Customer Reviews

Madman: A Novel

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Based on the story of Legion, the demon possessed man in Mark 5:1-20, Madman is the picture of true torture and rape of the mind painted with the literary brushes of Tracy Groot. Whereas the descriptions of her characters are very well done, her descriptions of madness are absolutely excellent. She draws the reader into the story and makes everything, even things the characters in the novel suspect to be fantasy, seem real.

The main character Tallis, a philosopher's servant from Athens, travels to Palestine to uncover the truth about a school of Socrates' that silently disappeared without warning. At first no one seems to know what he's talking about, even though the school was supposed to have existed for the past eight years. After finally managing to pry information from one of many locked mouths, he discovers that the school's teachers are the source of the vanishing-one was murdered, one committed suicide, six are missing or in hiding, one is a high priestess in the temple of Dionysus, and one is completely and violently mad. Tallis struggles throughout the book as he fights for the truth no one wants to hear. But his weakness of mind makes it more difficult when he realizes that the only way to find the truth and to set things right is to somehow take the chaos out of the madman...which might put it into himself.

Madman is a well-written book. It captures the intrigue of the reader as he tries to put the pieces of the mystery together and holds in rapt attention. Groot succeeds at telling a Bible story from a non-believer's point of view without ending the novel on a cheesy note, which she should be praised for. She creates poignant descriptions of her characters and settings, especially in her descriptions of evil. It is also quite clear that Groot did her homework before she wrote about the worship of Dionysus, the everyday acts of the people living in Palestine, and the afflictions of madness, among other things.

However, this attention to detail can also be viewed as a weakness, when too much research is included in the novel. At times it is essential, either to get the story's facts correct or to help the reader understand something he or she has never heard of before, but there are several times it's distracting. It also makes the novel a heavy tome for the average reader, rather than one to read for entertainment or escape.

The only other faults, which seem minor in light of her otherwise talented writing, are that she flips back and forth between different characters' points of view with very little warning, and that occasionally the speech of the characters sounds a bit too modern.

Madman is highly recommended to those who have a keen interest in Greek mythology, philosophy, psychology, historical fiction from about 30 A.D. in Greece and Palestine, or spiritual warfare. The book is recommended in general to those in upper high school and older, who are avid readers, who won't be scared away by slightly heavier material, and who also enjoy mysteries. - April Selander, Christian Book Previews.com

Tallis arrives in ancient Palestine, a "scorched puck of a province" to find out what has happened to the Academy of Socrates, a school funded by his employer, the Greek philosopher Callimachus. What he finds is. . . nothing. No school, no teachers and no pupils. The school disbanded three years ago and the pupils are scattered. Out of a faculty of ten, six teachers have vanished. Of the remaining four, one was murdered, one committed suicide, a female teacher has become a priestess for the ancient god Dionysus and the last is a madman, living in the Gerasene tombs.

As Tallis digs deeper for answers he is drawn into a nightmare from his childhood. The horrors he witnessed at the hands of the Maenads will be repeated in the near future unless he finds a way to stop the madness. And stop it he must, or someone close to him will die.

Tracy Groot does an excellent job entering the mind of the demonic and showing the reader his torment. Her extensive research is also evident and does a good job at drawing the reader into the world of ancient Palestine. At times, this world is jarred by the use of modern jargon. The reader may also stumble over some of the ancient terminology used. The context in which such words are used isn't always clear.

But those are only slight bumps in a book that does an excellent job weaving a story of evil and love, repression and redemption.

This book is an excellent read. There are two reasons I gave it 4 stars instead of 5: first, because (as other reviewers have noted) her language gets too modern at times. This is a bit distracting from the historical accuracy of the writing. Secondly, she wraps two main themes up a bit too quickly for my liking. Apart from this, this book is quite well done. Her characters are VIVID. The writing is vivid. Groot is a very colorful author, whose language many times strikes almost more of poetry than of prose, but in a way that draws you in rather than feeling melodramatic. At times the writing was vivid enough to draw a physical reaction from me. Not a common occurence with me. I would highly recommend this book if you like deep subject matter, and anything having to do with the mind. There is a bit of very sweet romance in it too, which I liked. If the book intrigues you, check it out! You won't be disappointed.

I couldn't put this book down! Accurate and compelling - it drove me to the Bible to read the account again, and I was amazed at what I'd missed in my previous reading of the account.
I read this as a part of the Midday Connection bookclub.

