Francine Rivers

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Hi, new community. How are you doing? You look lonely.

Okay, I think I'll start with a topic I started discussing on Easter with my friend's grandmother-in-law. We got on the subject of Francine Rivers, and she was saying how she didn't want to read those books because she didn't like the idea of rewriting stories from the Bible with extra details.

I have to say that I have had my own hesitations about that. I've read a handful of Rivers' books (*loved* Redeeming Love), and though I enjoyed the Lineage Series (haven't finished, but have read most), I found myself constantly saying, "Hey.. it doesn't say that.." I mean, I guess it still could have happened, and I get that she's just trying to fill out the story so we can relate to it more, but I don't know. Also, I found myself looking at the character differently (and maybe not in a correct way), based on how she portrayed their personality or motive in their actions. So...yeah. I'm not sure where I stand with that. What do you think?

Also, has anyone read The Atonement Child? I have it on my bookshelf but haven't had a chance to read it yet. Should I hurry or is there no rush?

Comments

[eattheolives.livejournal.com]

So after I just got done saying how I hardly ever read Christian fiction ... well ... I do like Francine Rivers. :) The Atonement Child is actually my favorite out of all of hers. Once you read it and get introduced to Joe, I think you'll see why. :)

Fictionalizing biblical stories is a hard one. I actually haven't cared much for most of the ones done by authors who identify themselves primarily as writing to a Christian market, but I really liked a more secular-market book called The gilded chamber : A novel of Queen Esther by Rebecca Kohn. I think it might be because in a fiction book I'm more interested in the culture and lifestyle than the actual spiritual content of the stories - when I'm studying them for spiritual edification, I read the Bible. :) More secular authors tend, in my experience, to be more focused on getting the historical details right rather than just making everything religious.

I feel as if I'm explaining myself very badly!

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Oh thanks for the recommendation on Atonement Child! :)

No you're making sense. I mean I'm not sure I agree with all of it (haven't read enough of it) but I understand. :) And now I will write down that book on my reading list.

[hestergray.livejournal.com]

I remember reading The Atonement Child, and I really enjoyed it. It's a very good story.

Have you read her Mark of the Lion trilogy yet? I feel like I bring those up a lot, but they're my favorite Francine Rivers books. They take place not long after Jesus' death and resurrection, when Christians were being persecuted. The story is fictional, but the history is fascinating.

Another author who has rewritten stories from the Bible is Orson Scott Card. He has a trilogy called Women of Genesis. The first one is about Sarah, the second one is about Rebekah, and the third one (that I haven't read yet) is about Rachel and Leah. They're very well-written, and I liked how he fleshed the stories out. (I think he's better at it than Francine Rivers.) I think he was accurate about a lot of historical things, but I guess I don't know for sure. I mean historical things like the kind of society and stuff.

I understand your hesitations about books like this. For me, I don't like or dislike them as a whole. There are some I enjoy and some I don't. And I always just keep in mind that it's a fictional retelling.

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Oh good, another recommendation for Atonement Child. :)

No, I think I started that trilogy (does it start with the little girl whose family gets killed? I can't remember her name) a few weeks ago but it was depressing and icky. :P So I had to stop it. I'm sure it's good, I just have a weak stomach. Maybe I should give it another try.

Hm, I may have to try an Orson Scott Card book.

[hestergray.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it does start out with Hadassah and her family during the seige of Jerusalem, and it's kind of icky. Maybe you could just skip the beginning? Once a family takes Hadassah as a slave, it gets more interesting.

[glori.livejournal.com]

Nope, I haven't read any books by Francine Rivers, yet. I guess I'd feel most comfortable reading a novelization about a Bible story by an author I trust. Hmm...never really thought much about it.

[jennymae.livejournal.com]

I've never read any Francine Rivers--in fact, I've never heard of her, but I have to say that I lean toward the grandmother. I mean, I don't dislike or have a problem with Rivers per say, but I just think it'd be...weird...to write extra stuff to "stories" from the Bible. I think I've read one book called Titus which did that...oh, and I suppose The Bronze Bow, but for both of those, it wasn't taking a famliar Bible story and adding to it...it was just making up new characters that interacted (some) with Biblical character(s).

On a different, but similar note, I enjoy reading fanfiction to some extent...but I've never tried or been able to read fanfiction based on biographies such as the Little House books or the Bible.

Anyway, interesting thoughts.

