Review by JenGen321 -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
-
JenGen321
- Book of the Month Participant
- Posts: 19
- Joined: 23 Sep 2019, 10:39
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 55
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jengen321.html
- Latest Review: East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick
Review by JenGen321 -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Bell Maker" by Chris Bowen.]
The Bell Maker, written by Chris Bowen, begins with a narrator telling the audience about his grandfather who lives a simple life in a small, isolated cabin in the woods. He describes a tiny bell, belonging to his grandfather, which defies gravity to ring all by itself. In his youth, he believes that his grandfather and the tiny bell are magical. Over time he begins to forget about the magic as he focuses on his life and career, and as a result, he sees his grandfather less often. After his grandfather passes on, he is begrudgingly led to a manuscript that his grandfather wrote to tell him his story. The manuscript describes an ancient village, where the grandfather was born and grew to become the bell maker. Everyone who lives in the village has been called to serve a purpose which both fulfills them and helps others. They are all in tune with one other and with God. When the ancient village's perfect way of being is disrupted, the grandfather finds he cannot adjust to the new order as easily as the others and takes drastic action. The grandson is similarly led to take action upon learning his grandfather's story.
I found The Bell Maker to be unique and well written. Bowen has a way with words and could easily turn a boring instructional manual into an interesting read. This is evidenced by the fact that the first chapter doesn't offer much more information than that given in the first sentence, which reads: “My grandfather lived in a cabin, deep in the woods.” I found this to be delightful. The rest was carefully constructed to be as effective as possible. The ancient village, for example, was a clever way to provide the perfect blueprint for a happy, connected, peaceful society, which, in turn, set it up so that Bowen's insights into the major flaws of our society have more of an impact.
The messages in The Bell Maker, particularly those concerning the grandfather's manuscript, were inspiring and thought-provoking, especially right now in this time of uncertainty. It is a great read to bring about a better perspective. The ancient village, where the villagers lived and worked together so seamlessly, led to some interesting observations about human behavior and beliefs that are unhelpful to the people who hold them and to society as a whole. They certainly provided some food for thought.
Of all Bowen's insights, my favorite had to do with the boy with the eye in the middle of his forehead. I enjoyed the fact that the village believed this boy was born just as he was meant to be. Instead of viewing it as a deformity, as it would be seen in our world, his eye was accepted and supported. They didn't even think to try and fix it and that touched me because it is such a beautiful thought. There was nothing I disliked about this book.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I gave it this rating because I enjoyed the witty and playful tone used throughout the book for the narrator. It was a nice contrast to the grandfather's tone in his manuscript. I also just thought Bowen made some great points. The ideal audience for The Bell Maker could include most ages and backgrounds. The themes in the book are universal and would be beneficial for anyone open to them. The only group who might not enjoy it are those with specific religious beliefs that clash with those in the book. Also, it appears to have been professionally edited with no typos.
******
The Bell Maker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Bell Maker, written by Chris Bowen, begins with a narrator telling the audience about his grandfather who lives a simple life in a small, isolated cabin in the woods. He describes a tiny bell, belonging to his grandfather, which defies gravity to ring all by itself. In his youth, he believes that his grandfather and the tiny bell are magical. Over time he begins to forget about the magic as he focuses on his life and career, and as a result, he sees his grandfather less often. After his grandfather passes on, he is begrudgingly led to a manuscript that his grandfather wrote to tell him his story. The manuscript describes an ancient village, where the grandfather was born and grew to become the bell maker. Everyone who lives in the village has been called to serve a purpose which both fulfills them and helps others. They are all in tune with one other and with God. When the ancient village's perfect way of being is disrupted, the grandfather finds he cannot adjust to the new order as easily as the others and takes drastic action. The grandson is similarly led to take action upon learning his grandfather's story.
I found The Bell Maker to be unique and well written. Bowen has a way with words and could easily turn a boring instructional manual into an interesting read. This is evidenced by the fact that the first chapter doesn't offer much more information than that given in the first sentence, which reads: “My grandfather lived in a cabin, deep in the woods.” I found this to be delightful. The rest was carefully constructed to be as effective as possible. The ancient village, for example, was a clever way to provide the perfect blueprint for a happy, connected, peaceful society, which, in turn, set it up so that Bowen's insights into the major flaws of our society have more of an impact.
The messages in The Bell Maker, particularly those concerning the grandfather's manuscript, were inspiring and thought-provoking, especially right now in this time of uncertainty. It is a great read to bring about a better perspective. The ancient village, where the villagers lived and worked together so seamlessly, led to some interesting observations about human behavior and beliefs that are unhelpful to the people who hold them and to society as a whole. They certainly provided some food for thought.
Of all Bowen's insights, my favorite had to do with the boy with the eye in the middle of his forehead. I enjoyed the fact that the village believed this boy was born just as he was meant to be. Instead of viewing it as a deformity, as it would be seen in our world, his eye was accepted and supported. They didn't even think to try and fix it and that touched me because it is such a beautiful thought. There was nothing I disliked about this book.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I gave it this rating because I enjoyed the witty and playful tone used throughout the book for the narrator. It was a nice contrast to the grandfather's tone in his manuscript. I also just thought Bowen made some great points. The ideal audience for The Bell Maker could include most ages and backgrounds. The themes in the book are universal and would be beneficial for anyone open to them. The only group who might not enjoy it are those with specific religious beliefs that clash with those in the book. Also, it appears to have been professionally edited with no typos.
******
The Bell Maker
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: East Wind, 2nd edition by Jack Winnick
