In Manuel Martinez's 22: The War of the Gods,
the gods were at war, and the age-long battle between good and evil was on
again. Sebastian Stain Camote, a psychiatrist, found himself in the middle of
this war between gods. Considered to be quite mad for his tendency to confuse
reality with dreams and for thinking that he was Don Quixote, Dr. Camote was
thrust into a world that could have only belonged to the dream world. With the
course of his life already set for him, he was also determined to direct the
course of life for Camotin (his employee and squire).
From the very beginning of the book, readers were presented with a shocking
revelation that would have them all excited about the promise it held for more
thrill. Indeed, the course of the book was set by this reveal, as the rest
tumbled out with more suspense and even more surprising revelations.
The author lifted the characters from the Bible, history, and the political
world. The effect was sizzling as readers were confronted with familiar figures
and names that had suddenly come to life. It was a creative success, and the
author mesmerized readers with background histories about these characters that
were surprising and inspiring. We were transported into the lives of religious
and world figures like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jesus of Nazareth, the
prophet Muhammad, and even Pythagoras.
Read Another Book review:- You can win book review
This book was intellectually arousing as it was
emotionally and spiritually engaging. It was apparent from the detailed
narration that the author had devoted a lot of research time and effort into
the book, and it all came together nicely. The language of the narration was
both entertaining and instructive.
As I said earlier, this book was a brilliant and highly philosophical piece.
Readers would be compelled to examine such questions as: could human beings
choose when to die? Could one call death to themselves by their thoughts and
emotions? What indeed was the meaning of life? Would there be an afterlife? Was
there any truth to reincarnation? I believe the author intended to drive his
readers to a point where they must think deeper about life as lived on earth.
In the end, some readers may find satisfying answers in the author's analysis
or find theirs for themselves.
