The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William P. Young Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity
Book Review: 2 1/2 for writing; 5 for impact on me
Summary: 5 Stars
I just finished reading this book last night. I had read many reviews while I was reading the book, and I wondered how I would come out at the end. The writing is poor: the dialogue is not natural and the descriptive language is English 1-level work. But the emotions and images the story evoked were worth every minute of reading. Submission to God, developing a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus, the destructive judging we do so frequently (and seem so self-righteous about in all our media), and the issue of forgiveness are just some of the topics which provided a very personal and emotional response from me. I'm a 52 year old guy--and I found myself in tears several times through the book.
As a Christian, I was moved and encouraged in my faith. I do not believe all of the "lessons" provided by the characters--but it wasn't difficult to discern what the author was trying to say. But by the end of the book my response was strong: I AM in a loving relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit--and I AM loved.
But as a Christian I also had a strong reaction to many of the reviews that attempted to "school" enthusiastic readers in the "correct" way of thinking about God. I would unhesitatingly encourage middle and high school church youth groups to read this book--and to discuss what thoughts/images/feelings came up and what that might tell them about their faith. I would not be afraid of this book, and those calling the book dangerous have, to me, a disheartening lack of faith in the strength of God to speak through this book and other media that are not the Bible.
Book Review: 2007'S AMAZING LIFE CHANGING FICTION BOOK
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is about so much more than the gruesome details of how this little girl dies. The author deals with this subject tactfully and respectfully. All of a sudden I was reading along and the thought occurred to me that this book might be like a book I read (that really touched me) called "Dinner with a Perfect Stranger" by David Gregory; but it was nothing like that book. That book was fun and light hearted. William Young takes you into the depths of Mackenzie's pain and has God show up. God wants to heal Mackenzie from the inside out. Mack can't believe this is happening. Did he die and go to heaven? This can't be God he doesn't care about him or love him because he let his innocent daughter Missy be murdered. I don't want any part of this God he thinks. I don't know why he came?
I don't want to say too much detail about this book. I don't want to tarnish your experience. I don't want you to be swayed one way or the other on how God wants to use the message of this book to reveal Himself to you in a very unexpected and exhilarating way. But I do want to share this with you; a little glimpse inside this powerful book. The experience of this book is like listening to a song that touches your heart to the core and when it's all over there is no clapping just silence as everyone reflects on what just happened in their heart, soul and mind.
The glimpse : This is what Mack says to God " I hate all this - this crying and blubbering like an idiot, all these tears," he moaned.
"Oh child," spoke Papa tenderly. "Don't ever discount the wonder of your tears. They can be healing waters and a stream of joy. Sometimes they are the best words the heart can speak."
The Lord has His fingerprints inside this book for you to find and be transformed. This is not only a GREAT book; a must read; but an experience that will alter the way you look at life and God forever.
Nora St.Laurent
www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Club Servant Leader
www.novelreviews.blogspot.com
Book Review: 5 Stars (With Warning: This is not for fundamentalists or Calvinists)
Summary: 5 Stars
It's perfectly obvious (to anyone familiar with Tim Challies, who reviewed this book negatively) that Challies would not like this book at all, so his recommendation against the book should come as no surprise. Let's just be really clear: A five point Calvinist (who believes that the atonement of Christ is limited only to the elect and that God created people who are predestined to suffer eternally in hell) is *not* going to like the theology of The Shack. Duh. :)
Other Shack-haters might include independant fundamentalist Baptists who believe that being a Christian is comprised of saying the sinner's prayer and then embarking upon a performance-oriented list of righteous duties for the rest of one's life. Any group similar would also find the book highly offensive.
But the rest of us? Let's just say that for me, one person who has been on a exodus out of fundamentalism, this book was That Good. I am not even sure how to describe it in words. Reading it was as if a clean Spring breeze came blowing into my heart and was gently breathing Life in all sorts of dark and dusty places.
Is the writing excellent? Well, it's not like reading Tolkien or Lewis, but it's not bad, either. I admit, at first I was a little bored---I didn't realize it was going to be a novel---but after the third chapter, I was fully engaged.
