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A review by grogu_djarin
Azazeel by Youssef Ziedan, Jonathan Wright
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall Thoughts:
This was a fascinating book, I enjoyed the backdrop of early Christianity including some major events and notable historical characters such as Hypatia, Cyril, and Nestorius leading up to the Council of Ephesus and an exploration of cities Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch. This is by far the most interesting part of the book and Ziedan's academic experience in the matter shows.
That said, quite a lot of that plot is left in the backdrop while the story focuses more on Hypa's hyper-fixation on two different women. Sure, there are elements of the theological debate on topics such as hypostasis, elements Christianity has adopted or shunned from paganism, and politics between the bishops, but Hypa's thoughts are less burdened by this and more from his personal desires. I think this would have been a far more interesting story if it explored his conflicts of faith, but his faith often has a habit of being put on the side for his lusts.
This was a fascinating book, I enjoyed the backdrop of early Christianity including some major events and notable historical characters such as Hypatia, Cyril, and Nestorius leading up to the Council of Ephesus and an exploration of cities Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch. This is by far the most interesting part of the book and Ziedan's academic experience in the matter shows.
That said, quite a lot of that plot is left in the backdrop while the story focuses more on Hypa's hyper-fixation on two different women. Sure, there are elements of the theological debate on topics such as hypostasis, elements Christianity has adopted or shunned from paganism, and politics between the bishops, but Hypa's thoughts are less burdened by this and more from his personal desires. I think this would have been a far more interesting story if it explored his conflicts of faith, but his faith often has a habit of being put on the side for his lusts.
Likes:
- I liked this historical setting especially in the context of historical characters such as Hypatia, Cyril, and Nestorius and historical cities like Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch. Each location felt different and I liked the contrast.
Dislikes:
- The book focuses far too much on Hypa's hyper-fixation with women to the point it felt more like the focus of the plot while the theological debate is given less attention and serves as more of a backdrop.
- While it covers a lot of history, it didn't feel to me that a lot happened in the story, partly due to Hypa acting as more of an observer in events and retelling them in the scrolls he's writing years later. It felt more like a summary of events than anything else.
- The author had a habit of sidetracking the writing with needless descriptions, including things such as the exact dimensions and layouts of certain rooms.
- The book uses modern names for cities unless the cities no longer exist or are notable in their classical names which leads to an odd mish-mash of locations that make it feel semi-modern despite the historical period.
Other Notes:
- There's several graphic sex scenes so keep that in mind if that's to your taste or not.
Would Recommend To:
- Anyone interested in historical fiction, especially one which explores the early history of Christianity.
Do Not Recommend To:
- People uninterested in historical fiction or Christianity and anyone who does not like reading about sex.