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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780446930284 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Grand Central Publishing |
| Publication date: | 07/22/1999 |
| Sold by: | Hachette Digital, Inc. |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 739 KB |
About the Author
Glenn Kleier is the former co-founder and president of a national marketing and communications firm who now pursues his passion for writing full-time. He is the author of the internationally acclaimed thriller, The Last Day. He makes his home in Louisville, Kentucky.
Read an Excerpt
An Excerpt from The Last Day
11:15 A.M., Wednesday, January 5, 2000
The rumors had been filtering in since early morning, and by now Bollinger was convinced they were accurate. Direct from the millenarian grapevine, it was said that the Messiah would finally be making a long-awaited public appearance. Having fasted and meditated for four days and nights in the deserts north of Jericho, the Messiah would give an address near the resort town of Tiberias, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Tomorrow morning, at dawn. Feldman, Hunter, Erin Cross and a production crew were dispatched immediately to Tiberias by WNN helicopter to prepare for whatever eventualities might develop. Sullivan, Bollinger, Cissy, Robert Filson and more crew were to fly up in a second helicopter later to join them.
6:21 A.M., Thursday, January 6, 2000
The massive audience was absolutely immobilized by the ethereal scene, and remained so for a full sixty seconds while the celestial music crescendoed to its finale.
The slender Messiah was dressed in a loose, hooded, full-length white robe, trimmed with red and purple piping. The head was bowed, the face completely shadowed by the hood in the dawning sunlight behind.
Feldman, the TV crew, and the millions of breathless spectators watched, spellbound, as the mysterious form appeared to slowly unfurl itself. The head tilted back. The slim arms rose steadily from its side, upward to the sky. The sleeves slid gracefully down to unveil thin, opalescent arms. Arms that extended to small, clenched fists which petaled open to display fine, outstretched, alabaster fingers.
And at last the hood dropped away, revealing an unearthly, radiant, alluring, upturned face of an angel. Innocent, unpretentious, childlike and beautiful. Yet purposeful and wise. The eyes were closed and the mouth opened wide, exposing straight and perfectly white teeth.
Feldman was taken aback, then charmed to realize that this transfixing, commanding display had been, in actuality, nothing more than an early morning stretch and yawn. Although, because of the contrast of sunlight and shadows, and the distance of the crowd, Feldman doubted anyone but he could tell.
While this was most certainly the same arresting face Feldman had seen in the crude Millennium Eve video, its impact on him now was entirely different. There was no semblance of the pain, rage or anguish that had exuded from the dark TV monitor. Perhaps it was the inexactness of the computer enhancement, but this face had none of the intensity. It even appeared less angular now. Softened. Sweetened.
Yet, it had lost none of the otherworldliness that gave it its divinity. This was an amazing creature. The skin was so completely smooth, unblemished and literally vibrant in its pure, radiant whiteness. The face was perfect in its symmetry, with large, wide-set dark eyes rimmed with long black lashes. The jawline was chiseled, firm. The nose prominent, Roman-godly. Entirely appropriate.
The only physical imperfection to mar this compelling, flawless visage was the appearance of odd red welts that were visible in small, scalped patches in the Messiah's unruly, raven hair. A very bad haircut.
But if this were indeed the face of a Messiah, God had played a cruel joke on His anointed one. This strange and surreal appearance wasn't that of a boy, but of a young woman. And when Feldman heard her speak, he was certain of it.
Looking over the crowd, the Messiah called out in a clear, engrossing, authoritative, but entirely feminine voice: "Vasheim aboteinu tovu lisanecha," she announced in perfect Hebrew, which Feldman did not comprehend.
"Bism Elah atty laka," she intoned in perfect Arabic, which was also lost on the reporter.
"In the Name of the Father, I come to you," she said in perfect English, and Feldman realized the Messiah was repeating the same phrases in a variety of languages.
"Au Nom de Dieu notre Père, je viens à vous," she continued in French.
