The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney

by Randy Singer

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I liked this book. It is quite a different read than my normal choices, but it was interesting in its uniqueness. I think the author and the publisher took a very interesting concept in connecting the two books. While I found it interesting, I didn't have the time to invest in reading The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney and then doing the sleuth work in The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ. I think I will reread and do the sleuth work in the future though. It would definitely be interesting and I know some people who would love this concept.

What was most compelling to me about this book was the characterization of Oliver Finney. I think he was an excellent character - a very real man. A thinking man. A follower of Christ. Yet, so ordinary, too. The characterization of the other characters was well-done as well, but not to the same extent as Oliver. There was one thing I wasn't ever quite sure about - what was Oliver's huge appreciation of Nikki based on? To me she was a very shallow, self-serving young woman. I wonder (and I put this out there knowing that I could get some angry responses), but I wonder if it's because the author is a man that the two women in the novel seem to be caricatures? Nikki the bombshell thinking only about herself and Victoria the "hard as nails" woman competing with the men. Hmmm. It seems to me that perhaps the author might have been trying to include women in the story to emphasize their strengths and equality to men (or simply to make the book appealing to women as well as men) and ended up making caricatures in the course of it. I don't really know.

The story line is interesting - representatives from each of the "great" faith groups battling it out as lawyers defending their faiths under seclusion on an island complete with physical temptations and great challenges. (Sound like reality t.v.?) The plot moves along fairly quickly and it is interesting to follow Nikki and Wellington as they struggle to fingure out Oliver's messages to them.

I never really figured out what the underlying theme or message was of the story though. Was it to have Christianity show up all other faiths (and did it do that in the end?) Was it to be inclusionary of other faiths, affirming of their strengths and beliefs? What did each round of the battle mean? There's a whole lot in this novel that I have yet to figure out. In one way that is disatisfying - I want to know now! In another way, it means that I need to reread and dig deeper to understand - something I look forward to doing in the future (or at least have my husband read it and explain his take on it!)

It is an ambitious project and I think it was well done. It is definitely not a light read - it is a thinking person's book. We can all use one of these once in a while! Go ahead - dive in!