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I, John
John, the son of Zebedee, is still alive. Saint John, the Apostle, the Evangelist, author of a Gospel and letters and perhaps even the Book of Revelation. That John. For twenty centuries, he has wandered the earth. He is not alone. The angels, light and dark, watch him. Lazarus, raised from the dead and unable to die again, has brought something of the tomb back with him. And John has guarded a dangerous secret all of these years, ever since Mary left him in solitude.Twenty centuries is plenty of time to doubt. Was Jesus what he appeared to be? Did John and his companions understand any of it? Only God knows whether the things they saw and the words they heard were true. And God isn't saying anything at all.
372 pages, Hardcover
First published August 8, 2014
About the author
C.R. Taylor
1 book3 followersChris was born in North Carolina and lives there today. At present, he is finishing a suspense novel called The Rivers of Goshen. (At www.crtaylorbooks.com you can read an excerpt from The Rivers of Goshen.) He is also working on a sequel to I,John.
The rest of the time, Chris does whatever his daughter and their Westie tell him to do.
The rest of the time, Chris does whatever his daughter and their Westie tell him to do.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 16, 2014
I don't quite know what to make of this, nor am I entirely sure how I feel. I, John portrays John the man, not just the disciple. He's a man who walked away from his father and family business to follow Jesus, who had visions and who took care of Mary, but he's also a man who has lived two thousand years, who drinks tea and tends a garden, and a man who sees angels. Not the stylized angels we picture, or the somewhat frightening visions from the prophets like Ezekiel, but a different type of angel, one which has never seen God.
So this is the story of John son of Zebedee who worked with Peter the fisherman, the John who has outlived everyone except Lazarus, and the John who no longer knows his place or feels any faith at all. There's a sense of foreboding in the air, Lazarus is circling like a shark, his faith still seems absent, and he doesn't know why.
I, John mixes history with myth and a "what if" alternative, holding tight to some aspects of Jewish and Christian history while discarding others. There was one place where a central tenet was misunderstood and misrepresented, and that makes me uneasy. The main story is entirely first person (there's a short, more formal section ), but the narrator switches often. Most chapters are labeled with the name of the narrator, but others are labeled with the theme, leading to a little uncertainty when you first start. And the end is abrupt, with only the smallest sense of closure in one aspect. (I discovered, after finishing it, that the author is working on a sequel, so there may be some more resolution later. I may or may not read it.)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
So this is the story of John son of Zebedee who worked with Peter the fisherman, the John who has outlived everyone except Lazarus, and the John who no longer knows his place or feels any faith at all. There's a sense of foreboding in the air, Lazarus is circling like a shark, his faith still seems absent, and he doesn't know why.
I, John mixes history with myth and a "what if" alternative, holding tight to some aspects of Jewish and Christian history while discarding others. There was one place where a central tenet was misunderstood and misrepresented, and that makes me uneasy. The main story is entirely first person (there's a short, more formal section ), but the narrator switches often. Most chapters are labeled with the name of the narrator, but others are labeled with the theme, leading to a little uncertainty when you first start. And the end is abrupt, with only the smallest sense of closure in one aspect. (I discovered, after finishing it, that the author is working on a sequel, so there may be some more resolution later. I may or may not read it.)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2022
This was an unusual, but interesting read. It is a 21st century story of John the Baptist, written in novel format. In it, John still lives, as does Lazarus, and their story would not be complete without a couple of angels in the mix.
John shares a portion of his current life with angels Ariel and Ari and protagonist Lararus. He also relives his memories of his life with Jesus and the disciples in a very unsettling and dangerous time, and his time spent with Mary after the death of her son.
This was, for me, an enjoyable read.
John shares a portion of his current life with angels Ariel and Ari and protagonist Lararus. He also relives his memories of his life with Jesus and the disciples in a very unsettling and dangerous time, and his time spent with Mary after the death of her son.
This was, for me, an enjoyable read.
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December 20, 2019Review to be uploaded shortly
October 18, 2014
NOTE: A COPY OF THIS ARC WAS GIVEN TO ME THROUGH NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! If I could have given it more stars, I would have. I actually finished this a few days ago but wanted to wait until it all settled in before writing a review. It's one of those books that sticks with you, even after you've finished reading it.
This story is based on the Apostle John and his Gospel. It is fictional account, but uses actual events that were written about in the Gospel. In "I, John", the Apostle John is still very much alive (based on the last sentence in the gospel when Jesus states that he "would remain here."
He has lived through 20 centuries, waiting for the Lord to return; all that he has are his memories, doubts and an angel named Adriel to keep him company. Even though John is an Apostle, the author has given him some "human" traits such as doubt, fear - A reader who is a believer can relate to the doubts and fears that we all have at certain times. The author also provides us with a somewhat different view of angels as well. Adriel and his friend, Adi are beings...not like the angels that all are most familiar with. In addition, the author has taken the liberty of letting Lazarus live all these centuries too; however, in this account, Lazarus has come back from his grave with a little of the dark side in him. This dark side is not too unrealistic so that it would make this story completely unbelievable. As far as the whole thing being believable? (and it is fiction!)...I mean, who knows......your eccentric next door neighbor could possibly be a disciple left here on earth by the Lord to watch over us and wait.
The writing is so descriptive that you feel as if you are actually there, with John, Adriel and Sarah (a next-door neighbor who John decides to heal and talk to about his secrets). Mary, the mother of Jesus is also a key figure.
I can't say much more without starting to reveal the plot, so I just suggest that you read this book! The only problem that I had, was that the ending was slightly abrupt but when I went to the author's website, I found out that a sequel will be coming soon, which explains why "I, John" ended the way it did.
Fantastic book!
"I, John" is just a really good book and I truly enjoyed it! I am looking forward to reading the author's new book coming out as well "Sins of Omission."
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!! If I could have given it more stars, I would have. I actually finished this a few days ago but wanted to wait until it all settled in before writing a review. It's one of those books that sticks with you, even after you've finished reading it.
This story is based on the Apostle John and his Gospel. It is fictional account, but uses actual events that were written about in the Gospel. In "I, John", the Apostle John is still very much alive (based on the last sentence in the gospel when Jesus states that he "would remain here."
He has lived through 20 centuries, waiting for the Lord to return; all that he has are his memories, doubts and an angel named Adriel to keep him company. Even though John is an Apostle, the author has given him some "human" traits such as doubt, fear - A reader who is a believer can relate to the doubts and fears that we all have at certain times. The author also provides us with a somewhat different view of angels as well. Adriel and his friend, Adi are beings...not like the angels that all are most familiar with. In addition, the author has taken the liberty of letting Lazarus live all these centuries too; however, in this account, Lazarus has come back from his grave with a little of the dark side in him. This dark side is not too unrealistic so that it would make this story completely unbelievable. As far as the whole thing being believable? (and it is fiction!)...I mean, who knows......your eccentric next door neighbor could possibly be a disciple left here on earth by the Lord to watch over us and wait.
The writing is so descriptive that you feel as if you are actually there, with John, Adriel and Sarah (a next-door neighbor who John decides to heal and talk to about his secrets). Mary, the mother of Jesus is also a key figure.
I can't say much more without starting to reveal the plot, so I just suggest that you read this book! The only problem that I had, was that the ending was slightly abrupt but when I went to the author's website, I found out that a sequel will be coming soon, which explains why "I, John" ended the way it did.
Fantastic book!
"I, John" is just a really good book and I truly enjoyed it! I am looking forward to reading the author's new book coming out as well "Sins of Omission."
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews