Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
HODDER WINDBLOWN (2008), Paperback, 256 pages
Description
Mackenzie Allen Phillips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant, "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him.… (more)
Media reviews
Young's too-weird-for-the-pulpit thoughts about how Adam's rib and the female uterus form a "circle of relationship" have the appeal of knobby heirloom-produce in a world where much religion arrives vacuum-packed. His theories—how to believe in Adam while supporting particle-physics research; why
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the Lord is OK with your preference for lewd funk more than staid church music—accomplish what mainstream faiths tend to fail at: connecting recondite doctrine to the tastes, rhythms, and mores of modern life. ... And though the novel, as a novel, is a sinner's distance from perfection, it's an eloquent reminder that, for those who give some faith and effort to the writing craft, there is, even today, the chance to touch and heal enough strangers to work a little miracle. Show Less
Would I recommend this book? No, I would not. It is full of theological problems as well as an irreverent and casual attitude toward God. Yes, there are nice things in it and people might even be helped by the book. But so what? There are some nice things in Mormonism, too. Should we
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encourage people to read the Book of Mormon because Mormonism might help someone feel better? Not at all.
Sadly, experience has shown me that most Christians aren't interested in biblical fidelity. No, I'm not talking about biblical nit-picking. I'm talking about fidelity to the revealed word of God to the point where we don't contradict what is plainly stated in scripture!
We Christians should regard the word of God as the final authority on all things, and any supposed accounts of actual occurrences should be compared to scripture, not our feelings, wants, and desires. In the case of The Shack, the book falls woefully short of scriptural truth in many important areas and has the strong ability to mislead people regarding God's nature, work, and plan for us.
Again, I do not recommend it. Show Less
Focusing on just three of the subjects William
Young discusses in The Shack, we’ve seen that
errors abound. He presents a false view of God
and one that may well be described as heretical. He downplays the importance and uniqueness of the Bible, subjugating it or making it equal to other forms of
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subjective revelation. He misrepresents redemption and salvation, opening the door to the possibility of salvation outside of the completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross. We are left with an unbiblical understanding of the persons and nature of God and of His work in this world. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member swynn
I wasn't inclined to read this, but a friend repeatedly insisted that I _must_ read it, and I finally gave in. Like many others, my enthusiastic friend had found this book enlightening and comforting, so all I can say to him is that it wasn't my cup of tea. So _this_ is where I record my honest
Dear Sweet Merciful Almighty Whatever, is this book ever a load of excrement!
I really don't where to begin. Every piece of it -- plot, pacing, prosody, polemic -- is excruciatingly bad.
All things being equally bad, let's start the writing: Young uses "career" as a verb (and not in the sense of "to rush" -- no, he means "to profession"). He uses "adrenaline" as an adjective. He doesn't know the difference between "affect" and "effect." He spends an entire chapter proving that he can't tell a verb from a noun. I don't know whether he ever passed grade-school grammar, but he certainly hasn't given it much thought since then.
There's the characters: You've probably heard that God turns out to be a motherly black woman, but it turns out that God is actually a hat trick of racial stereotypes. But never mind God: consider the book's main character, Mackenzie Philips.
Young opens the book explaining that only Mackenzie's closest friends call him "Mack," and that everyone else calls him "Allen." Apparently everybody is Mack's close friend because in the next 240 pages nobody calls him "Allen"-- not the postmaster, not the police, not the park ranger. Apparently the world is full of Mack's close friends.
One incident may shed some light on this. Mack has been seriously depressed since he lost his daughter three years ago. But he is not just depressed: he has named his depression. He has capitalized and italicized it: "_The_Great_Sadness_." This depression and a plot gimmick convince Mack to go into the backwoods of Washington to meet his maker. Mack calls his "close friend" Willie to explain his plan. Now, Willie knows about Mack's depression. Does he offer to go with Mack or beg him to reconsider? No, he offers Mack a gun. We now know why Mack has so many close friends: with friends like Willie, who needs strangers?
Don't get me started on dialect: The first rule every writer should learn is, "If you're not Mark Twain, don't write dialect." Young hasn't learned this rule, so he delights in stuffing his characters' mouths with painful stock phrases like the "Midwestern" postmaster's "Now don't be goin'" and "Don't ya know" to the "Sho' nuff" and "Aw honey" of the Aunt-Jemimah-God (who calls him "Mackenzie.")
Then there's the philosophy. Apparently God sort of disapproves of people who torture little girls to death, but it's not like he/she/whatever can do anything about it. Well, he/she/whatever _could_ do something about it, but now honey don't you go askin no questions about things you got no business knowin'. Apparently it's comforting to know that even though the little girl was tortured, God was right there with her. And we're supposed to be happy knowing she's in a better place.
Honestly: _this_ is what passes for life-changing theology? What exactly have this book's fans been reading for the last several thousand years? Is it somehow more convincing now that the same old theodicy comes from the mouth of a stereotyped Black Auntie? What does this say about race and popular religious discourse in this country? No, scratch that: I don't want to know.
Even the math is bad. One chapter is inexplicably titled, "A piece of π." It has nothing to do with pi, which is one small blessing I suppose. Alas, Young can't leave the math alone: in the next chapter he has Asian-Princess-God explaining that her garden appears chaotic from the ground, but "from above it's a fractal." No, no, no: a fractal is a structure which has self-similar structure at every level of resolution. If it's a fractal from above, it's a fractal on the ground, and even at the microscopic level it's a fractal.
For a better example of "fractal," consider The shack: its structure is bad, its pacing is bad, its characters are bad, its plot is bad, its prose is bad: at every location and every level -- book, chapter, paragraph, sentence, word -- the book is bad all the way down, and is not recommended.
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response to the book:Dear Sweet Merciful Almighty Whatever, is this book ever a load of excrement!
I really don't where to begin. Every piece of it -- plot, pacing, prosody, polemic -- is excruciatingly bad.
All things being equally bad, let's start the writing: Young uses "career" as a verb (and not in the sense of "to rush" -- no, he means "to profession"). He uses "adrenaline" as an adjective. He doesn't know the difference between "affect" and "effect." He spends an entire chapter proving that he can't tell a verb from a noun. I don't know whether he ever passed grade-school grammar, but he certainly hasn't given it much thought since then.
There's the characters: You've probably heard that God turns out to be a motherly black woman, but it turns out that God is actually a hat trick of racial stereotypes. But never mind God: consider the book's main character, Mackenzie Philips.
Young opens the book explaining that only Mackenzie's closest friends call him "Mack," and that everyone else calls him "Allen." Apparently everybody is Mack's close friend because in the next 240 pages nobody calls him "Allen"-- not the postmaster, not the police, not the park ranger. Apparently the world is full of Mack's close friends.
One incident may shed some light on this. Mack has been seriously depressed since he lost his daughter three years ago. But he is not just depressed: he has named his depression. He has capitalized and italicized it: "_The_Great_Sadness_." This depression and a plot gimmick convince Mack to go into the backwoods of Washington to meet his maker. Mack calls his "close friend" Willie to explain his plan. Now, Willie knows about Mack's depression. Does he offer to go with Mack or beg him to reconsider? No, he offers Mack a gun. We now know why Mack has so many close friends: with friends like Willie, who needs strangers?
Don't get me started on dialect: The first rule every writer should learn is, "If you're not Mark Twain, don't write dialect." Young hasn't learned this rule, so he delights in stuffing his characters' mouths with painful stock phrases like the "Midwestern" postmaster's "Now don't be goin'" and "Don't ya know" to the "Sho' nuff" and "Aw honey" of the Aunt-Jemimah-God (who calls him "Mackenzie.")
Then there's the philosophy. Apparently God sort of disapproves of people who torture little girls to death, but it's not like he/she/whatever can do anything about it. Well, he/she/whatever _could_ do something about it, but now honey don't you go askin no questions about things you got no business knowin'. Apparently it's comforting to know that even though the little girl was tortured, God was right there with her. And we're supposed to be happy knowing she's in a better place.
Honestly: _this_ is what passes for life-changing theology? What exactly have this book's fans been reading for the last several thousand years? Is it somehow more convincing now that the same old theodicy comes from the mouth of a stereotyped Black Auntie? What does this say about race and popular religious discourse in this country? No, scratch that: I don't want to know.
