The Story of B

The Story of B
by Daniel Quinn

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Book Summary Information

Author: Daniel Quinn
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1997-12-01
ISBN: 0553379011
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Bantam

Book Reviews of The Story of B

Book Review: Good story...very preachy
Summary: 3 Stars

I purchased the Story of B excited to read the continuation of the thought provoking Ishmael. While Ishmael opened the door to new concepts (at least new to me), The Story of B simply reiterated those concepts using a different story with different characters. There was a point in the novel where the magic of the message got lost in redundancy. There was an "I get it, move on" moment for the reader that actually made me consider putting down the book. I felt like the book was written as a brainwashing mechanism to perpetuate the author's point of view. While I understand all written works function to perpetuate a point, the novel came off as pushy and forceful. There were a lot of questions I wished I could ask, that were not explained in the text. The redundancy is explained by the author in the beginning of the novel. The main character "B" explained that he uses redundancy for the same reason people attend mass every Sunday. You have to hear the message more than once to make it your own.

I can see how this novel could be described as anti-Christian. Another reviewer attempted to dumb down this aspect of the book by saying that the novel is not anti-Christian, but it is anti totalitarian Christian (meaning it is anti Christian as the only religion). I disagree with this statement emphatically. I believe it is anti-Christian but not exclusively anti-Christian. It is anti-taker religion. Not in a hateful way that one would expect when talking about "anti" positions in general. However, the novel almost views these religions how a Christian would view modern day scientology. These religions were created ten thousand years ago. Humans have been around for much much longer than that. Believing in them is therefore ridiculous (according to the novel) because it is ludicrous to think that God simply appeared to people once modern culture began shunned those who lived previously. The novel also speaks of the absence of the Judeo-Christian God in our everyday lives. Would the ultimate God be so distant and detached from his people? I must point out that this is not the main theme of the novel in anyway. It is just a point I thought would be important to people.

The book also works to propagate the idea of animism. I found this section of the book boring and least enlightening. I liked Ishmael because it spoke in a cultural language rather than a religious one. The original ideas in Ishmael could appeal to a broader range of audience. The novelist might say that the reason I found this section so unappealing is because I'm so rooted in "taker" culture. This might be true, it might not. Regardless, if you choose to read this novel, prepare to be preached to about animism throughout the later part of the novel.

I have to admit his ideas on culture make sense. They explain the void that humans continue to search to fill. Whether this is just an artist interpretation of a solution is beyond the scope of this review. However, the story was good and a recommend this book as an interesting read.

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Summary of The Story of B

The Story of B combines Daniel Quinn's provocative and visionary ideas with a masterfully plotted story of adventure and suspense in this stunning, resonant novel that is sure to stay with readers long after they have finished the last page. Father Jared Osborne--bound by a centuries-old mandate held by his order to know before all others that the Antichrist is among us--is sent to Europe on a mission to find a peripatetic preacher whose radical message is attracting a growing circle of followers. The target of Osborne's investigation is an American known only as B. He isn't teaching New Age platitudes or building a fanatical following; instead, he is quietly uncovering the hidden history of our planet, redefining the fall of man, and retracing a path of human spirituality that extends millions of years into the past. From the beginning, Fr. Osborne is stunned, outraged, and awed by the simplicity and profundity of B's teachings. Is B merely a heretic--or is he the Antichrist sent to seduce humanity not with wickedness, but with ideas more alluring than those of traditional religion? With surprising twists and fascinating characters, The Story of B answers this question as it sends readers on an intellectual journey that will forever change the way they view spirituality, human history, and, indeed, the state of our present world.

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