Review: Fascinating thoughts, good characters, and a wealth of detail
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2013
Blending philosophy and science fiction, G.F. Smith's Eye of God reminds me of Sophie's World by Jostein Gaardner. Daniel Jeremy Sayer's life has included a few mishaps and trials and tribulations, and he's often wondered if they were chance events or engineered to trip him up. But now he's ready to grow up and about to embark on an event entirely of his own choice and making. He's going to sky-dive!Author G. F. Smith makes me almost believe I'm there with Jeremy in the plane. His descriptions of the sights sounds and emotions of skydiving are stunningly evocative, and if "all experiences leave an indelible mark on us" I suspect I am marked now by dreams of sitting on the edge of that plane.Jeremy's dive goes almost perfectly in this world, but strange things happen in the moment between now and then, and a strange being who might be alien, angel, or figment of his imagination, begins to demand Jeremy see the world differently. Of course, love makes you do that, and Jeremy is just the age to fall in love."People aren't just scared about living," says Jeremy's Uncle Paul. "They're scared to make choices about living." It's an interesting thought and it underlies much of the philosophical considerations involved in the many backstories to this novel. If the answer's in the details, the author is careful to make sure we have enough details, and every character's named and historied. Time passes. Thoughts are pondered. And as the protagonist sits "in a daze, again," the reader's invited to follow both memories and musings. The book "delves into the realm of philosophy, metaphysics, and religion even... more going on in life than what meets the eye..." and frustration has its reasons, with even entropy feeding creativity.The lessons learned might be applicable to all too many of us, but the learning's slow and detailed as author combines fiction with contemplation, and Jeremy combines laughter with deep thinking. At story's end I find myself comparing everyday life to stepping off a plane, so perhaps I've learned something after all.An interesting book, filled with fascinating thoughts, good characters, and a wealth of detail about life, the world, flying, decisions and more--it's "confluential."Disclosure: I think I won a set of these three books and this is the first. I hope the review the others later.