing their innermost desires with remarkable candor and infinite compassion. Praise for The Drifters. There was a section where he made the breakthrough from perceiving the young people's music as little more than noise to largely "getting" it. It was interesting to me because Michener obviously went through this in order to write it.
The biggest "take-away" from The Drifters is the travel fantasies. There was also a fascinating chapter about the evolution of religion through the introduction of a figurine of Astarte. This book is quite educational. I recommend it to those who are interested in learning more ab Long and languid, the two weeks I spent on reading this saga has torpedoed my Reading Goal. A very good and absorbing story - typical Michener - although a couple of sections and the end were very slow going and not captivating, which is why it clocks at at four and not five star read.
In which I review this book's one star reviews: 'Painfully simplistic, implying that some of the greatest, centuries-long developments of mankind could happen within a generation or two. I had to stop reading less than halfway through, as I couldn't get past the gaping inaccuracy, anachronisms, and sheer fallacies.
Other than that, and a few fairly flat characters, the writing was decent enough. Not only does Another epic novel by my favorite author. This book was a beast to get through and I've been reading it off and on for months now.
It was utterly fascinating. The book is about the land we now call Israel. It starts with primitive peoples and their creation of 'religions'. There were many difficult things to read about such as killing of 1st born sons to the God Baal. I think -symbolic of things to come? The Jews were of course the central characters in this story and the evolution of their 'r I can't help putting five stars on this and most of Michener's novels.
I read this more slowly than usual and consequently had already forgotten some things I learned at the beginning. But I get the feeling that if in my history class any teacher had handed me any Michener book, my classmates and I would not have been sleeping and acting up. This one dealt with the Holy Land, from the time when man was first a man out of ape-stage, still living in a cave and built the first house.
And it moved This is a difficult review to write. I found the characters that the author created to be pretty compelling, and that's what kept me reading the more than 1, pages.
But the overall message of the book is disappointing, and maybe even maddening. In making this book primarily about the trevails of Jews in creating their own state, Michener pretty much dismisses the idea of God as an invention of human beings.
And while one might take what is written as simply a storyline of the imagination, it It is at time desperately sad and then incredibly inspirational. It made me proud of my Jewish heritage. I think it is a must-read for all, but especially for people like me with little Jewish education, but a strong sense of Jewish identity. This will give you a sense of your roots. You're probably wondering, why read the whole darn thing pages when you rate it a meagre 2 stars in the end?
Well, that's the secret of huge books. Maybe I picked the wrong Michener book to start with. It did not work for me on several levels. First, his characters were almost one-dimensional, they were so flat.
The reader is expected to fill in the gaps in all the relationships: feelings of animosity or chemistry and attraction between characters really isn't depicted. You just have to assume that it is there. Second, ok, I know I only got into it like pages, but everything I saw was told instead of shown. I learned that one in Recommends it for: any avid reader interested in archeology, history and religion.
This book is long. A very good read but long. I would recomend reading another book alongside this one to keep from becoming burnt out. Still, this is a very good book, from one of the best authors of the day. This book tells the history of ancient isreal and its religions in a very interesting way. They begin to dig and as they get deeper come across artifacts of older and older civilizations.
James Albert Michener is best known for his sweeping multi-generation historical fiction sagas, usually focusing on and titled after a particular geographical region. Toward the end of his life, he created the Journey Prize, awarded annually for t There were two men on a roof, and they climbed down the chimney.
One's face became sooty. The other's not. Which one washed his face? The man without the soot looked at his friend, saw that the man's face was dirty, assumed that his was too, and washed it. So that's the study of law. Sound reasoning. Let me explain again. Two men on a roof. They climb down a chimney. One's face is sooty, the other's not.
Which one washes? There was a mirror on the wall and the man with the dirty face saw how sooty it was and washed it. So that's the study of law!
Conforming to the logical. Two men climbed down the chimney. One's face became sooty? I personally blame all the patriarchal religions for the humiliation and mistreatment of women.
In truth Michener, writes based on the secular assumption that all religions stem from ignorance of the natural world and attempt to appease the forces of nature. From there he takes the perspective that the 3 monotheistic religions evolved.
He is sympathetic to the abuse that various religions heap against those whom they consider infidels, misguided or sinners and practitioners of abominable rituals. I can remember reading this thing for hours each night curled up in bed when I was 13 years old. It basically began my career in archaeology fingers crossed for grad school apps. Based on Tel Megiddo, it tells the story of a fictional Tel from its birth to its excavation 12, years later. It follows the path of a single family against many gods as it tells the story of Canaanite, Hebrew, Greek, Roman, Ottoman, and Israeli civilization.
