Left Behind: Tribulation Force Review–Part 1
Tribulation Force by Tim LaHaye & Jerry Jenkins, Tyndale House Publishers, ISBN 0842329218, available practically anywhere Christian books are sold:
As before, you can find plot summaries online, such as in the Amazon comments; one is here.
If you read the Slacktivist’s review of Left Behind, you’ll see that there are far too many phone calls. Well, it’s the same in the next book. In fact, we discover on page 5 why Buck’s new apartment is perfect for him: It has already-installed phones! Oh, glee! Then on page 10, we find Rayford using his car phone while driving. Naughty Rafe!
And all for a conversation which is, plot- and character-wise, meaningless. There is absolutely no reason why we need to listen in as Rayford and Buck discuss the time for the emergency core group meeting. Like so many other phone conversations in these books, it would be far more efficient to just summarize it–or leave it out entirely.
Of course, it’s funny when Verna then says to Buck, “You’ll have your own phone soon enough.” What more could Buck ask for?
Slacktivist also points out how the authors apparently have a very different concept of the characters than what they portray.
For example, Buck thinks he’s the Greatest Investigative Reporter of All Time (GIRAT), but we rarely see him actually write anything or investigate stories which are happening right in front of him. When we do, and get some taste of his writing, it’s awful. He thinks he has integrity, yet he makes a deal with the Antichrist, agreeing not to reveal the secrets he’s uncovered about Nicolae’s “friends.”
Also, Rayford congratulates himself for never having an affair with Hattie, and apparently we’re supposed to be impressed by how well he conducts himself with Hattie now–Yet in reality, he spent years playing with Hattie’s mind like a control freak, and now he dumps her and treats her like something he has to wipe off his shoe.
His wife Irene is treated as a saint by the authors, even though her conversion seems to have made her very annoying as she kept hounding her family about the Rapture. Hattie is treated as a whore and a nasty person, even though we often end up rooting for her for standing up for herself.
On page 11 of TF, we find yet another example of Buck’s twisted view of himself, which is also the authors’ twisted view of Buck. He’s just been demoted because somehow nobody remembers him being at a Very Important Meeting in the last book, and exiled to Chicago; his new boss is explaining his changed duties, while he acts very snotty with her, like some prima donna. I found these sentences particularly funny:
He didn’t want to get into a shouting match with Verna. But neither was he going to sit for long under the thumb of someone who didn’t belong in journalism, let alone in Lucinda Washington’s old chair and supervising him.
Funny, Buck, you just described Verna’s feelings about you!
On page 15, we’re apparently supposed to feel that Rayford is being persecuted for trying to convert people while on the job (which, by the way, is flying planes). He obviously feels he’s done nothing wrong.
But hey, Rafe, dude, proselytizing on the job is generally considered a Bad Thing. It annoys your co-workers, clients, passengers, customers, etc. And if they don’t want to convert but you keep pushing, it turns into a hostile working environment for your co-workers.
Just imagine if you were working with someone of another religion or an atheist who wouldn’t leave you alone about converting, and kept trying to show you how your beliefs are wrong. Would you think he was just exercising his freedom of religion, or would you be majorly ticked off?
On p. 21:
Buck didn’t know how to respond when Rayford Steele greeted him warmly. He appreciated the warmth and openness of his three new friends, but something nagged at him and he held back a little. He still wasn’t quite comfortable with this kind of affection.
Aww, not used to man-hugs, Buck?
And again on page 45: “This was something new for Buck, too, all this hugging, especially among men.” Are you afraid of the man-hug, Buck? You’d better see: How to Give a Great Man-to-Man Hug
P. 36 is just unbelievable. The talking heads on news programs are all hailing the latest plan, to move the U.N. headquarters to the ruins of Babylon in Iraq. One says,
If Carpathia is sincere about disarming the world and stockpiling the remaining 10 percent of the hardware, I’d rather he store it in the Middle East, in the shadow of Tehran, than on an island off New York City. Besides, we can use the soon-to-be-abandoned U.N. building as a museum, honoring the most atrocious architecture this country has ever produced.
WHAT…THE…HECK? (I’d use a stronger word except that I don’t swear.) These books are obviously set not in our world, but in some alternate universe where the Middle East is like Alderaan (peaceful, no weapons) and New York City is a hotbed of terrorism. (And what’s with the hating on the U.N.’s architecture?)
On p. 47, Bruce remarks about Hattie’s job as the Antichrist’s personal assistant, “I don’t imagine he chose her for her clerical skills.”
Poor Hattie gets so abused by the authors and by the “Christians” in this book. I can tell you that we “assistants” (administrative, darkroom, secretarial, etc.) don’t appreciate being thought of as hired for our bodies instead of our professional abilities.
On p. 49, Buck called, but Chloe felt that talking to him would have seemed “too eager, too forward.” What is this, the 50s? Then on p. 61, in the midst of so many man-hugs going on around them, Chloe can’t bring herself to give Buck a soft, cuddly girl-hug?
On p. 53 is the ah-ha moment: Now we find out what LaHaye and Jenkins really think of other churches!–But we’ll leave that for next week.
My entire review is here.