The Twelve - Softcover

Perseus

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1593155956 ISBN 13: 9781593155957

Publisher: Vanguard Press, 2010

Synopsis

The Twelve is an extraordinary and unforgettable novel about a most unusual and unsuspecting hero. As a child, Max lives in a world of colors and numbers, not speaking until the age of six. As an adult, max ventures on a journey of destiny to discover the secret behind the ancient Mayan prophecy about the “end of time,” foretold to occur on December 21, 2012. At fifteen years old, Max has a near-death experience during which he has a vision that reveals the names of the twelve unique individuals. While Max cannot discern the significance of the twelve names he is unable to shake the sense that they have deep meaning. After completing his schooling at Harvard and Yale, eight years pass before Max meets the first of The Twelve. With this first meeting, Max’s voyage of discovery begins, as he strives to uncover the identities and roles of the twelve individuals he will meet during his journey toward the truth. All of The Twelve seem connected, and all of them are important to what will happen at the exact moment the world as we know it will end. The novel take the reader on a serious of spectacular adventures to Jerusalem, Athens, London, India, Istanbul, China, Japan, and Mexico, culminating in a understanding of why and how Max and The Twelve are destined to unite and discover the true meaning of December 21, 2012. The outcome of their meeting could fulfill an ancient Mayan prophecy, controlling the future of life on our planet. Only The Twelve can provide the answers, as the fate of all humanity rests in the balance.

About this title

About the Author:

William Gladstone majored in Spanish literature at Yale University and cultural anthropology at Harvard University. He has worked at the highest levels of book publishing. He resides in Cardiff, California.

From Publishers Weekly:

Gladstone's meandering debut, the latest thriller tied to the mystical date of December 12, 2012, when Mayan legend predicts the world's end, charts the life of Max Doff, starting with his conception in 1949 in Tarrytown, N.Y. After Max dies briefly at the age 15, he has a vision of 12 people. On returning to consciousness, he begins a decades-long quest to find them. His path takes him to Yale, where his radical philosophical ideas lead to his forced departure from campus. A formulation like 'A is, and is not, equal to A' as the ultimate equation in explaining how to penetrate the impenetrable intellectual domain of 'understanding understanding' is symptomatic of Max's difficulty in getting his message, whatever it actually is, across. Max then begins globe-trotting as part of the production team for a documentary on ancient astronauts. Serendipitous encounters with the twelve will strike many readers as more contrived than magical. (Sept.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: Vanguard Press
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1593155956
• ISBN 13: 9781593155957
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 302