Author: Ted Dekker
Dekker has taken a gigantic leap in scale from his previous work, Three, a fascinating suspense thriller that exploded into popularity via word-of-mouth in 2003. Departing a bit from suspense and adding a splash of fantasy, Black is the engaging first part of Ted Dekker's The Circle trilogy (next is Red, then White). It is a fresh, C.S. Lewis-esque trip into other realities that sweeps through decades of time. Fans of The Chronicles of Narnia will recognize Dekker's use of time, fantastic creatures and epic implications for the actions of characters in either world. New here, though, is the gritty allegory Dekker uses to bring the history and spiritual plane of God's Creation to vivid and living color. He moves the main character, Thomas Hunter, back and forth between contemporary America (Denver, Colorado) and a separate yet connected lush world where the Scripture becomes for the reader a chronicle of events humans experience daily in primitive, intimate, joyous fashion. Wait...isn't that what the Bible already is? Indeed, but Dekker's parable injects vitality and immediacy. While a reclusive, somewhat troubled man who can not relate to his family in the Denver world, Hunter finds his heart and soul being gradually set free in the other reality through an unexpected adventure.
Ted Dekker has painted a three-part masterpiece here. His use of metaphor is striking, yet without pretense or cliche encountered in some other Christian and secular works of similar genre. His trademark plot twists are plentiful but never spurious. There are healthy doses of fear and the dangers of listening to the voice of the tempter that truly resonate. The characters are deftly engaging, and one can not help but slowly sense as Thomas comes alive that we, too, could take this same journey. One of my measures of a great novel is how disappointed I am when it ends--I finished Black wishing I had purchased the whole trilogy so I could continue the story right away! While some may be disoriented a bit by the time/space/parallel reality concept, I encourage you to recognize it's merely the vehicle Dekker employs for the heart of his story. He does it well, and the richness of this epic will leave you thrilled and contemplating the personality of God and His Creation in a grand new light.