The Left Behind series of books concludes today. Wheh, I thought they would never end—but wait!:
“Glorious Appearing” covers the end of days, but it’s actually not the end of the books. In 2005, fans can look forward to a prequel of “Left Behind” about the main characters’ lives before the Rapture. A sequel is scheduled for release in 2006.
So, it’s over, but it’s not over. Ok.
I was kind of hoping that with the final book, all the various copies throughout the world would suddenly disappear, leaving only the dust jackets behind.
I love that last line. Somehow I knew this wouldn’t be the last book.
You HAVE to check out this article on Left Behind!!! It is an “interview” with Jerry Jenkins.
http://www.thedoormagazine.com/archives/jenkins.html
John,
Hilarious stuff–the funny thing is that it could almost NOT be satire…
I’ve never read the series of books and don’t know much about the authors. But I was just wondering why TruePravda seems to have such a negative view of the books and its authors?
Lee, (nice blog by the way)
I’ve read selected excerpts of the books, had the unfortunate experience of seeing the movie “Left Behind,” and heard a couple of the dramatized version of the books. To make a long story short, I simply don’t like them. They’re bad literature, quite melodramatic, and offer forth a view of the end times based on an eschatology I happen to disagree with.
Many people I know and respect LOVE the books, and I have no problem with that. But even many I know who were early fans of the books have been put off by the endless extension of the series. As I recall, the series was originally planned for three books, but made so much money that they decided to keep on going and going and going…
LaHaye and Jenkins also sued the company who made the movie version because they did such a poor marketing job (see http://www.crosswalk.com/news/508534.html).If you go to http://www.timlahaye.com, you’ll see that the “Tim LaHaye Ministries” is all wrapped up in the “Left Behind” book series. I’ve written on the integration of ministry and business before,
[http://www.jaredbridges.net/archives/000081.html and http://www.jaredbridges.net/archives/000088.html%5D and I have concerns about taking legitimate business ventures and posturing them as “ministries.”
So, I suppose I am a little negative on the whole “Left Behind” phenomenon, but LaHaye and Jenkins are big boys and believe me, they’ve heard worse. I just wish they would do better.