Michael R. Phillips

The first book in this series was slow moving and had enough description of history in it that I wondered if I would want to read the rest of the series. I chose to read A House Divided, though, because it worked for a reading challenge that I was struggling to find a book for. I quickly found myself engrossed in it and didn’t want to quit. There were several plot lines that kept coming together and parting again, and each of the main characters had important decisions to make. By the time show more I had finished this book, I knew I wanted to read the entire series! show less

Prince Sergei returns from war in the Balkans to St. Petersburg, jaded, restless, and perplexed about life and his place in it. He can make no immediate plans about a possible future with Anna, the peasant woman he loves. And Anna's disillusioned and grieved brother, Paul, is heading down the precarious path of an angry revolutionary in A House Divided by authors Michael Phillips and Judith Pella.

In my review of the first book in this series, I mentioned that the landscape is ripe for show more revolution. This second book agrees with me.

It wasn't long before I became thoroughly absorbed in the novel. The politics, the intrigue, the corruption, the forging of relationships and alliances, the heightening rumble of unrest and the blasts of violence—so much happening for this longtime lover of historical fiction to take in.

Yet, as with the previous book, there were many places where this novel's style got to me. The narrator sometimes spells out too much, leaving no room for nuance or trust in the reader's perception. The overabundance of italics and exclamation points makes for narration that seems to be shouting when there's no need, and it gives the dialogue an overdramatic feel, making the characters harder to take seriously.

Katrina and Anna (among other characters, though not all of them) usually feel more like stereotypical caricatures than real people. On account of the awkward and sometimes rushed romantic development, I couldn't find any of the romance satisfying. At this point in the series, I'm more interested in the events than I'm really into most of the characters those events involve.

Maybe someone present or yet to appear in the series will eventually grow on me though, as I do plan to read at least one more of these novels. The up-close unfolding of the historical side of it all has me hooked. show less

In 1880, Russia yet rumbles with unrest and rebellious underground plans to overthrow the tsar. Amid the turmoil, the saga of two families—the aristocratic house of Fedorcenko and the peasant Burenin family—continues in Travail and Triumph by authors Michael Phillips and Judith Pella.

Travail and triumph are right, although considering the novel's length and the time it commits to each, it's super-heavy on the travail (close to a Shakespearean dramatic tragedy level in key respects) and show more ultra-light on the triumph.

There's still much along the lines of melodramatic caricature in the characterizations, from overdone sweetness in one to overdone evilness in others, along with an overuse of exclamation points at times, which can make the dialogue and narration hard to take seriously. Due to the redundancy and the tale often idling in different characters' bleak ruminations and circumstances, I feel this same story could have been told in significantly fewer pages without losing anything fresh or crucial.

Yet, while the storytelling style isn't my favorite, I've gotten used to it enough to roll with it for the sake of the aspects that have me all in: the locations, the time period, and the historical context and events. Moreover, despite the characterizations, the personal events involving the cast have kept me intrigued. Perhaps with continued development, a character or two might grow on me yet.

After this is where Phillips bows out and Pella takes over the series solo for the last four novels. I'm interested in seeing what she does with it. show less

I'll start by saying I am a big fan of George MacDonald, as well as what Michael Phillips has done in bringing him to a new generation. However, I found this book more in the "useful for reference" category than "enjoyable for reading."

The Prologue is awesome. And there were certain chapters I enjoyed. All in all though, I felt that the meat was lost in a sea of details about family life and lengthy quotes. There are several interesting anecdotes, but in general this biography felt show more overloaded.

I dropped it to two stars when I read the eight pages of quoting MacDonald's Unspoken Sermons as an explanation of how he thinks about the afterlife. I had already read many of those sermons, and a half-dozen of his novels, so these lengthy quotes didn't really add to the story for me.

Phillips does point out that the best way to get to know MacDonald is through reading his books, and for me I felt that saying still stood true after reading most of this biography. If you want an introduction to George MacDonald, this biography would be a decent one. If you are a reader looking to delve into George MacDonald's thought-life or theology, his books can stand for themselves. show less