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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"I thought so," the Creator sighed. "This same stupid bet.", August 21, 2007
Mark J. Ferrari can draw. For a near 2 decades, he made a living as a free-lance illustrator of fantasy. And, it turns out, Mark J. Ferrari can also write. THE BOOK OF JOBY is his debut novel and, simply put, it is a dazzling work of fantasy. Epic and contemporary, the story spans decades and draws heavily from the King Arthur mythos and the biblical pantheon. To be more specific, this book tells of a wager between God and the Devil involving the turning of one boy's soul, with literally everything as the prize.
Lucifer the Bright One had long been convinced that granting free will to humans was God's single greatest mistake. So strongly does this grate on him that, over and over and over, he's made the same bet with the Creator. Or, as God says with a sigh, "This same stupid bet." Lucifer has lost this wager countless times, having managed to seduce only two souls (you know, the two with the apple); but give the Devil his due, he's persistent. And so, for the umpteenth time, he and the Creator renew their bet. Again the fallen angel gets a chance to subvert a human selected by God. And, this time, Lucifer has more of an upper hand than ever as God has mandated that no one in His service, angel or near immortal, lift a finger to succor the poor chosen soul, unless that soul should ask for aid. But, then, He has also instructed that this soul mustn't, by any means, be made aware of the wager.
We are then introduced to Joby Peterson, a 9-year-old boy filled to the bursting with flights of fancies and a zest for life. His favorite book, given to him by his grandfather, is A Child's Treasury of Arthurian Tales, and vigorously he strives to live up to the code of a knight. As the Creator tearfully mentions Joby to his archangel, "You should see him now. You'd love him, Michael. You'd love him fiercely." It is Joby, of course, whose mettle Lucifer will be testing, whose soul he must turn. Thus, insiduously, thru the years, Lucifer and his minions scheme and work to steadily break Joby's spirit. They have enough success that by the time Joby had grown into a young man, a strangehold of resentment and self-doubt had set it. And yet, there's a spark left in Joby. After a tragic-ending stay at Berkeley, he ends up hitchhiking to Taubolt, a hidden, idyllic village he had once visited and loved as a child. There, he is befriended by the warm and disarming townspeople and lands a job as a high school teacher. There, he renews acquaintance with his childhood sweetheart and meets for the first time her surly, heartbroken son. And, there, in Taubolt, which safeguards the most legendary magical object of all, Joby will at last tussle with the devil.
This is a long and dense book. It's 638 pages long (for the purpose of irony, I wish Ferrari had added 28 more pages). But, more relevant, Ferrari packs in so much into these 638 pages that, after having read the last page, I was emotionally wrung out yet cheering. There's almost a grueling, nervewracking element in this book's reading in that, if you're familiar with your Bible, you know what Joby is in for. I don't know if this'll be the same experience for you, but I genuinely liked Joby's character. Hell, I liked all the characters, including the heavenly and the damned. But, with regards to Joby, well, in a way, the author almost made me hesitate to turn the page as I was wary of when or where the next ton of hurt was gonna fall on the poor guy. It's a long book and I knew Joby was going to be continually tormented and suffer heartbreak and losses. The insiduous thing, as schemed by Lucifer, is that after each tragedy, Joby is granted a brief respite to somewhat recover. And, then, of course, he gets sideswiped by the devil's freight train again. Aside from that, I couldn't flip over the pages fast enough.
If you like your King Arthur, then you've come to the right place. Arthur is manifested here somewhere, along with others I won't name as the fun lies in bumping into them in these pages. The story is chronicled in two fronts. We certainly get to know Joby as Ferrari narrates three decades of his life. But here and there are passages devoted to the angels, demons (and one half-demon), the Devil and even the Supreme Being himself, and Ferrari does an exquisite job of making them accessible and contemporary to us. The conversations and debates and heated arguments amongst these celestial or hellish powers, carried out in often colloquial but sometimes formal fashion, contribute some of the most fascinating, thought-provoking, and amusing reading. We learn that even steadfast archangels can be at times laced with doubts and that, to their consternation, they aren't that in sync with God. Some may even choose to disobey their Lord, thinking him uncaring. Speaking of whom, there's just something so pleasing and comforting about a God who speaks in earthy fashion, has a sense of humor, and goes around dressed in ragged tennis shoes, weathered blue jeans, and a short sleeve, gray cotton shirt. On the other hand, Old Sulfur Stacks, the old contrarian, sports impeccably tailored suits. Meanwhile, Luficer's underlings embody the backstabbing upward mobility so prevalent in cutthroat corporate businesses.