Even the math is bad. One chapter is inexplicably titled, "A piece of π." It has nothing to do with pi, which is one small blessing I suppose. Alas, Young can't leave the math alone: in the next chapter he has Asian-Princess-God explaining that her garden appears chaotic from the ground, but "from above it's a fractal." No, no, no: a fractal is a structure which has self-similar structure at every level of resolution. If it's a fractal from above, it's a fractal on the ground, and even at the microscopic level it's a fractal.
For a better example of "fractal," consider The shack: its structure is bad, its pacing is bad, its characters are bad, its plot is bad, its prose is bad: at every location and every level -- book, chapter, paragraph, sentence, word -- the book is bad all the way down, and is not recommended.
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LibraryThing member Whisper1
Even though this book was prominently displayed in every book store I've visited, and I've seen it listed on many threads here on LT, I avoided reading it.
I'm the mother of two beautiful daughters and two equally lovely grand daughters, thus reading about nasty predatory men somehow illicits a
But, my good friend the local librarian raved about the book and started a book discussion group and asked me to join.
Here are my comments:
The writing was tedious, repetitive, monotonous and preachy. The theology was hokey, and much like a shimmery present tied up in a pretty red ribbon. Maybe this theology works for some. For me, God is a lot more complicated.
I give it 1/2 star.
I'm the mother of two beautiful daughters and two equally lovely grand daughters, thus reading about nasty predatory men somehow illicits a
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"what if" feeling in me.But, my good friend the local librarian raved about the book and started a book discussion group and asked me to join.
Here are my comments:
The writing was tedious, repetitive, monotonous and preachy. The theology was hokey, and much like a shimmery present tied up in a pretty red ribbon. Maybe this theology works for some. For me, God is a lot more complicated.
I give it 1/2 star.
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LibraryThing member pammie1320
utter utter garbage and not because of its religious content. i found this book to be patronising and not at all faith affirming or thought provoking. the only thing this book made me was angry. the author suggests we should buy multiple copied for our local 'battered womens' centre' as these
absolute garbage
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people need this book to help them. honestly.absolute garbage
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LibraryThing member Ameliaiif
Somehow this got in my TBR section, but I read it last year...I didn't like this book...what's more, I thought it was a little on the blasphemous side... It was weird, and not in a good way. Has William Young even *heard* of the Bible? Cause this was just nuts. What I liked best about THE SHACK was
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hearing my pastor rip into it like a bag of doritos. And that has nothing to do with the book itself, so whatever. Show Less
LibraryThing member SenoraG163
Another that came highly recommended and I thought was awful. I made it about halfway through before giving up!
LibraryThing member Laurenbdavis
I feel rather bad writing this review, since I suspect the author was well intentioned and I know lots of people feel their theological understanding has been broadened/deepened by this book, and God bless 'em. I wanted to like this book. However, goodness it's poorly written. (A well respected
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book-seller I know calls it "a trail of cat sick") That may be beside the point, of course, but I found it condescending, simplistic, with some characterizations that were downright offensive. ( Discussion of Jesus not being handsome enough because he has a large "Jewish" nose, for example.) For truly enlightening Christian spiritual reading, might I suggest some of Bishop Spong's writings? Or Thomas Moore, even, or C.S. Lewis? Or C.K. Chesterton? Or Madeline L'Engle? Or, in fact, the work to which this book is laughingly compared -- Bunyan's THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS (which is rather like comparing "Lemony Snickett" to MacBeth.) Still, if it brings you closer to the sacred -- fair enough. Show Less
LibraryThing member LJ_Reading
First the good news: the depiction of God in the shack is much more compatible with modern Western sensibilities than that presented by traditional, non-liberal Christianity. It is also not as far from my personal opinion of how the historical Jesus understood God.
Now the bad news: the book is
Now the other bad news: the book presents faith as a form of comfort against suffering through the childish idea of a faith that God will provide a happy ending. This notion is a set of training wheels that allows those who are unable or unwilling to grow spiritually to muddle through. However it is an impediment to spiritually mature faith that accepts, embraces, and rejoices in the rightness of what is, no matter how personally painful.
