Manuscript 4: Glennall's Betrayal

[Laura Ingalls]

And now we come to the fourth book - Glennall's Betrayal or The Chronicle of the Betrayed. This was one of my favorite Passages books...there were so many little parallels and new twists on the story. I really enjoyed it!
I liked how James was balancing out Glennall...trying to get him to see how he was coming across to his brothers and what he was becoming in his vengeance etc., as well as Glennall helping James to believe in the Unseen One. It was interesting to see how wrapped up in getting revenge Glennall was. He was blind to the real purposes of God in bringing him to the position he did - all he was concerned about was himself and rectifying the wrongs done to him. I think that's a lesson to all of us, to be careful not to be focused on ourselves that we miss what God really wants us to do.


Some of the many parallels I noticed:

People:

Glennall = Joseph
Connam = Jacob
Sesta = Judah? I think.
Rastall = Reuben
Transe = Benjamin
Turnan, Drouse, Naud, and Yon = Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Zebulun
Cannap, Fortawince, Selsond, and Pa'an = Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher
Nosz = the Ishmaelite traders
Alexx = Potiphar
Sedras = Potiphar's wife
King Akvych = Pharoh
Chalcer = Pharoh's cup-bearer
Bask = Pharoh's baker

Events:

Glennall was given his father's ceremonial gown and ring = Joseph's coat of many colors
Glennall's brothers throwing him down a mine shaft and selling him to Nosz = Joseph's brothers casting him into a pit and selling him to Ishmaelite traders
Glennall being tempted to cover up Sedras' gambling - Joseph being tempted by Potiphar's wife to commit adultery
Glennall being put in charge of the prison camp, just like Joseph. Interpreting the dreams of the 2 men, being released when the one remembers him, etc.
Interpreting the dream of the king/Pharoh, preparing for the famine to come.
Glennall's cup, plate, cutlery, and ledger being found in Transe's sack = Joseph's silver cup being found in Benjamin's grain sack

I know I'm probably missing a lot, but that's what I can think of right now. How did everyone else like this book?

[Danielle Abigail Maxwell]

I found this book the worst of the 4 I've read. I read halfway through and almost didn't come back to it for three days. I found it utterly.. boring. It just didn't catch my attention like Annison's Risk and Darien's Rise (Arin's Judgement had my head spinning). I knew it was about Joseph before I started reading. And the way it came about just was... too close and boring.

James was an all right character. Not my favorite. He just... too strong-headed. He softened up by the end, thankfully. He became a better character. But he just kinda lost me half the time or bugged me in everything he said. That would account for Glennall's annoying persistence and bragging... and revenge that topped it all.
Glen (or Glennall), was just... bad. His intent was revenge. Come on. He was supposed to be a follower of the Unseen One! Joseph was better, and Glennall was darn potraying him! Glennall was snoty and annoying. Ugh..... least favorite character... ever.

Glen was too set on revenge to see anything else, or he saw it all wrong. I know I write revenge, but... this was too much.

I didn't like this book much... oh well.

I have no favorite in this book... all the characters seemed... blah.

I don't know... the characters were well thought out, but the plot too... too much apart and too much ALIKE Joseph. Revenge was too much apart, and the whole dumping in the mine shaft and selling and working in the mine's was too close for comfort...

I know its supposed to parallel the Bible story of Joseph. But how I see it is that while they are supposed to be about that person and what happened to him, couldn't there be some way to make it more unlike the story? Like Arin's Judgement. Definitely took me about 3/4 of the way into the book to figure out it was Noah. Kept me going (even with all the stuff I found... over my head). This story was too close. Annison's Risk was kinda close, but enough to make me see parallels without it right in front of my face. And Darien's Rise... that had to be the furthest from the story of David.

So, Glennall's Betrayal was just... too close for me to read it again. Too much like Joseph. Cause, all the other books went their own way also, while staying within the Biblical story. This one... didn't even true.

[Bennett]

If I remember right, this book, Arin's Judgment, and Draven's defiance were my favorite books of the series. But the other three are very good too.

[Catspaw]

Connam = Jacob
Sesta = Judah? I think.

I loved Jacob's name - Connam. As in, con 'em, as in cheat them? Jacob means "he grasps the heel (figuratively, he deceives)" according to the footnotes in my Bible, and I think that Connam is supposed to be a reflection of that name's meaning. Jacob was known as a deceiver to multiple people in his lifetime, so the name Connam suits him well!

As for Sesta, I thought that it was Simeon, actually. Because he was more enthusiastic about trying to harm Joseph and played a larger role in some ways, I thought. I could be wrong, though. But I don't think I am. Other opinions?

Other names I found interesting:
Fantya = fantasy
Visyn = vision
Deydra = daydream
Nosz = knows? Not sure on this one - I couldn't figure out quite how that fit.

The story of Joseph is a favourite of mine, and I really enjoyed this book! It was interesting in how it did focus for an extended time on James, without really going back to Glennall, but it was nice to see him grow during that time, and then later be able to share what he had learned. Joseph is a biblical character that gets portrayed very positively, but it was interesting to see Glennall's failings, because Joseph obviously wasn't perfect. Arrogance and forgiveness are both areas that he had years to deal with, and I think that it was great that Glennall wasn't totally perfect. He knew some of the truth in the sense that he believed in and followed the Unseen One, but he was missing some of the pieces. That's true for all of us as Christians - we will never have a perfect understanding of God, but as we get to know him better, we get a better picture of who he is. Like James says his aunt Edna said, God is love and justice all wrapped up into one. Often one side is emphasized over the other, and we all struggle to find the right blend in our thoughts that doesn't detract from either side. I loved how James helped Glennall see that and work on forgiveness and see the bigger picture of God's plan. It wasn't all about him, as he has assumed for so long. Not that any of us could personally relate to such a thought, of course!

Fun repeated Paul McCusker theme - "It will get worse before it gets better" is used a couple of times in this book, which will sound very familiar to AIO fans who have heard "Malachi's Message." I like noticing similar themes that authors use in different books/writings/whatevers. Good stuff.

[Laura Ingalls]

As for Sesta, I thought that it was Simeon, actually. Because he was more enthusiastic about trying to harm Joseph and played a larger role in some ways, I thought. I could be wrong, though. But I don't think I am. Other opinions?

At first, I had written down Simeon, because that's who I was thinking it was too. But then I was reading the Biblical account; and Judah was the one who wanted to sell Joseph to the traders, and Sesta was the one who was selling Glennall to Nosz. So I don't know...

[Mrs Jason Whittaker]

I thought Sesta was Simeon, becasue Sesta stayed in Palatia just as Simeon stayed in Egypt (Genesis 42:24).

At first I didn't like the way Glennall was portrayed because I don't think Joseph was vindictive. However, the more I read, the more I appreciated it. I still don't think Joseph was set on revenge, but it was good to see another side of the story and to stretch my imagination.

I liked the parallels in this book, many similarities, but not too many.

At this point, I was confused about the country of Palatia. In Darien's Rise it was parallel to Philistia, in Annison's Risk it was parallel to Persia, in Glennall's Betrayal it was parallel to Egypt.

Altogether, though, I liked this book.

[Catspaw]

I thought Sesta was Simeon, becasue Sesta stayed in Palatia just as Simeon stayed in Egypt (Genesis 42:24).

Yes, that's what made me think that way as well, plus I think they listed him second in a list of brothers, and Simeon is listed second in the biblical listing. But since this is an adapted/not directly copied version of the story, that could explain the similarities to both Simeon and Judah in different aspects.

[NateMaxwell]

Very Exciting read!