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108th out of 290 books
—
966 voters
The Breath of God: A Novel of Suspense
by
Jeffrey Small (Goodreads Author)
A murder at the Taj Mahal. A kidnapping in a sacred city. A desperate chase through a cliffside monastery. All in the pursuit of a legend that could link the world’s great religious faiths.
In 1887, a Russian journalist made an explosive discovery in a remote Himalayan monastery only to be condemned and silenced for the heresy he proposed. His discovery vanished shortly the...more
In 1887, a Russian journalist made an explosive discovery in a remote Himalayan monastery only to be condemned and silenced for the heresy he proposed. His discovery vanished shortly the...more
Paperback, 414 pages
Published
March 1st 2011
by West Hills Press
(first published February 18th 2011)
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Grant Mathews, grad student, is on a mission to discover a link of ancient texts uncovering the early life of Jesus believed to be hidden in a monastary in the Himalayas. Upon discovering them, Grant finds himself on his own self aware journey. He falls in love with the journalist Kristen and races for his life from a crazed assasin while trying to save his career.
With so many faiths brushed upon in this novel I was amazed at how well things tied up. I loved the theroy behind the philosophies in...more
With so many faiths brushed upon in this novel I was amazed at how well things tied up. I loved the theroy behind the philosophies in...more
Check out my review here: http://frugalfunfamily.com/?p=1635
The novel begins with the main character going over a dangerous Himalayan waterfall. The story continues to plunge through additional dangerous situations all through the book, and the action doesn't cease until the end of the book. Along the way the reader is given a lesson in the similarities between the world's religions. The book is a combination of mystery/ thriller/ historical/ religious book based on a genre formula similar to The Divici Code except that this novel depicts certain conserv...more
I gave this engaging novel only three stars for three reasons: (1) I thought it demonized Christian fundamentalism/evangelicalism. I am no supporter of fundamentalism, having written a book titled "Fed Up with Fundamentalism" (2007). Still, the “bad guys” in the novel were all fundamentalists/evangelicals and nothing good was said about such Christians.
(2) I thought at places the book seemed too much like World Religions 101; that is, there were places that seemed to be didactic and not necessa...more
(2) I thought at places the book seemed too much like World Religions 101; that is, there were places that seemed to be didactic and not necessa...more
5 likes · like · see review
Breath of God is like a religious studies 101 class meets what I imagine was the plot of the Da Vinci code (I say imagine because I haven't read Da Vinci Code). Our protagonist Grant Matthews goes to India in search of a barely footnoted, and definitely missing texts written by Jesus while on a journey of spiritual awaking during a trip to India before his 30th birthday. There he meets a sexy journalist Kristin M. and thus creates a good amount of sexual tension in the book between zen sayings a...more
A Fantastic Debut Novel!
The Breath of God is a great suspense novel built around a focal issue that is as vital around the globe today as it ever has been - interplay among the world's great religions. Small's characters stand out and remain after the book is finished; the lesser ones, Deepraj, Dasho, Lama Dorji, and Billingsly, as well as the major players, Tim, Brady, Jennings, Jigme, Kinley, and especially Kristin and Grant. The faults, quirks, and pieces of personal history that shape the ch...more
The Breath of God is a great suspense novel built around a focal issue that is as vital around the globe today as it ever has been - interplay among the world's great religions. Small's characters stand out and remain after the book is finished; the lesser ones, Deepraj, Dasho, Lama Dorji, and Billingsly, as well as the major players, Tim, Brady, Jennings, Jigme, Kinley, and especially Kristin and Grant. The faults, quirks, and pieces of personal history that shape the ch...more
Imagine a world where all religions have the same basis, a common source...
In 1887, a Russian journalist named Nicholas Notovitch made the most remarkable discovery—a text that shows a fusion of seemingly disparate Western and Eastern religions. The find, which was made in a remote monastery nestled in the Himalayan Mountains, could alter religion and our understanding of divinity forever. But it never reached the public. The secret had been lost. Until now...
Grant Matthews, a scholar and reli...more
In 1887, a Russian journalist named Nicholas Notovitch made the most remarkable discovery—a text that shows a fusion of seemingly disparate Western and Eastern religions. The find, which was made in a remote monastery nestled in the Himalayan Mountains, could alter religion and our understanding of divinity forever. But it never reached the public. The secret had been lost. Until now...
