Left Behind is the first of what is presently a twelve book series (with a 13th book and a prequel still in the works!) that follows the lives of a group of people after the Rapture(the biblically prophesied return of Jesus to take his believers to be with him in Heaven).

         Rayford Steele, an airlines pilot with PanContinental Airlines. His wife Irene and youngest son Raymie(Rayford Jr) are believers who disappear in the Rapture. Rayford sees church as more a social place and a chance to 'network' with others. Rayford toys around the edges of an affair with a flight attendant from his airline, Hatty Durham.
         Chloe Steele, Rayford's eldest child, is a student at Stanford University in California. Like her father, church was more something she did because her mother wanted her to do it.
         Cameron "Buck" Williams, is the star reporter for the Global Weekly, a news magazine similar to Time and Newsweek. His character starts off as a passenger on Rayford's plane when the disapearances occur.
         >Steve Plank, is Buck's boss. The chief editor of the magazine. He's the type of boss that knows who's best for the job and puts them to it.
         Nicolae Carpethia, is a charismatic politician who rose to power in Romania and works his way to power as the Secretary General of the United Nations. We later find that he's just a little TOO charismatic, he is the Anti-Christ.
         Bruce Barnes, is the associate pastor of a small church in suburban Chicago. He winds up 'left behind' because while he knew the bible stories, and knew how to act the part ... he'd never commited his life to serving Jesus. He had just been pretty much playing a role.
         In the outset of the story, Captain Steele, Hatty Durham and Buck Williams are on an overnight trans-atlantic flight from New York to England. Ms. Durham comes to the cockpit of the plane to tell the Captain that people on the plane are disappearing! Their clothes and personal belongings remain, but the people are gone. Because his wife Irene had told him time and again what would be happening, he knew right away that he'd been left behind.
         The first book covers the events that bring a group of new believers together(Rayford, Chloe, Buck and Pastor Barnes) and goes with them through their discoveries of what is going on and who this Carpethia guy is. With the help of their beliefs, they band together to become a team they name The Tribulation Force and vow together to fight the coming Anti-Christ.

While it is a work of fiction, this book series can be used as a basis for discussing beliefs in the End Times fortold not just in the book of Revelations, but throughout the Bible. You might say it is a modern day parable in 12 to 14 parts!

Mixed within the text of the story are sermons and lessons not just about the End Times, but about Christ's Love, and the daily trials of Christian living.

I've sat here and thought about this a good 20 minutes, I cannot think of anything that really bothered me about this series.

Dive into the next one! (And the next and the next and the next!)

At times Joyous! At other times, scared out of my whits...

Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins have written other work asside from this series, in subjects of faith, the End Times, marriage and also other fictional works.

The writing is concise, the characters and the storyline are made very believable by the amount of detail the authors have put into their developement.

         "Left Behind" is the first book of what is apparently a fourteen book series. Along with the presently available books, there is a thirteenth book and a prequel story in the works.
         Tyndale Publishing also has what are called "graphic novel" adaptations(high quality bound comic book-like presentations) as well as motion pictures of the first two books, Left Behind and Tribulation Force. There are also shorter novels geared toward preteens which I believe are simply called "Left Behind for Kids".
         Also,it is my understanding that Tyndale has sold the copyrights for computer games to a California software developer, so keep an eye out for Left Behind themed games for your pc or game system!

Interested in buying this? Support Writing.Com by making your purchase of Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days (Left Behind #1)   from Amazon.Com!

Created Jul 26, 2004 at 2:47am • Submit your own review...