The Source: A Novel (Paperback)

by James A. Michener (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
?Fascinating . . . a wonderful rampage through history.??The New York Times

?James Michener is something rare and valuable: an honorable craftsman doing honorable work. . . . He manages
to make history vivid.??The Boston Globe

?Magnificent . . . a superlative piece of writing both in scope and technique. It is, in fact, one of the great books of this generation. . . . It will hold the interest of any reader, no matter what religion he may be.??San Francisco Call Bulletin -- Review

Review
“Fascinating . . . a wonderful rampage through history.”—The New York Times

“James Michener is something rare and valuable: an honorable craftsman doing honorable work. . . . He manages
to make history vivid.”—The Boston Globe

“Magnificent . . . a superlative piece of writing both in scope and technique. It is, in fact, one of the great books of this generation. . . . It will hold the interest of any reader, no matter what religion he may be.”—San Francisco Call Bulletin

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 928 pages
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (July 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375760385
• ISBN-13: 978-0375760389
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,631 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

100 of 107 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic blockbuster that condenses history with great drama, January 9, 2003

By	Joanna Daneman (Middletown, DE USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: The Source (Mass Market Paperback)

I am not sure James Michener is still in style (he was sure hot in the Sixties, but tastes do change.) However, his blockbuster novels all attempt to condense wide expanses of history by telling stories from the viewpoint of fictionalized individuals.

In "The Source", Michener cleverly uses the archaeological levels of a tel (mound) being excavated, each level becoming a chapter moving up from the bottom level which is earliest history, to most recent. As the contemporary archaeologists unearth foundations and shards, the story of people whose dust forms the tel is told.

This makes what could be dry history vital and in some of the stories, gut-wrenching. As always, Michener goes for great drama, sex, blood, guts and heroism are all drawn with the exquisite skill of a born storyteller. In particular, the story of Urbaal and his fatal attraction to a temple prostitute, and the story of the Jews of Safed, who escaped the Inquisition, are unforgettable.

I rate this as great as "Hawaii" among Michener's novels. It's a good novel to read in light of the current conflicts in the Middle East, though, as a novel, the history is of course not always consistent with current scholarly though, so read it for the superb storytelling.

78 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction At Its Finest, June 11, 2001

By	Gordon C. Duus (Glen Ridge, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Source (Mass Market Paperback)

This sweeping epic traces the fictitious history of Makor, a city in Israel, from prehistory to modern times. Starting in the 1960s, an archeological dig turns up artifacts in an ancient mound composed of the remains of successive settlements in Makor. Then, starting with the deepest, oldest artifact and moving forward in time, in successive chapters Michener chronologically describes the inhabitants (who are often descendants of characters in earlier chapters) and events in and around the city over thousands of years. In this way, he tells the fascinating story of the Jews and other local inhabitants, of Judaism and its role in the creation of Christianity and Islam, and of the establishment of the modern state of Israel.

This is the first book I have read by Michener, my interest having been piqued when a friend responded to my praise of Edward Rutherfurd's "London" by describing Rutherfurd as "a poor man's Michener". My friend's point was that Rutherfurd borrowed Michener's often-used story structure for historical fiction, a structure perhaps best exemplified by "The Source". As much as I enjoyed "London", it pales in comparison to "The Source", one of the classics of the genre. I recommend it without reservation.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Michener epic, March 30, 2001

By	Michael Dickson "Bite off more than you can c... (Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Source (Mass Market Paperback)

Are you constantly perplexed by those "Mideast Peace Talks" that have (seemingly) been going on for 14 centuries? And still there is no peace in sight...and there never will be, of course....Well, Mr. Michener gives us a grand overview of the area. You'll find some surprises. Most notably that the Jews and Arabs used to get along pretty well. Not bosom buddies, of course, but better than they do now. But, I digress. What we have here is history and novel twined together in a fascinating way. Through the device of an archaeological dig, Michener provides personal stories of the folks who have populated the troubled region since prehistoric times. We have love, we have brutality, we have slavery, we have butchery, we have treachery, we have sieges outside the stone walls, we have a secret tunnel through the rock....and love again. It's life itself: messy but wonderful. And you get a nice history lesson along the way, making you a better conversationalist, especially at those cocktail parties in New York City. Great book. You'll like it.