Review by Karmenk2 -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
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Karmenk2
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Review by Karmenk2 -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Bell Maker" by Chris Bowen.]
The Bellmaker by Chris Bowen is a mysterious tale about the narrator and his grandfather. Not much detail is provided. He reiterates numerous times that his grandfather lives in a cabin in the woods. He mentions that his grandfather keeps a small bell on the mantel which rings every time a breeze blows.
When the grandfather disappears and is presumed dead, the grandson receives a call from a man named Coffee. He meets with Coffee under the presumption that Coffee is an attorney. Coffee is a homeless man who was a friend of the grandfather. He has just an envelope for the grandson. The note inside from the grandfather says just one thing. This one thing takes the grandson, also the narrator, on a journey through dimensions. With Coffee's help, he travels to another dimension where he learns the entire tale about the little bell and how when the breeze blows and makes the little bell ring; it is a sign for all community members to congregate as a member is in need of something. There is more to this tale than just that, however, I do not wish to give any spoilers to the great mystery.
The narrator gets caught up in asking "how will I know?" often. He is told, " you will just know". While God is referenced in this tale, I do not particularly think it should be considered an extremely religious book. That being said, I do believe that there is quite a lot of symbolism being used when considering the breeze blowing, ringing the bell when someone needs something, and the references to just knowing what needs to be done and when. Also, the inter-dimensional travel seems to parallel the present-day "real" world versus the world God intended, with the great tale being how one man started the ruination of God's intent. This was my interpretation.
I have to admit, I had difficulty writing this review. I believe this book to be a very thought-provoking, philosophical tale. Some readers may believe it is merely a tale of folklore. This brings me to my realization that the element I liked the most is also the element I disliked the most. The ability to write in such a way that the reader can draw his own conclusions and have a very different perspective than another reader is brilliant. I liked that because I can draw a very meaningful lesson from the symbolism used. While a reader with a different perspective could debate me about that, I could defend my position. I dislike this element because there is no absolute meaning for any one person. Also, it is my own inner turmoil that books like this cause me to think too much and contemplate my own existence in this world. Again, this is my problem, not the author's.
I rated this book 4 out of 4 stars. It appeared to be professionally edited, with no obvious errors. I would recommend it to mature, adult readers. There was no profanity and no eroticism. I look forward to reading more books by Chris Bowen.
******
The Bell Maker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Bellmaker by Chris Bowen is a mysterious tale about the narrator and his grandfather. Not much detail is provided. He reiterates numerous times that his grandfather lives in a cabin in the woods. He mentions that his grandfather keeps a small bell on the mantel which rings every time a breeze blows.
When the grandfather disappears and is presumed dead, the grandson receives a call from a man named Coffee. He meets with Coffee under the presumption that Coffee is an attorney. Coffee is a homeless man who was a friend of the grandfather. He has just an envelope for the grandson. The note inside from the grandfather says just one thing. This one thing takes the grandson, also the narrator, on a journey through dimensions. With Coffee's help, he travels to another dimension where he learns the entire tale about the little bell and how when the breeze blows and makes the little bell ring; it is a sign for all community members to congregate as a member is in need of something. There is more to this tale than just that, however, I do not wish to give any spoilers to the great mystery.
The narrator gets caught up in asking "how will I know?" often. He is told, " you will just know". While God is referenced in this tale, I do not particularly think it should be considered an extremely religious book. That being said, I do believe that there is quite a lot of symbolism being used when considering the breeze blowing, ringing the bell when someone needs something, and the references to just knowing what needs to be done and when. Also, the inter-dimensional travel seems to parallel the present-day "real" world versus the world God intended, with the great tale being how one man started the ruination of God's intent. This was my interpretation.
I have to admit, I had difficulty writing this review. I believe this book to be a very thought-provoking, philosophical tale. Some readers may believe it is merely a tale of folklore. This brings me to my realization that the element I liked the most is also the element I disliked the most. The ability to write in such a way that the reader can draw his own conclusions and have a very different perspective than another reader is brilliant. I liked that because I can draw a very meaningful lesson from the symbolism used. While a reader with a different perspective could debate me about that, I could defend my position. I dislike this element because there is no absolute meaning for any one person. Also, it is my own inner turmoil that books like this cause me to think too much and contemplate my own existence in this world. Again, this is my problem, not the author's.
I rated this book 4 out of 4 stars. It appeared to be professionally edited, with no obvious errors. I would recommend it to mature, adult readers. There was no profanity and no eroticism. I look forward to reading more books by Chris Bowen.
******
The Bell Maker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Beyond Paris by Paul Alexander Casper
