| WHB Home : All Blogs : Recent Blogs : The Shack by William P. Young (Review) - 2/25/2009 | |
February 23, 2009 10:41pm v.11
Rating:
Status: Hidden
| Leave a comment: 1 comments ~ | Printable Version |
| PREV | 398 of 459 | NEXT |
 (THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER FREE!)I read half of it. I tried to read the whole thing, I really did, but I couldn't do it. Maybe I'll read the last 100 pages eventually, but I'd rather spend that time on another book. I admit that my initial review (before I actually read the book) was too harsh. I wrote: The Shack is much better than I expected, so I no longer plan to burn my copy in effigy. This is a fiction novel, and although the main character Mack is fictional and his actions serve a purpose in the plot of the book, I was still discouraged by the theological statements that Mack makes to his children, friends and in his inner monologue. Since Mack has a seminary degree, it's hard to separate his critiques of the church from the Author's voice. Anyone who is dissatisfied with the church, who has an isolated faith, will feel exonerated by Mack's theological statements. So liberal leaders of the emergent church like Brian MClaren or George Barna might like this book. I concede that Mack's theological dilemmas are a necessary predicate to his encounters with the Trinity. Still, I was discouraged by Mack's uncorrected attacks on church orthodoxy that are left unanswered, and considering his seminary training, it concludes that answers are not obtainable through the 2,000 year church tradition. So don't expect to obtain any profound theological truths from this book. Everyone loved Space Invaders and Beauty and the Beast but sometimes when computer graphics are too real but still not perfect, the cartoons have an eeriness to them like ghosts or the undead that scares people. So, because this book is so close to perfect truths but misses the marks, it generates similar disgusting eeriness. I really enjoyed The Plague by Albert Camus and The Catcher in the Rye by Salinger but both of those books made much more horrible claims about God and life than The Shack. So this is why people who love pure orthodoxy are so abhorred by this book, and the fact that so many people love this book, there is a fear that people will believe the theological statements in the mouth of Mack or the Trinity. Besides the Theological Flaws (that I won't list), the book isn't any better than other dramatic thrillers. If you like John Grisham novels, then you will probably like this book too. I actually like John Grisham much more, because things actually happen in his books. Not much happens in The Shack. An event happens, and it talks about that event way too much without adding meaningful details. The main character is the only developed character until the Trinity is encountered. The Trinity isn't that developed either, and the only notable things about the Trinity are the theologically flawed descriptions of the Trinity that are different from what we know the Trinity is proclaimed to be like in the Bible. So this causes horror to people who have read the bible or intrigue to people who think the Trinity is a one-for-all and all-for-one pie-in-the sky being. The reason I bought the book is that I wanted to know why so many people loved the book. I thought there was something magnificent about Young's writing style or scene descriptions that captivated his readers. I found that the pages turn fast without content and I now wonder if people are unable to appreciate books and will only read junk airport-stand books. I'm not good at writing fiction, and Young is a much better fiction writer than I am, but I really believe I could write something comparable to The Shack. I am inspired by this book, because Young wrote it on a whim, and it was rejected by all the publishers. He self published and eventually landed on the best seller's list. It inspires me to write, especially since the book is so simple. I personally do not want to read any more books like this one, because there are so many wonderful books, but I do want to know what kind of books are effective today. I don't recommend this book but I admit that I only read half of it, but from other reviews I've read, I believe the second half is like the first. So, I will leave it on my coffee table or by my toilet, and maybe I'll finish it eventually. I've invested 125 pages into the book, and those are 125 pages I'll never have back to spend on a good book. I don't want to waste anymore pages. Save your money, buy Pilgrims Progress instead.
Last Update: February 25, 2009 2:28pm |
| PREV | 398 of 459 | NEXT |
| Leave a comment: 1 comments | [Hide Comments] | Printable Version |
Comments: #1 February 24, 2009 2:05pm NICE review!!! Period.
Phil
| ||
| BACK TO COLUMNS | ©2024 http://www.houtz.tv by Wyatt Houtz | LOGIN |