In damascus gate, robert stone attempts to explain this conundrum emotionally through a tale of ex patriot seekers living in jeruselem. Damascus gate 1st edition1st printing robert stone. Its also a magnet for hustlers, fanatics, and millennial dreamers, a generous assortment of whom populate the pages of damascus gate. Robert stone receives critical acclaim for the philosophical layers of his writing as well as the intensity of his multidimensional characters. Damascus gate by robert stone probably is the worst book i have ever attempt to read in my 80 years of life. Writers such as robert stone, joan didion, john irving and even don delillo, are praised for their realism, for the solidity of. Early in robert stones novel damascus gate, which appeared in 1998, we meet a former kgb officer named basil thomas, who claims to. The plot is discovered by christopher lucas, a jewishcatholic journalist from the u. Christopher lucas, unsure of his own beliefs, is wandering. Jewish and christian terrorists unite in a scheme to blow up islamic mosques on the temple mount in jerusalem. The jerusalem of robert stones novel abounds in prophets, conspiracies and fanatics.
Ward just robert stone is an explorer who takes his readers to the fractured edges of the known world. Damascus gate by robert stone 1998, hardcover, teachers. Time magazine included this novel in its list time 100 best englishlanguage novels from 1923 to 2005. As always, stone introduces a relatively innocent american into the picturea journalist named christopher lucas. Abaa damascus gate by stone, robert search for rare books. Involved in this conspiracy are fundamentalist christians, rightwing religious jews, a duplicitous israeli secret agent and. A hall of mirrors, dog soldiers winner of the national book award, a flag for sunrise, children of light, outerbridge reach, damascus gate, and bay of souls. Time brims over with plots, subplots, and an impressive array of incisively drawn characters. Stone was five times a finalist for the national book award for fiction, which he did receive in 1975 for his novel dog soldiers. Robert stone books, ebooks, audiobooks, biography barnes. May 3 lost, disaffected, often desperate, robert stones characters tend to gravitate toward hot, volatile corners of the world vietnam, central america, the middle east where they find themselves falling victim to bad faith, bad karma and bad vibes. Damascus gate by stone robert signed first edition. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. A hall of mirrors, dog soldiers winner of the national book award, a flag for sunrise, children of light.
Setting this deeply provocative, bestselling novel in modern day jerusalem, stone puts a disillusioned american journalist adrift in the supercharged atmosphere at the end of the millennium. Damascus gate is an unusual great novel because the constellation of characters who variously serve as its protagonists are comparatively uncompelling individual actors. Robert stone receives critical acclaim for the philosophical layers of his writing, as well as the intensity of his multidimensional characters. Novelist robert stone has been penning wellrespected, awardwinning books since the 1970s, when he won the national book award for dog soldiers, so his first novel in a decade is, to put it. See all books authored by robert stone, including dog soldiers, and a flag for sunrise, and more on. Damascus gate is a narrative of good and evil written in letters of fire.
Robert stone august 21, 1937 january 10, 2015 was an american novelist. Damascus gate 1st edition1st printing robert stone a fine first printing of the first edition in equally unblemished dustjacket, signed by author, and twotime finalist for the pulitzer prize, robert stone, on the halftitle page. Damascus gate by robert stone book cover isbn 9780395665695. That is because, as many characters in the book have occasion to muse, jerusalem is different. The plot is discovered by christopher lucas, a jewishcatholic journalist. An exlibrary book and may have standard library stamps andor stickers. A very fine copy, in perfect order and as pristine. The book is not coherent and it seems that the author was not all there while trying to write the book and then he fills the book with number of unbelievable characters and looser that would be. With soaring vision and profound intelligence, robert stone has written a harrowing, breathtaking novel about our desperate search. Stones genius as a novelist is his ability to make paranoia plausible. Damascus gate book by robert stone half price books. Some of his other best known books include a flag for sunrise, outerbridge reach, and damascus gate.
Damascus gate, set in a shadowy jerusalem and involving an apocalyptic plot to level some of its sacred architecture. Its highly unlikely that if you are reading this you are unaware or unappreciative of american novelist robert stone. The advance reading copy of the first british edition of this novel, a densely plotted political and metaphysical thriller set in contemporary jerusalem. Lucas had come to move confidently through the old city, although he sometimes questioned his own confidence. He was twice nominated for the pulitzer prize, and nominated for the national book award for fiction a total of five times, winning once for his second novel dog soldiers published in 1974. Robert stone august 21, 1937 january 10, 2015 was an american novelist he was twice a finalist for the pulitzer prize and once for the penfaulkner award. His work was typically characterized by psychological. Raziel the polymath musician, former yeshivaboy genius, former jew for jesus. The book is not coherent and it seems that the author was not all there while trying to write the book and then he fills the book with number of unbelievable characters and looser that would be difficult to found anywhere. Stone returned to the complex political novel with damascus gate 1998. Robert stone 19372015 was an american novelist and former chairman of the penfaulkner foundation. The desultory freelance journalist christopher lucas. At the center of the novel is a plot to blow up the muslim shrines occupying the temple mount in order to clear the way for a third temple and thus hasten the coming of the messiah. Damascus gate by robert stone and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
With soaring vision and profound intelligence, robert stone has written a harrowing, breathtaking novel about our desper. Buy a cheap copy of damascus gate book by robert stone. Listen to damascus gate by robert stone, george guidall for free with a 30 day free trial. Robert stones new novel, damascus gate, asks enormous questions about cosmic truth and its effect on those who think they own it with intensity, intellectual rigor and abiding morality. Stones inordinately ambitious sixth novel, which in several surface ways resembles his a flag for sunrise 1981, grapples with intractable issues of political and religious faith, compromise, and betrayal. Robert stone 19372015 was the acclaimed author of eight novels and two story collections, including dog soldiers, winner of the national book award. An explosive bestseller, damascus gate lays bare the dangers at the fringes of faith.
The books depth is often dauntingat times its as if the author expects you to have a working knowledge of the hebrew language and jewish mysticism. His story collection, bear and his daughter, was a finalist for the pulitzer prize, and his memoir, prime green, was published in 2006. A violent confrontation in the gaza strip, a mindaltering pilgrimage, a race through riotfilled jerusalem streets, a catandmouse game in an underground maze, a desperate attempt to prevent a bomb from detonating beneath the temple mountdamascus gate is an exhilarating journey through the moral and religious ambiguities that haunt the. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. Listen to unlimited audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. Set in the early 1990s in a meticulously rendered jerusalem, it explores the tangled relationships among a number of settlers and visitors to the holy city who become involved in one or. He soon drifted with the crowd into the vaulted souks between the damascus gate and the haram alsharif. Life was so selfconscious in jerusalem, the author reflects, so lived at close quarters, by competing. Robert stone 19372015 was the acclaimed author of eight novels and two story collections, including dog soldiers, winner of the national book award, and bear and his daughter, a finalist for the pulitzer prize. Robert stone books list of books by author robert stone. For what its worth, i rank stone among a handful of living great american writers and have hungrily seized opportunities to chat with himwith the publication of outerbridge reach, damascus gate, bear and his daughter his one story collection and bay of souls.