Now the other other bad news: the writing left me cold. I'm willing to cut the author a lot of slack as someone who is not a professional writer but still has something he wants to say. However, the book could use a lot of editing, particularly of the events that occur before and after Mack visits the Shack. In fact, I can't help thinking how much better the book would be if these portions were reduced to a few paragraphs each, like the prologue and epilogue in the Book of Job. That in itself would earn an additional full star in my rating.
The Shack is less interesting for what it says per se than for what it's popularity says. Apparently, many traditional Christians want a more-liberal God. Those who find this book more acceptable than, say, Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" might benefit from a refresher course in the faith they claim to follow so devoutly.
Now the bad news: the book is
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dishonest in pretending that its views do not contradict traditional Christianity and biblical literalism. When God and Jesus make statements that seem unbiblical, I expect Mack, who was a former seminary student, to at least ask for clarification. This never happens. It seems the author wants it both ways: a kinder, gentler God for the 21st century that is still acceptable to evangelicals and fundamentalists.Now the other bad news: the book presents faith as a form of comfort against suffering through the childish idea of a faith that God will provide a happy ending. This notion is a set of training wheels that allows those who are unable or unwilling to grow spiritually to muddle through. However it is an impediment to spiritually mature faith that accepts, embraces, and rejoices in the rightness of what is, no matter how personally painful.
Now the other other bad news: the writing left me cold. I'm willing to cut the author a lot of slack as someone who is not a professional writer but still has something he wants to say. However, the book could use a lot of editing, particularly of the events that occur before and after Mack visits the Shack. In fact, I can't help thinking how much better the book would be if these portions were reduced to a few paragraphs each, like the prologue and epilogue in the Book of Job. That in itself would earn an additional full star in my rating.
The Shack is less interesting for what it says per se than for what it's popularity says. Apparently, many traditional Christians want a more-liberal God. Those who find this book more acceptable than, say, Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" might benefit from a refresher course in the faith they claim to follow so devoutly.
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LibraryThing member tututhefirst
I can see how some people who take their Bible very literally are NOT going to like this. Others will have trouble with the level of the writing, which is as another reviewer said 'kinda hokey.' Ten years ago, I would have thrown this book in the trash heap. But now, the fact that the author states
Although the book was obviously written to answer the "why does God let bad things happen?" questions, I pulled out more of the relationship issues--I love the idea of an African American woman as "PaPa' --and being able to spend a weekend with this trinity of personifications of the deity would be an absolute delight.
I think we go thru stages in our life where we have different perceptions of (and therefore relations with) God, religion, sacred scripture, etc. In fact, this book and some of it's theories (and its vision) came up for discussion several times in a Lenten scripture study I just finished at my church. I found it a thought-provoking read and will probably recommend to several people I think will like it.
For me it was a 4 star, for others it will be trash. For a few it will be a life-changing event. I think most books in this category will have widely ranging ratings depending on the reader's background and reason for choosing the book to begin with.
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up front and at the end that you can believe it or not, makes it a wonderful grace if you choose to accept it. I for one have no difficulty at all with having pancakes with God as long as she pours Maine maple syrup on them --- and I don't mean that to be flip. Although the book was obviously written to answer the "why does God let bad things happen?" questions, I pulled out more of the relationship issues--I love the idea of an African American woman as "PaPa' --and being able to spend a weekend with this trinity of personifications of the deity would be an absolute delight.
I think we go thru stages in our life where we have different perceptions of (and therefore relations with) God, religion, sacred scripture, etc. In fact, this book and some of it's theories (and its vision) came up for discussion several times in a Lenten scripture study I just finished at my church. I found it a thought-provoking read and will probably recommend to several people I think will like it.
For me it was a 4 star, for others it will be trash. For a few it will be a life-changing event. I think most books in this category will have widely ranging ratings depending on the reader's background and reason for choosing the book to begin with.
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LibraryThing member fig2
Aside from the fact that this books makes absolutely no sense, it is horribly, awfully, terribly written. Good for Young for writing a books for his kids, but having it published for the rest of us to witness his elementary hen-scratching was really unnecessary.
