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Loading... Balthasar's Odysseyby Amin MaaloufLibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. A good read particularly for the way Maalouf brings the historical period to life however I found the journal entry format to grow a bit tired after a period. The scope of the novel from Asia Minor through the Ottoman empire to London and back to Genoa is impressive. A synopsis would make this seem like a great book. It deals with the travels and adventures of a merchant facing the prophesised end of the world in 1666. He goes to places that should be interesting and meets people who should be interesting. Tedious in the extreme. Balthasar's Odyssey explores the speculation of the world coming to an end. The author has written quite an ambitious novel that sets at the eve of the year of the Beast; the year as predicted in the Book of Revelations in which the Antichrist will appear and the Apocalypse will resurface. God has 99 names in the Koran and it has been said that God has the most clandestine 100th name that contributes to the scope of the novel. Balthasar Embriaco was a merchant and antique dealer living in the Levant. The Geonese embarks on the quest for a mysterious book entitled "The Hundredth Name" by fortuity. Crazed for the rumor and religious myth, Balthasar was convinced, with unshakable conviction, that the mere knowledge of this hundredth appellation will help him find salvation for not only himself but also mankind. From Levant Balthasar set out on a tumultuous odyssey that spanned the Asia Minor, the Mediterranean and finally to Europe, a distance that was comparable to Paul's missionary routes. He left his mark in Constantinople and then bound for Smyrna, sailed across the Mediterranean to Genoa then Lisbon, and finally London. During his indefatigable quest for the book, Balthasar encountered fear, falsehood, charlatan, deceit, and disillusion, to the point he wished to give up. Whether Balthasar found the book or not must be left to the readers, but Balthasar's journey had opened his eyes to the civilized world, to stricken communities, and cities in ruins. Though parts of the novel are somewhat trite and disjointed, Balthasar's Odyssey tells a tale of the Mediterranean through a unique religious perspective. 0.064 seconds to build listing no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0099452081, Paperback)It is 1665, and all the signs and portents foretell that next year the Antichrist will appear and the world will come to an end. Antiquarian merchant and sage Balthasar sets out in search of a rare book that may bring salvation to a distraught world, a mysterious work entitled The Hundredth Name. In the course of his odyssey throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, Balthasar travels through countries in ruin, cities in flame, and stricken communities awaiting the Apocalypse. He encounters fear, falsehood, and disillusion, but he also discovers love at a time when he had given up all hope.(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:18 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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It took a few dozen pages to get into but after that I was hooked and thoroughly enjoyed it. An easy to read but erudite novel which left me wondering what became of a number of the other characters he met on his travels. This is the first book I've read by Maalouf but it certainly won't be the last. (