I'm sorry. I've gone on and on and on. I've only just a short while ago put this book down, and these are my immediate reactions. Ferrari is a dynamic writer and THE BOOK OF JOBY is compelling stuff. It's a magical book, in both senses of the word. Clearly the author had been chomping at the bit to put his story to paper. He doesn't make the mistake of condescending or sermoning to his audience but instead concentrates on heartfelt and spellbinding storytelling. Joby's journey is alternately heartbreaking and joyous, despairing and life-affirming. The Devil has never been more petty or vile, but God has never been more wise and loving. THE BOOK OF JOBY will suck you in and have you rooting and fearing for Joby, Laura, Hawk, Rose, Solomon, Ben, Jake, and the others. And, no, not everyone makes it out alive. But read it anyway. It's probably good for the soul.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A funny thing happened to me on my way to a life....., August 22, 2007
There are many good science fiction and fantasy books being written these days, but few with a such a splendid sense of humor. Mark Ferrari's "Book of Joby" does an excellent job of providing big heaping handfuls of both subtle and not so subtle funniness. Yet this is not some light-hearted fluff piece. It is rich in characterization and plot. The story line moves along at a very nice clip and the pacing insure that your interest is kept from the beginning to the end. The characters are believable, the locations are familiar and framework of supernatural and magic is recognizable.
The world of Joby is filled with dark and terrible things, most of which Joby is hardly aware of. Things (events, friends, jobs, etc) just seem to go wrong, just about the time everything is going so right. It is enough to try the patience of Job!
And yet, through this entire chaotic climate, there is hope, love, friendship and the odd wizard. Mix in The Supreme Being, season with a few arch angels, add a dash of reincarnation and bring to a boil with Lucifer. A love triangle worthy of an Arthurian legend, complete with Arthur, Lancelot and Guinevere, provide an interesting twist in the age-old conflict of Good and Evil.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope to read many more stories from the creative and very visual mind of Mark Ferrari. I give it 5 stars.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Drink from the Cup of Despair and Joy, March 31, 2008
It's not often that you run into such a scintillating first novel. But this one certainly is.
As the first chapter notes, it's all about "the same old stupid bet" - the one between God and Satan that Satan can corrupt a human and make him actively join forces with the dark side. There's only one small difference: for this round, God is forbidden to intervene in events (though, conspicuously, his servants can, if asked for help). For his chosen champion, God selects a young boy named Joby. Joby, like many young boys, is enthralled with the legend of King Arthur, and in a dream promises Arthur that he will fight the forces of evil, and be as perfect as can be. From this starting point, we follow Joby through his life, his successes and his failures, the trials and very real tribulations he is faced with, his dreams, his joys, and his depressions.
Now all this has been done before in other books. What makes this book more than worthwhile to read is the absolute believability of Joby. His character is very finely delineated, along with those around him who are touched by his actions and in turn have deep effects on him. I found myself cheering him on when he was being all he could be, rushing through those pages, uplifted by this portrait of a truly good person, and falling into a depression almost as bad as his when things go horribly wrong, again and again. And throughout the first three quarters of this book, what Joby faces are very believable, and some would say, very normal problems and defeats, things that everyone can relate to, with some real tragedies that will make you groan in despair. Only in the last stages of this book does it really delve into the metaphysical/fantasy aspects, but here again we find a fine picture of true moral dilemmas, not just for Joby, but even for some angels.
In between those pages about Joby we are treated to a rather satirical portrait of Satan and his cohorts, and a portrait of God that might seem rather different than the one you might have gained from church services. While some may be offended by these portraits, the final picture that emerges is one that is fully in keeping with the Bible. Right alongside this, there is some rather sharp commentary about certain types of people and just how `good' goals and institutions can be subverted to where their actual achievements are the opposite of their supposed intentions, and certain aspects of our culture receive a rather merciless pounding. Much of this is delivered with a mild touch of humor, and almost all of it is done by `showing' - no long philosophical essays here.
There are a few not very expectable plot twists here and there, and certain familial relations don't become clear until fairly late in the book, but this merely keeps the suspense alive until the final resolution. The tie-ins with the Arthurian legends are well done, and add an aspect to this story that is not present in most other books that utilize this idea.
An excellent book, populated by people you will remember for a long time, and with a lot food for thought permeating its pages.
--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
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