Alfredo Castelli (1947–2024)

Apocalypse of John must be the most interesting book from Bible. Interesting unfortunately predominantly because people just thrive for stories of last stand and victory bought by huge losses. I mean just look at society today and most perverse joy of living "at end of times" pushed out by those the loudest, the media, and the way media (doom-sayers of old with today's unfortunate reach across globe) represents things.

Almost every society when it encounters the unexpected difficulties (no matter if these are truly huge issues or just issues that happen in cycles) tend to turn their focus on doom itself and it obviously takes a lot to organize themselves to find the solution or at least motivate people to seek the resolution of the problem. During rise of Christianity main obstacles were pogroms and persecutions organized by Rome. At that point in time only way of rising peoples hopes and spirit was to give people a story of terrible things to come but ultimately events that will be overcome and new age of prosperity will arrive. Considering the fact that until the end of the Universe people will scream "end of the world" every day when things don't go their way it is not strange that this story remains so memorable and applicable in almost every epoch.

Book simplifies Revelation of John to a degree (it is a graphical medium) but main events are shown as a delirious dream experienced by John of Patmos, experience in which he is given message from God that although huge tests and sacrifices will come His Seven Churches of Asia must persevere and thus help bringing salvation to human kind.

Although dark at some points (especially the beginning with rise of the Beast and false prophets) book ends on a positive and optimistic note.

Art is excellent, it manages to show the dream-like nature of the revelation. Various creatures show up, they cannot be seen in full detail (as it is usually case in dreams) and they continue to exist somewhere at the edge of view, present and not present at the same time. Art is black and white and as such has a much greater impact than it would be case if the coloring was involved.

Very interesting book with great art. Only downside might be the length of the publication, it is rather short.… (meer)