Official Review: Martuk ... The Holy by Jonathan Winn

ALRyder · Post by **ALRyder** » 12 Feb 2014, 17:43

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Martuk ... The Holy" by Jonathan Winn.]

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The actual title of this book is "Martuk... the Holy", but it wouldn't allow me to put the proper name in the subject box.

An immortal man sits in present day Paris, retelling his story that has taken lifetimes to unfold. This is Martuk, and only with a laugh does he add "the Holy".

From the beginning of this all enthralling story, we are immersed in an atmosphere created entirely through Martuk's eyes. I feel that the author, Jonathan Winn, chose well in setting us up in present day, getting us ready to delve into history. Once Martuk and the reader have been formerly introduced it doesn't take long to be all too willingly swept into the past. The first time this happens it is done with great skill, and the ride is easy and smooth, though completed in the blink of an eye.

We get to watch Martuk as a young boy. We are informed of his visions, and we get to see that his mother is very powerful (as it is said his family has been for generations) and loving to a fault. Only a few times did I trip up a bit, trying to find where in the timeline we were in Martuk's life, but it never took long to figure it out, and it was always in his younger years; before he was cursed with a demon and made immortal.

Most of his young life has been shown in the first quarter of the book, and even this was a fascinating read. I found myself hanging onto every word; able to feel as Martuk felt, whether it be emotional or physical, because there were times of torment for both. The real meat of the story though, happens in the time of Jesus; who we are introduced to first as the Messiah. His name is only ever actually said once in the telling of the past. Most the time referred to with a subtle He or Him.

This is where the beauty of Winn's writing really comes in, because by this point you are already interested, you have already fallen in love with the smooth, beautiful writing style, and you already care about Martuk...and you are truly interested where this will go. For Judas is Martuk's first introduction to the Messiah, and he promises a cure for Martuk's demons. Which is exactly why Martuk had been seeking him out in the first place.

So I wont give away any more of the story than I have to. I am going to begin showering you with my simple adoration of the book, and tell you why I feel so strongly about it.

In truth, I had no idea what to expect from this book. The book's original description blurb is vague, and almost hard to understand in and of itself. This story is SO out there, SO its own, it could have gone any way...but it truly was amazing. Winn has woven an intricate retelling of the story of Christ. At times it is most definitely controversial, but if you come to it with an open mind, or even just the thought that this IS fiction, you may find a truly memorable treasure here.

I believe this was written to make you think. It certainly had that affect on me, but never are we told "Hey, contemplate this!" Or asked "what would you do?" This story is much more subtle than that. It simply shows you Martuk's life. Never asking anything, though I believe contemplation is inevitable.

This is not an airy read to bulldoze through. No matter the speed you read you will want to take a little more time with this one, because you will want to absorb every word. The poetry in the narrative voice never becomes tedious as can sometimes be the case with this style. Though I myself am forced to read in the evenings with with my family watching tv, I couldn't do that with this one. No, I needed a quiet place to sit and mull this one over.

I found that when Martuk told his story I couldn't help but feel how he felt. I absorbed his despair, his pain and sadness, his joy of friendship and love, and even at times the feelings of rage satiated only by murder. He plays both the innocent and villain. Never does he offer an explanation saying, "this is why I did what I did." He simply does it. Never asking for your pity. And he most definitely never asks for your understanding...because at times I believe even he doesn't know WHY...

I would have to rate this book a 4 out of 4 stars, because even though it is not for everyone, I know I will remember and contemplate it for a very long time, and I will suggest "Martuk... the Holy" by Jonathan Winn again and again.

***
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npandit · Post by **npandit** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:04

Wow! This book sounds interesting!

ALRyder · Post by **ALRyder** » 26 Mar 2014, 18:55

I was hoping someone would see this and have that reaction, because I feel it truly is a treasure. Jonathan Winn has gained a major fan over here. In case you couldn't tell by the review.

npandit · Post by **npandit** » 27 Mar 2014, 01:51

That's great! I love books that appear to be one thing, but are actually much more than what they seem. Your review really captured that. Will have to read it now!

H0LD0Nthere · Post by **H0LD0Nthere** » 27 Mar 2014, 20:52

Sounds interesting indeed. Thanks for giving us enough background that we could get a sense of it.

ALRyder · Post by **ALRyder** » 27 Mar 2014, 23:26

Yeah, I had a hard time with this one, because I don't like to give too much away, but this story is a very complex one and a bit hard to explain without some background.