I’ve just started reading Prayers for the Assassin but I thought I’d put a couple of first impressions down before I got too deep into it.
So far it reads like a whodunit/where’dshego set in an America that’s been conquered, mostly through non-violent means, by Islam. I’m liking it more than I thought I would which suprises me. I had prejudged it in my head as simply another attempt at some sort of Twilight Zone episode writ topical and large, but I find myself more intrigued the more I get into it.
“What if?” is a hard game to play. Get too out far out and you lose the readers. Get too matter-of-fact and you risk boring us to death. Ferrigno doesn’t beg the question of how Islam took over in the United States, he simply tells the story and in the process he reveals how it happened without taking over the current story. A neat trick.
I’ll leave it at that until I’ve finished, but I’m already thinking about turning in early to read a couple extra chapters tonight and I don’t do that very often.
BTW: I love this mock news site that they’ve set up to further imerse ourselves in the world of the book.
NOTE: Thanks Kevin for checking my spelling.
“Prayers for the Assasin”
Reading it may be one thing, but spelling it seems to be a challenge.
That aside, it’s nice to see a book review here. I find it difficult to believe that the lot of us are that non-literary.
Comment by Kevin Connors — 20060130 @ 1716
Eh… we just figure that everyone else here is intelligent enough to have found, and read and enjoyed the books that we have found and read and enjoyed without being hand-held.
What, like we need to be micromanaged by the NYT literary suppliment, or something?
Comment by Sgt. Mom — 20060130 @ 1956
Hey, the guy was nice enough to target bloggers with his preview editions, the least I can do is give my opinion.
Comment by Timmer — 20060130 @ 2029
Ah, I was thinking Oprah Winfrey, Sgt. Mom.
Comment by Kevin Connors — 20060130 @ 2330
I am adding this to my list of books to read. I also recommend, based on the interview in the FrontPage Magazine web site of Andrew Bostom, his book “The legacy of Jihad” (http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21088). My other List To Read item is “The River Wars” by Winston Churchill. From excerpts that I have seen, he observed and correctly categorized this Islamic phenomonen 100 years ago while serving as a cavalry officer.
I had planned to write a post at some point on the rigid doctrine of Catholic schools of 40+ years ago, but I am now leaning toward my own jihad against those apologists who would have us believe that the Muslim religion is, in fact, really all about peace and tolerance.
Comment by Radar — 20060131 @ 0655
I have picked this book up a number of times and had something interfere with my reading time. This time it’s my computer. I did something unrememberable a couple of days ago and somehow dumped all of my programs and files, and nothing will get it back. System restore scares the heck outta me, but I’m trying it, so far with no success. All I have is my email - with no past received emails - and my internet. Oh, well, here goes rebuilding my whole computer in my stupidity, so wish me luck. Then maybe I can read the book about us being a people of the book - which I can guarantee ain’t gonna happen with this dumb country boy.
Comment by Joe Comer — 20060131 @ 1439