Customer Reviews

Fireproof

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3 star:		(4)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Fireman Caleb Holt puts his life on the line every day to save others. Despite his hard work ethic and dedication to his job, the flames that were once so evident in his marriage have begun to sizzle out. After eight years of mediocrity and disappointment Catherine Holt has filed for divorce. Caleb now comes to a crossroads where he must decide between giving up and staying to fight for the woman he loves. Searching for answers, Caleb reaches out to his father never anticipating how his life will soon change. Caleb is now ready to set out on the ultimate dare to fight for his marriage like his has never fought for anything before.

Firpeproof is the third collaboration between novelist Eric Wilson and filmmakers Alex and Stephen Kendrick (the team behind Facing the Giants and Flywheel). As with the previous film projects, Eric Wilson does a masterful job of taking a screenplay and transforming it into a fantastic story with inspiring characters and a challenging message.

We live in a society where the marriage relationship is not appreciated or taken very seriously. The easy thing to do when things get difficult is to divorce, and we see this pattern played out over and over again for so many couples. Fireproof is a story written to challenge our culture's perspective on marriage. Yes, we get some great action sequences and suspenseful moments throughout, but the heart of this story is found in Caleb's resolve to save his marriage and fight for the woman he loves.

Eric Wilson brings this struggle to life throughout the pages, drawing us deeper into Caleb and Catherine's problems. I really appreciate the way that neither Caleb nor Catherine is shouldered with the blame, rather we see how both are equally responsible for the plight they are in. Wilson takes us into the depths of Caleb's struggle with purity and the darkness that resides there. Our glimpses of Catherine's flirtations with infidelity are eye-opening and equally as frightening.

Fireproof is certainly different than the suspense/supernatural thrillers we've come to expect from Eric Wilson. However, in many ways this may be one of the most important messages Wilson has tackled in his writing career. This story has the potential to change the way our culture looks at marriage and it is my sincere hope and prayer that this novel and the film will work together to do just that. My hat's off to Eric Wilson and The Kendrick Brothers for treating us with yet another soul stirring reminder of what is truly important and what it takes to fight for it.

(By the way, if you enjoyed Eric's writing in this book....then you will be blown away by his novel, Field of Blood (Jerusalem's Undead Trilogy, Book 1). AMAZING!!!)

In case nobody has noticed, Eric Wilson is getting pretty good! Ok, cut through it already, he's better than most. So much so that Alex and Stephen Kendrick trust him with screenplays that they wrote, and Eric was chosen to do the novelization. In my opinion, that's great! Let's just say that with "Fireproof," Eric Wilson decides to turn up the heat.

Who would not want to be in the shoes (or boots) of Caleb Holt? He's a man's man, he's in charge, and he's one of the youngest to be promoted to Captain. He's a hard working firefighter. There is no doubt you'll see his name in the papers, maybe on the evening news. The man's a hero. But with all due respect, you'd better convince Catherine that. Who's Catherine? That would be Caleb's wife. They fell in love once upon a time, and now are preparing for the easiest way to go separate ways. The idea of communication, let alone eye contact between these two is nothing short of eruption in the home. And the marriage looks to go up in smoke.

But Caleb's dad isn't about to give up so quickly, and he dares him. He dares Caleb Holt with a 40 day commitment called, "The Love Dare." And what Caleb thought he knew about love is about to reach a whole new level. The stakes are going to be high. The question is, how badly does Caleb want this marriage to survive? Does he love his wife just as badly as he loves fighting a fire?

This is a movie I've looked forward to, and after reading this, even more so! Eric Wilson shines with this effort. He knows how to keep a reader's attention. And he knows how to make it special. And I give a special thanks to Eric Wilson. Thank you!

Eric Wilson does it again with his newest novelization of a Kendrick brothers movie. I cant compare this to the movie as I have not seen it yet(but after reading the book I cant wait to see it). The book is about Captain Caleb Holt, an Albany Georgia firefighter who risks his life daily to put out fires and to save lives but it seems that the fire in his 7-yr marriage seems to be going out. His wife says that she doesnt love him and all they do is yell at each other. When Calebs father tells him to give it 40 days and to take the Love Dare, he decides to give it one more go. A great story with great characters. I highly recommend reading the book if you have seen the movie or even if you havent. The only thing though is if you read the book before seeing the movie you may be a little disappointed as Eric Wilson adds a lot of back story and character devolpment that is not in the movie. My wife has also started reading the book and she loves it so far. Again a great book by a great author.

I bought this book because the movie wasn't available in my area and I didn't want to wait for the DVD to come out. I also bought the Fireproof couples kit which has a DVD with clips from the movie and a workbook for each spouse with discussion questions plus activities for couples to go through together. Both of these, the book and the kit, have been helpful in building a stronger marriage.
The book is based on the movie so it's not the best literature in the world. I felt that some scenes probably come off better in the movie. That said, it's a wonderful story that brought laughter and tears. I believe every couple will relate in one way or the other to the characters in the story.

No, I don't live in a cave, but I have not seen the movie, nor have I picked up any of the study materials. My wife read the book and recommended it to me. I'm an avid reader but I was really not looking forward to it.

Why not?

Well, let's face it - there's some poorly made/written stuff out there that only sells because it's family friendly or because it is "Christian". So, I reluctantly picked this one up.

Boy, was I surprised. I was hooked from the first chapter and shot through this book in less than 48 hours. (I've reviewed hundreds of books on Amazon.com but I am hardly a speed reader - more like a dogged one).

The relationship between the husband and wife characters (Caleb and Catherine) is on the rocks but seems realistic (and is not overly romance novel-like). The firefighting scenes are exciting and well-done. Sure, you can see the end coming from 100 miles away but it was still well done.

