Review of No Dark Clouds
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chi starr
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Review of No Dark Clouds
[Following is a volunteer review of "No Dark Clouds" by R W Nelson.]
R. W. Nelson’s No Dark Clouds is a Christian fiction interveawing the lives of seven beggar children into the account of the latter part of Jesus' life. It explores the friendhips, disappointments and fears of these children as one (Beggar Boy) does all he can to safeguard his freedom while the rest struggle to earn a few coins on the unforgiving streets of Jerusalem in order to please ‘Taskmaster' and safeguard their dinner.
Nelson puts a different light on how Jesus’ last passover on earth must have played out by allowing the reader view the events from the eyes of ordinary people. Sticking as close as possible to established facts, he allows the reader to connect emotionally to these events by tying them closely to real people, their lives, their stories, and their emotions.
He perfectly balances the real and the imagined. He doesn't deviate too much from known facts about Jesus' last week on earth. At the same time, the world he creates with the beggar children is not two dimensional. The reader feels Beggar Boy’s excitement as he anticipates meeting ‘Healer Man’ and Aditya’s pity for Deformed Infant who may never enjoy the joys of running and touching. This balance is what I like most about the book.
However, some parts of the book come across as very tiring and unrealistic. For example, Beggar Boy is shown to say severally that no one hits him in the face. The repetition of that particular line becomes tiring and somewhat unrealistic. Also, Rebekah, one of the beggar children is said to be tattered. Then, a few lines after that, she is said to be wearing a pretty tunic which does not add up logically. This repitition and unrealistic nature of certain parts was my least favourite aspect of the book.
I would rate No Dark Clouds 3 out of 4 stars. Though it appears professionally edited as I found no errors, I would not give it a four due to the presentation of some unrealistic scenarios that detracted from total enjoyment of the book. However, it deserves nothing less than a three as it is an extremely interesting and well written book.
Containing no mature content, No Dark Clouds is suitable for readers of all ages. It explores the everyday cravings of all peoples- the desire for a better life. However, prior knowledge of the account of Jesus' latter days would be very helpful in a more wholesome appreciation of the story as this is the story’s very centre.
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No Dark Clouds
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
R. W. Nelson’s No Dark Clouds is a Christian fiction interveawing the lives of seven beggar children into the account of the latter part of Jesus' life. It explores the friendhips, disappointments and fears of these children as one (Beggar Boy) does all he can to safeguard his freedom while the rest struggle to earn a few coins on the unforgiving streets of Jerusalem in order to please ‘Taskmaster' and safeguard their dinner.
Nelson puts a different light on how Jesus’ last passover on earth must have played out by allowing the reader view the events from the eyes of ordinary people. Sticking as close as possible to established facts, he allows the reader to connect emotionally to these events by tying them closely to real people, their lives, their stories, and their emotions.
He perfectly balances the real and the imagined. He doesn't deviate too much from known facts about Jesus' last week on earth. At the same time, the world he creates with the beggar children is not two dimensional. The reader feels Beggar Boy’s excitement as he anticipates meeting ‘Healer Man’ and Aditya’s pity for Deformed Infant who may never enjoy the joys of running and touching. This balance is what I like most about the book.
However, some parts of the book come across as very tiring and unrealistic. For example, Beggar Boy is shown to say severally that no one hits him in the face. The repetition of that particular line becomes tiring and somewhat unrealistic. Also, Rebekah, one of the beggar children is said to be tattered. Then, a few lines after that, she is said to be wearing a pretty tunic which does not add up logically. This repitition and unrealistic nature of certain parts was my least favourite aspect of the book.
I would rate No Dark Clouds 3 out of 4 stars. Though it appears professionally edited as I found no errors, I would not give it a four due to the presentation of some unrealistic scenarios that detracted from total enjoyment of the book. However, it deserves nothing less than a three as it is an extremely interesting and well written book.
Containing no mature content, No Dark Clouds is suitable for readers of all ages. It explores the everyday cravings of all peoples- the desire for a better life. However, prior knowledge of the account of Jesus' latter days would be very helpful in a more wholesome appreciation of the story as this is the story’s very centre.
******
No Dark Clouds
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
