Mark E. Klein

Some books are thought provoking, some are challenging, some are stirring, some exist only in our ability to dream or have nightmares, some stimulate our minds, some are spiritual, and some are simply more than anything else, very inspiring. The book Franklin Rock is a combination of all but mainly it is inspirational. Sometimes its message feels lost in a narrative that seems corny or hokey, sometimes the dialogue feels like it should be addressing a young adult audience, but as one reads further and further into the book, it becomes obvious that one really has to attain a certain level or knowledge of life to appreciate the book’s main ideas, that the world can indeed be fixed, that violence can end, that love can prevail, peace can encircle the globe, and that there is a Franklin Rock out there, somewhere, that can accomplish these goals.
The book is written in short, easy to navigate chapters, some overusing hackneyed phrases or clichés, and some with more moving, emotional and realistic messages, while other chapters have a feeling of being more like flights of fancy. Perhaps to believe that the world can be fixed is still beyond the grasp of most readers. Some parts of the book will require the reader to suspend disbelief, but all parts of the book will leave the reader with a message that is worthwhile, that human kindness will win out, eventually. Hope really does spring eternal, and the idea that every moment of our lives is forever, that we coexist in and are part of the past, present and future at the same time, is irresistible. It means death is immaterial. While Franklin Rock may seem like Superman at times, he is really, Franklin Rock “the man”. He alternates between the smartest, yet, unknown most powerful man on earth and the most naïve or innocent man, as well. His relationships seem infantile and uninformed, occasionally, with his friends and wife he seems unworldly, inexperienced and not at all streetwise, yet he and all of them are the cream of the crop, intellectually. Why do they seem emotionally disadvantaged at times, immature and unexposed to real life? Their education and careers expose them to life in its most harrowing moments. Yet they and Franklin’s persona remain a little undeveloped, even as their experiences grow. Does the author do this deliberately so that they can absorb this savior’s message, he as well, so that his canvas and theirs have room to be painted on more fully with ideas as they develop, so they are more open and apt to receiving them?
The passage of time is difficult to pin down, is it months or days, or years perhaps that have gone by? The reader knows the story is moving forward, so time has passed, but how much exactly remains nebulous. Perhaps, since its theory of time is that all moments coexist eternally, and nothing truly ever dies, it is a device deliberately employed by the author.
In the end, who would not want to know a Franklin Rock? Who would not want to believe in the possibility of a Franklin Rock and all his theories? Who would not like to share his stellar character, always seeing the optimistic approach, the curative seed, the solution to life’s problems with an interpretation that even makes the most tragic situation seem endurable and acceptable?
So, while the book may cause the readers to roll their eyes once in awhile and to suspend disbelief often, it will also enrich the readers when the final page turns. Pray for a Franklin Rock. If one comes, cheer him on. Let him repair the faults in the fabric of our world, let him solve the problems of society and let him remove violence from every aspect of our lives. Franklin Rock is the ultimate time traveler. Franklin Rock is not a book for everyone, but for those it touches, it is perfect. For those it touches, the world will be a much nicer place as they begin to put the needs of others before their own.… (mere)

Review of Advance Reading Copy

“Time is not real.”

So wrote Franklin Rock in the margin of his copy of Herman Hesse’s “Siddhartha.”

And thus began his amazing odyssey.

Franklin’s mentor, Professor Charles Niemeyer, gives the young undergraduate some clues about what lies ahead, but he passes away, leaving Franklin with more questions than answers . . . and with a blank book titled “Franklin Rock: The Man Who Fixed the World.”

What to do? Where to begin? How do you go about fixing the world?

Fortunately, there are others ready to help Franklin: Govinda, a mysterious man who seems to know all about Franklin, even though they have never met before. And, while working in the hospital as an orderly, Franklin meets cancer patient Maurice Burnside, who imparts life’s most important lessons. His close group of college friends includes Henry, Lori, and Joanne . . . and all will play a part in helping Franklin achieve his destiny.

Franklin’s time-travels slowly build his understanding while, at the same time, raising new questions for the young man. Concerned about what he should accomplish, about what others expect of him, Franklin works to identify the main problem he must address in his mission. Will his quest show him the way to solve it and bring everyone peace?

Told from a variety of viewpoints, including Franklin and his best friend, Henry, the story follows Franklin from college into the workforce and, ultimately, into marriage. As he experiences the vicissitudes of daily life, he struggles to relate them to each of his time-travel experiences and to the mission before him.

The unfolding narrative pulls the reader down the proverbial rabbit hole as it inexorably turns basic understandings upside down. As Franklin pursues his destiny, many of his discoveries will resonate with readers. With its gentle veracity, the deceptively deep narrative encourages readers to experience the world in a new way and urges them to look at life in the light of the revelation of the mysteries of the universe.

There’s much to consider in this gentle, thought-provoking tale of time-travel and inspiration. It should top every reader’s to-be-read list.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.… (mere)