Customer Reviews

The Curve of the World: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Marcus Stevens is an experienced African traveler with the gift of making the Congo so real that even in the chill spring mist of the Pacific Northwest, I felt the steam rise up fron the lush rainforest floor. In "The Curve of the World," Stevens introduces the reader to Lewis Burke, a man successful in his business, but so unsuccessful in relationships that he is estranged from his wife and young, blind son. On a routine flight from Paris to South Africa, Lewis's plane experiences mechanical trouble and is forced to land on a make-shift airstrip surrounded by miles of virgin Congolese rainforest. Will Lewis see his family again? Will he come to understand that the selling of Coca-Cola isn't--or shouldn't be--the most important part of his life? The adventure and education of Lewis in the Congo was so compelling that I read this book almost straight through. Helen, Lewis's independent and gutsy wife who comes to the Congo with her blind, seven-year-old son to find her missing husband, is so well drawn that I'd swear I know her.

I bought and read this book after hearing Marcus Stevens present at a Book/Author Dinner in Richmond, Virginia. Once I started reading, I couldn't put this book down. This book was two stories in one. One was the ultimate quest for survival after Lewis Burke's plane was required to make a forced landing in the remote Congo. His stories of survival, and subsequent befriending and rescue by a young Congolese boy, were fascinating. I felt like I was in the Congo trying to survive with him! This was intermingled with a love story, and ultimately renewed love between Lewis and his wife Helen. Their relationship had greatly suffered after the birth of their blind son Shane. Their relationship deteriorated for seven years while Helen gave her complete attention to raising a blind child, and Lewis withdrew more and more. Lewis' disappearance in the Congo renewed their temporarily lost love and brought them all back together. I greatly enjoyed this first work by Marcus Stevens and look forward to more from him!

The book was good, but in the end I realized something was really missing for me. What was it? The story was great, a Coca-Cola sales rep, flying over Africa on a business trip is on a plane which develops smoke in the cockpit, and is forced to make an emergency landing in the unwelcoming country of Congo, on a remote landing strip. This opening section of the book, with the plane crash landing was one of my favorites, I think it's what grabbed me, and kept me turning the pages. The passengers at first think they are going to be rescued, but their would-be rescuers turn out to be rebels who take the plane hostage, again there was great suspense through this part. Lewis, the title character becomes scared the plane is going to be blown up, and runs off into the jungle... Back home his estranged wife Helen, and seven year old blind son Shane wait for news. Soon after Lewis runs off Murphy's law kicks in, and the passengers are freed, and sent back to Paris. Ahh. But there is no Lewis in Paris because he has run off into the forest. Here, I was reminded of the movie castaway, where Helen is being pressured to believe Lewis is dead, and to just have the memorial... Instead Lewis is fighting for his life in the jungle, and instead of a soccer ball like Tom Hanks had in Castaway Lewis picks up a little kid who guides him through the rest of the book...During Lewis's time in the jungle Helen decides to pack up her son (this pushed my bounds of belief, as she was so neurotic about him in the states, I found it hard to believe she was bringing him to the wild's of Africa) and head to Africa in search of Lewis. She does this twice in the book. I won't tell you how it all comes out, but the ending was a bit implausable to me as well. So all the elements are here for a five star book, but I guess what was missing was my connections to the characters. I couldn't really see Lewis's attachement to Helen, and Vice Versa. Having said that, I did flip through the pages, and read the whole thing in one day, so it does grip you, and moves along quite quickly... I guess after I finished I just wasn't as satisfied as I wanted to be.

I love stories of survival and adventure, which I expected Curve of the World to be. I give this book 4 stars because the quality of the writing is good, and I was drawn to continue reading to find out what happened after the Coke executive became lost in the Congo jungle. He became very ill and was on the brink of death very quickly in his ordeal which seems a likely scenario if this happened to "real" people under such circumstances. His survival has more to do with luck in finding some dirty water to drink and a few roots to eat, and being discovered and helped by a young boy rather than to any wit and cunning or survival skills.