Grant Matthews, a scholar and reli...more
This was a page turner! From the very first sentence to very last word this book kept me captivated. It's a combination of religious/mystery/historical/modern day thriller and I found it to be just about unputdownable. The premise of the tale, that Jesus traveled to India and Tibet during the 18 years unaccounted for in the Bible, was first postulated by Nicolas Notovitch. Known there as St. Issa His teachings are remarkably similar to what He taught in Jerusalem.
I had read previously and in pas...more
I had read previously and in pas...more
I don't read fiction. It's something that I've worked on for many years and to this day there are only a few books that have really kept me engaged long enough for me to not forget that I was actually reading it. This is one of those books.
I like this book for all of the things that it said and for all of the things that it didn't say. The message it carries is one that this world sorely needs in this very moment and could help us tremendously on the path towards global healing. Seriously.
Ther...more
I like this book for all of the things that it said and for all of the things that it didn't say. The message it carries is one that this world sorely needs in this very moment and could help us tremendously on the path towards global healing. Seriously.
Ther...more
I feel the need to review this book on two different levels, as a thriller and as spiritual exegesis, because it's a little bit of both. As a thriller, I've been more thrilled. It follows the now-common pattern which begins with the discovery of evidence of some artifact which inspires a quest on the part of the protagonist(s), combined with powerful antagonists who will do anything to prevent that artifact from seeing the light of day. The exposition of this aspect of the novel was good, not gr...more
I wish I could give this 3.5 stars because I liked it, but I don't want to give it four stars to say I really liked it because it's more like somewhere in between. The book was thoroughly entertaining in a Dan Brown-esque kind of way and kept me reading, but I found some parts to be overly drawn out, others to be too predictable. I hate when a fiction book overly tries to explain something not commonly known or understood in a way that takes from the story - I get that explanation is needed, but...more
2 likes · like · see review
Consider my four-star rating as 4.5 stars! As advertised, this book is very much in the Dan Brown genre of religious history and mystery. Jeffrey Small obviously knows his religious history, but the novel isn't boring or draggy. Small blends the right amount of religious history with a fast-paced action adventure novel. While I suspect that many fundamental Christians may take offense with the novel's premise, I didn't find it terribly blasphemic. Without giving away the premise of the book, I d...more
I'm a fan of the concept of the book, but not the book itself (if that makes sense). The book started off a little dull, but really got going around page 50 or so, when the protagonist learned that the texts that he was looking for were in fact real, and that he'd get access to them. Overall, none of the characters were very compelling, and could have used a lot more fleshing out- Grant and Kristin, the protagonists, were very dull and stereotypical. Tim, the antagonist, also very stereotypical....more
I didn’t know what to expect from this book…another Da Vinci Code? Another religious mystery to solve…would it be any good, at all? Would it contain angels or other paranormal activity? No and WOW!!! I have to tell you that this book kept me on the edge of my seat. I started it on Tuesday and would have finished earlier if it wasn’t for work, kids, cooking, cleaning and the like. I finished it Wednesday night and I was extremely impressed with the writing and the tale. The words flew off the pa...more
Based on the true story of a Russian who claimed to have found a manuscript in Tibet that described Jesus' travels to India to study Hinduism and Buddhism before beginning his ministry. This novel describes the search to rediscover the lost manuscripts, how they would change our understanding of Jesus and Christianity, and the lengths some people would go to to prevent those documents from surfacing.
The premise of the novel is certainly fascinating. What if Jesus did travel to India to study Hin...more
The premise of the novel is certainly fascinating. What if Jesus did travel to India to study Hin...more
Comparative spirituality. Contemporary. Quick read. Became a suspenseful page turner after chapter 10. Well written though rather simplistic with too much violence. But unfortunately the violence mirrors attitudes that exist - about which the book seems to be a warning. It is generally about the communality of religions - more specifically a meeting of "eastern" and "western" thought/religion/philosophy. The focus on Buddhist philosophy provides most of the high points, as always when east/west...more
The Bible is silent about 18 years in the life of Jesus, from his appearance at the temple in Jerusalem at age 12, to the beginning of his public ministry at age 30. What was Jesus doing all that time?
