Review of Truth and Evil
Posted: 24 Jun 2024, 07:48
[Following is a volunteer review of "Truth and Evil" by G. Edward Martin.]
I came across the book "Truth and Evil" on several occasions. From its cover, it appeared to be about war, and I am never in the mood for depressing war stories, so I disregarded it. But something about the book kept beseeching my attention until I finally relented.
Then, I read “Truth and Evil” by G. Edward Martin without setting it down once from its beginning to its conclusion. I tried to set it down occasionally—upon rather harrowing sections—but I was incapable. Book reviewers uncover many wonderful books. This one ranks at the very top of my reading list as remarkable—owning to the impactful message the reader takes away. Martin distresses the reader with the harsh truth about the nature of humankind and makes it frighteningly clear that none of us truly knows our absolute nature or what we are capable of when influenced by maleficent ideologies.
The story centers on a young (nameless) German farmer who becomes a soldier during WWII and comes face to face with his untapped nature. His mind is awash in hatred and the dehumanization of anyone who is not of his nationality. Still, he is conflicted about the horrific actions he commits. The soldier is killed, comes face to face with God, and is given another opportunity to correct his wrong actions. The young man continues making destructive choices but is mercifully given as many chances as it takes to repair his indoctrinated mindset. The author writes, “He was an author of Hell, and he was trapped inside the story he wrote.” Martin states that the book was written in hopes that the human race is not “…doomed to relearn that which we ought to already know.” The fundamental Christian belief that there is no end to the magnitude of God’s love for the human race shines through Martin’s writing. By using God to symbolize light and love and the Devil to symbolize evil, depravity, and destruction, the author weaves an exceptional tale of fate and redemption that will resonate with Christians and non-Christians.
The book is stimulating and direct but also shrewdly poignant. For instance, the soldier carried a handkerchief given to him by his mother that she had cut from a swaddle blanket that wrapped him on the day he was born, “He removed a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his forehead and dripping nose, removing his heavy Stahlhelm helmet at the same time, seeking a moment of relief….The fluid was dark, dull, and clotted with small bits of ash that had collected deep in his nostrils. ‘Die Eingeascherten’ or ‘the cremated,’ the young soldier and his platoon called this gray and black mixture of ashes and snot.” A handkerchief symbolizing a mother’s love is reduced to a cloth urn catching the ashes of intensely hated humans. I found that incredibly profound.
Frightened and emotionally tormented by having to repeat his life choices, the young soldier entreats God to erase his existence. Will his soul move on, or will he be sent back to earth? Read the book to learn the destiny of the plagued soldier and find out how he inspired a group of men to be given the nickname 'Dirt Disciples.'
I found nothing to dislike about this well-edited book.
I recommend it for readers ages 17 and over. This book would make excellent mandatory reading for all high school seniors. I can give it no less than 5 out of 5 stars.
“When a whole group falls prey to evil, their spirits freefall into Hell, and their bodies replicate it on earth.”~G. Edward Martin
******
Truth and Evil
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I came across the book "Truth and Evil" on several occasions. From its cover, it appeared to be about war, and I am never in the mood for depressing war stories, so I disregarded it. But something about the book kept beseeching my attention until I finally relented.
Then, I read “Truth and Evil” by G. Edward Martin without setting it down once from its beginning to its conclusion. I tried to set it down occasionally—upon rather harrowing sections—but I was incapable. Book reviewers uncover many wonderful books. This one ranks at the very top of my reading list as remarkable—owning to the impactful message the reader takes away. Martin distresses the reader with the harsh truth about the nature of humankind and makes it frighteningly clear that none of us truly knows our absolute nature or what we are capable of when influenced by maleficent ideologies.
The story centers on a young (nameless) German farmer who becomes a soldier during WWII and comes face to face with his untapped nature. His mind is awash in hatred and the dehumanization of anyone who is not of his nationality. Still, he is conflicted about the horrific actions he commits. The soldier is killed, comes face to face with God, and is given another opportunity to correct his wrong actions. The young man continues making destructive choices but is mercifully given as many chances as it takes to repair his indoctrinated mindset. The author writes, “He was an author of Hell, and he was trapped inside the story he wrote.” Martin states that the book was written in hopes that the human race is not “…doomed to relearn that which we ought to already know.” The fundamental Christian belief that there is no end to the magnitude of God’s love for the human race shines through Martin’s writing. By using God to symbolize light and love and the Devil to symbolize evil, depravity, and destruction, the author weaves an exceptional tale of fate and redemption that will resonate with Christians and non-Christians.
The book is stimulating and direct but also shrewdly poignant. For instance, the soldier carried a handkerchief given to him by his mother that she had cut from a swaddle blanket that wrapped him on the day he was born, “He removed a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his forehead and dripping nose, removing his heavy Stahlhelm helmet at the same time, seeking a moment of relief….The fluid was dark, dull, and clotted with small bits of ash that had collected deep in his nostrils. ‘Die Eingeascherten’ or ‘the cremated,’ the young soldier and his platoon called this gray and black mixture of ashes and snot.” A handkerchief symbolizing a mother’s love is reduced to a cloth urn catching the ashes of intensely hated humans. I found that incredibly profound.
Frightened and emotionally tormented by having to repeat his life choices, the young soldier entreats God to erase his existence. Will his soul move on, or will he be sent back to earth? Read the book to learn the destiny of the plagued soldier and find out how he inspired a group of men to be given the nickname 'Dirt Disciples.'
I found nothing to dislike about this well-edited book.
I recommend it for readers ages 17 and over. This book would make excellent mandatory reading for all high school seniors. I can give it no less than 5 out of 5 stars.
“When a whole group falls prey to evil, their spirits freefall into Hell, and their bodies replicate it on earth.”~G. Edward Martin
******
Truth and Evil
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
