Book Review: The Company

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About the Book:

A meteor explodes into the planet. Massive earthquakes rock the land as giant tsunamis engulf the coasts. Sleeping volcanoes violently erupt, filling the sky with clouds of suffocating ash, and soon, the world is shrouded in darkness. Last Day has come, bringing death, destruction, and despair. Yet hidden in a mountain valley, the Brigons manage to survive, but with no power and little food or water, their hope is fading into the eternal night. Then a voice calls out in the darkness and offers to bring them light.

This is the story of Sam Mitchell, an engineer with one of the power managers in Brigos Glen. Seventy years have passed since light was restored to the village. Few remember the time before Last Day or the strangers who helped them in their time of need. But Sam has heard the stories and, with the guidance of his friend, seeks to help others as he goes about his seemingly unimportant, routine existence. That is, until he receives an ominous order from beyond the mountains that will change his life forever.

For centuries mankind has sought God…not simply to find Him, but to understand Him. This quest has left many struggling in a maze of contradictions – one God but a Father, one God but a Son, one God but a Spirit – leading them to the ultimate question: Who is the Trinity? The answer is revealed in The Company by Chuck Graham, a clever allegory, carefully woven with surprising revelation of who God is, who we are before Him, and our calling to love and encourage each other.

About the Author:

Chuck Graham’s legal career as an attorney in private practice spanned more than thirty-one years. He represented many local, national, and international clients, acquiring intricate knowledge about the often-overlapping structures of the corporate world. He also worked against those seeking to create racial division, including the Ku Klux Klan. He has served as a member of the state bar of Georgia since 1979 and an instructor to attorneys and judges through the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE). He received the Medallion of Appreciation from ICLE.

Chuck is also a speaker and the author of Take the Stand (Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1996) and the compilations, A Year of Encouragement (Xulon Press).

In 1997 he founded Ciloa (Christ Is Lord Of All), a ministry devoted to sharing God’s encouragement with the world and teaching those who follow Him how to encourage others. Today Chuck serves as executive director and principal author of A Note of Encouragement, a weekly e-zine reaching 175 countries.

He and Beverly, his wife of thirty-four years, have lived in Lawrenceville, a suburb of Atlanta, for fourteen years. God has blessed them with three children. In his free time, Chuck enjoys backpacking and hiking (especially on the Appalachian Trail), playing the guitar, dabbling in photography, and reading extensively about the Christian faith.

My Thoughts:

There are two types distinct schools of writing.  The “Tell Them” style narrates a story.  The “Show Them” style unfolds a story inviting you to live it.  Different people have different preferences and it seems I’ve been reading a lot of “tell them” stories of late.  The Company falls into this category.  Personally, I prefer an approach that involves less narration and more description.  That, however, remains a purely personal preference.

I believe one of the reasons the author employed the “tell them” style flows from the fact that the goal of this book is clearly to teach more than it is to entertain.  The mood of the book is slow and thoughtful.  Biblical truths, penetrating questions and theological premises abound throughout the novel and it appeared to me that the story functioned merely as a vessel for the illustration of truth.  In this way, the book came across more like an allegory than a novel.

I also think this book contains a special appeal to those who have experience in the corporate world and that the story does not translate quite as well to those who function apart from that particular culture.

While the author has done a superb job of illustrating truth using the plot of The Company, I think your expectations will determine your opinion of this book. (I read two press releases about the book. One clearly called it an allegory and the other portrayed it as a suspenseful novel.)  If you enjoy reading allegories, parables and other similar styles then I recommend this book.  If, however, you are looking for a captivating and entertaining novel then you may wish to look elsewhere.

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I received a free digital copy of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion.