Review: Stumbles at the very end, but it doesn't detract from how fun and rich the whole book is
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2014
Virgin isn't one of Wilson's more well-known books; it was originally published under a pseudonym, and even now it doesn't get the attention of some of his newer books. But it's far better than its obscurity might make you think; it tells a gripping adventure story, unfolds like a rocket, and features Wilson's usual strong character work and interesting thematic richness. The plot revolves around a pair of ancient scrolls uncovered in the Middle East and the possibility that they might lead to the discovery of the burial place of the Virgin Mary, but that doesn't really prepare you for everything that Virgin has going on, from a tormented guardian trying to protect the Holy Mother to a senator whose presidential ambitions may be threatened by his gay son. But most of the book focuses on a priest and a nun who work in a soup kitchen, and it's to Virgin's credit that the book deals with questions of faith and religion in an interesting way that's compelling without ever pushing for easy answers. Wilson keeps it all moving at a great pace, letting the story unfold in all kinds of unexpected ways and keeping things escalating and constantly surprising the reader with new developments. It's all pretty great...until the very end, when Wilson makes two missteps. The first is when a fairly interesting character suddenly becomes more of a traditional, cut-and-dried villain who's far less interesting than he has been before; the second is stopping the book cold for a bit of a sermon that allows some themes and ideas to be stated pretty explicitly, a la Chaplin's speech at the end of The Great Dictator. Even with those missteps, Virgin is a pretty great read; it's a fun adventure story, and the fact that it's got some thoughtfulness behind its excitement and some rich ideas makes it even better. And if it stumbles a bit at the end, it's not bad enough to ruin the book; it's just a small flaw that holds back the book from being quite as great as it had been until then. It's still a great read, though.