The speculation that Jesus may have traveled to the Far East during this "silent period" has been around for many years. The idea that Jesus learned some of his insights from sages in the East is heretical to conservative Christian orthodoxy. But it would explain the many parallels between Christia...more
The speculation that Jesus may have traveled to the Far East during this "silent period" has been around for many years. The idea that Jesus learned some of his insights from sages in the East is heretical to conservative Christian orthodoxy. But it would explain the many parallels between Christia...more
I have just finished this and loved it. Very exciting with a surprise twist at the end.
“The Breath of God” by Jeffrey Small is a first time novel by Mr. Small. It is of the genre of “The Da Vinci Code” but takes place in the USA, India, Tibet and Druk Yul, the name the Bhutanese use for the tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas, between Tibet and India. It is a little slow on the uptake, but then it gets very exciting and moves quickly. Small weaves various plots and characters into the story i...more
“The Breath of God” by Jeffrey Small is a first time novel by Mr. Small. It is of the genre of “The Da Vinci Code” but takes place in the USA, India, Tibet and Druk Yul, the name the Bhutanese use for the tiny Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas, between Tibet and India. It is a little slow on the uptake, but then it gets very exciting and moves quickly. Small weaves various plots and characters into the story i...more
I purchased this book because of one of those irritating ads on the side of your facebook page.
Glad I did that.
Can you imagine a connection between the major religions? That is the premise of Grant Matthews still unfinished Thesis at Emory. One essential piece is missing: an ancient manuscript found decades ago by a Russian explorer. Grant is in the Himalayan Mountains looking for this manuscript to little success until he is in a kayaking accident.
Sadly when the status quo is challenged when i...more
Glad I did that.
Can you imagine a connection between the major religions? That is the premise of Grant Matthews still unfinished Thesis at Emory. One essential piece is missing: an ancient manuscript found decades ago by a Russian explorer. Grant is in the Himalayan Mountains looking for this manuscript to little success until he is in a kayaking accident.
Sadly when the status quo is challenged when i...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I totally enjoyed this book, but I was able to put it down, for a few days at a time. Then it would gently tug me back. That is the reason I only gave it four stars, 4.5 is probably more realistic as I did stay up til 2:30am at the end to finish it.... & I DID have work the next morning.
I didn't know that Jesus' life story had "missing years", I loved the concept of where he may have been and what he may have doing during those years. The Eastern religions and their practices have always hel...more
This was a solid 3-star for me for most of the book. Sure, it was a tad predictable about the Issa issue - I called it about 30 pages before it was revealed - but the story was solid and Kinley was awesome.
But that EPILOGUE. Dear me. We had such a lovely journey with Grant and his path to inner calm. You don't need to include him lecturing his students about it. It was a great showing and then it just became preachy and telling and UGH. Yes, it annoyed me enough that I took off a whole star. I c...more
But that EPILOGUE. Dear me. We had such a lovely journey with Grant and his path to inner calm. You don't need to include him lecturing his students about it. It was a great showing and then it just became preachy and telling and UGH. Yes, it annoyed me enough that I took off a whole star. I c...more
In the current time of religious change, introspection, reinvention, seeking, and tolerance, it is important for a book to do a periodic litmus test to see what the balance between secularism and free expression is. One of the laws of the universe is cause and effect, or ultimate balance. Seeking and exploring new religious thought has, as it's opposite, a tightening of dogma among the more conservative paths.
In the hands of a Dan Brown, these litmus tests not only tell us much about a people's...more
In the hands of a Dan Brown, these litmus tests not only tell us much about a people's...more
If you've read any Dan Brown books, this book will remind you of those. The first 100 pages are fairly deep and interesting, but the rest of the book is pretty action packed. A bit over-descriptive at times, but all in all a pretty easy read.
A little bit of history, a little bit of religion, a little bit of action, and a little bit of fiction all mixed in to one. As an agnostic, I found the questioning of religious history interesting. I've read about Buddhism as well and enjoyed some of the "d...more
A little bit of history, a little bit of religion, a little bit of action, and a little bit of fiction all mixed in to one. As an agnostic, I found the questioning of religious history interesting. I've read about Buddhism as well and enjoyed some of the "d...more
Maybe even a little less. As I am 65, I have reading a lot. In the 60s, Robert Heinlein, with "Stranger in a Strange Land" and its follow-ons, and Robert Rimmer, with "The Harrod Expiriment" and its follow-ons, wrote books that wee more philosophical treatises fictionalized than novels, with the dialogue and action, such as it was, stilted, to make the point the author wanted to make in the polemic. This book is very much the same. He seems to think that the idea Jesus, during his lost years, ma...more
Short version:
This is the ninth book I've won from goodreads. Of the others, the ones I've liked I've passed along to friends apathetic about whether I ever saw them again or not. The ones I didn't like were donated to the local thrift store with the hopes that shoppers, for their own sake, never picked them up.
