Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (Left Behind No. 1)
by Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins
published
January 29th 1996
(first published 1995)
by Tyndale House Publishers
edit
binding
Paperback, 320 pages
isbn
0842329129
(isbn13: 9780842329125)
description
Piloting his 747, Rayford Steele is musing about his wife Irene's irritating religiosity and contemplating the charms of his "drop-dead gorgeous&...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
discuss this book
| topics | replies | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| its funny how they call this christian fiction... | 10 | 89 | 2 days ago, 08:26PM |
groups with this book
friend reviews (0)
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
lists with this book
Where's the love? Add this book to your favorite list.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4295)
All ratings |
5 stars (1143)
|
4 stars (1036)
|
3 stars (810)
|
2 stars (357)
|
1 star (303)
|
avg 3.66
Read in January, 2002
recommends it for:
Shit heads, imbeciles, ignorant fuck wad earth hating pea brains
A big wet turd-clump of life-hating Pre-millennialist theology, bad suspense cliches and cardboard characters. For those who like their Jesus pissed-off, narrow-minded and blood-thirsty. Sarah Palin probably loved it.
Thank you, Paul Bryant for recovering this review for me.
Thank you, Paul Bryant for recovering this review for me.
Like this review?
yes
(8 people liked it)
17 comments
I felt left out of the Bad Books Club because I completely failed to get past the first chapter of The DaVinci Code, so I read this to keep up. And boy, is this one horrible book! And there's at least 11 more of them! (N.B. - I will not be reading the rest of the series)
The writing is beyond terrible. In a story that presents so many interesting narrative possibilities - the grief of those "left behind" after The Rapture, the breakdown of society after a massive tragedy, the...more
The writing is beyond terrible. In a story that presents so many interesting narrative possibilities - the grief of those "left behind" after The Rapture, the breakdown of society after a massive tragedy, the...more
Like this review?
yes
(5 people liked it)
4 comments
Oooooh, these books are terrible.
The Left Behind books are plot-driven, poorly written, and serve as eerily popular vehicles for LaHaye's very personal, very specific interpretations of Revelations/politics/contemporary society.
And I've read them all. Read both the adult series and the incredibly manipulative so-called "children's" series. I studied the Left Behind books for almost three years in college (wrote my thesis on the stuff) and they can be as fascinating as they are ...more
The Left Behind books are plot-driven, poorly written, and serve as eerily popular vehicles for LaHaye's very personal, very specific interpretations of Revelations/politics/contemporary society.
And I've read them all. Read both the adult series and the incredibly manipulative so-called "children's" series. I studied the Left Behind books for almost three years in college (wrote my thesis on the stuff) and they can be as fascinating as they are ...more
Like this review?
yes
(5 people liked it)
add a comment
Read in June, 2004
Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, Left Behind (Tyndale, 1995)
So I figured after nine years, it was time for me to get around to reading the first book in the bestselling Christian fiction series in history, Left Behind. I had always avoided it, not because of the subject matter, but by and large books that break records tend to be writ large by those with the wit, talent, and grammatical skill of overly enthusiastic six-year-olds. Dame Barbara Cartland, Danielle Steel, Tom Clancy, John Grisham,...more
So I figured after nine years, it was time for me to get around to reading the first book in the bestselling Christian fiction series in history, Left Behind. I had always avoided it, not because of the subject matter, but by and large books that break records tend to be writ large by those with the wit, talent, and grammatical skill of overly enthusiastic six-year-olds. Dame Barbara Cartland, Danielle Steel, Tom Clancy, John Grisham,...more
Like this review?
yes
(4 people liked it)
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
those who'd rather snark at this brand of weakness rather than read a genre they don't care for.
In a fit of desperation at my father and notstepmother's house, having finished Susan Sontag's Volcano Lover (see? desperate) and having to ration The World to Come for the flight home in case I didn't have time for a bookstore (should there be one at the Tampa airport), I didn't reread any of the books I've sent the two of them over the years or try any of my father's westerns or spy thrillers (I hate pulp paperbacks as a format) but opened this (part of a complete set, in hardcov...more
Like this review?
yes
(3 people liked it)
2 comments
Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
nobody with a functioning neuron
I usually have students fill out a card at the start of the semester with information like their major, where they went to high school, etc. One thing I always ask is what book they read most recently. The Left Behind series started showing up on those cards a lot a few years ago, so I decided to read the first one to see what they were like.
