The Evolution Of Thomas Hall (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
I'm glad I finished it and really enjoyed seeing how much Thomas changes (especially since he was so despicable). But... I had a hard time with Merrill 's writing style. I can totally see why he's a good screenwriter, but I'm not convinced that always translates into being a good author. His constant sentence fragments were very distracting to me and made the story feel choppy, as did the weird transitions between present and past. And I had a hard time visualizing most of the characters because so few descriptions were given. A lot of telling, not showing went on--and yet even some of the telling forgot about itself. For example, there's one woman who has an Asian accent, which is described a bit, but by her second statement, the accent isn't mentioned again (and the reader needs help to imagine it). The bad character was all bad and so villainous it was difficult to believe he was a real person. Likewise, even I, who believe in the Creation, did not feel like Merrill was accurate in his portrayal of Darwin (who is presented as another villain). Some things like these were just too simplistic, too black and white. All that said, the average reader probably won't notice these things and will just enjoy the story. A few months ago for book club we read "The Case for Christianity" by CS Lewis. It's a very short book of CS Lewis sharing his conversion from Atheism to Christianity and the arguments that led him to it. This book was chosen as a sort of follow-up to that book. It is the story of Thomas Hall and his journey from agnosticism to his belief in Christ. I loved the way that Merrill told the story through the eyes of an artist, Thomas Hall.I initially began this book a little skeptical that an academy award winner, independent film maker could now begin his work as an author. I guess it shouldn't have surprised me that a creative individual in that venue could turn to writing and be successful. I thought the writing was very good; but it was the story that really touched me. One thought that Merrill expressed through his characters was this: If there is no God, then nothing matters. If there is a God, then everything matters. If you think about it, this is exactly right. I recommend this book to everyone.
What do You think about The Evolution Of Thomas Hall (2011)?
This was an excellent book about an agnostic artist who is commissioned to paint a mural of Jesus.
—Msig
A good, uplifting book. The plot was a little transparent at times . . . but I liked the message.
—kiki
I really enjoyed this story of self-discovery and finding faith in Christ.
—shy1stleo
Definitly a five star book! I loved every minute of this story.
—Khey