LibraryThing member ccavalli
This book is really overrated. There were a few interesting ideas, but it mostly didn't appeal to me. The versions of god presented as the parts of the trinity were meant to be unusual and challenge people's ideas, but I thought they were caricatures which were overused exemplars. I also thought
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the main character didn't question the assertions of the versions of "god" enough and simply believed without much persuasion. In the circumstances for which he had this meeting, I think there would have been more questions to ask and deeper feelings to be discussed. Show Less
LibraryThing member morningwalker
This book didn't change my life and I found it tedious. It felt like I was reading a self-help novel . "If you do all these things right you will be enlightened." If it gives comfort to some, that is wonderful, but the writing just wasn't good enough to inspire me. I think some people are searching
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so hard for answers to tough questions in their lives that they will be swayed into thinking a book like this is divine intervention, when really all it is is an author making some big bucks off the masses who desperately want comfort in a world that makes no sense. Show Less
LibraryThing member robinamelia
I've heard so much about this book, that I have to read it. The questions it asks "where is God in suffering" are good. The way it answers them--God manifests Godself in three very literal people that we are supposed to think is ground breaking because God the Father chooses the form of an
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African-American woman (been there, done that, seen the Matrix) --is talky and not particularly interesting. If you want to write theology, please do so, but why squash it into this hokey format? I guess it works, since people are buying it. Show Less
LibraryThing member maggie1944
Tried to read this book as it was said to describe the Wallowa Mountains and wilderness area, which I love. I found little description, less story, and way too much preaching. I found the sermon to be boring, and I stopped reading.
LibraryThing member ALincolnNut
As I sit to write this review -- which I've delayed a long time -- I confront a simple fear: my reaction to this book is strikingly different to that of many people who have read, including people that I respect and love. Many of them say, unabashedly, that it has changed their lives, expanding
"The Shack" aims to be a contemporary equivalent to the ancient book of Job, seeking the presence of God in this violent, destructive, and painful world. It offers the story of a man coping with depression after the violent death of one of his children. Some years later, he receives a mysterious summons, apparently from God, and spends a period of time in the divine presence.
The story is unfolds dramatically, albeit at times with a little verbosity. Young skillfully establishes the characters, particularly the central character of Mack, who has almost become debilitated by his grief and depression. Young also imaginatively (and I think this is what many people are drawn to) creates the divine encounter, giving voice to Mack's questions and offering some answers.
Many will find the representation of the members of the Trinity to be almost mind-blowing; God in particular is no grim, aging, white bearded man. But as the theologian Thomas Aquinas realized centuries ago, offering positive attributes of God is a dangerous and impossible thing because you leave out more than you include and, even if careful, add things that shouldn't be there. Young, unfortunately, falls into this trap. For the creativity of his divine characters, they also feel lacking, particularly Jesus, who seems almost like a misplaced commune-living hippie.
Similarly, the answers that Young offers to this most challenging question of faith -- why does God allow the worst things to happen? -- are at the same time truthful and yet ultimately contradictory. Many of the conversations between Mack and God are powerful explorations, and they suggest some reasons why bad things happen under a loving God's watch. The climax of the narrative, however, radically undercuts these theological conversations, offering a vision that is meant to be comforting but is profoundly disturbing. Here the wisdom of the book of Job applies: at the end, God praises Job in his questioning, but chides each of Job's three friends who offered definitive answers in God's name. If there was a satisfying answer to this age-old question, it would be common knowledge. In fairness, Young does not offer answers to all of Mack's very real questions, recognizing this. But for me, Young offered one answer too many.
Many others will disagree. They will be moved -- to tears, to questioning, to imagining God's love in new ways, to comfort that God really does care -- and will encourage others to read the book. I appreciated the author's continued efforts to think outside of the box as he approached the tough questions, but found that his thinking still was not radical enough to encompass all of God in this painful topic.
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their conception of God and God's loving presence in an often unloving world. A literary critique of any form pales in comparison to such accounts."The Shack" aims to be a contemporary equivalent to the ancient book of Job, seeking the presence of God in this violent, destructive, and painful world. It offers the story of a man coping with depression after the violent death of one of his children. Some years later, he receives a mysterious summons, apparently from God, and spends a period of time in the divine presence.