She repeated the process in German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Italian and Japanese, picking up the pace in a rhythmic chant that physically moved the crowd. Ten separate languages in all, recorded on tape, and her accent, in each instance, was perfect. Finishing one circuit, the Messiah began a new phrase, starting the rhythmic translation process all over again. She punctuated her oration with decisive movements of her arms and body.
The world received its first sermon from the new prophetess. A short speech that came to be known as the New Beatitudes:
In the name of the Father, I come to you.
In the name of Truth, I come to you.
In the name of Revelation, I come to you.
Blessed are you who listen, for you shall understand.
Blessed are you who see, for the New Light shall shine upon you.
Blessed are you who resist convention for the sake of righteousness, for you shall be vindicated.
Blessed are you who seek the Answer within you, for you shall know the mind of God.
Blessed are you who defy the powerful in My name, for you shall be called courageous.
Blessed are you who are selfless, for your compensation shall be immeasurable.
Blessed are you who are tolerant, for you shall attain Unity.
Blessed are you who safeguard the defenseless, for you shall gain life everlasting.
Blessed are the secure of heart, for you shall find comfort in yourself
Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in heaven; for so did they persecute the prophets who came before. (Apotheosis 4:6-19)
There was one point near the end where the Messiah, in her sweeping scope of the crowd, brought her eyes to rest on Feldman's. Only for an instant, only in passing, but there was a connect. And even in the briefest of glances, her dark, serene, multihued blue eyes penetrated him unnervingly.
He felt simultaneously dizzy, confused and invaded. But he had no opportunity to reflect on the experience. The Messiah's hands rose to the heavens as if bestowing a blessing upon the crowd. And then the slender figure turned abruptly, arms dropping, and calmly descended the steps as the crowd erupted.
The massive audience was in ecstasy. Laughing, crying, praying, fully sated and taken with the rapture of this religious moment. Feldman was fearful that at any second the insensate, joyous mob would surge forward and shock divine sense into some of the more unfortunate faithful near the electric fence, providing Hunter with a little anecdotal footage. But the assembly remained respectful of itself and there was never any danger.
Feldman believed that most of the crowd had been prepared from the onset to accept this Messiah figure as their Savior, regardless of her newly revealed sex. That she did such an effective job surpassing expectations, however, was what sent her audience into this prolonged state of euphoria.
But not all her audience. There were some here who did not come to welcome a new religious icon. Particularly a female one. And they left this encounter with skepticism, scorn and displeasure.
Yet, to all who personally witnessed this unprecedented event, there was no denial that something very extraordinary had happened here.
Reprinted from THE LAST DAY by Glenn Kleier. Copyright © 1997 by Glenn Kleier. Published by arrangement with Warner Books, Inc., New York, New York, U.S.A. All rights reserved.
What People are Saying About This
From the first page to the last, the action never relents. The Last Day has to be one of the most intriguing tales of the decade.
Provocative, insightful, devilishly entertaining.
Starts fast and roars to a spell-binding finish.
Interviews
On Sunday, January 11, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Glenn Kleier, author of THE LAST DAY.
Moderator: barnesandnoble.com welcomed first-time novelist Glenn Kleier to discuss his new book, THE LAST DAY. The Messiah arrives on New Year's Day, 1999, on a hallowed hill in Jerusalem. To the surprise of millennialist cults and WNN News reporter, Jon Feldman, the messiah is a "she." Is she, Jeza, the by-product of a bizarre military experiment, or is she truly the daughter of God? You'll have to read the book to find out!
Moderator: Welcome, Mr. Kleier! We're happy to have you with us tonight! Do you have any opening comments?
Glenn Kleier: Hello! Great to be with everyone tonight. Hope you've saved up some controversial topics to discuss. Theology, philosophy, politics. The Messiah is with me to add a few of Her comments as well!
David from San Diego: When did you first have the idea for THE LAST DAY?
Glenn Kleier: I started incubating this concept about nine years ago. Just got around to drafting the novel in early '92.
