Customer Reviews

The Singer/The Song/The Finale (The Singer Trilogy 1-3)

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Calvin Miller has created something beautiful here. The Singer is the story of Christ, the Song is the story of the proliferation of the Gospel in the book of Acts, and the Finale is the book of Revelations.

This book is such a welcome change to what's out there in christian fiction today. The lyrical quality of this collection is awesome. Miller has infused every word with such depth. I have read these books many times and have NEVER failed to be moved by them.

This is a classic trilogy, you would doing yourself a disservice if you did not read these stories at least once.

Simply beautiful. It is rare to find such an uplifting book in these dark times. Now it is more common to find a spoof of the life of Jesus than a Christian book based upon it. A must have for a fantasy lover as well. This is a lyrical collection of prose-poems that are a fantasy-like retelling of the the gospel. The first book is about the actual life of Christ and the crucifixtion. The second book is based upon the spreading of the gospel and the trials of early Christians. The final book of the trilogy is based upon Revelations. Once again, the language is simply beautiful.

In the beginning was the song of love.

Alone in empty nothingness and space

It sang itself through vaulted halls above

Reached gently out to touch the Father's face.

Tired of fluffy pop Christian fiction? Try Calvin Miller's Singer Trilogy, an allegorical retelling of the New Testament in three movements. Book 1, The Singer, is a depiction of the life of Christ. Book 2, The Song, describes the spread of the gospel by the early church. And Book 3, The Finale, looks forward to the end of history and God's ultimate triumph over evil.

Miller achieves something few contemporary Christian fiction authors even attempt--poetic prose akin to Lewis or Tolkein, with the theological insight and literary style of Milton or Bunyan. His narrative is moving, compelling and breathes with artistic power. Peretti has got nothing on this.

This book was suggested to me by a "web friend" I've never met, and I can see why. I finished it several weeks ago, and should have written a review when the material was fresh. However, perhaps some settling time will broaden my vision of the book. Miller is a fine writer, very skilled with language, and the poetic nature of the writing lends some rhythmic elements to the work that I found enriching. His attempt to mythically retell the New Testament (NT) story is quite ambitious, but I think he succeeds admirably. While I did not find the latter half as penetrating as the first, I found the overall sweep very thought-provoking, as Miller not only tells of the Singer's words and deeds, but draws the persons with whom the Singer interacts into the story, showing how they react and/or change in response to the him. It makes the tale much more personal and introspective. It was interesting, being quite familiar with the NT, to see Miller's "mythic" recasting of certain elements - overall, he seemed to follow the text closely. If anything, Miller's exploration of some characters' roles within the tale made the impact of the Singer's life much more vivid and arresting. The book may have been written to stir one to consider the historical reality of Christ more seriously - if that was it's end, it certainly does so. Recommended.

This is one of those books I read over and over again. I have read it probably 20 times since my first reading. Calvin Miller puts biblical stories into narrative poems that are so well written they force you to turn the page again and again. This book is the first in the Singer Trilogy, followed by The Song and The Finale. It is a poetic retelling of three biblical books: The Singer parallels the 4 Gospels, The Song retells the story of Acts, and The Finale is Miller's version of the book of Revelation.

Miller writes explicitly Christian fantasy in these books. He is also widely known for his non-fiction AND Christian life application books.

The Singer is a powerful retelling of the life of Christ, where instead of Jesus and The Gospel you have the Singer and his song. His song, if you are open to it, can bring healing and restoration. The World-Hater, wants to destroy both the Singer and his star song. Miller's words moved me to tears the first time I encountered them. The story is so well written, it can be read over and over without losing its freshness. The book is also excellently illustrated by Chicago artist Joe DeVelasco. The drawings done in pen and Ink style add to the power of the story by transporting you into the events.

No matter how many times over I reread this book, it is always fresh and new and draws me into the story of Christ in a different way. It is truly a classic and a treasure for any bookshelf. Each time I pick these up and reread them, I find a deepening of my relationship with Christ, and of my prayer life.

Miller also has a Symphonic Trilogy that retells different stories from the book of Genesis. The two I owned were A Requiem for Love and A Symphony in Sand. As far as I can tell, there are also 2 stand-alone books by Miller in this style that are often compared to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Lewis's Narnia. They are The Valiant Papers, an account of a guardian angel's experiences, and The Philippian Fragment, the retelling of the book of Philippians from the New Testament. I have owned most of these and lent them out to not be returned. I now have The Singer Trilogy, Valiant, and Singer Trilogy 3-in-1 hardcover. Over the next few weeks I will review those I still have, but cannot encourage you strongly enough to pick them up if you find them in a used bookstore. They are all great.

Over the next few weeks, I plan on reviewing some of the others that I still have from this author. And if I find the others again, I will review them. (It has just been too long since I lent them out and did not get them back for me to review them from memory.)

Other Miller Books:

The Singer

The Song

The Finale

The Valiant Papers

The Philippian Fragment (Currently OP)

I first read "The Singer" in 1974 on a trip from New Mexico to Memphis, and was profoundly moved by its writing style and its content. Since then I have read it many more times, have purchased many of Calvin Miller's other books, and have given them as gifts to people whom I know and love. Dr. Miller is a poet, a philosopher, and a deeply committed Christian who sees Christ as the God-Man and whose concepts encompass the divinity and the humanity of the One about Whom he writes. I can recommend this book wholeheartedly.

It has been said that some read the Bible as a "user's manual" of rules and regulations for the things they should or should not do. In so doing, the law of God becomes a formula that turns God into a vending machine with the Christian dropping in the correct currency to gain what it is he wants. Such reading misses the entire point of scripture. Poetry is, in contrast, the language of love. Love does not look for formulae and doctrinal hair-splitting, love just pours itself out in sacrifice and adoration of its object expecting nothing in return. Calvin Miller reminds us of that underlying message of the gospel in the language of love so we cannot mistake it for something else. If you are a self-appointed doctrinal purity committee member, you will find a lot from this series to dislike; that is a given. But if the Bible to you is more love letter than user's manual, then you will find this series quite enjoyable and thought-provoking. The language itself is inspiring and enlightening. It will be hard for the poet in you to put it down once you begin.

Miller's trilogy sits towards the top of the list of epic poetry. Written in a lyric style, with clarity and excitement, these lines cannot fail to move anyone. Miller has also done an excellent job of telling an allegorical tale without sounding unoriginal or uninspired. The Singer Trilogy ranks among the great achievements of twentieth-century verse.

I heard Calvin Miller speak in one of the chapel services at Trinity International University a few years ago. He spoke of the importance of imagination in regard to preaching.

Miller's imagination is at its best in these three books. While "The Finale" was only slighly less satisfying than the first two, all three make up a delightful allegory. Pay particular attention to the aphorisms the precede each new chapter -- some of these are absoluetly beautiful.

I first heard of The Singer Trilogy while working on my Master's degree at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Calvin Miller, the author of the series, was the speaker for chapel services. The professor in my class before chapel said that Dr. Miller had written The Singer Triology which consists of The Singer, The Song, and The Finale. He said it was the best thing written since the canon was closed. I rightly understood this to mean this was the best thing written since the Bible.

The Singer Triology is a retelling of New Testament events, including the ministry of Jesus and the founding of the early Church. The books are religious historical fiction. They are excellent and an easy read. They are a must for any Christian library. The series is as timeless as the Bible itself.

All three books read and reviewed by Jimmie A. Kepler.