J. William Lewis

In reading other reviews of "The Essence of Nathan Biddle", I noticed a wide range of ratings and a plethora of comments. I really tried to give this novel a chance. However, after the first 60 pages, I decided to call it quits. I've literally read and posted close to 100 reviews. This is only the second time that I have chosen not to complete a novel. I understand the premise of this novel, but it just never got off the ground. The plot kept going around in circles and never really got into the heart of what the story was supposed to focus on. My undergrad is from a Jesuit University and I was required to take 6 credit hours of philosophy. So, yes, I get philosophy, but the continued quotes from philosophers simply bogged down what could have been a decent novel.
Before you make up your mind on this novel, I would recommend reading other reviews. Perhaps your take will be different than mine.… (mais)

This is a psychological coming-of-age drama, loosely set in the 1950s, about a confused boy/young man who ponders the meaning of life and who he is. Brought up in a dysfunctional family in which his uncle murdered his cousin Nathan "on direct orders from God," and recently undergoing a breakup with the girl of his dreams, he questions God's existence and benevolence and why any of us are here at all.

I found this book to be long, depressing, and in the end, relatively pointless. It leaves several questions unanswered and the reader dissatisfied. It seems at first to have a strong anti-Christian message, then toys with the possibility of having a Christian message after all, before dropping the subject completely without any resolving message at all. The author uses very basic language with a lot of ten-dollar words thrown in to make it sound like an intellectual work, but intellectual works usually have a clear point and a firm message, and this has neither. It is basically an unresolved study in existentialism. Two stars.… (mais)

This book would benefit from being restructured. Toward the end, it became interesting. For most of it, there was a lot of teasing of ideas and following around the aimless meanderings of a pretty unlikable main character. It's hard to tell if the main character is meant to be obnoxious or not. It is pretty typical teenager and may be deliberate, but there's an air of "oh, this kid thinks in such a special way" which is really just teenage pretentiousness. Not to mention that he is not particularly kind to his friends and especially girlfriends. Unlikable characters aren't necessarily a bad thing for a book, but there needs to be something to grab you and carry you. The plot that is revealed toward the end should have been more integrated throughout to keep the reader interested rather than just occasional hints. There is a voice to it, it is not an unreadable style. But it was still difficult to trod through.… (mais)