Review by writeinv3 -- The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen

[writeinv3]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Bell Maker" by Chris Bowen.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Bell Maker by Chris Bowen is the story of a young man, who as a child believed in wonder when he visited his grandfather, but as he grew older adopted the cynicism that seems to come along with adulthood. However, when his grandfather disappears, he is lured into a quest that reveals so much more about life than he ever thought possible.

This book will appeal to readers who are interested in spiritual, philosophical or metaphysical content that is communicated through an engaging story. It is written in short, concise sentences, which is appropriate to the story and the simple truths it is trying to impart to the reader. The author also makes effective use of figurative language to provide a detailed picture of the settings where the story takes place. It is well-edited, with very few minor errors that do not impede reading at all.

I like how the story is gradual in its revelations. For instance, the grandfather evolves from a playful grandfather who has learned what is really important in life at the start of the book, to a being who possesses much deeper, divine knowledge that he wishes to share with his grandson and the world. The young man is the narrator of the story, and I like how the messages of the story are not cluttered by too much backstory about him. Besides the young man and his grandfather, the only other characters are Coffee and Jules, who are used effectively to advance the young man along in his quest.

One thing I did not like was that after introducing the story in the first sentence, the narrator spends a lot of time contemplating whether to tell it, which I think could result in losing some impatient readers. Also, this book is probably not a good choice for readers who like all the loose ends of a story to be tied up by the conclusion, as that is not the goal of this story.

I rate this story four out of four stars, as I think it is an excellent selection for those interested in the genres mentioned above and will be a pleasant surprise for many readers, who, like me, don’t normally read this type of book. I chose this book because it sounded different and I’m glad I did, as over the course of reading it I often found myself thinking about its simple messages about humanity, kindness and grace and trying to apply them in my own life.

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The Bell Maker
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