I'm keeping this book.
Long version:
From the epilogue: "What happens when you have an experience that shakes your belief system?" That pretty much sums up the plot, and what I like about...more
This is the ninth book I've won from goodreads. Of the others, the ones I've liked I've passed along to friends apathetic about whether I ever saw them again or not. The ones I didn't like were donated to the local thrift store with the hopes that shoppers, for their own sake, never picked them up.
I'm keeping this book.
Long version:
From the epilogue: "What happens when you have an experience that shakes your belief system?" That pretty much sums up the plot, and what I like about...more
Mar 21, 2011
Freda mans
added it
I loved this book at times and others hated it.
I loved the suspenseful parts, and hated how the story flipped back and forth so fast. I really wanted to stick with what I was reading. I know it is a style of writing, and most times I like it, but with the various backdrops I sometimes felt lost. Maybe if it was a little longer between settings I would have been more keen about it.
It had great ideas, and I think they did somehow shine through. Though for a suspense fiction novel I felt sometimes...more
I loved the suspenseful parts, and hated how the story flipped back and forth so fast. I really wanted to stick with what I was reading. I know it is a style of writing, and most times I like it, but with the various backdrops I sometimes felt lost. Maybe if it was a little longer between settings I would have been more keen about it.
It had great ideas, and I think they did somehow shine through. Though for a suspense fiction novel I felt sometimes...more
Mar 22, 2011
Jeffrey Small
rated it
5 of 5 stars
· (Review from the author)
·
review of another edition
Hi this is Jeffrey, the author. I'm not going to review my own book, but this is what the critics are saying:
"Visionary fiction." Library Journal
"Small's stunning debut...a thought provoking masterpiece." RT Book Reviews
"Spellbinding...full of suspense...raising questions that have not been asked before." Bookloons.com
"A fascinating tale of what can lurk behind blind faith and what is possible if you open your mind." BrokenTeepee.com
"An impressive literary debut." Atlanta Magazine
"Small exp...more
"Visionary fiction." Library Journal
"Small's stunning debut...a thought provoking masterpiece." RT Book Reviews
"Spellbinding...full of suspense...raising questions that have not been asked before." Bookloons.com
"A fascinating tale of what can lurk behind blind faith and what is possible if you open your mind." BrokenTeepee.com
"An impressive literary debut." Atlanta Magazine
"Small exp...more
I would have liked to have liked this book more. The writing is solid, the locales interesting and exotic (clearly the author is well-traveled). But the characters felt flat and two-dimensional. The protagonist was never very likeable, and therefore hard to root for, even though the many bad guys were truly despicable. But perhaps most of all, there was too much of what sci-fi writers term "info-dump": the writerly convention of having a character drop loads of information into their conversatio...more
The Breath of God is an action-packed book and addresses some of people's doubts and thoughts regarding the primary religions of the world: Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. The primary theme running throughout the text is that Christianity isn't the only path to God and the author does an admirable job of weaving the similarities of the 4 religions together, seeming to prove his point. However, as a novel of suspense, the book is well-written and logically presented, but there are fe...more
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A graduate of Yale, Harvard, and Oxford Universities, Jeffrey Small has studied Yoga in India, practiced meditation in Bhutan, and journeyed throughout the Holy Land. His critically acclaimed debut novel THE BREATH OF GOD won the 2012 Nautilus Book Award Gold Medal for best fiction and was hailed as "visionary fiction" by Library Journal and "a thought-provoking masterpiece" by RT Book Reviews. Hi...more
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“He'd wondered for so many years if he'd ever be able to forgive his father. Maybe he'd just used the wrong word. Surrender. Acceptance. Those seemed better.”
—
4 people liked it
“Real truths, as opposed to imagined ones, are able to stand up to rigorous debate and questioning .”
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2 people liked it
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Apr 10, 2011 02:18pm