This is absolutely the worst-written book that I've ever picked up. The dialogue is painful, the characters are wooden, the descriptions are hackney...more
This is absolutely the worst-written book that I've ever picked up. The dialogue is painful, the characters are wooden, the descriptions are hackney...more
Like this review?
yes
(3 people liked it)
add a comment
i read this entire series.....almost non stop...
they came out with a prequel series, but i figured how many times can you beat a dead horse....
This series was really really good.
I didnt know how i was going to like it, not being a practicing catholic and all, but even if it doesnt keep to scripture 100%, it gives you enough of an eye-opener....
I remember thinking, wow. If this really happened, i would be one of the ones suffering through all this. And what would it take for me turn...more
they came out with a prequel series, but i figured how many times can you beat a dead horse....
This series was really really good.
I didnt know how i was going to like it, not being a practicing catholic and all, but even if it doesnt keep to scripture 100%, it gives you enough of an eye-opener....
I remember thinking, wow. If this really happened, i would be one of the ones suffering through all this. And what would it take for me turn...more
Like this review?
yes
(2 people liked it)
add a comment
I read the whole series but I can't remember which book was which at this point. So I'm rating the series overall as a 4.
The story begins the day after the rapture. Everyone who was "left behind" has to figure out what happened. Was it aliens or a terrorist attack? The story unfolds over the books and you get to watch people come to terms with the reality of the situation. You get to see the rise of the antichrist and how so may people don't understnad what's really going on.
T...more
The story begins the day after the rapture. Everyone who was "left behind" has to figure out what happened. Was it aliens or a terrorist attack? The story unfolds over the books and you get to watch people come to terms with the reality of the situation. You get to see the rise of the antichrist and how so may people don't understnad what's really going on.
T...more
Like this review?
yes
(2 people liked it)
add a comment
Read in January, 2003
recommends it for:
no one
I gave it a go, I really really did. The series is so popular and my ex really enjoys the books (ok, they're the only books he ever read, so maybe that should have told me something) so I thought I'd be open-minded and try it. After all, I did like the movie The Rapture and I love religious science fiction.
This, however, is thinly disguised right-wing propaganda. I can respect people who think differently than I do as long as they respect me back. This book does no such thing. They manage to...more
This, however, is thinly disguised right-wing propaganda. I can respect people who think differently than I do as long as they respect me back. This book does no such thing. They manage to...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
It would be unfortunate enough were the prose this book's lone problem. But as knuckle-headedly indelicate (Jenkins describing Carpathia as "not unlike a young Robert Redford" on 114 and later Jenkins's character describing Carpathia as "a young Robert Redford" on 232) and heavy-handed ("you might be asking Carpathia to turn against his own angels" on 231) and weirdly unfunny when attempting to be funny (the entire flirtatious cookie exchange between Buck and Chloe:...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
I'll use this one review for all the books of this series I've read (just to save time)and that's inclusive of 1-10. I truly enjoyed them, some a little more than others, but that's probably more of a reaction to my over indulgence than anything on the authors part (I was averaging three or four a week around school, yeah too much, kind of like a kid having too much candy and getting ill) These books are creative, action packed, display the gospel credibly and made me care about the characters. ...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
recommended to Katie by:
Reading Interests of Young Adults required
My major problem with this novel has nothing to do with the preachiness of it. It actually was somewhat convincing in that way. I find that stories involving the Book of Revelations or the Apocalypse are very interesting (for example, "The Omen" movies, The Stand by Stephen King). I like the idea of a clear cut battle between good and evil.
No, my major problem with this book is that it begins with exactly the same scenario as Stephen King's novella turned TV miniseries, &...more
No, my major problem with this book is that it begins with exactly the same scenario as Stephen King's novella turned TV miniseries, &...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
I ran across a Snopes item the other day that I thought was extremely appropriate for this book review. The claim: Airlines will not pair Christian pilots and co-pilots out of fear that the Rapture will snatch away both crewmembers capable of landing the flight.
