HomeGroupsTalkMoreZeitgeist
Search Site
This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. By using LibraryThing you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms.

Results from Google Books

Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.

Loading...

An Unexpected Afterlife (The Dry Bones Society) (Volume 1)

by Dan Sofer

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations
349709,296 (4.05)None
YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.Moshe Karlin wakes up one morning, naked and alone, in the Mount of Olives Cemetery. According to his family and friends, he died two years ago, but Moshe is not about to accept his demise lying down.Is his new lease on life a freak of nature or the start of the long-awaited Resurrection? Moshe doesn't really care. He vows to beat his "afterlife crisis" and win back his life-and his wife-if it is the last thing he does. But the road ahead is full of unexpected dangers. Along the way he gains insight into life, love, and the Jewish State, as well as the suspicion that perhaps his perfect first life was not so perfect after all.Meanwhile, other changes are afoot in the Holy Land. A reluctant prophet prepares to deliver a message of redemption-and the end of life as we know it-when a freak accident changes the course of history.Readers who enjoy the satire and humor of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this riveting and humorous mystery in the Jewish lore and legends of the Resurrection, the World to Come, and the Messianic Era.… (more)
None
Loading...

Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.

No current Talk conversations about this book.

Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
Wow! Just wow! It definitely was an unexpected read that turned out to be good! Can’t wait for the sequel 🙏🏻

I have received this e-ARC in return for my honest review. Please see link below for my full review:
http://www.sholee.net/2017/12/mpov-unexpected-afterlife-e-arc.html ( )
  Sholee | Sep 9, 2021 |
Set in East Jerusalem, An Unexpected Afterlife follows the journey of Moshe Karlin, a forty year old husband and father, who awakens from the grave two years after unknowingly leaving the world of the living, to find that he has been replaced by supposed best friend, Avi.

As we learn more about Moshe’s predicament, others in his situation begin to appear, none any the wiser to the cause of their resurrection. I found Moshe’s character to be kind and humble, a true gentleman seeking to do what is right by his fellow man.

Lots of differing viewpoints were shown in regards to the subject of resurrection: some individuals branded it as science fiction and shunned our main characters, while a few accepted their tales of woe and were willing to help them back onto their feet.

Loss, love, and betrayal are key themes that I was able to identify.
The author’s style was poetic and gave the impression that every word was carefully chosen for maximum emotional impact. His words formed beautiful images within my mind, as well as some not so beautiful.

A tale of life, death, and true rebirth.
Rated 5 stars.

Recommended for lovers of the paranormal. ( )
  Daxmunro | Dec 31, 2018 |
Set in East Jerusalem, An Unexpected Afterlife follows the journey of Moshe Karlin, a forty year old husband and father, who awakens from the grave two years after unknowingly leaving the world of the living, to find that he has been replaced by supposed best friend, Avi.

As we learn more about Moshe’s predicament, others in his situation begin to appear, none any the wiser to the cause of their resurrection. I found Moshe’s character to be kind and humble, a true gentleman seeking to do what is right by his fellow man.

Lots of differing viewpoints were shown in regards to the subject of resurrection: some individuals branded it as science fiction and shunned our main characters, while a few accepted their tales of woe and were willing to help them back onto their feet.

Loss, love, and betrayal are key themes that I was able to identify.
The author’s style was poetic and gave the impression that every word was carefully chosen for maximum emotional impact. His words formed beautiful images within my mind, as well as some not so beautiful.

A tale of life, death, and true rebirth.
Rated 5 stars.

Recommended for lovers of the paranormal. ( )
  DaccariBuchelli | Nov 29, 2017 |
STORY-LINE AN UNEXPECTED AFTERLIFE BY DAN SOFER:

Moshe Karlin's life has taken an unusual turn. After waking up naked and alone in the Mount of Olives Cemetery, Moshe thinks it's the day after his birthday party. However, he finds two years have passed and unbelievably he was dead and buried. Unable to understand what has happened, he consults with his local advisor, Rabbi Yosef. Rabbi Yosef has a totally different take on Moshe's resurrection.

Moshe finds he has lost his wife to his best friend and business partner, lost his home, and the business he worked to build is failing. Meanwhile, as a mysterious prophet heads to the cemetery, everything changes in the blink of an eye; a man who think he's someone he could not possible be. Or could he?

Come with Moshe as he travels a road of enlightenment, danger, and controversy. My book reviews of An Unexpected Afterlife follows.

CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, DEVELOPMENT:

Dan Sofer created an original, tantalizing, and intriguing drama in An Unexpected Afterlife. Filled with interesting facts of the Jewish faith, I found myself enthralled. I have always wondered about the culture, practices, and worship of the Jewish religion; Sofer answered an array of my questions. With vivid descriptions and skillful prose, Sofer grabbed me immediately and did not let go.

Sofer introduced a tantalizing concept through Rabbi Yosef of the valley of dry bones, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Prophet Elijah, and revelation of the Messiah. If you are not familiar with Ezekiel 37, I partially quoted from the King James Version of the Bible below; for more extensive reading see the above chapter in the Bible or on the internet.

Quote from Rabbi Yosef

"Isaiah 26:19: Your dead will live, their corpses rise. Awake and sing praise, you that dwell in the dust for your dew is the dew of light...."

