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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Well, now . . .

You know how I just said that my reviewing style has changed over the course of the past 6 months since I've begun reviewing for 5 Minutes for Books? Yes. Well. I just finished reading The Shack and I'm afraid you are going to have to "indulge" me for more of a rant than you've seen around here lately. I'm giving you advanced warning so that when you see the review pop up, you'll be ready to either grab a cup of coffee and sit down with me or click on by. I have lots and lots to say. (I actually have 10 pages worth of handwritten notes and quotes from the books. The last time my face and ears burned so badly when I was reading was when I sat down with Blue Like Jazz.)

If you want to know my bent on it, you can start by reading this article by Tim Challies. I rather hope you would go read the article because I think The Shack demands more attention and focus than Christians have been giving fiction these days. This is not a book to take lightly by any stretch of the large use of imagination used by Young himself. But I'm afraid I'm going to get ahead of myself. Stay tuned.

I rather reluctantly ask you, as a thinking reader, to read this book for yourself. Why? Precisely because everyone else is doing it. Normally I think that's a really BAD reason to read a book. In this case, I still think it's a really bad reason but unfortunately necessary. Sometimes it's just good to be aware of what's out there. This is one of those times. Very, very unfortunately.

5 comments:

Sarah M. said...

It's funny, I had heard so much about this book I had put it on my TBR list. And then I saw a copy at the store the other month and picked it up. From what I read of the back I was totally turned off by the story. The very premise as to why the guy ends up in the shack was not tasteful to my reading-taste buds, so I came home and took it back off my list. Interesting thoughts -- I think I'm going to just leave it off my list. There are so many books I'd rather read and so little time.

~teachmom~ said...

I look forward to what you have to say about it.
I read this book back in June and just picked it up, not knowing it was a big "hit" yet. Well, it was on the bestsellers' shelf but I hadn't heard about it and it caught my attention. So I bought it.
It's a very different kind of book. I never read anything like it before.
I liked it but have to say,.....there's SO much there. It is one I will have to read again because of what it is. It's. Alot. To Take. In.

Well, I think I said enough.....

:)

Anonymous said...

My mom has been raving about this book ever since she read it. I had already read Tim Challies' review, so I was just going to avoid it. But then when I told her I wasn't planning to read it and why, she said, "How do you know if you haven't read it yourself?" So, now I kinda have to. Sigh.

Carrie said...

Yes it really, really is a pity that I'm FORCED to say "Yeah, you really should read this one to know what it's about." It ISN"T worth reading. At all. It SHOULD be avoided. But, just like Blue Like Jazz, if you want to know how to respond to the book - you DO have to read it. And, just for the record, I happen to hate that fact in this particular instance.

Lisa Spence said...

Oooooooooh, a rant?!?! Bring it, sister!

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