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panchosegovia 's review for:
The Great Divorce
by C.S. Lewis
Not my favorite CS Lewis book, however it is compelling at many points. The book seems to be a reflection on pride, almost a fictionalized version of chapter 8 of Mere Christianity. Lewis makes the point that even outward "virtues" such as familial love, piety, and charity can be used as masks for self-obsession and manipulation of others. Lewis' portrayal of George MacDonald is heartwarming, you can feel his admiration. His discussions of eternity and the inability for human sin and ultimate goodness to coexist, and God's respect for human free will to reject him are classically Christian, dare I say patristic.
This book may be responsible for the idea that everyone who goes to hell chooses it, and perhaps the inspiration for the idea that the same glory of god that is the joy of the saints is the fires of hell for those who reject God (a popular idea in Orthodox circles). I find these ideas biblically suspect (“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”), and from an Orthodox perspective they don't seem to have much patristic backing.
One of the weaker elements of this book is the sci-fi conceit that Lewis credits at the beginning of the book (the "hardness" and "heaviness" representing eternity and the shades/ghosts being subject to impossibly heavy leaves and grass as sharp as diamonds). Much of the book is spent discussing this metaphor. I understand the point he is making here but I find it gimmicky. The second part I found weak is the dialogue between the saints and the shades where the saints try to convince the shades to abandon their pride/sin and come to heaven. The saints come across as callous and unfeeling and the sinners are quite cartoonish in their obstinance.
This book may be responsible for the idea that everyone who goes to hell chooses it, and perhaps the inspiration for the idea that the same glory of god that is the joy of the saints is the fires of hell for those who reject God (a popular idea in Orthodox circles). I find these ideas biblically suspect (“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”), and from an Orthodox perspective they don't seem to have much patristic backing.
One of the weaker elements of this book is the sci-fi conceit that Lewis credits at the beginning of the book (the "hardness" and "heaviness" representing eternity and the shades/ghosts being subject to impossibly heavy leaves and grass as sharp as diamonds). Much of the book is spent discussing this metaphor. I understand the point he is making here but I find it gimmicky. The second part I found weak is the dialogue between the saints and the shades where the saints try to convince the shades to abandon their pride/sin and come to heaven. The saints come across as callous and unfeeling and the sinners are quite cartoonish in their obstinance.