The story is unfolds dramatically, albeit at times with a little verbosity. Young skillfully establishes the characters, particularly the central character of Mack, who has almost become debilitated by his grief and depression. Young also imaginatively (and I think this is what many people are drawn to) creates the divine encounter, giving voice to Mack's questions and offering some answers.
Many will find the representation of the members of the Trinity to be almost mind-blowing; God in particular is no grim, aging, white bearded man. But as the theologian Thomas Aquinas realized centuries ago, offering positive attributes of God is a dangerous and impossible thing because you leave out more than you include and, even if careful, add things that shouldn't be there. Young, unfortunately, falls into this trap. For the creativity of his divine characters, they also feel lacking, particularly Jesus, who seems almost like a misplaced commune-living hippie.
Similarly, the answers that Young offers to this most challenging question of faith -- why does God allow the worst things to happen? -- are at the same time truthful and yet ultimately contradictory. Many of the conversations between Mack and God are powerful explorations, and they suggest some reasons why bad things happen under a loving God's watch. The climax of the narrative, however, radically undercuts these theological conversations, offering a vision that is meant to be comforting but is profoundly disturbing. Here the wisdom of the book of Job applies: at the end, God praises Job in his questioning, but chides each of Job's three friends who offered definitive answers in God's name. If there was a satisfying answer to this age-old question, it would be common knowledge. In fairness, Young does not offer answers to all of Mack's very real questions, recognizing this. But for me, Young offered one answer too many.
Many others will disagree. They will be moved -- to tears, to questioning, to imagining God's love in new ways, to comfort that God really does care -- and will encourage others to read the book. I appreciated the author's continued efforts to think outside of the box as he approached the tough questions, but found that his thinking still was not radical enough to encompass all of God in this painful topic.
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LibraryThing member Voracious_Reader
I haven't ever read much Christian Fiction outside of the famous allegorical tales offered by C.S. Lewis. After having read the The Shack by WM. Paul Young, I can't say that I am going to rush out and buy a bunch of Christian Fiction, nor is The Shack allegorical.
I couldn't get through the book's
Its theology, while expressed in a heartfelt way, was muddled. The book lacked subtlety of any kind. With sentences like "One can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby city and surrounding countryside where Nature has intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out within her purview," (p. 17) I found it difficult to take seriously. I did slog through it and am not terribly unhappy with having taken a couple of hours to do so, but it really wasn't well-written. Plus, Young espouses a kind of new-agey Christian theology, that I don't personally embrace. The theology it espouses, though, is dubious at best.
It did have one sentence that I liked--namely, "Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again." (p.237).
I couldn't get through the book's
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forward. I put it down and started the story itself the next day by telling myself: I have a duty to finish it. My mother-in-law had already read it and said that "she didn't understand why everyone liked it so much. Would I read it and let her know what I thought?" and a friend of mine gave me the book sharing much the same sentiment as my mother-in-law. Its theology, while expressed in a heartfelt way, was muddled. The book lacked subtlety of any kind. With sentences like "One can almost hear a unified sigh rise from the nearby city and surrounding countryside where Nature has intervened to give respite to the weary humans slogging it out within her purview," (p. 17) I found it difficult to take seriously. I did slog through it and am not terribly unhappy with having taken a couple of hours to do so, but it really wasn't well-written. Plus, Young espouses a kind of new-agey Christian theology, that I don't personally embrace. The theology it espouses, though, is dubious at best.
It did have one sentence that I liked--namely, "Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will ever be the same again." (p.237).
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LibraryThing member cfink
This book did not resonate with me. It came highly recommended, and I was hoping for something that would really challenge my spirituality. Instead, I found a book written to a junior high audience, and I never found the ah-ha moment I was looking for.
LibraryThing member countrylife
It was my own fault. I knew I’d be away from home all day, yet had forgotten to throw a fresh book in my bag. So, in a hurry at the store, I just grabbed a book that looked like it might be a decent read. Chosen in haste, “to repent at leisure”, as the saying goes. Well, at least it was a
Pros: The setting seemed well drawn; I felt as though I walked in Oregon.
Cons: Everything Else.
