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Literary Friday: The Book of Lies

Friday, December 24, 2010

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Brad Meltzer's The Book of Lies is a unique and quick read (I could not put it down). The illustrations are wonderful and add a fun dimension to the reading experience.  I must admit that it is also the first book of Meltzer's I have ever read, and I would like some suggestions from some of his readers as to what I should read next.

The Book of Lies tells the story of history's most notorious murder:  the murder of Abel by his brother, Cain.  The Bible story depicted in Genesis Chapter 4 gives motive for the murder, but it leaves out one very important detail: the murder weapon.  Fast forward a few thousand years to Cleveland, Ohio.  In 1932, Mitchell Siegel was shot during a robbery. During the aftermath of the murder, young Jerry Siegel invents the world's best known superhero: Superman!  Superman is bulletproof, and, as Meltzer points out in the book, Jerry Siegel never once mentioned his father's murder in interviews.  So you may be asking yourself: what do these two murders have in common?  The answer: The Book of Lies.  The Book of Lies is a history book God asked Adam to write because he knew that the great flood was imminent.  What if this book was a true birthright, a blessing bestowed rather than a curse imposed on Cain?

In present day South Florida, Calvin Harper must relive a childhood tragedy as he finds his long-lost father shot in a park.  As father and son search for The Book of Lies,  they become stalked by Ellis, a ruthless zealot who has the Mark of Cain tattoo on his hand. The mystery leads the characters to Jerry Siegel's Cleveland, Ohio childhood home where he invented Superman. The story is fascinating from start to finish, and I loved the "secret" revealed at the end of the book.  I think it would be difficult for any parent not to be touched by it.

I must admit that right now I am a bit frustrated because according to the book jacket, Brad Meltzer's website has all kinds of fun stuff on it, like a companion soundtrack to The Book of Lies.  He also states in his Author's Note that he has some other information to complement the book found only on his website.  So why am I frustrated?  Because his website is currently unavailable!  I have been able to look at some of the features, like the video about how some writers (like one of my favorites, Neil Gaiman) and ordinary citizens are working together to restore Jerry Siegel's childhood home.  But I want to read about the secret Aryan society, the Thule Society (mentioned in the book), and read about Ellis's dog Benoni as well as read Ellis's diary. Maybe the website will be available later during the holidays, because I would really like to hear the soundtrack and play with the other features. From what I saw of it, it looks like tons of fun.

Although I grew-up a Marvel girl rather than a DC girl, I highly recommend The Book of Lies.

Until next time...

Happy reading!
Ricki Jill

1 comment

  1. Ooh, this sounds good. I've never read anything by this author. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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I'm Ricki Jill. Welcome! I'm honored that you're reading my blog. I enjoy sharing my creative lifestyle @ The Bookish Dilettante. For more information about my blog, please read the Start Here page. Thank-you for stopping by, and I hope you'll consider following me via email.

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