Teaser

It is said that in time of greatest need, the universe will bring forth a saviour. But will humanity recognise that saviour? And will society accept his word, or reject him out of hand . . ?

Review

I’ll be completely honest. I was predisposed to dislike this book. I’m not a religious person, and any book openly about messianic figures is likely to get my skin crawling. A book called The Second Coming, which just so happens to be about an internet billionaire who can save humanity? It sounds like something that would be written by a member of an actual cult, and probably published by said cult. I wouldn’t even have read this book if it hadn’t been included in a bundle alongside some books that I was actually enthusiastic about tackling. But you know me. If I own a book, I’m going to read it. No matter how bad I think it’s going to be.

Imagine my surprise when The Second Coming turned out to be something of a hidden jewel.

This is a book so far beyond my usual comfort zone that I wasn’t really sure what I was going to get. I fully expected some level of being preached at, but what I actually got was a political thriller with a hefty dose of moral debate. These debates largely come in the form of interview extracts and newspaper headlines scattered throughout the book. This allows Dalmas to build up the idea of his saviour without having to focus too heavily on sermons and conversion.

I also think Dalmas makes the right choice in having his saviour represent a combination of religious beliefs rather than simply being, as the title suggests, Christ reborn. Picking and choosing from various faiths may feel a little like having your cake and eating it, but it makes sense. Every existing doctrine is a step on the right path, with some good ideas, but all fall short of perfection in some way, large or small. Along the way we see reactions from various religious individuals, but (and I assume this is because the book is published in the US) most of these reactions do come from Christians. In a weird twist, I think the handling of the Papacy is one of the book’s stronger aspects, while the loner fundamentalists are depressingly realistic.

The Second Coming is not without its flaws, however. The third act descends into outright mysticism that clashes violently with the more plausible opening two-thirds. The climactic event, even with its foreshadowing, seems disconnected from the rest of the book. There are, to put it simply, far too many characters dragging their individual plotlines through the book. There are points when it feels like two or more books have been condensed to create this one, with not enough of the fat trimmed away in the process.

The major appeal, what really makes the book work, is the writing. Dalmas follows the age-old advice of ‘Keep it simple, stupid.’ There’s nothing fancy about the prose. No needlessly convoluted metaphors. It’s direct, and brilliantly paced. Short chapters are one of my greatest literary joys, and Dalmas had me eager to start each new section of narrative. This book is a real page-turner, and it didn’t take long until I was fully immersed in the story. Not bad going for a book I fully expect to hate.

There are are many lessons one could take from this book. How to live a good life. The complicated relationship between religion and politics. The power of the individual. But the lesson I’ll take away is a simpler one. Just as we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, maybe we shouldn’t judge them by what we expect to find inside, either. Maybe we should let books explain themselves in their own time, and enjoy whatever story we find along the way.

Book Stats

• A Standalone Novel
• Published in 2004
• 502 Pages