Starting with a sad premise, some say that this book will help you deal with grief, or bring you closer to God. If you are looking for God, I would recommend Christianity. If you do have a religion, there will be recommended books that would help you deal with grief. This story is nothing but a mishmash of warm-fuzzies and greeting-card platitudes that the author tried to put skin on. There is no substance. The anti-Biblical ramblings bothered me too much to be able to “enjoy” the book.
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fast read. Pros: The setting seemed well drawn; I felt as though I walked in Oregon.
Cons: Everything Else.
Starting with a sad premise, some say that this book will help you deal with grief, or bring you closer to God. If you are looking for God, I would recommend Christianity. If you do have a religion, there will be recommended books that would help you deal with grief. This story is nothing but a mishmash of warm-fuzzies and greeting-card platitudes that the author tried to put skin on. There is no substance. The anti-Biblical ramblings bothered me too much to be able to “enjoy” the book.
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LibraryThing member kpickett
Since I am never going to booktalk this book and almost everyone knows what this is about I will keep this part short. Mack's daughter is kidnapped and brutally murdered. Four years later Mack still blames himself and has slipped into a deep depression when he gets a letter from god. Mack drives to
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the shack where his daughter was killed and spends the weekend with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit and figures out everything about religion.Dull! The best part of this book was about the abduction and murder of his daughter. The rest was kind of a wash. This was supposed to be a controversial book but mostly the author presents god as a woman and that pisses off a lot of people. The author introduces a lot of significant theories about God but doesn't back them up with more information and only skims the surface. Overall I felt that this book spent a lot of time not getting anywhere at all. I never really connected with Mack and I just couldn't understand most of what they talked about. You can live without this. Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnC100
I bought this on a recommendation of a friend and was intrigued by other reviews I'd read. I'm not a Christian but have always had an interest in religion and philosophy. The book started well and I thought Young created the feeling of terror that all parents would feel if their child went missing.
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Unfortunately, about half way through I began to lose interest as I didn't find the personification of Jesus and God worked for me - it just got a little too strange for my liking. Young should be congratulated for attempting to write something as ambitious as this but he didnt quite pull it off in my view. Show Less
LibraryThing member mudslideslim
A source of constant amazement for me is the sheer curtain that seperates us from our normal life and our worst nightmares. When Mack takes his kids camping, it is a beautiful experience enhanced by meeting charming people that are on the same page as his family and the whole trip becomes
This isn't even what this story is about, this story is about redemption, education,compassion. A craftsman of the highest order takes you on a trip of discovery without letting you forget what has already occured, so even as you venture forward, eager to see what happens next, you look down to notice you're dressed like Johnny Cash. It took a serious second wind to finish,but reaching it was most gratifying.
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dreamlike, a vacation to remember. Then suddenly, in the blink of an eye, his beloved child's canoe tips over and he's running to save him, everything that was,no longer is. Every cell in his body is screaming at him, the Lone Ranger theme is playing in the background, it's that dream that you dread. Is this it? Nope, not even close.This isn't even what this story is about, this story is about redemption, education,compassion. A craftsman of the highest order takes you on a trip of discovery without letting you forget what has already occured, so even as you venture forward, eager to see what happens next, you look down to notice you're dressed like Johnny Cash. It took a serious second wind to finish,but reaching it was most gratifying.
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LibraryThing member ChiennePhantome
As one of many books I have bought from the Christian bookstore, this one goes to the bottom of the list. The books I would rank lower would be the "self-help" books that proclaim that God wants you to be rich; however, I wouldn't even buy those.
The writing is poor. The plot is cliche. The theology
For a better book on forgiveness, read How to Forgive When You Don't Feel like it.
For a better book that deals with the theology of the trinity, try the classic Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.
The writing is poor. The plot is cliche. The theology
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can best be described as immature at best.For a better book on forgiveness, read How to Forgive When You Don't Feel like it.
For a better book that deals with the theology of the trinity, try the classic Mere Christianity by CS Lewis.
