'THE PORTRAIT' | A review Futuristic novel tells a disturbing story

An artist faces death when he agrees to create a painting of the Crucifixion.
By MARGARET NERY
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
"The Portrait" by Louis Ryman (Dorrance, $14).
If you believe the statement that "Truth is stranger than fiction," you have only to read the book "The Portrait" to realize the fallacy of that assumption.
Written by Louis Ryman of Canton, "The Portrait" is a futuristic, prophetic novel based on the theory that a group of revolutionary terrorists known as the Devil's Corps is intent on destroying all things relating to Christianity.
The premise
The setting for the disturbing plot is Chicago in the year 2025, and the focus is on Peter Grant, a free-lance artist who is commissioned to paint the crucifixion of Christ for St. Michael Parish in Washington, D.C.
Little does Grant know when he accepts the assignment that the finished portrait would eventually pave the way for peace, climaxing one of history's bloodiest eras. And neither does he suspect the torture he would have to endure or the dangers that he would face in order to complete the work of art.
Although the story is told in part in retrospect, in flashbacks that give meaning to his feelings of inadequacy and guilt, much of it deals with the imagination of a man apparently on the verge of madness.
Devastated
The loss of his family at an early age and the death of his beloved sweetheart, Kay Allyson, have a deep and disturbing effect on Grant's life. But surprisingly he finds solace in the arms of a young model, Tracy Duvall, who bears his child and ultimately becomes his supportive and loving wife.
Although he lives in constant danger of being killed by the antichrist group, Grant is cared for and protected by his most trusted friend, Preston Thomas, a top publicity man for a Chicago firm, and by a highly intelligent secret agent, Dr. Judith Gillespie.
Even as he paints, Grant is undergoing a personal struggle that would try a man's soul. He encounters a series of religious and supernatural conflicts and seems to be constantly at odds with a real or imaginary person named John Baxter.
Rare ailment
It turns out that the artist is suffering a rare affliction known as Flip Flop Syndrome, which produces terrifying and unexplainable hallucinations.
When he seems unable to complete the painting in the realistic style he has predetermined, Grant goes to the extreme and has himself hanged on a cross, where through his own suffering, he hopes to gain an insight into the agony suffered by Christ as he died for man's sins. The measure apparently was successful as he completed the portrait in time for the great unveiling at the church.
And the story begins with Grant, his wife and son, as they survive one last threat to their lives and arrive at the parish. And it ends as Grant completes his final sacrifice in order to bring his message of peace to the world.
With the completion of his mission, a new era dawns, an era free from wars, hate, greed and bigotry.
Personally speaking
The premise for the book is good. The plot is interesting and at times confusing, but gripping enough to hold one's attention and to arouse curiosity.
At times, however, one wonders if what is happening is real, surreal or merely a figment of Grant's imagination. If delivered in a straightforward style, the story line could have been more riveting.
However, the stilted phrases that Louis Ryman has put into the mouths of his characters and the too-detailed descriptions of their clothing and unrelated incidents often detract from a good plot.