There are many things that make a book “good”. Was it entertaining? Did you learn something? Did it encourage you? But perhaps the biggest test is—How long did you think about it afterwards?
“Fallen” by David Maine was an interestingly creative piece of fiction that initially intrigued me because of the subject matter—Adam and Eve. It’s a little amazing that there have been so few attempts at fictionalizing their story, considering the importance of the story to all of us. I stumbled across this book on the internet and ordered it.
The author makes no claims as to his personal beliefs—no theology schools or church affiliation are mentioned in the bio. He attended two different state universities, worked in the mental health care field, and has lived for several years now in Pakistan.
When I first opened the book to begin reading, I didn’t make it any farther than the title of the first chapter, which was “40”. I thumbed through the book, and realized the chapters went backwards, ending with “1”. An interesting approach! But a great creative way to tell the story, constantly going backward as each chapter advanced. “Why? What made them do that?”
The story began with Cain, now an old man, who has finally done something with his life. He built a city, a great accomplishment. It took him a lifetime to do this, and it took a lifetime for him to understand that he couldn’t do it himself because of his ostracization from people, because of the mark he wore. He was the mastermind for the city, but all the work was done by his son. The son got all the glory, but at the end of his hard and bitter life it was enough for Cain.
As the book works backwards through Cain’s life, we come to realize that his life has been a valiant struggle to find a way to wrest some kind of meaning to an existence without God. And in the end, he does it, as do millions and millions of others in this fallen world.
Continuing to work backwards, we meet Adam and Eve and their family, also trying to find meaning and purpose apart from God. Adam and Eve live with haunted memories of God and the garden, but their children have none, only infrequently whispered stories. Adam and Eve retain a reverence for God, but their children are devoid of a real spiritual experience.
A few chapters later, we understand some of the unspeakable horror of the first days, months, and early years after the expulsion from the garden, when the beautiful world suddenly turned against Adam and his wife and threatened their very existence. It was horrific. They were so very alone. God was not “there” anymore, to speak to them, to guide them, to care for them. But at one point, they realized he was still very much with them, but in a different way. Nearing starvation, Eve was screaming at Adam that he had to act like a man, take charge and kill an animal so they could eat. Adam was sickened and utterly repulsed by the thought of taking life, which God had given. To their great relief, a wounded animal fell right at their feet, and they both knew that it was not a coincidence, but that God was near and had orchestrated the event. It was his “light touch.”
The story builds to the crescendo of the original sin in the garden, and I was very disappointed when the original sin turned out to be… SEX! There is absolutely no way that sex was the original sin. Our bodies were created by God, with specific functions in mind, and he said it was very good. I almost put the book down then, but instead chose to finish, and I’m glad I did. The book raised questions that I’ve continued to ponder in the month since I finished it. It brought these early humans, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, from cartoon characters in my mind to real people, with emotions, fears, and conflicts. What did they think? How did they interact? Why were they deceived?
It was well worth the read.