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LibraryThing member little-sparrow
I really don't know what to think about this book. It was certainly the strangest piece of fiction I have ever read. To me it was not one of those books that I couldn't put down. If I didn't want to read it so bad, it might have been one of those that I put aside to come back to later. The
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beginning and the end were okay - the middle just bogged down and started to bore me. I thought the writing was not that great -- very amateurish. I felt a little uncomfortable, embarrassed maybe, by Mack calling God "papa." On the upside, I appreciate and understand the message that the book was trying to convey, and I think there were some good analogies, such as the garden being Mack's soul. On my rating scale I am only giving this a 3 out of 5 because it was just "ok" for me. I think I kept waiting to be blown away by some eye-opening revelation, and I just was not. Maybe I have just hardened into a cynical old woman. Show Less
LibraryThing member Katie_H
This Christian fiction novel was recommended by a friend, and after reading it, I seriously question her taste in books. This fairly short book sat on my nightstand for a LONG time, before I finally able to finish it. While the concept was interesting, the execution was awful, and I felt that the
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writing was very poor and amateurish. The dialogue was even painful at times. The story begins with the horribly tragic loss of a young girl, and follows her father, Mack's journey, as he comes to terms with the loss, and finally makes his way back to God, whom he calls "Papa." What was most unique about the book was the presentation of God and the Trinity, and that Mack met them in person. God the Father is a motherly, but sarcastic black woman, Jesus is a Middle Eastern handyman, and the Holy Spirit is a little Asian woman. I guess if you're really interested in Christian lit, this might speak to you, but I wouldn't personally recommend it to anyone. Show Less
LibraryThing member ladycato
Four years ago, Mackenzie Philip's youngest daughter was abducted during a camping trip. Her bloodied dress is found in a remote cabin in the woods, and all evidence points to her being the victim of a serial killer. Mack's family continues to suffer, and his anger at God is unrelenting. Then, one
First things first. The concept of this book is great. It addresses the nature of God, and why God allows evil to exist, and how forgiveness can be achieved. It's very thought-provoking stuff.
However, the writing is downright atrocious. If I'm reading a forward and I have the need to reach for my red pen and start editing, that's a very, very bad sign. The voice is inconsistent. The forward and afterward don't fit the voice of the rest of the book. There are info dumps, including several pages that read like a tour guide to Oregon. For me, though, the most frustrating thing was the dialogue, especially the dialogue of God in all His facets. I see what the author was trying to do. He wanted to make God friendly and approachable, but he does so in a melodramatic matter where God! Constantly uses! Exclamation points! He also laughs constantly and even speaks in chuckles/laughs in dialogue tag (an amateur writer's mistake). Therefore, the dialogue felt forced and fake, which is a shame since the subject matter was compelling. It feels like when this book was picked up by a major publisher, they didn't have anyone edit, and that's to their discredit.
I can see why this sold millions of copies. I can also see why I found my copy at Goodwill.
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day, there's a note in his mailbox from "Papa," asking him to come to the shack. Papa is his wife's name for God. Against his better judgment, Mack returns to the shack that destroyed his life, and confronts God Himself.First things first. The concept of this book is great. It addresses the nature of God, and why God allows evil to exist, and how forgiveness can be achieved. It's very thought-provoking stuff.
However, the writing is downright atrocious. If I'm reading a forward and I have the need to reach for my red pen and start editing, that's a very, very bad sign. The voice is inconsistent. The forward and afterward don't fit the voice of the rest of the book. There are info dumps, including several pages that read like a tour guide to Oregon. For me, though, the most frustrating thing was the dialogue, especially the dialogue of God in all His facets. I see what the author was trying to do. He wanted to make God friendly and approachable, but he does so in a melodramatic matter where God! Constantly uses! Exclamation points! He also laughs constantly and even speaks in chuckles/laughs in dialogue tag (an amateur writer's mistake). Therefore, the dialogue felt forced and fake, which is a shame since the subject matter was compelling. It feels like when this book was picked up by a major publisher, they didn't have anyone edit, and that's to their discredit.
I can see why this sold millions of copies. I can also see why I found my copy at Goodwill.
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LibraryThing member cougargirl1967
This thought provoking and quite often heart wrenching story, gives Christians another way to attempt to grasp the enormity of God's love and forgiveness. I'm not as interested if it "follows" any doctrine just that it can open a heart or mind and renews the thirst for holy knowledge.
Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — 2009)
Language
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
256 p.
ISBN
0340979496 / 9780340979495