Rebecca from Dallas, TX: Have you always considered yourself to be a writer? Why did you choose such an inflammatory topic for your first book?
Glenn Kleier: I always knew I wanted to be a writer -- literally from the time I could hold a pencil in my hand. I really didn't intend to be inflammatory with this book, I just had the need to dispell some of the angst built up from 18 years of Catholic upbringing.
Megan from Seattle, WA: Will your next project singe as many ears?
Glenn Kleier: Hopefully so. As a natural follow-up to religion, my next book focuses on politics. I'm styling it, "Mrs. Smith goes to Washington...with a vengeance!"
Anne from Orlando, FL: Jeza proclaims that all leaders of world churches should lock their doors and stop teaching doctrine.... Does that reflect how you feel about organized religion? Decentralization?
Glenn Kleier: More or less. I just feel it's high time all of us use the God-given gray matter we have between our ears and come to our own theological conclusions. Let's cut out the moral middlemen.
Kelly from Toronto: Jeza also condones homosexuality, an endorsement which flies in the face of practically every organized religion I can think of. What prompted you to include that as part of her teachings?
Glenn Kleier: To be precise, Jeza doesn't condone homosexuality, she accepts it as a natural part of God's world. There is a growing body of science that supports the fact that homosexuals are born imprinted with their persuasions. We don't revile people for being born lame or blind, so why condemn anyone for a natural condition? Jeza preaches tolerance.
Ellen from Chicago, IL: Your characterization of reporter Jon Feldman was so well-constructed. Did you ever consider being a reporter yourself?
Glenn Kleier: Thank you for the compliment. Actually, I did practice a little journalism after graduation from college. Also entered the publishing field for a short time. At the time, I was convinced there was no money in either, and switched to advertising. (That's pretty much fiction anyway, right?)
Kathy from Sea Cliff, NY: As a recovering Catholic myself, I was really impressed by your audacity, taking on the Church and all. Do you believe the Roman Catholic Church has gotten out of touch with its constituents? Your book seemed to reflect that. Am I right?
Glenn Kleier: Yes, you are right. I think the Church has a very serious and growing problem in that regard (as reflected in the recent Vatican synod of bishops, convened to discuss that very issue). I believe organized religions in general -- not just the Catholic Church -- are failing their congregations. It's time to put some issues on the table.
Kate from Chapel Hill, NC: Do you have any great predictions for the next millennium? Will the world finally discover the truth about Jimmy Hoffa? Just teasing, but seriously, I'd like your predictions.... Thanks for taking my question!
Glenn Kleier: I have a couple of predictions for the next millennium. I feel that women will come to play a much greater role in all religions, but primarily by default. As congregations (read contributions) decline, the organized religions will make the pragmatic decision that women are a viable way to stanch the declining numbers. As a marketing decision alone, churches will reach out. Cynical, aren't I? I also feel that, just as the Catholic Church and others are finally taking the long-overdue step of asking forgiveness of the Jews for centuries of prejudice, they'll eventually do the same for women and homosexuals.
Beth from Sparta, NJ: Were you prepared for the immense interest in THE LAST DAY?
Glenn Kleier: In all honesty, I wasn't even certain I would find a publsher for THE LAST DAY. I knew it would be controversial, but when Warner picked it up for a mainstream title, and it subsequently sold to Columbia TriStar for a movie, I was completely overwhelmed. You just never know...
Brad from Los Angeles: Which character do you most identify with? Besides the Messiah, of course. Ha-ha. Thanks for answering my Q!
Glenn Kleier: In so far as I'm reflected as a character at all, I'd say I'm probably a blend between Hunter and Feldman. Hunter -- the secular cynic, Feldman -- the more spiritual, reflective guy (does that say agnostic?).
Laura Friedman from Prospect, Kentucky: What do your children think of your book?
