The Song

Book Review: The Song: Even the Wisest of Men Was a Fool for Love
Author: Chris Fabry
Genre: Literature/Fiction (Adult)
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: January 1, 2015
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (good)
Pros: very well written in accordance with the Song of Solomon; good insight into a Biblical family’s story; realistic to life
Cons: not a very flowing style; some minor questionable material (depending on the reader); not the most exciting read, although interesting

Jed King’s life has been shaped by the songs and mistakes of his famous father. He wants to sing his own song, but the words and melody are elusive. Haunted by the scars inflicted by his broken family, Jed’s dreams of a successful music career seem out of reach…until he meets Rose. As romance quickly blooms, Jed pens a new song and suddenly finds himself catapulted into stardom. But with this life of fame comes temptation, the same temptation that lured his father so many years ago. Set in the fertile mid-South, this quest for success leads Jed and Rose on a journey that will force them to deal with the pain of loss, failure, and the desire to be who God created them to be. Lyrical and deeply honest, The Song asks the hard questions of love and forgiveness. When even the wisest of men are fools in love, can true love persevere?
The Song is Chris Fabry’s novel rendition of writer/director Richard Ramsey’s screenplay. A modern take on the story of David and Solomon, The Song is an interesting read. I have never read anything by Chris Fabry, so I had almost no expectations with this book. I was pleased with it, and would read something by Chris Fabry again. The beginning was somewhat slow for me, and it did take me a little while to really get into the story. I found very interesting the way it was written based on David’s and Solomon’s lives. Very detailed in a subtle way, Chris Fabry paints the picture found in the Bible in a way that can be understood in a modern light. I felt that I grew a little closer to the Bible characters rather than to the fictional characters. The book was very realistically written, was very down to earth, and right to the point. That was, in a way, a drawback for me, as I tend to enjoy more “literary” styles with a little more dramatics in the style and word flow. Although Chris Fabry is very to the point, his clever one-liners showered throughout the book really enhanced the story. As the protagonist, Jed King, is a songwriter, many original song lyrics appear throughout the story. The songs Jed wrote allowed me to see into his thoughts, which helped me understand him more. The character’s dialogue was realistic without fillers, and the characters were very strongly developed.
The story as a whole is really a tragic one. The sweet romance between Jed and Rose was quickly destroyed with the failure to fight a temptation. Chris Fabry shows Jed’s spiritual struggles and what leads him to his breaking point, making it easy to understand Solomon and his fall. This book is an eye-opener for anyone who begins to think that a little sin is okay. Before Jed knew it, he was in over his head with drugs, alcohol, and adultery. I will in all likelihood never look at the stories of David and Solomon the same way again.
Something to keep in mind is some of the content in The Song, although Chris Fabry does well with the romance scenes between Jed and Rose without being graphic at all. There is also the aspect of Jed’s immorality, drugs, and alcohol. If any of this bothers you, I would not recommend this book. Aside from that, this book is well written, eye-opening to the lives of David and Solomon, and I would recommend it. I think everyone could learn something from this book. Although not my favorite style, I enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of The Song from Tyndale House Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/the-song/