In my opinion, the BEST part of the book was the second half. WOW. It flat out blew me away, it was that good. The Shack has drawn me to Scripture and to a re-looking at what Scripture actually says versus what my religous upbringing "said" it said, if you know what I mean.
My mother and my grandmother and my aunt all read the book before me. These are strong evangelical women, very devout, very orthodox in their faith, one a missionary, all three very active women in almost all areas of the church. They all bought the book at the same time, unaware that the others were reading it too. And get this: upon reading The Shack, they ALL went back to the bookstore and bought more copies to hand out to friends and called eachother to ravinginly recommend it! :) It's that kind of book.
Reading it was so good. It was like meeting God in a whole new way. I actually feel like my concept of God has been blown wide, expanded, in the kind of way that makes me want to run towards Him with my arms open wide.
I went to Bible College and have always had a deep love for theology, for searching the Scriptures to know God through them. In reading through the reviews here, I notice that there are negative reviews claiming that The Shack version of God is unbiblical. As a student of the Bible, these reviews couldn't be more wrong.
The Shack's presentation of God *is* absolutely Biblical---it's just that most religous institutions tend to focus on *some* Scriptural definitions of God to the exclusion of others. The Shack brings out many other DEEPLY Scriptural aspects of God----these aspects just happen to be the ones that our current established religous paradigm seems to ignore---or, perhaps, has never really understood.
I am not normally a big book gusher. I've read a lot of great books and raaaarely take the time to write a review. This book, though, is different. I am SO thankful for this book and can't recommend it highly enough, with the one caveat I mentioned above: that if you are deeply comitted to a theological paradigm that is performance-based or has concluded that the work of the Cross only extends to a small percentage of predestined humans, then this book is not for you.
Or, then again, maybe it is...
Book Review: 5 stars insufficient
Summary: 5 Stars
Right behind the Bible, this is at the top of my reading list. As soon as I finished, I wanted to read it again... but had to surrender it to my husband first who had been bugging me to define what I was reading. He isn't "a reader," but in less than two days, he has devoured 2/3rd of the book and is losing sleep cuz he can hardly put it down.
I'm back, to buy a dozen copies for 2007 Christmas... more than half to simply give away.
This is the most "nonfiction" fiction book I've ever read. The story line and presentation resists categorizing into a specfic hole... it reads like all the good parts of a "near death experience." It captures your imagination and holds your attention.
If you've ever been hopeless, joyless, confused... or simply complacent... about Who God is and how He feels about you... READ this book. I'm sure there will be those who don't "get" this book and its message. I am sad for those. There are those who will dismiss this book on preconceived "theological" or "doctrinal" issues. I'm far sadder for them. But, if you have been sincerely seeking to hear God's Heart, to catch a glimpse of Him in His Reality... apart from a transfiguration experience, I'd be hard pressed to think of a better way to touch Him.
And, if you have struggled with the issue of forgiveness for someone who has committed the "unforgiveable sin" against you... this book just might help you begin to see a way through that obstacle.
This goes to the TOP of my "MUST READ" suggestion list!
Book Review: A promise so tantilizingly unfulfilled....
Summary: 2 Stars
William Young is nothing if not audacious. In centering his story around the abduction and brutal murder of a father's six-year old daughter, Missy, Young makes it clear that he wants to address the age-old problem of innocent suffering. Through Mack, the father who is the novel's protagonist, Young seeks to take us on a journey from anger, denial and despair to acceptance, forgiveness and redemption.
And although I don't consider myself religious in any recognizably traditional sense, as a minister's son and former member of a religious order, I always seek to read books like this on their own terms. For the first 170 pages Young kept me engaged with the central question - how are we to accept the reality of poor Missy's final terrifying hours?
Then on page 173, we find out that Missy's final moments weren't so terrifying after all - and only in this way is Mack relieved of the burden of his crushing encounter with his young daughter's suffering.
I wish Young hadn't flinched, I wish he'd found way to resolve Mack's story without backing away from the senseless horror of Missy's innocent suffering. But no; we are to believe that Missy was somehow sustained and comforted while suffering outrages that the author quite properly does not detail.
I'm sorry; I don't buy it. But I applaud Young for making the attempt.