Empire of Light [Hardcover]

David Czuchlewski (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 2003

In this beguiling psychological page-turner, a young man confronts a complex puzzle of love, deception, and belief-and a powerful religious organization that may be something far more sinister.

Matt Kelly is shocked when his ex-girlfriend Anna Barrett joins a shadowy organization known as Imperium Luminis-and disappears. As Matt researches Imperium Luminis, he finds himself both strangely attracted to the group's aspirations, and suspicious about their intentions. But when he begins to uncover some questionable practices, and becomes convinced that Imperium Luminis is actually a cult, Matt decides to persuade Anna that she has been deceived-even going so far as to pretend to join Imperium Luminis himself.

But how can one pretend to join? Trapped in this murky uncertainty of good and evil, where truth twists into lies, where even his own feelings are suspect, Matt must race to find Anna, and to uncover the true nature, and the true power, of the Empire of Light.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Czuchlewski's first novel, The Muse Asylum, was a highly praised psychological thriller; his second, the story of a mysterious-and possibly sinister-Catholic sect's impact on two former lovers, is considerably less exciting. An underachieving Princeton grad, Matt Kelly might have tried to forget his ex, the beautiful, rich Anna Damiani Barrett, but then she shows up on his doorstep, disheveled and disowned. After an awkward night, she disappears, but soon sends Matt letters about the wonders of Imperium Luminis-the Empire of Light. The powerful society, founded by a shady Sicilian mystic, boasts papal approval and a publicly announced spectrum of noble motives, but its means to its ends are far less noble. Anna, like many new disciples, was fogged with drugs and alcohol; she's sober now, but she's not exactly free. The narrative cuts forward and backward in time, as Matt embarks on a long and confused chase to rescue Anna from the clutches of Imperium Luminis. Slowing the pace even further are frequent theological digressions and windy excerpts from the sect's founder's confession ("As the sheep went about their mindless business, I would spend the day perched on a sun-warmed rock, reading of the Israelites and the Apostles"). As the novel moves toward its climax, things get a little more stimulating, as characters' motivations and confessions are called into question, and Matt uncovers the influence of the sect on his own past. Czuchlewski is still a writer to watch, but this sophomore effort, with its winding narrative and passable prose, will likely disappoint fans of his debut.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

When Matt Kelly's ex-girlfriend appears on his doorstep one rainy night, he has little idea how much his life will soon change. Anna, a free-spirited socialite whose hard-partying ways ended their relationship in Princeton, has once again hit rock bottom. Soon after their surprise reunion, she informs him that she has joined Imperium Luminus, a sect of the Catholic Church that many suspect of being a cult. Matt is soon recruited by Anna's wealthy stepfather to infiltrate the sect and bring Anna back home. Yet as Matt learns more about Imperium Luminus, he begins to see value in its teachings and question the motives of Anna's stepfather. His initiation into the sect also dredges up some secrets about his father, a taciturn, Columbia-educated Vietnam vet who now works as a subway brakeman. Czuchlewski keeps the plot moving at a rapid clip, introducing new twists and constantly keeping the reader unsure of whom to trust. Part psychological thriller and part meditation on the nature of faith, this smartly written novel should attract the interest of readers. Brendan Dowling
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 236 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult (September 11, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399151036
• ISBN-13: 978-0399151033
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,938,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars End Justifies the Means, January 23, 2004

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Empire of Light (Hardcover)

David Czuchlewski's cult novel picks you up and carries you along swiftly with its fast moving plot. Czuchlewski skillfully weaves the plots in Matt Kelly's life with his girlfriend Anna Damiani and his father's illness. This leads Matt into a soul-searching period that unsettles his stable life as a teacher. The title of the book obviously indicates the focus centering on the plot with the Imperium Luminis or "Empire of Light." Yet, it was the subplot of Matt discovering his father as he says goodbye that was the most moving and compelling for me. The scene at the end with the windows open and curtains blowing mirroring the Irish traditions rooted the novel for me. The Benefactor of the cult, Giuseppe Conti, wrote a book called "The Pilgrim." The snippets of the book we read through Kelly's eyes are actually quite beautiful spiritual sentiments. I found the setting in Sicily to be moving. The spy-like part of the book with Anna's stepfather Carl Barrett trying to deprogram the woman and Matt's entrance into the cult made the pages turn quickly, but were ultimately less satisfying for me. The hypocrisy of lying to someone, as Anna does to Matt, should have been enough to eradicate any trust he felt for her. So the Orwellian ending didn't ring true for me. Czuchlewski more manipulates the characters and moves them around like chess pieces than he draws us into the lives of people we come to care about and find unforgettable. However, the theme of whether the end justifies the means is one that remains important and gives the novel depth. "Empire of Light" is interesting, if not totally satisfying. Enjoy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Light not bright enough!, November 3, 2003

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Empire of Light (Hardcover)

I usually stay away from novels about young people getting caught in a cult. There's a pattern I find irritating: troubled person flees, undergoes torturous initiations and penances, tries to escape...yawn! However, Empire of Light is different because we're seeing the cult from an outsider's perspective.

And author Czuchlewski can write. I found myself turning the pages, genuinely caring about what would happen to the characters. If you've got a long miserable airplane flight, tuck this book into your carryon bag. It IS hard to put down.

Matthew Kelly's ex-girlfriend, Anna, joins Empire of Light and a cat-and-mouse game ensues.
Will Matt give in and join? Will Matt's staunchly Catholic family encourage him? And what secrets in Matt's own family will emerge through Matt's own quest? We learn that Matt's father, a brilliant Columbia U graduate, spent his life as a motorman on the NYC subways -- and eventually we learn why.

I gave the book only three stars because after awhile,the plot seemed to be going in circles. I don't want to give away the story, but at some point, the hero needs to say, "If Anna wants to join the cult., more power to her! I want to get on with my own life."

And my credibility was strained by the vast reach of the cult -- hidden cameras, cars, people available for surveillance...

A healhy, smart young man would have friends in his life, especially male friends, who might ask him some thought-provoking questions. The hero seems to live completely alone, except for his family and this ex-girlfriend.

The ending, to me, was unsatisfying, even annoying. I kept wanting to shake the hero and say, "Get a grip!"

There is one flashback that may explain a great deal. After his freshman year, the hero gives up an internship with a law firm to spend a summer with Anna in Italy -- giving him a lifetime of memories that can never be replaced. On the one hand, I rejoiced in the hero's decision -- never turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! -- but I also wonder if that wasn't the beginning of the end. Most young men outgrow their youthful romances. This one should have.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars uncertainty principle..., October 30, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Empire of Light (Hardcover)

Another literary excursion into the uncertainty principle but this one is done unpretentiously and with a sort of verisimilitude that creeps up on you. You care about these characters but it is the plot and what it is working out that drives you along. The fundamental issue at large here is how we will interpret the world and one another and upon what evidence, and how it is possible to trust and risk a life in the presence of competing ambiguities. It is very fleetly done and a very entertaining and quick read. The Imperium Luminis is no doubt loosely drawn upon the present day all too real Opus Dei. Find it and read it.