I did roll my eyes at the "prize" scene at the end of the book - it was too much for my taste, but still a good book nonetheless. Well worth my time.

****Addition - May 1, 2009*****
I have now seen the movie and can definitely say that the book is better. The movie is good, but the book is better.

This review was actually written as a comment about a negative review. As an afterthought, I decided to place it as a review.

My husband and I watched the movie together and have had many discussions about the movie with Christian friends. NONE of us viewed the movie as you did. I definitely agree that our marriage, as well as many others I know of, have grown and seen great miracles as we drew nearer to God through His Word. Note that we must be in the Word and walking with the Lord.

As the movie began, it is clear that neither Caleb nor Catherine were walking with God. That alone was the main problem in their marriage! Neither of them was able to be loving toward the other because at that time they were in bondage to sin. I believe that by accepting his father's dare and following through with it, that he actually then became the head of his home. And, because of his example, he led his wife to the Lord.

As Caleb completed each day's dare, he began to see his own flaws/sins. We see him change simply because he is getting into the Word and beginning his walk with the Lord. We see these changes because he is being set free and his heart is being purified. Remember him destroying his computer? Once we allow God to purify our hearts we begin to make positive changes in our lives. "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45/Matt. 12:34&35

I have to disagree with you that prior to accepting the Love Dare that Caleb was a good husband. Having a "good job" and being "heroic" DO NOT make a good husband. At that point, Caleb and Catherine were equally "difficult". They antagonized one another. Neither was interested in pleasing the other. Each was selfish in his own way. Each was critical of the other. In other words, they behaved like many married couples, both Christians and non-Christians.

I believe this movie is perfect to give to non-believers, those who have left their first love and those who are walking with Christ. It definitely is scripture based. It can be a tool to reach the unsaved. Maybe it's a seed sown or a seed watered. I wish you would read the comment by R. Canaan. That post is exactly what I'm talking about. An unbeliever who was touched by this movie and recommends it to other non-believers! I believe this movie represents the kind of marriage God designed coming from a marriage controlled by Satan. We had our 15 year old son watch the movie. It gave us a fantastic opportunity to talk with him not only about marriage, but how God tells us to treat one another. Especially how God commands husbands and wives to treat one another. We also talked about Jesus sacrificial love for us and that God expects us to have that same sacrificial love for others.

I have ordered the book. I've been told it tells more about Caleb and Catherine's relationship after beginning their walk with Christ. My husband and I have started "The Love Dare". Not because our marriage was in trouble, but because the ideas in it remind each of us of who we fell in love with and how we treated one another early in our relationship. It is just too easy to allow life to get in our way and become complacent with our spouse. That is something we refuse to allow! I'm even using the dares in dealing with my teenagers and how they treat one another. Personally, I'm grateful and praise God that He placed this movie and the two books on the hearts of the authors!

Every marriage goes through some tough times. In this day and age, most of us accept divorce as acceptable and sometimes expected in a marriage. It is refreshing to read a story that is based on renewing a couple's love for each other and showing the blessings you can reap from forgiveness rather than the continuing hurt of divorce.

This story is realistic. I felt like I was reading about an actual couple who had gone through feelings of separation and written a story about it. They have been married for six years - long enough to know each other well, and to be disgusted with each other. It is interesting to have the viewpoint of both the man and the woman, to be able to put yourself in both of their shoes, so to speak.

I think a lot of spouses go through similar feelings of distance and could relate well to the characters. There is not a lot of drama as you might see in a movie or on TV - not a lot of tension that you feel as you are reading. It is, however, real enough to someone who is going through similar heartaches, similar fights, and similar distances without putting the blame on only one or the other.

I have not read any other Eric Wilson books as of yet, and I have not yet seen the movie, "Fireproof." From this novelization, I can see his talent of fiction writing, adding such lovely descriptions of a fire, of the surroundings in a scene, of a person's thoughts and struggles. I look forward to reading one of his own novels, which I received today!

"Fireproof" can touch lives and encourage married couples to focus their attention back onto each other and to make their marriage fireproof through the One who can bring redemption, love and joy into it.

I'll admit I knew little about Fireproof (both the book and the movie) other than the buzz I heard about The Love Dare. Intrigued, I got the book and read it, fully expecting an action-adventure story about a fireman, with his personal life a very small subplot of the book. Instead, the book is mostly about saving a marriage and finding faith, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like quick reads with substance and this novel delivered. Not only that, but it made me think about my own marriage and how important it is to nurture my relationship with my husband and not let it die. Wilson does a great job of not only bringing the conflict between the characters alive but infusing the story with palpable emotion. It speaks to the reader on several levels. Highly recommended.

Good story, deals with very difficult marriage issues, more about love and marriage, than about mystery or action which the title might lead you to believe. It made me cry and laugh which says a lot about the authors ability to connect you with the characters. It encouraged me to fire proof my marriage.

This book is written after the movie "Fireproof"

I had no idea what it was about and was expecting a man's fire drama but was deeply surprised. It's about Captain Caleb Holt who is a firefighter who is in a bad his relationship with his wife Catherine who wants a divorce.

When Caleb tells his father, John, about the impending divorce, John challenges Caleb to commit to a 40-day test which he calls the "Love Dare", which Caleb agrees to try. Initially Catherine doubts Caleb's sincerity in his attempts to win her back due to his half-hearted attempts at completing the Love Dare, but Caleb continues with encouragement from his father and his close friend Michael who also encourages him to become a born-again Christian.

In the meantime, Catherine begins flirting with Dr. Keller (he doesn't know she's married), at the hospital where she works informing him about her mother's medical situation. Caleb is brought to Catherine's hospital Caleb after he is injured while rescuing a girl in a fire, where a nurse inadvertently says in front of Dr. Keller that Caleb is Catherine's husband.... Read the book to find out what happens!

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