Glenn Kleier: Hi, Laura. Only my elder son (12 years old) has read the book. He says he liked it, but I think he'd have been more impressed if his dad was an astronaut or NBA player.
Reed from Minneapolis!: Pertaining to Kathy from Sea Cliff's question, you said that organized religion needs to put some issues on the table. I'm curious, what issues? I totally agree with Jeza's stress on tolerance; is that what you mean?
Glenn Kleier: Tolerance is certainly one issue. But how about the enormous wealth of the churches? How can the organized religions justify their huge, extravagant cathedrals and churches; their large coffers and, in many cases, very high life styles? Christ said, "If you would be perfect, sell all your belongings and give your money to the poor." We don't have very many perfect religious organizations out there, do we?
Jim from Arlington, VA: THE LAST DAY paints a slightly distressing portrayal of mass market media. The WNN news crew is a crackerjack team, but in the end, what is it really good for? They disband to spread Jeza's word, and acknowledge that the story-hound life might not be worthwhile.... Was that an intentional commentary? I'd love to hear your thoughts...
Glenn Kleier: Well, for one thing, WNN was certainly helpful in introducing Jeza to the world, so that was a positive utilization of mass media. But in actuality, I intended the media -- and the discussions revolving around impartial reporting -- as a sort of contrast and comparison with the way religious scripture is "disseminated" to the public. Instead of interpreting the message for the audience, simply deliver it, clean and clear, and let the audience come to its own conclusions. Again. I don't think we need the clamoring ecclesiasts to tell us what to think.
Alice from Austin, TX: You told Publishers Weekly that you figured "Salman Rushdie needs a roommate..." Has your book encountered negative reactions from religious groups? Do you anticipate it will?
Glenn Kleier: It's been a really interesting ride so far. On the one hand, I have people like the Catholic League mounting a letter campaign to block production of the movie (slated to begin production this summer). And then, I've also been gratified to have had my early manuscript read by, and endorsed by, Mother Teresa, who shared my literary agent on her work MEDITATIONS before she passed away. Go figure.
Ben from Cleveland: What is your personal religion? Is it a combination of a few? What do you believe?
Glenn Kleier: I am a retired Catholic with no official affiliation at this time. My own personal view is thisIn my heart of hearts, I desperately want there to be a God. This earth needs one -- ideally, a proactive one, rather than a passive diety. In my mind, I have a very difficult time reconciling the tremendous torment and anguish that goes on in the world and have a difficult time accepting that a sentient, supreme being won't do more to intervene. It's a neverending battle for me. I want to believe, sometimes I find it very difficult.
Howard from Haverford, Pa: Were you concerned about the controversy your book might generate before you sold it? If yes, then what persuaded you to publish it?
Glenn Kleier: I was somewhat concerned about the controversy. But for 2,000 years the organized religions of the world have dangled this Doomsday Sword over everyone's head. I just felt it was time to call the question, and nobody else seemed to be doing it.
Justine from Billings, MT: What was the hardest part of the book to write? Why?
Glenn Kleier: The parables. I felt they had to smack perfectly of the real thing, and Christ is a pretty tough act to follow.
Gabriel from St. Louis, MO: I thought the opening of the book, at the bioengineering lab, was shocking (but fascinating!). Were the experiments done there an elaboration of what you had researched? Because it doesn't seem that far-fetched.
Glenn Kleier: Actually, while I did research this aspect to some degree, I felt I knew in advance what I had to do here to create the parthenogenesis (virgin birth) aspect of the story. It just sort of fell into place because I knew where I had to go with it.
Ingrid from San Jose: So many writers struggle to get their work published, but it seems that everything came together for you immediately! Do you have any tips for those still toiling in obscurity?
