Review of Truth and Evil

[Terry Kimble]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Truth and Evil" by G. Edward Martin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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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

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Truth and Evil
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[Gerry Steen]

Your review has stimulated my interest in this book. A story that includes second chances for a better humanity is one worth reading. How does one turn from indoctrinated hatred? This will be a very interesting read, indeed.

[RJ Reviews]

Been given the same choices over and over again may not be a blessing. A soul trapped forever in a loop to relive tge horrors of war and life has to be cursed. Your review perfectly captured the essentials of this beautiful yet harrowing book. I appreciate the insights you provided. Thank you.

[Anaïs Quesson]

Wow, what a touching review, Terry. I'm glad you ended up giving this book a chance after all - so you could all let us know how remarkable it is! If I ever see it up for review, I won't hesitate to choose it now. Keep up the incredible work

[Stephen Christopher 1]

Wow, I can tell how much you enjoyed this book. I'm curious: what made you relent and finally read it after putting it off for so long?

[Terry Kimble]

Wow, I can tell how much you enjoyed this book. I'm curious: what made you relent and finally read it after putting it off for so long?

Hi Christopher,

I'm not sure, exactly. I didn't find anything else that looked interesting and I kept going back to "Truth and Evil" for a while so I finally just grabbed it! My problem is that I am getting too picky, so it takes me FOR--EV--ER to choose a book these days.

[Alissa Nesson]

I also really enjoyed this book, and I am not a religious person nor am I a Christian. I enjoyed the idea of being given the chance to go back and fix things and the flexibility of time in the concept. That’s what attracted me to the book, even though I was worried that I wasn’t really the target audience for it. But I still thought it was marvelous. It was very well written, but I was distracted by errors in the text. I disagree that a religious book should be mandatory for high school kids, and I think some parents would have a problem with the rape scene and some of the graphic violence. Thanks for your interesting review! This was definitely one of the better books I’ve found here.

[Priya Murugesan]

A very intriguing plot and an awesome review by you! It looks like a heavy read and I am not sure if I am ready for it!

[Blueberry Dragon]

Thank you for the review. @Terry Kimble , sounds like another case of misjudging a book by its cover. But I'm glad you ended up reading it and discovering a remarkable book. Looks like taking the risk was worth it after all!

[Julie Marie Basil]

This book sounds like a very compelling and heart-wrenching story. Thank you for your well-written review!