The claim is, of course, false. But if you think that is something that airlines might want to think about, then this book is for you. Otherwise, you'll probably w...more
The claim is, of course, false. But if you think that is something that airlines might want to think about, then this book is for you. Otherwise, you'll probably w...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
1 comments
Read in November, 2007
One of my managers at work actually reccomended this book to me after I told I had read 'The Road'. I have to admit that I was skeptical going into this book only because I knew some of the background due to publicity surrounding the movies. I didn't feel much like reading a bunch of quoted Bible scripture - but I was happy to discover that there wasn't much of that in the book.
The story focuses primarily around a core group of characters all tied together following a mysterious worldwide di...more
The story focuses primarily around a core group of characters all tied together following a mysterious worldwide di...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in October, 2007
I thought at first that I wouldn't be who this book was aimed at, but instead, I found the opposite. Since all the devout Christians have been taken by the Rapture, the protagonists are a mix of atheists, agnostics, Christmas Christians, even seemingly devout Christians who could have been truer. This means that no matter where you fall on the devout scale you have someone to follow through the tribulations fo teh Rapture. There's fun semi apocalyptic planes falling from sky disaster movie after...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
The concept is great: what would the Biblical end times prophecies really look like if they happened today? How could the ancient words of Isaiah and Revelation actually play out in today's world? What if the rapture occurred right now?!!
While some elements are admittedly intriguing (the anti-Christ's rise to power, the underground believers' economy, the covert operations) one frustration for me is the characters' glaring lack of depth. With maybe a few exceptions, these are flat, unreal...more
While some elements are admittedly intriguing (the anti-Christ's rise to power, the underground believers' economy, the covert operations) one frustration for me is the characters' glaring lack of depth. With maybe a few exceptions, these are flat, unreal...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in September, 2007
recommends it for:
Christian fans/anyone interested in biblical prophecy
I read this book in college but never got around to reading the rest of the series past book three. Re-visiting it, I found that I looked at certain things alot different than I had previously. More of it actually made sense this time around.
After the strange disappearance of thousands of people across the world, those left behind try to make sense of the phenomena through theories of religion, aliens, and government conspiracies. After remembering his wife talking about the Rapture, a pilo...more
After the strange disappearance of thousands of people across the world, those left behind try to make sense of the phenomena through theories of religion, aliens, and government conspiracies. After remembering his wife talking about the Rapture, a pilo...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
I read this book (and the rest of the series) back before it hit any best-seller lists. I've always been a fan of apocalyptic literature (Salem Kirban anyone?), so this interested me right away.
The series is decent. It's easy reading, with a good mixture of adventure and drama. I give the authors extra points for some of the extra-scriptural additions (the cross markings on the foreheads of the believers--nice touch). But I have to...more
The series is decent. It's easy reading, with a good mixture of adventure and drama. I give the authors extra points for some of the extra-scriptural additions (the cross markings on the foreheads of the believers--nice touch). But I have to...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in January, 2007
some of the worst books, ever, god bless them!
i derive a sort of masochistic pleasure in reading them. i actually didn't read them, i listened to them. i couldn't actually spend that time simply reading....i was reading and doing yardwork, or knitting, or something productive.
these books suck! oh god, do they suck.
they had potential for excellent apocalyptic death, disaster and destruction...but they were too heavy on the finding-jesus part, and too light on the destruction part. step...more
i derive a sort of masochistic pleasure in reading them. i actually didn't read them, i listened to them. i couldn't actually spend that time simply reading....i was reading and doing yardwork, or knitting, or something productive.
these books suck! oh god, do they suck.
they had potential for excellent apocalyptic death, disaster and destruction...but they were too heavy on the finding-jesus part, and too light on the destruction part. step...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
I really tried to like these books. I actually forced myself to read 6-1/2 of them before I finally gave up in disgust. They are just so badly written as to be unreadable. It's not the subject matter. It's the handling. The characters aren't even two-dimensional. The plots are so implausible that I found myself groaning out loud many times. These guys really REALLY needed to hire a ghost writer!!! Avoid at all costs. If you are like me and kept hoping the books would get better as the series pro...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