P.S. I will hopefully post my (meager) April book list on both my journal and here. :-)

[jennymae.livejournal.com]

I suppose it's okay if I mention this community in my journal?

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Of course - that would be great!

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Yeah but if the new characters interacted with them, isn't that essentially the same as adding since those original characters never really met them? :)

I've not read any fanfiction. It always has a weird association for me so I haven't really thought about reading any. What sort of fanfiction do you like?

[jennymae.livejournal.com]

Yeah but if the new characters interacted with them, isn't that essentially the same as adding since those original characters never really met them? :)

Haha! Yeah, you're right. What I was trying to say is that if one's story took place with Biblical events happening "on the side" that's one thing compared to being submersed in the Biblical event. Does that make sense? Probably not. I would think that for an author it would be hard to keep from adding to the Bible...even fictionally. And then I think I'd have a hard time separating the fictional story from the Biblical event when reading my Bible. But that's just me.

Fanfiction CAN be weird. Sometimes it can be inappropriate. Sometimes it's written very, very poorly. Many of them are very mediocre. Only a few are well written, clean, stay somewhat similar to the original characters' character, etc. I generally like reading the English classics--Jane Austen especially.

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Oh I gotcha. Where the story isn't one from the Bible, but some of the characters are actually mentioned in the Bible.

So with the Austen fanfiction, is it just a new story but with characters from some of Austen's books?

[jennymae.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It just doesn't seem to be as weird/wrong if it's done that way. :-)

So with the Austen fanfiction, is it just a new story but with characters from some of Austen's books?

There are lots of different ones: New story with some Austen characters; Austen's stories from another perspective (say, Mr. Darcy's point of view versus Lizzy's as Pride and Prejudice is written); continuations; Austen's works in "modern times"; and "What if's" (e.g. What if Lydia had NOT gone to Bath? or What if Darcy's parents were still alive? etc.)

[ruthieroo.livejournal.com]

Atonement Child was the first Francine Rivers book I read and it is my favorite.:-D But then I didn't like Redeeming Love so now watch, you'll read Atonement Child and hate it.;-)

I second the recommendation above for Orson Scott Card's "Women of Genesis" series! I've always been a bit wary of fiction about biblical characters but something about this series really appealed to me.

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Oh, can I ask why you didn't like Redeeming Love?

I'll have to check out Card. Thanks. :)

[ruthieroo.livejournal.com]

Hm, in short it just didn't "do" anything for me. Not that I expect every book I read to impact me powerfully. But this is one that person after person recommended as a "must read! will change your life!" so I imagine that high expectations had a lot to do with my disappointment. Also the graphic descriptions moved into the realm of gratuitous, for me, very quickly.

Oh, and this is probably just my snobby, mean side but it really annoys me when authors write things like, "ALL of this was GOD INSPIRED!" about their books, esp. when I end up disliking the book.:-P She didn't use those words but in the preface or something I remember her writing that the characters, plot and theme were all a gift from God and she couldn't claim any of it. And I know I'm supposed to think that is all humble and stuff but since I didn't like the book it just strikes me as a little arrogant. I think Karen Kingsbury said similar things about those books of hers I read and it just kind of irks me. Own your stuff, authors. I think it is great to use your gift of writing for God's glory and acknowledge it is from Him but don't fob your imperfect (by virtue of being human) work off as "ALL GOD!".

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

When I read Redeeming Love, I don't think I had heard much about it at all. It happened to be available at the library in the audio books, so I recognized Francine Rivers and checked it out. I think that helped me really like it a lot. I wouldn't say it changed my life, but it got me thinking and I remember back on it a lot.

I don't remember her saying that about it being God-inspired, but I believe you! And I also find that annoying. It's a hard line to give glory to God and yet not sound all "I'm special and God writes through me." I mean, we have a Bible for that. :P

[thatloopyqueen.livejournal.com]

I had a love/hate relationship (mostly dislike) with Redeeming Love until I was nearly 3/4 of the way through it, at which point I was suddenly gripped by the truth being portrayed, and literally felt it to be life changing. I have never forgotten this book, and am thinking of reading it again. It has been a huge help to me personally, and also in how I view the women that I work with in the jail and RU ministry.

[moredetails.livejournal.com]

Yes, I definitely still think about the book a lot and I'd like to read it again sometime.

[kiwiria.livejournal.com]

Francince Rivers is one of my favourite Christian authors. Her "Mark of the Lion" series is her best work, but "The Atonement Child" a close second.