King James Version

Ezekiel 37: Verse 1 ....set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones. Verse 2 behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. Verse 5 ....Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live. Verse 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Verse 10 ....breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Verse 12 ....Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Dan Sofer included a cast of characters which he fully developed throughout the story. Every good story must have a villain. Sofer created a fine villain for this story; you will love to hate Avi. He's selfish, opportunistic, a grand liar, and much more; in other words he's a snake in the grass. Creating a story filled with one chaotic situation after another, I could not put this book down.

Including the Great Council of Torah Sage, gives the reader insight into the structure and hierarchy of the Jewish faith. Sofer also included bits of humor in this non-stop tale; Savta Sarah haggled just as I imagined an older Jewish woman would. As a result, I laughed and laughed. I wish I had her nerve.

The mysterious Irene and Arab Samira, gave a touch of mystery to the story. What is Samira's story and why can't Irene remember her former life? Are there others coming out of the grave? Sorry, I can only say, you will have to read the book to get the scoop.

MY OPINION:

I found Dan Sofer's writing flowed well and his scenes transitioned smoothly; making this an easy book to read. His characters are well-developed and the story well-written with excellent plotting. As well as, pacing which is perfect for the length of the book.

Including historical facts, religious references, and details of the Jewish faith, gave the story added dimension. Sofer's vivid descriptions allowed me to see the scenes in my mind's eye. The twists in the last third of the book are totally unexpected! The revelations, twists and turns, just kept coming and coming.

This book does not end on a cliff hanger. Rather, this is a complete story which leaves the door open for future books of Moshe and the risen's adventures. Whether you are Jewish, Christian, another faith, or non-religious, this book will capture your interest. Seen from the Jewish perspective, the Old Testament and the Prophet Elijah came alive for me. I found An Unexpected Afterlife intriguing, poignant, and original.

Closing my E-reader with a sigh of satisfaction, I had an immediate desire to read the next book. I can't wait to see what Sofer has in store for us. I would not hesitate to buy this book for myself or a friend.

AN UNEXPECTED AFTERLIFE RECOMMENDATION: STARS 4.5

An Unexpected Afterlife is my featured book of the month for Oct and Nov. Unfortunately, most sites only allow full stars.

FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE

Additionally, I purchased this book and received a copy from the author. Furthermore, I chose to voluntarily review the book with honest book reviews. Lastly, book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion. Consequently, all book reviews on-line and on my blog, are my opinions. In addition, ARC's do not influence my book reviews, nor does any one's opinion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR DAN SOFER

Dan Sofer debut novel won the American Book Fest's 2016 Best Book Award (category: Religious Fiction). His short fiction has appeared in Midstream Magazine. Sofer grew up in South Africa, however he now resides in Israel. ( )
  vera_mallard | Oct 24, 2017 |
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
The book rates five stars on originality which is tricky for a story that falls into the time -travel genre. The bureaucratic overtones give great irony - though they probably make the book enjoyable only to adults. Sofer appears to poke fun at religion generally by hinting that mortals, with their myriad rules, haven't too much of a clue about a hereafter. Not being Jewish, I have the suspicion that there may be a good amount of subtle humor that I have missed as well.

Though the title is enticing, it would not appeal to teens. The sub-plots make a great story. However, Sofer puts a bit too much description into each paragraph, consequently slowing the pace of the book excessively. Nevertheless, serious, dour religion has a strangle-hold on too much of civilization, and we need a few more books like Sofer's. ( )
  Jeffrey_Hatcher | Jul 12, 2017 |
Showing 1-5 of 9 (next | show all)
no reviews | add a review
You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.
For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.
Canonical title
Original title
Alternative titles
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Related movies
Epigraph
Dedication
First words
Quotations
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Original language
Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English

None

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.Moshe Karlin wakes up one morning, naked and alone, in the Mount of Olives Cemetery. According to his family and friends, he died two years ago, but Moshe is not about to accept his demise lying down.Is his new lease on life a freak of nature or the start of the long-awaited Resurrection? Moshe doesn't really care. He vows to beat his "afterlife crisis" and win back his life-and his wife-if it is the last thing he does. But the road ahead is full of unexpected dangers. Along the way he gains insight into life, love, and the Jewish State, as well as the suspicion that perhaps his perfect first life was not so perfect after all.Meanwhile, other changes are afoot in the Holy Land. A reluctant prophet prepares to deliver a message of redemption-and the end of life as we know it-when a freak accident changes the course of history.Readers who enjoy the satire and humor of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, and Neil Gaiman will enjoy this riveting and humorous mystery in the Jewish lore and legends of the Resurrection, the World to Come, and the Messianic Era.

No library descriptions found.

Book description
Haiku summary

Current Discussions

None

Popular covers

Quick Links

Rating

Average: (4.05)
0.5
1 1
1.5
2
2.5
3 1
3.5
4 4
4.5 1
5 4

Is this you?

Become a LibraryThing Author.

 

About | Contact | Privacy/Terms | Help/FAQs | Blog | Store | APIs | TinyCat | Legacy Libraries | Early Reviewers | Common Knowledge | 203,186,431 books! | Top bar: Always visible