The Story of B [Hardcover]

Those who are already familiar with Quinn will know that his basic message is that our culture (NOT to be confused with the entire human race) is slowly and blindly destroying itself. He describes our culture as a "monster that is literally devouring the world - and will end by devouring itself if it isn't stopped" (pg. 88). The story he uses to frame his arguments in this book is as follows: Father Jared Osborne is a Catholic priest sent to Europe by his superiors in order to investigate a man known to his followers as B. This mysterious B has been traveling throughout Germany, spreading ideas that have the Church concerned he may be the Antichrist. Osborne is instructed to break into B's group of followers and determine whether he is or isn't as dangerous as he seems.

I found it interesting that this book was written from the perspective of a Catholic priest, secure in his faith (initially, at least), whereas "Ishmael" was narrated by a disillusioned everyday citizen who already felt he had been "lied to" by "Mother Culture." This has the effect of presenting a direct challenge to doubting readers, whereas "Ishmael" more or less preaches to the choir (i.e. those who already suspect that something isn't quite right with the way we're living). While I'm afraid "The Story of B" may still, to some degree, preach to the choir, I do believe it is more powerful and convincing than "Ishmael" was (though I loved "Ishmael" as well).

"The Story of B" also takes great steps in making itself palatable to a broader audience. It combines "Ishmael"-style dialogue-learning with a series of lectures. These lectures are presented in a separate section at the end of the book, but should be read as the story progresses, whenever the reader is signalled to do so. The protagonist in "The Story of B" may also be more sympathetic for readers than the protagonist of "Ishmael." Osborne, unlike the narrator of "Ishmael," is clearly an educated and intellectual man. Many readers of "Ishmael" were turned off by the narrator's apparent dimness (though this was just a device Quinn used in his attempt to make his ideas more accessible). While Osborne still has his dim moments, "The Story of B" does put more responsiblity on the reader to analyze what they're reading and draw their own conclusions.

One thing I particularly like about Quinn's style of writing here is that he presents his ideas in "meal-sized" chunks. Each chapter is broken up into smaller sub-chapters, providing plenty of good stopping places if the reader needs time to sit back and absorb something they've just read. And even if you do read the whole thing in a few long sittings, the story is structured in such a way that you'll get the necessary "thinking breaks" anyway. Whenever Quinn thinks his readers need a break from the heavy idea-driven stuff, he gives the protagonist himself some time off in a more plot-driven series of events.

What really made "The Story of B" stand out for me, however, is that it calls the reader to action, whereas "Ishmael" merely got the reader thinking. This book starts off much as "Ishmael" did, with the protagonist simply taking in ideas and not generating many of his own, but halfway through it takes a drastic and somewhat shocking change of direction. I wasn't sure if I liked this at first, but as I read on it became very clear what Quinn was doing, and I think he's quite successful. Anyone who found themselves stimulated by the ideas in "Ishmael" will no doubt find even more material of interest in "The Story of B."

Although I do appreaiate Mr. Quinn's philosophies I would caution readers not to read it like a Bible. Read it with an open mind and search for opposing and supportive information. Mr. Quinn is a writer not just expressing his ideas, but also stories. I would ask the same of critics against his ideas. In the book he is biased with egalitarian cultures, and it's not hard to understand why, but he does make some very good points that we forget or miss or don't want to see.

I agree that it would have been more interesting if the main character, Jared Osbourne, challenged B's ideas more aggressivly, but it still doesn't mean that this book holds nothing worth reading. It's a book that should be read with an open mind.