Book Reviews

Book Blurb

It’s an old, old story: a tale of the consequences of good and evil. Plus the limitless power of faith and love, and how they can forever change an empty life.

When Charlie Strickland, a reclusive artist living in the backwoods of Indiana, opens his door to find a handsome young stranger standing naked on his front porch, an astounding odyssey begins.

It doesn’t take Charlie long to fall head over heels in love with his oddly innocent visitor. The young man calls himself Joe. Just Joe. But when amazing things begin to happen, Charlie soon comes to realize who Joe really is.

What follows will turn Charlie’s world, and everyone else’s, upside down.

Book Review

As the title promises, this novel is one possible version of what might happen if the Christian messiah returned to Earth after his "first coming" and ascension to heaven a little over 2000 years ago. There are probably as many versions of what, and when, and if this “second coming” might happen as there are people on Earth, and I found the one John Inman describes in this book to be moving, credible, and peppered with enough references to what I have read and heard from various other sources, including the bible, to make it sound scarily believable. This story is an exploration of faith, human frailty, hope, and love that I found to be very powerful. He gives it a modern spin, and I loved that. It was much like delving into any new “world” developed by a writer and discovering the rules that govern it – only many of them are very well known to anyone with a Christian background.

Just to be clear - this novel is classified as “spiritual", and for good reason. So if you have difficulty with religion or faith, this book might not be for you. If you are a believer, this version of events might be uncomfortable, because it is the author’s view of the “second coming”, not one officially sanctioned by a religious organization. And much of it, including the fact that the second messiah, Joe, is gay, might make many Christians very uncomfortable. Just like Jesus - referred to as “the first son of God” - made his contemporaries uncomfortable by “consorting” with those considered “undesirable” by religious and other leaders 2000 years ago.

‘The Second Son’ may be based on a Christian view of life, but it is not one limited by a particular church’s ideas on how things should be. It is not necessary for anyone who reads this story to believe in anything specific – the novel can be read, understood, and enjoyed simply as one modern man’s experience when he encounters Joe, a man who says he is the second son of God. Charlie, a divorced bisexual painter, is not the man who expected to be the one “chosen” as the most important contact, but the reasons become obvious as the story develops. I can’t say much more without spoiling the journey, and I think this is one that needs to be experienced. Most likely, everyone who reads it will get something slightly different from it, and that is as it should be. The one thing that will stay with me for a long time to come is the deep love between Charlie and Joe – it is truly amazing.

If you’ve ever asked yourself how things might go down if Jesus ever returned to Earth to check up on us, reading this novel will give you one possible version. If you’ve wondered how God will deal with all the sinners, what happens here is a very definitive, if somewhat disquieting response. And if nothing else, it is an interesting thought experiment and made me think about humans, what we are doing to each other, and whether there is any hope for us at all.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 276 pages/102610 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	10-May-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $16.99 paperback, $16.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-second-son-by-john-inman-258-b