(Am traveling this weekend, so have pre-published the weekend posts.)I'll be the first to admit that The Canopy isn't everyone's cup of tea, but it did receive the silver medal (second place) in Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year contest as well as a Silver Angel award from Excellence in Media. iExalt.com said the book had an "unpredictable and refreshingly unique plotline."
Reader Reaction:
Kirsten wrote: I just finished reading The Canopy and had to write to say how impressed I was by it. It's one of the best books I've read in a long while...and I've read many...including eleven of Hunt's (hard to beat The Pearl...). I could hardly stand to put it down, but, as a mother of three children under five, put it down I must..and often. But much of the fun was thinking it over while chopping carrots or folding laundry. So nice to have an entertaining book that fed my mind and spirit, too. As an English/Theater teacher turned stay-at-home Mom, having a good book to read while I nurse the baby is sometimes the difference between contentment and insanity. I was really sorry to read the last page of "The Canopy" because now I must again search for a good book...
And on the flip side:
At first this novel was compelling but then odd inconsistencies popped up. The main character had an very overblown reaction to the positive mention of Jesus, even for a non-believing character. She seemed a fairly reasonable person up till then. I coudn't understand her vehemently negative attitude. I realized that I had picked up a book with a somewhat fundemantalist bent. I continued to read but was sorry I had.
In The Canopy, all the Christians are good, self-sacrificing, and pleasant even when faced with adversity. The non Christians are unreasonable and prone to be cranky. Other religions are based on evil spirits and those that follow them are evil too. (In this case, The Angry People and a guide.) Bad things happen to bad people. Heaven forbid if you are involved in hanky panky or you will be among the first to be killed off. Angels can cure a version of Mad Cow Disease if you only believe.
There must be novels out there that can show the positives of Christianity without condemning the rest of the world or being sanctimonious but this isn't one of them.
On Amazon.com, readers either loved it or hated it. I suppose I'd rather people feel passionate one way or the other--that's better than arousing apathy.
Okay--any questions? If 
so, drop them into a comment and I'll answer them on the seventh! Thanks for coming along!
~~Angie
Photo: Fishing for pirnaha. Yep, that's what they look like. I have some pirnaha teeth strung on a necklace . . . I need to start taking that with me when I speak at schools. It's impressive.
2 comments:
Okay, I know I'm early! Angela, that negative response was really negative. Ouch! But what do you think of what they said about portraying non-Christians as unhappy, cranky, evil people? I haven't read The Canopy (plan to), but do you think that is a problem in mainstream Christian fiction?
I agree with the comment in general to a point--just because a person does not know Christ doesn't mean they're evil or unkind, just not on their way to heaven! Hm, made me, another writer, think about how I portray unsaved in my work. How do you handle that?
Ditto.
When a critic pans something I've created I have to ask myself:
1)Is this true?
2) Does it matter to me?
If "yes" is the answer to both I have some work to do?
So, Angela, what say you? Yes or no?
SG
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