Customer Reviews

The Assignment

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The idea has intrigued mankind since the dawn of time: What would it be like to be immortal? What if you could not be killed? What if death had no hold on you?

Mark Andrew Olsen approaches this idea in a fresh way, and, in the process, gives us a suspenseful story with theological implications. The book opens with a group of old priests, a secretive Catholic order, who have been digging ceaselessly in their search for their immortal ward. The man they seek is one who has walked the earth for two millenia, living countless lives, and working as the one of who will restrain the spirit of the anti-Christ in godless times.

The story breaks open when this man is found, at last--buried alive in a Nazi tomb near Auchwitz. The havoc that ensues could've turned Hollywood-ish. At times, it does rely on gunfights and nick-of-time escapes. But the real accomplishment here, the beating heart of the story, is Olsen's ability to take us into the mind of his immortal character. We care about this man. We believe in his struggle. We feel at times that his struggle is the same one we face, daily trying to follow God despite our sense of hopelessness and uselessness in this fallen world.

Publishers Weekly accused the book of tiresome and confusing viewpoints, but I found the plot easy to follow. Even more importantly, I thought the characters were easy to sympathize with. Although the ingredients of the story seemed to promise more suspense in the finale, "The Assignment" is worth the effort. Without being preachy, Olsen reminds us that life is worth living--and that dying is nothing to fear when we are part of God's family.

Since THE ASSIGNMENT is the first book I have ever seen endorsed by Ted Dekker, I was instantly curious about the story.

Now, after emerging from this incredible tale, a tale told well by an author with obvious, undeniable talent, I can see why Ted Dekker called Mark Andrew Olsen "A welcome, fresh voice."

I am also gnashing my teeth.

A writer with this kind of skill deserved the best editing a publishing house could offer. This clearly did not happen with THE ASSIGNMENT.

The sad lack of editing attention is showcased through character point of views that switch within the space of an unmarked paragraph, and words that repeat within a line.

The Biblical justification that makes the hero's existence plausible throughout the book is cast aside at the climax of the story.

Journal entries written by the hero are intriguing, but as the story progresses these italic print missives increase in both frequency and length, and become tedious history narratives that seem to detract rather than add to the book's momentum.

The appearance of a minor character, Beth, in the last chapters, feels as contrived as a peeling paint chip glued onto a wall. And the hero's insistence that Betsy stay with him is even more perplexing. Especially when juxtapositioned against his earlier decision to distance himself from the lead female character in order to spare her the danger he draws.

Also confusing are the loose ends at the story's conclusion. Some key goals are attained, but readers are left to wonder what happens to several primary characters. This is either another editing oversight, or a great cliffhanger to usher in a sequel.

Amazingly enough, in spite of these distressing editorial lapses, Olsen shines. His power of description is beautiful. The concept of the story is fascinating. The main characters are instantly captivating and likeable. Glimpses of Ireland, Jerusalem, and France through the eyes of the characters are so vivid you feel you've been there. The conclusion of the story, at least for the main male character, is satisfying enough to induce tears. Especially for anyone who knows the ache of a longing unfulfilled.

Though more attention in the editorial department could have polished Olsen's shine to brilliance, this story is not a waste of reading time by any means and is definitely recommended.

Initially, I looked at this book and thought, WHY bother?.Its just another fast paced Dekker style GREAT LOOKING book...and who can beat Dekker at the moment in the CBA?

MAN WAS I WRONG! Once I picked it up I could barely put it down again. This is primarily a spiritual warfare novel and the crux of the story is that Lazarus has been assigned (hence the title) to assist the Holy Spirit (mentioned in 2 Tim 1:14 and Thessalonians) in holding back evil, essentially making him immortal and roaming the earth unrecognised for 2000yrs.

A Catholic sect called the Order of Lazare is given the task of helping Lazarus fight evil .. Lost for 60 years the Order find him asleep in a cript buried by the Nazi's near Auswitch.

I found this book to be a moving picture of how God must have felt when he saw what was happening to His people in the concentration camps and the pain He must feel looking at the suffering of His people today.

Drenched in intrigue, destiny, History and relationships, this book is PLOT driven all the way.

Set in this century it looks back over 2000 years since Christ and asks questions through Character dilemas that helps this work of contemporary fiction stand alone.Such as the idea of strategic spiritual espionage and counter terrorism in the unseen spiritual realm.

Not 100% biblical but its interesting outline and what ifs? make it a worthy read all the same.

This is worthy of a position on my bookshelf.

GS.

This was one of the best books I've read in a long time. The multiple points of view and the flashbacks in this book didn't confuse me at all. I was so engrossed in the story that everything flowed together brilliantly. This book has it all- beautiful prose,an intriguing premise, great suspense, history, and well-balanced supernatural/spiritual scenes. If you are looking for an alternative to the Da Vinci Code, this is THE book to read. Mark Andrew Olsen is a very talented author and I look forward to reading his future books.

Mark Andrew Olsen is a terrific writer, and The Assignment is a terrific book. Yes, it does have a strong plot, but I wouldn't call it plot driven, simply because the other aspects of the story are also executed so well--the characters are deep and three-dimensional, the locales are vividly described, the history is obviously meticulously researched and convincingly threaded through the storyline. Olsen deserves high praise for his imagination and skill.

THE DA VINCI CODE has spawned a mini-industry of exegesis and echoes --- even tours for beguiled readers. I've read Brown's book and even written a tongue-in-cheek research piece about some of the history involved in his mystery, and I'm here to tell you my honest opinion: THE ASSIGNMENT was more interesting, more honest and more fun to read.

