- Hardcover: 288 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; First Edition; 1st printing. edition (1 Sep 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747594368
- ISBN-13: 978-0747594369
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.5 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 724,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
John
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
`...the novel as a whole constitutes an eloquent and moving statement of the power of love and the belief that it will triumph in the end' --Guardian
Review
'Williams' prose is bathed in poetry and moonlight' The Times 'Reading Niall Williams makes you want to cuddle in front of a fire, holding on to a loved one so tightly you might never let them go' Time Out PRAISE FOR FOUR LETTERS OF LOVE: '[...] unfurls like some epic poem which has been handed down in song generation by generation. Half fable, half tragic realism, its musical rhythm is unforgettable' Daily Mail PRAISE FOR AS IT IS IN HEAVEN: 'Intricate and tender...there is a deftness to the artistry, a sophistication in the telling of their love story that captivates brilliantly' Sunday Times
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have found all of williams' previous novels to be strangely attractive and absorbing. All feature themes of separation and loss, powerful relationships amongst men (not sexual) and very evocative natural landscapes- which remind me of Hardy, although in a different country. However, the previous novels left me with a vaguely unsettled and unsatisfied feeling, of perhaps a missing ingredient, and I was never sure whether I would buy the next one... "John" returns to the themes mentioned here, but in the context of the Apostle suffering the agonies of separation from the Jesus he remembers from his early life. Love continues, but the relationship seems painfully stretched. Williams' novels tell me something quietly, but this one sings!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"John" by Niall Williams is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and powerful books I have ever read ( in a lifetime of devouring books ! ) It is the story of John, one of the first apostles, and his passionate longing for the return of of his beloved Jesus. Here we see John, now aged 100, exiled on Patmos, and then making his final journey to Ephesus. It is a story of love, of the power of love, written by one of the masters of the love story.It is also a story of how the longing for power can corrupt, as we witness, in counterpoint to John's story, the hunger of Matthias, a rebellious disciple who wants to seize power for himself. This gives an insight into the other side of the "discipleship" coin, where the follower discovers a deeper need to usurp power for himself. ( think of the film, "All About Eve", with Bette Davis, where a younger actress, apparently innocent initially, becomes venomous in her need to overtake her idol, and seize the limelight.)
Don't be put off by the religious theme, those of you who might think you will be uncomfortable with that. This is a magnficent book about love, the painful doubt of faith, the human journey in all its passion and longing.
Those of you who know Niall Williams work will not be disappointed by this inspiring and poetic book. The descriptions of place and time are dramatic. I was THERE ! For those of you who don't know Niall William's work ..... I urge you to read this writer. You will be absolutely rewarded. I have never read any of his books without being awed at his writing, but also his sheer brilliance at telling a story.( and am thankful for the happy accident of discovering "Four Letters of Love" in a shop in Menorca in 2000 ! I have been a huge fan of his work since then !)
If Niall Williams had only written "John" however, he would still have done something of greatness.
This is a fantastic book. I can't praise it enough. For my money,Niall Williams should have his name up there with the prize winning greats. Maybe this will be the book that will do it for him....and deservedly so.
Fiona Cartmell, Edinburgh, Scotland
Don't be put off by the religious theme, those of you who might think you will be uncomfortable with that. This is a magnficent book about love, the painful doubt of faith, the human journey in all its passion and longing.
Those of you who know Niall Williams work will not be disappointed by this inspiring and poetic book. The descriptions of place and time are dramatic. I was THERE ! For those of you who don't know Niall William's work ..... I urge you to read this writer. You will be absolutely rewarded. I have never read any of his books without being awed at his writing, but also his sheer brilliance at telling a story.( and am thankful for the happy accident of discovering "Four Letters of Love" in a shop in Menorca in 2000 ! I have been a huge fan of his work since then !)
If Niall Williams had only written "John" however, he would still have done something of greatness.
This is a fantastic book. I can't praise it enough. For my money,Niall Williams should have his name up there with the prize winning greats. Maybe this will be the book that will do it for him....and deservedly so.
Fiona Cartmell, Edinburgh, Scotland
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
"John", an imagining of the enigmatic later life of John the Apostle, is in setting, characterization, and general undertaking quite different from "Four Letters of Love" and "The Fall of Light." We meet John on the bleak isle of Patmos, in exile as a forbidden Christian, with a small band of followers. Williams' focussed, exacting description of this life is so detailed as to slow down time--and the reader. It is easy to become impatient to find purpose or plot. The poetic writing kept me going. But just as I thought I had counted every rock on the island, I was then allowed the contrast of Williams' typically transporting light-filled writing and satisfaction on a plane very different from his previous love stories, for this, of course, is one also. This book held many surprises--among them finding my own begrudging patience rewarded.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent Plot
The setting for the book is superbly chosen and acts as a crucible for considering how to hold on to Hope, when our hopes are not being fulfilled. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. Michael Lumsden
Awaiting the Second Coming
There is some scholarly dispute about the traditional view that John the Apostle and Beloved Disciple was also John the Evangelist, John the Epistle writer, John the author of the... Read more
Published on 10 April 2010 by Ralph Blumenau
An inspired and moving work
A deep, inspired novel about Apostle John, his exile and life on Patmos, and return to Ephesus with his remaining disciples, where much is in store for them...
Published on 25 Feb 2010 by E. Danielyan
Big Subject - Great exposition
"John" - The Apostle - has over the centuries accrued volumes of literature about him and his writings, much of which remsins beyond the comprehension of most readers. Read more
Published on 31 July 2009 by John Illidge
John by Niall Williams
Extraordinary writing, descriptive writing at its' very best. Mr williams takes the plight of John the Apostle, soon after the Crucifixion of Christ, and a group of Disciples... Read more
Published on 2 April 2009 by J. O'hare
A Let Down
I have read all Niall's previous novels - and loved them all. I got all excited when I saw this new one - and ordered it straight away. Read more
Published on 24 May 2008 by J. Brennan
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