I'm participating in the "Faith n Fiction Saturday" carnival run by Amy.
This week's question:
We all come to faith in Jesus at different times in our lives and we all come to Christian fiction at different times, too! What's the first book in the Christian fiction genre you can remember reading? What was your impression of it? Did it make you want to read more or less?
I don't remember the book but I'm sure I got it at the library. I like reading light historical fiction and when perusing the shelves, found some Christian historical romance series. While I enjoyed the historical aspects of the books, frankly, most of them weren't very good. The basic plot line was boy meets girl, one of them (or both) was "unsaved" and before they could live happily ever after at the end of the book, both had to acheive this salvation. The books generally gave generous excerpts of the sermons heard by the characters and generally one led another to Christ at some point in the book. Periodically I'd see what I'd perceive as an anti-Catholic dig. I'd rank books like that right up there with Harliquin Romances--ok for a periodic diversion but nothing anyone with any brains would want to read exclusively.
My experience matches yours. Come visit.
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Hmm - yeah. I used to have the same experience years ago sampling "Christian" books. I was like, boooooring. and so predictable. But ther are tons of great well written and believable book in the genre now. Try Blue like Jazz by Donald Miller
ReplyDeleteMarvin blogs at Free Spirit: http://inspiritandtruths.blogspot.com/
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Try picking up some books by Judith Pella. I really enjoyed her Daughters of Fortune series. I don't remember the books being preachy. And honestly, when I come to those generous sermon parts in books, I skip right over them. :)
ReplyDeletelol! Thanks for your honesty. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad there's such a larger variety out there now!
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons I didn't read much Christian fiction was exactly what you sited. I could predict the endings. Kind of like a soap opera with out the premarital sex. I am really glad that the stories have developed, and that the publishers have allowed the authors to really write with more freedom.
ReplyDeleteYes - some of the earlier Christian fiction does seem to have been more of the cookie-cutter variety. I think it is much better now that there are all sorts of acceptable plot lines!
ReplyDelete:) Wendi
Some of the early fiction was like you said. I think I started reading when things were improving but I did get some older books that were a romance type book and it was how bad the world was and it was back in ww2 and very much like you said but now it is so much more than that.
ReplyDeleteThat kind of experience is exactly why I review Christian Fiction that comes out today. It used to be that they were all overly preachy and safe, and that's just not my genre. Now they are real and with real issues and images.
ReplyDeleteI say review them how it is, opinions are opinions, and they are meant to be shared!
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