Glenn Kleier: I could write all night about tips. I'll give you a few, but I also invite you to visit the book's website, www.thelastday.com, where I'll be adding a number of specific suggestions shortly. In brief, try to net a literary agent, don't go directly to a publisher -- it's a tough industry and you really don't want to make the journey without an escort. I refer you to a book by Writer's Digest called "Guide to Literary Agents '98," where you'll find a generous mittenful of advice on writing cover letters, synopses, submission specifications, and more. It's a good start. And one last thing -- don't let anyone diminish your enthusiasm for your concept. It's a subjective world out there, and some of the hottest bestsellers on the market were rejected numerous times before finding their rightful place and well-earned success.
Joanne from Tucson, AZ: I think it must be very difficult to convey the opinions of so many different groups news reporters, Catholics, Jews, military governments, believers, nonbelievers -- how did you pull it off so smoothly? Do you have any tips?
Glenn Kleier: I spent a lot of time reading and studying the various groups. Primarily, however, it worked for me to simply put myself in their shoes for a while. To really consider their perspectives, almost as an exercise in forensics, attempting to assimilate a different perspective. Does that make sense?
Aaron from Harrisburg, PA: Your particular blend of hot topics is unique, I think. The bioengineering mixed with religion is so appropriate, because reproductive rights are so fervently disputed by primarily right-wing Christians (at least in the U.S.). You must have spent a great deal of time considering this double-sided coin.... Could you run with this thought?
Glenn Kleier: Exactly what are a human being's rights in the minds of most religious organizations? And when they do promote a certain point of view as dogma, where exactly is their God Housekeeping seal that says their arcane interpretation is better than any of the countless others floating around out there in the spiritual ethers? As Shakespeare once wrote, "Even the Devil can quote scripture to his own purpose." The point being, truth is open to interpretation, and we each have the ability to find our ways to that truth. Women included.
Pavia from Denver, CO: I was pleasantly surprised that Jeza had a pro-woman, pro-choice stance. Yay! What prompted you to portray her with those beliefs -- are you trying to hit as many nerves as you possibly can? I loved it!
Glenn Kleier: I was told once before that I was peculiar for having the point of view I do. All I can do is reference my source, which I feel is Truth. I just told it like I see it. It's pretty obvious women have been getting the brunt end of the pastoral staff for more than two millennia. It's time we all owned up to it and accepted the consequences.
Brett from Sun Valley, ID: Mother Teresa liked your book! Now that's an endorsement! What do you think spoke to her? I think she was the closest thing to Jeza on this earth. She preached tolerance as a Catholic -- remarkable.
Glenn Kleier: According to my agent, who spoke with Mother Teresa, the good nun identified with a number of Jeza's feminist issues, as well as Her emphasis on protecting children and the aged. I was also surprised to learn that Mother was a closet supporter of birth control (not abortion, of course) and that she shared Jeza's feelings regarding women having more control of their bodies as well as the ability to conduct sacraments within the Church.
Patrick from Phoenix, AZ: How carefully did you plan your novel before you wrote it? Were you ever surprised by the way this one turned out? Thanks!
Glenn Kleier: Although I let the book lead me as much as I tried to lead it, I did have a game plan from the beginning. I pretty much followed it.
Rose from St. Petersburg, FL: As a "retired Catholic," was this book cathartic to write? Did it allow you to solidify your beliefs?
Glenn Kleier: Yes it was cathartic. It allowed me to release a lot of angst that had been clawing at me since childhood. It felt good! Plus, it was fun to play God for a while!
Robin from Philadelphia, PA: OK, so we know what was the hardest part of the book to write, but what is your favorite section of the book? My favorite was when Jeza stopped the mob from killing the bus driver by bringing the child he hit back to life. And the bread truck that was never empty came straight out of the Old Testament! Great!
Glenn Kleier: My favorite was the scene in which she confronted the pope in the Vatican. This was the point where I released some truly pent-up emotions.
Moderator: You were an incredible guest, Mr. Kleier, thanks for answering our questions! What are your parting words?
Glenn Kleier: My thanks to Barnes and Noble (a truly wonderful bookstore!). My wishes for everyone tonight is that they are able in their lives to find their God, wherever She may be. Health, happiness and open minds. God bless.