The Twelve [NOOK Book]

I was extremely disappointed that such a creative plot could be told so poorly.

At fifteen years of age, Max Doff-our protagonist-has a near death experience during which twelve names are revealed. He is unable to shake the sense that they have deep meaning.

After completing his studies at Harvard and Yale, eight years pass before he meets the first of the twelve: María Magdalena Ramírez-a Peruvian woman with whom Max feels a deep connection.

With this first meeting, Max's voyage of discovery begins, as he discovers, one by one, the identities and roles of the twelve individuals he will meet during his journey toward truth.

The twelve need to meet on Izapa, Mexico on August 12, 2012-which is a sacred date and the beginning of the final one hundred and thirty days of "love energy" that would terminate on December 12, 2012-the day that the Mayan calendar determined the world would end/transform.

As they meet on that day, they are welcomed by the "Thirteenth Apostle," which orders them to find an entity that has incarnated on the planet-an entity that created everything-and by incarnating "The One" has made the sacrifice and risked all by forgetting all and becoming truly and completely human. The task of the twelve is to search this One and reunite again here on Izapa on December 12, 2012, before sundown to ensure that mankind, in fact, fulfill the destiny promised of heaven on Earth. The fate of humanity rests in the balance.

The book is poorly written: the author uses a poor narrative-changing from Max's point of view to the universal point of view to whomever he meets. Very hard to follow and distracting as hell. Characters are never developed well. The author is so consumed in telling the story that he forgets this is a written text. We do not see them, hear them nor we know them. Perhaps the movie version will take care if that.

I was extremely disappointed that such a creative plot could be told so poorly.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An exciting novel

"The Twelve" is one of those books that's hard to put down once you start. With every page, you can't help wonder what the main character will discover next. The whole concept of the Mayan calendar and the significance of the date, 12-21-2012, is laid out in this book in such a way that makes you really think about the possibilities, regardless of your philosophical beliefs. I would definitely recommend this novel.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

the twelve

This book is one of the best books I have read It's fun and entertaining... it has inspired me to make changes in my life and also it has make me see the world in a different way... I recommend this book to people who like mystery and those who want to know true meaning of life..

Good concept...poor writing style

This book sounds really good, but it's poorly written. It's very shallow. You don't really get to connect with or know any of the characters. It unfolds like someone is just telling you a story, not like you're experiencing something. Buy it at half price books if you want to read it. It's a good book to stick next to the toilet - you dont get too involved and you can easily put it down.

An engaging story

Max Doff is an unusual person. Not speaking until age six, his world is filled with numbers and colors. At age 15, he has a near-death experience during which he sees 12 names, yet he can't remember them when he awakes. Eight years later, while on location in Peru for a film production company, Max meets Maria Magdelena Ramirez. It then hits him in a flash: Maria was one of the 12 names he saw in his near-death vision, people he is destined to meet. The Twelve is the story of Max's journey, from birth through Dec. 21, 2012, the date that Mayan prophecy predicts the world will end. Like The Celestine Prophecy, The Twelve combines universal spiritual teachings with an engaging story to create a compelling adventure into the world of the 2012 prophecy. We all hold a Max within, an inner hero who longs to follow his chosen path to inner wisdom to create outer peace in the world. - Vicky Thompson, New Connexion

A fresh perspective on 2012

This novel inspired by the Mayan calendar and prophecies of "the end of the world as we know it" linked to 12/21/2012 is creative and intriguing. Gladstone takes us on a worldwide journey which links sacred sites in fresh ways and shows how people of all cultures and religions count equally in the weeks leading up to the prophecy's target date.

The hero also takes an inward journey himself, realizing his own strengths and weaknesses as he meets people whose name come to him in a childhood near death experience. Their unexpected affinities and soul links provide the story's mystery, with a conclusion that is hard to predict until the very end.

For fans of "The DaVinci Code" and other metaphysical mysteries, THE TWELVE can take you further than France to find clues to how the world will end -- or how human differences as we know them might be resolved. It may not appeal to those who are not interested in Mayan calendar rumors, however, as the writing style is more straight forward than overly literary or romantic.

The Twelve

I am enamored by all the places I traveled in reading The Twelve. Thank you William Gladstone for being so generous at an experiential level. I feel The Twelve opened me to the practical power of synchronicity as well as exposed me to the wealth of information that emerges as people integrate their resources.
This story reinstated my motivation to trust in each encounter with what life presents to us. Most importantly, The Twelve illustrates a balanced approach in making personal decisions while acting in accordance to trust in the Universe; the nuances of life. Many of us find our decision making process is challenged by "my will" vs. "thy will" and The Twelve offers us a guide in living the merge of these wills.
William Gladstone's work has me believing in "the moment" again; I am encouraged to get involved with others at a deeper level for there is much work to do. - Wendy Graham

Not What I Expected

I thought that this book was going to look at history using math. I expected something different and was very disappointed with the story I read. I thought that the book was going to ask make me think and analyze, but it turned out to be more of an environmentalist book. Very disappointing.

Headlines were fantastic

This book seemed to be totally disorganized. The main character was clueless, too much rambling on, it just seemed that was no cohesiveness to the story. Then the ending was such a let down. Was truly disappointed. Expected much more. Truly a let down.

I Wish I Were As Thin As This Book

This is one of the thinnest books I've ever read. There is little character or plot development. It quickly skips over the surface of a far ranging story and takes the lead character around the world, encountering others, but always on a superficial level. You don't really get to "know" anyone or develop a strong attachment to any of the characters. The moral of the story is laudable.

It was ok

I really wanted to love this book. It was such an interesting concept and I bought it immediatly. The only problem was it wasn't until I got halfway that it really started to pick up. I almost didn't continue reading.

Don't get me wrong. Some of the parts were great, but it would then fall off. It was not at all a thriller like I thought it was going to be.

Childish, bad bad bad

This book is so poorly written it feels like a Dick and Jane story. If you are looking for interesting info about the Maya then this is not for you. This must be some kind of a joke. It has to have been written for 2nd graders because any inteligent adult will find the writing style insipid and tedious.

A fascinating and engaging read for anyone interested in a good story told with affection and humor that deals with the mysteries of destiny and of philosophy in an intriguing global plot line. Once you start, you won't want to put it down.

This book is written in an easy to read style that takes the story of an unusually gifted man around the world to find the answer to a prescient vision he had at an early age when he "died" and came back to life carrying this mission with him. As one who is not otherwise taken by otherworldly explanations of life, the compelling qualities of curiosity and love of life of the main character, Max Doff, together with the mystery he tries to solve as a he carries out documentary film assignments and falls into romantic relationships around the world, kept me completely engrossed. If you like a good story and love not be disappointed by its characters, this is a book that will leave you feeling very good about things.

Hope For the End of Time

This book is an engrossing parable based upon the Mayan prediction that Time as we know it will end on December 21, 2012.
THE TWELVE is a quest novel that draws the reader into an "ordinary" American family and then intensifies as the hero comes upon and then searches for the twelve people represented by names he momentarily viewed in a teenage near-death experience. The search virtually covers the Earth and includes characters from the world's great belief systems.
Although critical of 20th to 21st century materialism, the novel is essentially positive. It is, in fact, a page-turner as Max Duff experiences the adventures, predicaments, and love affairs of a lifetime of seeking. But its resolution will leave you with new hope, perhaps new resolution.
Just a teaser from page 260: "Protect Max and protect yourselves and enjoy the lives that you were destined to create and live... May the joy of the universe be with you always."
The question for discussion is: CAN WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN BEFORE 12.21.12?

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