Appropriate for: Ages 13+
Genre: Christian Thriller Novel
Length: 376 pages
Year of Publication: 1986
In his best-selling novel, This Present Darkness, Frank Peretti draws you into a story of a battle between good and evil, darkness and light, within a town saturated with sin. But this isn’t just any story about the good people of a town fighting crime and injustice – this story goes to a higher level. Peretti explores the idea given in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The small town of Ashton seems like it’s covered in some sort of strange disease. When the local newspaper reporter gets arrested on false charges after witnessing what seemed to be a secret meeting, her boss gets suspicious that the police were trying to cover something up by arresting his reporter and decides to begin his own investigation. Peretti’s novel follows two men on their quest to save the town: the owner of the local Ashton newspaper, Marshall Hogan, and Hank Busche, the pastor of the little Ashton Community Church. Hogan is in search of answers as to the cause of all the strange occurrences in the town, while Busche’s business is fighting for God’s will to be done and His truth to prevail. Soon, however, they both find that they are in something deeper than either of them expected: Their town is one of many victims of a New Age plot that plans to take over the entire human race. But that’s not all. Hogan and Busche discover that their enemies aren’t just freaky college professors or unhappy churchgoers – there’s an unseen, demonic force behind all the evil, causing the diseased nature of the town. However, although Hogan and Busche don’t know it, they too have a spiritual force fighting on their side – against the demons – for the victory of God and His truth.
This Present Darkness is one of those books that is very hard to put down. The plot is fast-moving and entertaining – and while some of the technology and such described in the book are outdated now, 25 years after publication, the book itself is certainly not outdated, but a very worthwhile read.
There are a few things to be looking out for while reading this book. 1) The descriptions of the demons. These can turn out to be pretty grotesque if your imagination is graphic enough, which also applies to 2) the violence portrayed. A suicide and murder are mentioned, and the aftermath is described in some detail. Also, at one point in the book, one of the main characters is attacked and beaten up. 3) There are a couple parts that have to do with people who are possessed by demons, and that can be pretty freaky as well… and especially be aware of the part where one character almost commits suicide because a demon takes control of her. 4) If you are reading this book as a family or if your son or daughter is reading it, you should also be aware of the New Age ideas expressed by the “bad guys,” the eastern mysticism material, and the meditations done by some of the members of the New Age corporation. Be sure to discuss this concept with your children and explain to them what is wrong with the New Age worldview and how it disagrees with what the Bible says. 5) Lastly, there are a few references to rape and adultery that you should be aware of, and a couple of the “bad guys” seem to have relationships outside of marriage. However, nothing is described beyond a kiss or a hug, and everything is kept appropriate.
I think it is proper to note that nearly all of the “bad things” noted in this book are used to illustrate the depravity of sinful mankind and how much they are in need of God. Such actions are put in a bad light, and the New Age beliefs of the corporation trying to take over the town are definitely downgraded, as they should be, while the line between good and evil is not at all questioned. One of the things I particularly liked about this book was the emphasis put on prayer and how powerful it is. This book was also cool because it gets the reader thinking about the spiritual realm and how real it is. Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable and appropriate. It supports the Christian worldview, and it even teaches readers a very valuable lesson about prayer. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone under the age of 13 – but even kids above 13 should still discuss parts of this book with their parents. Just keep in mind the few things I mentioned above and be sure to discuss them with your children and/or spouse if you are reading it as a family.
No comments:
Post a Comment