Like Brown, Mark Andrew Olsen bases his book on a small, secretive Roman Catholic group: the Order of St. Lazare, comprised of just seven priests. Like Brown, Olsen's protagonist is faced with a seemingly insurmountable task that involves convincing others of an impossible premise. Like Brown, Olsen's book is fast-paced and has characters careening from the States to all corners of Europe --- and, in some cases, even further. And that points to one of the things that is different about Olsen's approach. First of all, he unabashedly includes the spiritual --- he even includes the mystical, and a lot of it!

But hang on for the ride, because even though his use of several different perspectives and forms of narration (including the protagonist's diaries) can get a little confusing, Olsen uses the chaos to allow readers' suspension of their disbelief. By the novel's end, you may not consciously subscribe to the idea of angels and demons (pace Dan Brown), but you'll be cheering the former on.

In fact, one of the most interesting things about Olsen's novel, for a CBA author, is that he has structured it more as a battle of good versus evil than a battle of Christian versus nonbeliever. Conversions happen, but they aren't necessarily the "born again" kind. While not all readers will agree with Olsen's scenarios or his theology, this non-preachy yet grounded style is both refreshing and thought-provoking. What does it mean to be both a Jew and a Christian believer? What does it mean to be an academic and a believer? What does it mean to be a Catholic as opposed to a Protestant? Through a cast of characters that includes a young American graduate student, a pair of CIA officers, a post-John Paul II Pope, Mossad agents and shadowy terrorists, Olsen raises these and more questions.

Thankfully, he doesn't attempt to answer them all nor does he leave the door open (funny, since the symbol of an open door is important to the Order involved) for what could have been endless sequels (spoiler alert: if you want to know what I'm getting at, take a look at the name of the Order again).

While I could go on and on about plot twists and turns, let me end by saying something else about this book that differentiates it from THE DA VINCI CODE: at the end of THE ASSIGNMENT, for its attendant flaws, I found myself moved --- both by the outcome and by the sense of this author's living faith in God.

--- Reviewed by Bethanne Kelly Patrick

Some books quickly fade from my memory. This story is distinct from these types of books. THE ASSIGNMENT is a stand-out because Mark Olsen has pulled a fascinating "what if" question from the Bible and fast-forwarded it to modern times. "What if Lazarus could never die and still lived today?"

This contemporary thriller was a page-turner with many different plot twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. I found it riveting and recommend this book. If you love a story with plenty of intrigue, you can't go wrong with THE ASSIGNMENT.

The first couple of chapters were a little slow, and I thought that I may have bought a dud. It certainly took off after that! It reminded me a lot of Piercing the Darkness with its use of demons and angelic protectors. Very enjoyable.

He experienced the beauty of Heaven only to be brought back to life by Jesus to act as the Catacon, "the restrainer of destruction" who will be taken away just before the end of time". His primary role is to send the destroyer back to hell but every time he comes close, his enemy's minions bury him for decades at a time.

The priests of the Order of St. Lazare spend decades trying to find him. When they do, he sees a world more technologically advanced but with the same old hatreds. The 2000-year-old man is tired and wants to go home for he no longer believes that the destroyer can be defeated. Nora, a Harvard graduate student, is almost kidnapped by members of Hamas and a Roman Catholic priest. He saves her and disappears but Nora tracks him down in Paris where she learns the truth about her long-living relative. The destroyer knowing he is loose, sets in motion a series of events that bring the world to the edge of war and he vows to fight him one more time.

Told from the viewpoints of many different characters including the hero, one can understand why immortality is as much a curse as it is a blessing. There is no sense of Divinity about the protagonist but he is a catalyst that sets events in motion the ongoing battle of good and evil. Surprisingly, this is not a preachy or apostatizing story but reads more like an urban fantasy in which the powers of good and evil fight for supremacy. Mark Andrew Olson is a talent comparable to Frank Peretti and Jerry Jenkins.

Harriet Klausner

There are things about this book that I enjoyed, yet there are things that concern me and left me disturbed.
What I enjoyed was the historical accounts and visualizations expressed in Lazarus' diaries. I appreciated his commitment to completing the assignment. I appreciated the acknowledgment that spiritual warfare exists. The reader comes to care for the characters - Lazarus and the "good guys."
The things that concerned me are editorial shortcomings and some omissions of or misuse of scriptural truths. Editorially, there is one chapter that contains dialogue between only Lazarus and Nora, yet at one point it says "Stephen said..." as if he is part of the conversation. Later in the book when Lazarus is flying to Israel he is reading his journal about the year Martha died - Mary having died 10 years earlier. This journal is shown as A.D. 52. A few pages later he reads another journal, this one dated A.D 54, that talks about Lazarus and his sisters having just left Palestine. This just makes me wonder what else was missed and whether or not it hurts the story. Also, I think Beth's character could have been developed a bit more and could have appeared a little more throughout the story.
Scriptural concerns include 1)his lack of involving the Holy Spirit in this centuries old spiritual battle, 2)what appears to be a lack of involvement on Jesus' part other than to tell Lazarus to go back each time he has a mortal wound, 3)the assumption that defeating the Destroyer on a global level is up to one human is not something I can reconcile with the Bible, 4)the Bible shows that only Jesus can bring true and lasting peace the world, but that is not even mentioned in this book, and 5)there is no clear cut message of the path to salvation that aligns with the Gospels, ie acknowledging our inherent sinful nature, acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God, and repentance.
I purchased this book based on Ted Dekker's comment on the cover, but I'd rather read Dekker, Peretti, LaHaye & Jenkins, etc.