The Methusaleh Project: a novel by Rick Barry

The Methusaleh Project by Rick Barry 

    This novel is a fairly well-written work by author and historian Rick Barry. When I requested it to read and review, I had a vague idea of the book. In fact, my suppositions of the story turned out to be completely wrong. Contrary to my first impression, this novel is not entirely set in world war two time period, but is a contemporary fictional novel! Yet... the story does begin in the 1940s and with the same hero as in the 21st century! Yes, you guessed it. 'Tis an unusual science-fiction-esque book in which the hero never dies and never ages. The main character, American Roger Greene is captured by Germans after a bomb raid he was conducting on Germany. Eventually, a wacko of a German performs an unusual operation on Roger which alters his cells, rendering his cells able to rejuvenate and rebuild. The result? Roger lives on and on...and by the time he, through an exciting and harrowing series of events returns to America in 2015, he still looks about 24. Since there is a girl involved, you can assume there is some romance which I found specifically awkward since the couple can't possibly get married...What girl in her right mind wants to marry an ageless man? Anyway, as you may have guessed I am not a fan of this book. I absolutely love world war two stories, especially biographies but also some historical fiction. However, I draw the line at science fiction! There are so many good stories, why waste time on books such as this? I have read a couple of fantasy books which I found interesting as well as a Christian futuristic which I found fascinating because, well, anything can happen in the future. But to write science fiction about world war two? Nuh uh, folks! Don't do it. I will say one thing: although the author doesn't have the talent of classic authors of the past (such as Jules Verne which makes his 20,000 leagues under the sea passing good), he did have some good ideas for this novel of his which I applaud him for. There were some tense situations which were fun to read. Surprisingly, a second thing I must thank the author for is the sane amount of romance as well as the Christian principles the hero upholds! This alone actually makes this book worth reading over all the overly-romantic Christian novels out there! 

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!

More about the book...
Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended. 

Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed--until the day he's shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy. 

When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success--but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn't aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn't Captain America--just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger's sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there's no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It's 2015--and the world has become an unrecognizable place. 

Katherine Mueller--crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle--offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he's trying to flee? 

Thrown right into pulse-pounding action from the first page, readers will find themselves transported back in time to a believable, full-colored past, and then catapulted into the present once more. The historical back-and-forth adds a constantly moving element of suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.