This novel reminded me of Robinson's GILEAD-- in its drifting pace, its nuanced language, and its everyday quality. I felt, quite simply, like I was living in another time, beside old friends... and I was not in a hurry to let them go.

On the down side, I was occasionally propelled back to the present day through dialog that was a bit too modern. Overall, however, Groot's handling of exchanges was extremely natural, seamless, even brilliant. She also managed to sculpt a fascinating historical backdrop through the characters' words, actions, and observations (rather than through lengthy author-driven descriptions).

Mostly, I enjoyed watching Groot face the challenge of telling a story whose end we already know. After all, we remember that the demoniac is delivered. What we don't know is how that played out in his own pysche and the collective mind of a community that must have slowly spent itself on a person beyond reach. This is where Groot shines brightest... in exploring the inner realms of the demoniac and those around him. Because Groot explores these realms so successfully, I will have to remind myself again and again that this was just a novel-- one woman's plausible yet fictional sketch of a dramatic biblical event.

Definitely worth the read!

I really enjoyed this book... it was a real page turner and the flow was natural... and i am very particular about the language and i always make sure before i read any book that it has clean language.. and this book has a very clean language from the beginning to the end and it is highly recommended for christian readers....

This book was SO not what I expected. I was expecting an historical novel and wound up with a biblical novel. What an astonishing piece of work to support the story of the Essene demoniac. Great book - buy this for your pastor....

A demon possessed man feared by an entire village comes into direct contact with Truth, something new both to the man and also to the people from his geographical area. The story is found twice in the Bible, recollected by two of Jesus' followers: Mark and Luke. The biblical narrative provides good opportunity for some great `blank-filling,' which the author took advantage of. This novel is packed full of interesting information about ancient Greek culture. Reflecting the Greek culture, there is also a lot of philosophy about life, death and the spiritual realm. The story was fascinating. It was such a page turner that it only took me about two nights and one plane ride to finish it.

"Madman" is a historical novel that tells the imagined backstory of the two demon possessed men in the region of the Gadarenes from the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke. It is the third novel from Tracy Groot.

Tallis is a young Athenian scholar and servant. Eight years ago his master helped found a new academy, staffed by a group of brilliant scholars across the Sea of Gallilee. When his master asks Tallis to visit the school he believes it wiil be a quick trip, nothing more than a week long assignment to gather information from the scholars and visit the academy.

Soon after his arrival he realizes the academy was disbanded three years ago, most of the scholars are missing, some are dead, and someone has been forging reports about the school to his master during that time. Tallis' search for the truth ultimately threatens his life, challenges his philosophy, and forces him to encounter an unbelievable evil - demon possession.

I highly recommend Madman to anyone who is a fan of both literary fiction and suspense novels. At times I was engrossed by Groot's prose, lost inside word pictures that elegantly painted a portrait of the ancient Roman world - while at other moments I was flipping pages so fast I nearly ripped them from the binding!

Imagine the lyricism of John Grisham's "A Painted House" mixed with the adrenaline of Ted Dekker's "Obsessed" and you'll get an idea of "Madman".

Groot also avoids Christian fiction cliches and tells her story largely from the perspective of non-believers. The story of redemption is told with equal parts tact and forthrightness. The characters wrestle with the reality of good, evil, and the human responsibility to choose. Though Jesus Christ appears in "Madman" he is not the focal character, nor is he unrealistically portrayed as the Santa Claus answer to everyone's problems.

Though "Madman" may be considered too slow by many fans of spiritual warfare chillers, or too intense by some historical fiction readers, for my money it's the best of both worlds.

"Quandocumque impellunt, repelle - solum Jesu."

I checked this book out at my local library just because I thought it looked/sounded good. I didn't know it was a Christian fiction novel. I also didn't really know anything about the Gerasene demoniac, save for a vague memory. The book was a bit of a slow read...you felt as if you were with the main character, Tallis, each day because of the slow build. The Dionysian cultus storyline was interesting, if dark, and gave an excellent foil to the 'love one another' teachings of Christ that are presented at the end. For those who found the whole areas of human sacrifice, etc., depressing...I think that's the point. It is meant to highlight the dangers of idolatry and paganism. I was impressed by Groot's ability to educate about Christ and God's mercy without coming across preachy and holier-than-thou. I would not have been able to enjoy this novel if it had been blatantly "REPENT YE SINNERS!" Instead it was interesting, enjoyable, and most of all, inspiring.