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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
This one was a slog to get through, but I thought the ideas and pondering were worthwhile. Some Adam and Eve elements but overall an odd read
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I enjoyed parts of this but towards the end the theology and philosophy seemed to be more ramblings and I kept losing focus. Maybe the writing style just wasn't for me in this.
A bit on-the-nose at times, but addicting to read. Not for everyone, but I feel at home every time I come back to it.
Well, I finally finished a less than 200 page book that shoulda taken me a lot less time to finish than it did. Lol. It started out interesting enough but when he got to Perelandra, it drug on for chapters until Weston started tempting the Green Lady. Then, especially when Ransom had the fight with the Un-Man, it got interesting, but the middle part was just slow introspection and mostly Ransom sleeping a lot it seemed like. Lol.
I’ve been reading other reviews to try and articulate what it is precisely that I want to express in my dislikes for this book.
Ultimately, it boils down to a vast difference of opinion between myself and Lewis. I am not religious, and cannot relate to the ferocity to which Lewis holds to the literal teachings of the Bible, but I’ve gotten something out of his writing in other works, including that of the first book. Among a number of things, Lewis’s fixation on sex and gender in this book highlights to me this weird moral hangup Lewis has when writing about women. I don’t share his beliefs in the slightest and that disparity makes any of the more preachy moments (of which there are many) feel tortuous and awkward to get through. I have no problem with religious writing, I love Tolkien and many of Lewis’s other works, but in the case of Perelandra I found it instead to be a thinly veiled sermon - and one that to me felt too self congratulatory and self righteous to actually have anything meaningful to say even to those who do have a similar belief system.
It’s one of those books I imagine Christian’s read to feel good about being Christian, if that makes sense. Which isn’t a problem but it absolutely is not for me.
Plot wise I still greatly admire the imagination Lewis is capable of. The worlds he builds are fantastical and fun, but I found that the landscape took a heavy backseat to the philosophy here.
I also hated that Ransom was eventually just told to cut the middle man and kill Weston outright. The last fight in the book turned from moral debate to acting as a hit man for god. I just don’t understand why Lewis would seemingly imply that his moral beliefs - and by extension Christianity - are not strong enough to overcome the equivalent evil and instead it must be shut down by force. It felt weak to me.
In all likelihood I will read the third in this series simply to have it completed, but I’ve heard it’s much more of the same.
Ultimately, it boils down to a vast difference of opinion between myself and Lewis. I am not religious, and cannot relate to the ferocity to which Lewis holds to the literal teachings of the Bible, but I’ve gotten something out of his writing in other works, including that of the first book. Among a number of things, Lewis’s fixation on sex and gender in this book highlights to me this weird moral hangup Lewis has when writing about women. I don’t share his beliefs in the slightest and that disparity makes any of the more preachy moments (of which there are many) feel tortuous and awkward to get through. I have no problem with religious writing, I love Tolkien and many of Lewis’s other works, but in the case of Perelandra I found it instead to be a thinly veiled sermon - and one that to me felt too self congratulatory and self righteous to actually have anything meaningful to say even to those who do have a similar belief system.
It’s one of those books I imagine Christian’s read to feel good about being Christian, if that makes sense. Which isn’t a problem but it absolutely is not for me.
Plot wise I still greatly admire the imagination Lewis is capable of. The worlds he builds are fantastical and fun, but I found that the landscape took a heavy backseat to the philosophy here.
I also hated that Ransom was eventually just told to cut the middle man and kill Weston outright. The last fight in the book turned from moral debate to acting as a hit man for god. I just don’t understand why Lewis would seemingly imply that his moral beliefs - and by extension Christianity - are not strong enough to overcome the equivalent evil and instead it must be shut down by force. It felt weak to me.
In all likelihood I will read the third in this series simply to have it completed, but I’ve heard it’s much more of the same.
Out of the two books in the series so far, this is the only one with a named woman. And she's basically Eve, being manipulated into sinning. Ugh. So sexist. The only woman character is going to doom humanity (or Venusians or Perelandrans or whatever). Basically, it's implying that an independent woman is sinning, and will cause destruction. It's horrible! Old books are sometimes hard to read.
This book also has much more talking and philosophizing, and is less veiled as a Christian allegory than the first one. I skimmed several pages at the end just to finish it.
Plus, it says, "Predestination and freedom were apparently identical." What kind of gobblygook is this?
This book also has much more talking and philosophizing, and is less veiled as a Christian allegory than the first one. I skimmed several pages at the end just to finish it.
Plus, it says, "Predestination and freedom were apparently identical." What kind of gobblygook is this?
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A 10/10 book. Edifying, wonderful, creative, and enlightening. This one will stay with me a long time.