Customer Reviews

Beyond the Night

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was looking for something new to read and happened to find the Christy Award List for 2008. It is a special award for many types of Christian fiction. This novel won the contemporary fiction award, so I figured if a bunch of experts think it's good then it must be a good read. They were so right.

I haven't heard of this author before, but after reading this book I plan to read all her other writings as well. This is one of the best books I have ever read, definitely one that I will reread and think about for a long time. It's a story about Maddie, a woman who realized that she had Stargardt's, a genetic disease that rapidly causes blindness. It's also about Paul, a man who just realizes that he cares for her but is not sure how to deal with her disease without trying to rescue her.

The novel resonated with me on another level, because I have worked with people who are losing their vision. Maddie's response to her vision loss is true to life: a lot of grieving, a lot of questioning and denial. Schalesky was able to capture the process of learning to live with the loss of vision with compassion and not condescension, and give us a small glimpse of what it is like to learn to be blind. I admired how determined Maddie was to cope and live life to its fullest, and how she learned to hope amidst suffering. This is why the story will stay with me. It didn't offer trite platitudes for dealing with loss or suffering, it merely showed the courage to find hope.

I also loved the dialogue between Paul and Maddie. I have read so many books where the main characters are supposed to care for each other, but throughout the book you wonder what they saw in each other. With these two, their relationship was demonstrated through their teasing banter, and in the ways they took care of each other. Even though Paul was not someone who was known for commitment, for Maddie he came through when she needed him. They seemed like real people, not just characters in a book. I was really rooting for them. Although the subject matter may sound somber, the writing wasn't at all. There was a scene in a Chinese restaurant that made me laugh, having eaten in many Chinese restaurants myself, the scene rang true.

The storytelling was beautiful, done in flashbacks. Flashback storytelling can be confusing, but I found this novel to be clear and fluid. And it all clicks into place in the end leaving you with a feeling of joy and gladness. I have read many forgettable books, but I would venture to say that if you are going to invest time in reading a book then this should be on the list.

What an amazing story of love and hope that kept me reading into the late night hours ... and when I finished the book, I immediately wanted to start reading the book again... that's how much I enjoyed it. This is the first book I've read of Marlo Schalesky. I recommend this book highly - a must read ! Definately 5 stars !

In this book love is trully blind. From the first pages of this book, I was already hooked. Such entrancing story !! The ending was a complete surprise to me and when I turned to the last page and finished it, I felt a glimpse of love, joy, and peace.

You've read them before: boy meets girl, boy and girl become friends, boy and girl resist their friendship developing into anything more, and so on. The stubborn love story, wherein the characters refuse to acknowledge and/or embrace their love for each other. Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky is on one level such a story, but it develops into so much more.

The book opens with a passage from a mysterious third party narrator. Seemingly vague and general, this passage remains confusing and meaningless until the surprise ending. We then enter into a scene with the married couple Paul and Maddie taking a trip on a rainy night. A tragic accident occurs, and in the next scene we enter a hospital room. Maddie is hospitalized and drifting in and out of consciousness while Paul patiently waits.

Unlike many love stories, we are already privy to knowledge of the culmination of their relationship. The knowledge of Paul and Maddie's status as a married couple helps us to weather their indecision and struggles as they resist and wrestle with their attraction to each other throughout the relating of their love story. As Paul reaches out to her, seeking to bring her out of this state, we travel along with them as they both remember their journey to love.

Maddie and Paul meet each other in college during the `70s; Paul aiming for a career in medical research and Maddie setting her sights on the title of Doctor. They quickly develop a buddy-buddy relationship that develops the glimmer of maybe, possibly, something more. Then Maddie starts to go blind - not a great time to be starting a new relationship.

Maddie's loss of vision plunges her into a time of emotional darkness that parallels her journey into visual darkness. The recollection of this descent into darkness is set into scenes of Maddie's present - struggling against the darkness that seeks to overcome her in her hospital bed. Maddie's slow loss of vision causes her to doubt God and His plans for her life. She draws into herself and away from friends - fiercely independent and frightened of dependence on others, she pushes those away who seek to help her, including Paul.

Paul engages in a battle of his own - wrestling with his feelings towards Maddie and struggling to understand how he could love a blind woman. Both characters are extraordinarily cautious to act on their feelings, each for their own reasons. This reluctance definitely aroused my frustration with the two of them. Becoming emotionally engaged and caring for this couple makes me impatient. I want to wake them up, get their attention, and get them together! Thankfully we already know they'll be united in marriage, helping to prolong my patience.

