Wednesday, March 6, 2013

The Tallest Watchtower

This was a very short book (it showed as six pages in my e-reader).  It consists of a very short story, and a short story.

I should start by saying that short fiction is a very difficult medium to work in, and it can be very hit or miss. Some people will resonate with a story, while others will not get it at all. There is little time for characterization, but you can present a powerful image or argument (without having to deal with wrap up or continuing consequences).

With that disclaimer, I must say I was not very impressed with either story in this book.

The first story was very moving, but very predictable. Adoption is a powerful picture in Christianity, but the author failed to bring everything together and present a clear message. Similarly, as Christians, we do not mourn death in the same way as unbelievers, but there are still some emotional consequences (which were not respected here).

The second story was also very predictable, and the message is a little odd (from a Christian point of view). It felt a lot like "Ghost Dad" or something like that.

On top of these things, the editing left a lot to be desired.  I noticed several grammatical errors, and the language was stilted in places.