I've never read a book like this before, and I'm still trying to figure out what genre to call it. It's not science fiction, because the science is nonsense. It's a thriller, but it's also apocalyptic/End Times foolishness. The author clearly has a beef with organized religion, which makes for a curious mix. The problem is, he didn't do enough of his homework to make the book believable, and I am not referring to the existence of Jeza the Possible Messiah, or even the research project that begat her. When I note that he can't distinguish between an evangelical Christian and a millenarian (not even noting the difference between pre- and post-millenarians), I know somebody didn't do his rewrites.What the book lacks is proper verisimilitude. Almost all of it takes place in Israel and Cairo, but there aren't enough little touches that convince me I'm not in my living room. Kleier wrote the book with dozens of short chapters, using the location as a heading and assuming the reader would take his word for it. I don't have the sense that he ever spent time in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, because he didn't use any local knowledge to take me there. "Show, don't tell" is something covered in beginning writer's workshops, but Kleier must have been out sick that day. The descriptions of Vatican City are slightly more on the mark, but again, could have been lifted from a travel book rather than his viewing a papal procession himself.And the flat, two-dimensional backgrounds aren't the only off-note in this otherwise gripping tale of a modern-day Messiah. Having chosen to write a religious thriller, Kleier then brings in characters from several religions without showing any sense of how their theological underpinnings differ. A Lubavicher rabbi agrees to debate a Catholic cardinal on Messianic Prophesies, and the former comes across more like a Lutheran! Did Kleier also miss the lecture in religion class on how Jews don't consider the New Testament a sacred text, nor do they consider Jesus of Nazareth to have any standing? Does he understand the difference between the different ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups? There's no mention of it here; you could substitute "Conservative" for "Lubavicher" and it wouldn't make a speck of difference in how the book plays out. That whole section rang false as well; it's unlikely any ultra-Orthodox rabbi would accept a female as the Moschiach.. he certainly wouldn't be defending her... Same thing with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; they are cast as opportunists in organizing a religious conference, and not one of them seems troubled that the new redeemer is a woman. If Kleier had done any research into the LDS' teachings, he'd find out how they view the priesthood as completely male-dominated, far more so than the Roman Catholic Church. The latter has nuns; the former expects all adult males to become priests, and women have no standing on religious issues at all.This may show the impetus for Kleier's book in understanding its failings: he, like the viewpoint character Jon Feldman, can't accept the boon of religious salvation, but also can't see living without it. Kleier cannot conceive of a character without a Christian viewpoint, and it so colors this novel that Jews, Moslems, atheists, and other non-Christians demonstrate the same assumptions, beliefs, and expectations as the Christians. But it's nonsense to set a novel in Israel and then expect that everyone knows it's Palm Sunday. More likely, everyone is getting ready for Passover by cleaning their homes, or ignoring it entirely because they're secular Jews or religious Moslems! It's laughable to set a scene in Vatican City and have Italian cardinals explaining how to translate Latin phrases into English; the official language of the Vatican is Latin, and that was how Jeza should have addressed the Pope.I'm still giving this book 4 stars because it was a great read and I had a lot of trouble putting it down... but when I did I wanted to throw it across the room! How could it be plotted so well and executed so poorly? How many obvious errors can I find in 2003 in a book written only five years ago... like the unveiling of horrible Roman Catholic hushed-up scandals that neglected to mention the child molesters! How about the election of 2000, with an incumbent Democrat challenged by a religious conservative Democrat, and no Republican anywhere in the picture! And Pope John Paul II is still alive; if Kleier needed to kill him off to present a new Pope, why didn't he tell us when JPII died? Why do we spend more than half the book in Israel with almost no mention of the intifada, the occupation zones, or any of the terrorist bombings? These had started before 1998 when the book was published. I'd better stop this or I'm going to take away another star.(Added to Amazon, 5/15/2003)Note: Kleier has another book coming out this summer, his first since this book was published in 1998. He actually found me on Facebook and said this old review stuck with him, and he wanted the new book to not have those kinds of flaws. So the least I could do is review his new book as carefully. And, ta-da, my first review posted to Goodreads. W00t!
As the millennium approaches there is an unexplained explosion in the desert in Southern Israel which completely destroys a laboratory. One person survives and there begins an extraordinary story. When an ethereal young woman appears on New Years Eve things start happening in earnest, involving the news media, the Vatican, assassination plots and reports of miracles not to mention conspiracies and an aspect of science fiction too.This is a very engrossing read. The research and details are amazing and the plot intricate and involved. There's no treading softly or cautiously here, it challenges the reader psychologically and well as spiritually.A fascinating story which opens the door to many thought provoking questions, not least about the incredible wealth and pomp of the Vatican and the Church in general, also 'religious trivia and rituals' and their relevance in the bigger picture.The suspense and tension build throughout, it's masterful, challenging and still very relevant given the ongoing intolerance between religions. This book takes you on an extraordinary journey into the 'what ifs' which seem entirely conceivable, rocking many boats along the way. An unexpected and moving ending.Highly recommended and I'm very much looking forward to Mr Kleier's next book!
What do You think about The Last Day (1998)?
The attention to detail as far as biblical passages and descriptions of locations and people was excellent. While reading the book, a lot of the author's story could be seen as an actual possibility, but reading it more than a decade after the time line of the book made me see it as a little far fetched. I think if I had read this in 1999, it would have been 100 times more believable and possibly "food for thought." It took a few days to get in to it...I struggled through the first few chapters as far as holding my interest, but over all it was a pretty good book.
—Jess
The Last Day is an absolutely fabulous book that makes you take some time and just think. It's full of ideas and scenarios that probably will freak the hell out of people that don't live with an open mind. For a first time fiction novel by an author who clearly states that this is a work of fiction, I say well done Glenn Kleier. I commend you for ripping a big fat hole in that box of religious propoganda. If you have been indocrinated into a judgemental being then you will find fault with anything not fed to you by your church....so why are you reading a fiction novel? i digress....and reiterate that The Last Day is an awesome book and I look forward to more.
—Rage
I started off suspicious and not certain if I should give my time to this book, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Part wishful thinking, part thoughtful what-if of human reaction, this is quite a well-done story of the Second Coming. Except this time the Messiah is a woman. (I rather liked that) Her message wasn't always easy to swallow -- she wanted all the churches, etc, to disband because they were "misleading" people -- but some of it was wonderful, such as her liberation of women from what men have made them. The results are wishful thinking but beautiful and thought provoking, though the typical human reaction of this consumeristic modern world is disturbing but unfortunately very believable.
—Kerith
