I found CHOSEN to be trite, boring and highly predictable, probably because I found nothing really new in this, a story done only slightly differently in numerous films over the years. The saving grace was the art, as Peter is a visual storyteller in his own right. I guess if I were to look deeper into the "hidden" messages, I might find the book to be slightly better than I rate it, although I didn't find all that much to be hidden. To each his or her own, obviously.
SirJon, that's almost what makes it such an interesting item for a reading list--some people are going to find it simplistic, or Twilight Zone-y; others won't. But I'm sure you took college courses where there were titles you didn't like--and that's what helped spark the discussion, right?
Anvilicious! A word I've been waiting for all my life! Did you make it up?
Mancunian is good to know too. Although I can't imagine ever using it. Anvilicious I'm going to try to use today! In fact, I'll say that, yes, there is a place for the anvilicious in the curriculum. High school in particular, when those immature cerebral cortexes still prefer the concrete to the abstract and before they've had much training in nuanced readings. But even for undergrad lit or comp religion, this sort of anviliciousness can get a large group of kids right to the point. Assign it Monday and they'll be arguing as soon as they walk in the door Tuesday.