What I found disappointing about the book was that it focused half on his survival story, and half on his relationship with his wife, and so it became more of a psychological drama of relationships rather than an adventure. I suppose this is the author's intention, but it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I guess I'm better off getting back to reading non-fiction stories of real people surviving in real situations of adversity. There are plenty of such books out there.

The beginning of this book opened with lots of promise but the plot proved to be weak and boring. The story is about an executive from Coke that is going to Africa on business at the same time that he is separating from his wife. He is having doubts about the separation when the plane develops problems and they are forced to land deep in the Congo. A militia group captures the plane and our hero escapes only to find himself lost in the jungle. The rest of the book is about his journey to stay alive while his wife and blind son attempt to find him. During his jungle survival he keeps having flashback after flashback to the point of boredom. I started skimming them after awhile. He actually does get rescued but goes back in search of the young boy that helped him - an act not very believable at that point. The wife is mostly unable to get anyone to help her find her husband - including either government. Nothing is ever said again about his company - Coke. It seems they would have at least attempted to look for him or at least communicated to his wife - an exclusion that I find most improbable. After finding her husband, the book abruptly ends, never tying up the loose ends woven throughout the story, but at that point one almost doesn't care because one is so ready for the book to end. I gave it two stars only because I did actually finish it.

I thouroughly enjoyed this tale of a man's struggle to stay alive. I have personally lived in africa for over a decade and have found this book to be very accurate. Stevens has obviously spent time there. I would disagree with another reviewer who said that the story was far fetched in that the african would drop everything to help her. This is not far-fetched, the people in africa are incredibly giving and kind. If you want a book you can't put down and one that tells a nice story and a nice window into the way the conflict is in the congo and how african life is, then read this book, you won't regret it.

This was one of the blandest books I've ever read. Kept reading and reading just to see how all the weird dreams and signals would come together. Nothing.

I wanted so much for Lewis to find his way by using his non-seeing senses. This would've been his way of finally bonding with his blind son. It also would've made me care more about whether Lewis ever got back to his son. The characters were transparent and the story predictable. I want to be surprised when I read an adventure like this! I learned nothing new about Africa. I didn't care about the characters.

I've read much better books set in the Congo that have me right there with the characters. It was as if Mr. Stevens' editors cut all the visceral descriptions to make room for something else, but I don't know what, exactly. Try again, Mr. Stevens. I want to take a trip when I read. Make me forget I'm reading a story. Feed me an experience.

The number of reviews contained here about The Curve of the World is indicative of the effect this book will have on the reader. It is a stunning first novel, able to pull the reader into a journey that is both harrowing and illuminating. I am not going to rehash what others have already said concerning the book--for it is all that is said--but I will add that I was captivated. I truly escaped into the story. The one thing that bothererd me, though, is trying to figure out why Helen goes to such lengths to find Lewis. There is very little in the book that creates a feeling that even once upon a time the couple were truly in love. The relationship is in tatters, with Helen preoccupied with raising their blind son, but nowhere do I feel they ever shared a real bond. Hence, it is difficult to swallow what Helen does to find Lewis. Still, the book is worth the time as it is other-worldly.

I agree with a couple of the other reviews in that the ending was a bit unbelievable but the journey to get to the end was a delight. The first 50 pages WILL grab you and then you're just along for the ride and what a fun literary trip you are taken on.

This is a rather pleasing novel that started as adventure and ended in heart-tugging emotion. I don't think it's as bad as some reviewers make it out to be, but I understand the criticism, especially if you're looking for action and suspense. Those moments are rare. CURVE OF THE WORLD is really a love story portraying hope and rebirth. Helen searches for her husband, Lewis, lost in the wild jungle amidst warring primitive people in Central Africa. Both encounter personal challenges to their survival but the memories, dreams, and images of the other helps keep each alive. They each experience times when their own beliefs and values are challenged but their blind son Shane keeps them both going by his honest vision of the world.

My guess is we will hear from Marcus Stevens again. Although this first novel won't break any sales records, it is thought-provoking and stylish enough to attract a faithful audience willing to read him again. I am included in that group.