I am not typically a reader of romance stories; I can assure you that this is not your typical light and fluffy romantic fare. Paul and Maddie's struggles with the imminent loss of vision and faith, and their own shortcomings add depth and meaning to the story of their love. I was relieved to find that the tale of their developing affections free them from sensual engagements. Too many romantic stories are mired in the promise or acts of physical intimacy, the reason I normally avoid the genre.

I was drawn to this title for several reasons - the assurance that the characters involved would marry, the spiritual struggle and theme of spiritual darkness brought on by the blindness and the promise of a surprise ending - I couldn't resist. Schalesky doesn't disappoint on any of these counts. Many would feel that a story in which you know the outcome of relationship would be without suspense or uncertainty. Countless titles offer formulaic and predictable endings; a skillful author, Schalesky succeeded in taking me by surprise with the book's conclusion.

Read it for the love story, the spiritual struggle, or the surprise ending, but do read it. Paul and Maddie's deep and enduring love along with their faith in God overcomes their fears and takes them Beyond the Night. You won't want to miss this one. I'll be watching for future releases from Schalesky, who is writing more titles with unexpected endings.

P.S. This is one you'll want to share with your girlfriends.

Beyond the Night by Marlo Schalesky begins with a married couple driving down rain slicked roads at night. Paul and Maddie tease each other, and their deep love for each other is evident in every word and gentle touch. When a deer suddenly appears in the middle of the road, the scene changes. Now Paul is in a hospital room urging Maddie to wake up and come back to him. While he waits for her to come to, they each remember the events that brought them together. They were good friends on the verge of becoming something more when Maggie is diagnosed with a genetic illness that will steal her vision. Maddie quickly spirals into depression jumping from rebellion against the disease that stole her brother's sight and life to crushing self-pity. Neither of these leave room for Paul who wants only to make everything right for the woman he loves. Schalesky does a masterful job of creating this love story and then throwing in a twist at the end. One line on the second to last page made me stop breathing. I read it four times without understanding and then sobbed my way to the end. This is the rare book that I find myself still thinking about days after finishing it. I've been telling everyone I know about the power of the message of love in it. Maddie and Paul's love story is heartbreaking, breath-taking, timeless, and beautiful.

Marlo Schalesky's "Beyond the Night" beautifully tells the story of Maddie and Paul. Beginning with an automobile accident, the author weaves the characters' pasts with their present to bring the reader to several spiritual revelations. Some of these truths include the fact that righteous lives are not free of trouble, looking for God when you can't easily see Him makes Him more evident in painful circumstances. Schalesky effectively shares how much Jesus loves us, and brings to light how we can love others well.

This is a thoughtfully written novel that really made me think about how and why God has answered my prayers as He has. The characters' circumstances made me grateful for my own position in life. It showed me that fear is a thief that will rob me of life if I allow it to do so. The book also contains a thought-provoking list of discussion questions. This would be a wonderful reading group pick!

Click. The camera closes in on a woman in a hospital bed. The tubes and machines indicate that she's fighting for her life. But is she?

Click. A man waits at her bedside, remembering.

Click. A college friendship blooms into the love God planted long before.

Click. The pain of a genetic curse of blindness deepens with the revelation of past secrets and present betrayal.

These scenes--and many more--make Beyond the Night the stuff movies are made of. We follow author Marlo Schalesky's camera of words as she records the love-memories of Paul and Maddy. Through vivid description, realistic dialogue, and judicious use of flashbacks, she unwinds a story that combines the power of enduring love with the angst of hidden wounds, the depth of true-to-life characters with a page-turning storyline.

The imperfections of Schalesky's characters help us identify with each one. Their tender, tangled relationships remind us of our own lives. And the book's surprising, hope-filled conclusion draws us back to the essentials.

At times, the author said a little too much. I wanted to draw my own conclusions about Paul and Maddy, and she made most of them for me. But I find that a minor flaw in a work that delighted and inspired me. I hope to read more from Marlo Schalesky and look forward to my next opportunity to look through her multifaceted lens.

This was a great book. Extremely easy to read and to believe. I was so not ready for the surprise ending. When I got to the end, I was so surprised that I wanted to go back and read the book again to see if it really could have happened that way. Awesome! Isn't is great when you get twice your money's worth out of a purchase?!?!

I strongly encourage you to find Beyond the Night at your local library or bookstore, and settle in with some Kleenex!

This was an incredibly powerful love story, with an ending that I did not expect. It's written in a way that moves seamlessly between the past and present of the lives of the couple - I didn't lose interest for a minute.

I am anxious to get my hands on another one of Marlo's books.

I hadn't read Marlo in a long time, and may I just say this book really caught me by surprise. It's so well-written and though the subject matter was difficult, I never felt pelted by the story. I was enthralled! Do yourself a favor and pick it up. : )