While some of the material is dated, it nevertheless rem I have mixed fond and not so fond memories about 'The Source. Part of my visit included a bus tour of Israel. I was delighted to read about a place, then reach the actual site of which Michener was writing. The problem was that, about the time I arrived in Israel, I developed a serio The Source is definitely a highly entertaining and extremely interesting work, and I never lost interest. It presents the panorama of history of the Holy Land, particularly the Galilee, through the ages I had to read it a second time to realize what a work of genius it is.
There is so much in this incredibly long book, that does depict the experiences and spirit of the Land of Israel, and the Jewish people, who originated in this remarkable land. In 'The Voice of Gomer' a Hebrew mother is commanded This was a book that helped me have a more complete view of world history and all the tensions surrounding the middle east.
I read in in high school during the first gulf war. My high school was pretty substandard, it was a small town, and the students didn't care or try very hard. The school was struggling just to teach the basics. I wanted more than that and I read a lot of stuff. My mom had a subscription to Newsweek and I read it nearly cover to cover every week since I was Despite all m If you've ever held something really old in your hands and wondered, 'what was life like when this was made?
Michener weaves fiction and history together seamlessly as he intertwines a narrative of an archeological dig in the s think: Indiana Jones without the bullwhip with the stories of the artifacts and the people who created them.
The Source is a thing of beauty in its planning and intricacies. This books is three things at once: A novel, a collection of short stories, and a history of religion from ancient times through to the modern era, and it works wonderfully on all three levels, though it is best as a novel since every story actually ties together in the end, much like one would expect human history to do.
Everything is connected, and that includes us all as people. Most of all, though, if you have any interest in J This is typical Michener, and he went on the archaeological excavations at Hazor to research it. I really loved it when I read it in junior high, which I did partly to prove that I could read such long books.
I reread it several times afterwards. Now, as an archaeologist who specialized in ancient Israel, I can say that it's a fun book to read, but the interpretations are sensationalist, overtly Zionist, and now out of date. On the other hand, it probably stirs up interest in my field, and it is This picture above, and its story could be straight out of a movie version of The Source. I think the book's dig was based on Tel Megiddo, but Michener observed archaeologists at work at Hazor to prepare for writing this book.
As you can tell from reading the other reviews here, the conflicts between peoples and the layering of religious I love to understand things about other people and theminds and how they think. So I guess this can be a book worhty reading.
Religion is in fact the force of the universe and we have the power to connect. This book should be required reading for all students. Michener uses his historical fiction style to trace the development of the worlds three great religons jewish, Christian and muslim through the story of the family of UR. The story is based on a dig in the Tell of Makor in Makor is a fictional place that had been refered to in the old testament.
The dig is made by a group from Chicago but most of the workers are from the One of my favorite books ever. It's a long one, so give yourself plenty of time. Tells the story of religion in Israel through the findings of an archaeological dig 90 miles north of Jerusalem. It's divided into stories about pages long, so it doesn't feel quite like you're reading a 1, page book. Like all Michener novels, it is very well researched.
The characters seem real, and Michener also fleshes out historical figures. Some sex and violence have you read the Old Testament? The Source is another of James Michener's epic fictional histories. This one explores a part of northern Israel from the times of the pagans, through Jewish independence, Christian ascendance, Muslim conquest, resurgence of Judaism nationality, to the establishment of Israel. Note: some of the story does take place in Italy in the middle-ages as Michener relates the plight of Jews there and their decision to migrate to the Land of Israel.
The story is told through an excavation of a site in northe I began reading with enthusiasm for the premise of this book: looking at the history of Israel through the eyes of archaeologists at a dig.
Unfortunately, now I feel it was a subject too large in scope for even this author and his legendary research. After throwing out the first chapter on cavemen as an anomaly, each subsequent chapter could not stem the sliding credibility factor.
I'm pretty certain Michener didn't understand Biblical history for example his characterization of King David was Loved it! It's daunting since it's over pages and has been on my shelf since my mom gave it to me in high school or college.
I finally picked it up in August and had a rough start with it, but once I got going, found it facinating and more of a history lesson that I feel I got in school even though it's fiction. I would recommend it strongly to anyone interested in world history any era and world religions.
It was particularly relevant to the past weeks events in Gaza.
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