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debicates's review against another edition
4.0
Lagerkvist has given us a tale of two tormented, direct experiences with the divine: Ahasuerus (the Wandering Jew) who had a brief unhappy encounter with Jesus and the Sibyl who became a famous Oracle of Delphi for many years spouting messages from Apollo.
Lagerkvist made an intriguing story pairing these two traditions, the meeting taking place at the crossroads of history when there was a changing of the guards of god, so to speak. And yet age-old questions remained, like how to endure the whims of god, and then how to endure the absence of god.
Ahasuerus was neither good nor bad, but a rather ordinary man living an ordinary happy life who, in one unwitting moment was unkind to Jesus as he was on his way to crucifixion, then was cursed by god's son to roam the earth for eternity, alone, unblessed. He was seeking the Sibyl to tell him his future -- hoping, I'm sure, to see some end to his suffering.
The Sibyl, who as a young country girl felt a vague lacking, was transformed when she was chosen to be a Pythia for Apollo. She gave it her all, accepted being a vessel to be used, and became one of the best ever Oracles, all without reward. In her 30s (the age when most priestesses were replaced but she was not because she was too profitable for the temple), she committed a crime against god by falling in mortal love with a one-armed man. Her punishment was the death of her lover, being violently raped by Apollo via a goat, and conceiving a half-witted, half-god (and half-goat!) son.
This is clearly not the experience one seeks when wanting to be closer to god. And is the sobering reminder of god's inscrutable and, from a human perspective, fickle nature.
The Sibyl had observed others, including her own parents, living quite peaceably and sincerely with god, and observed others living peaceably (and profitably) without god. There didn't seem to be a clear-cut right way or wrong way to garner a peaceful mortal life. Her hard-earned wisdom was whether god blesses, curses, or ignores, we are all under an erratic god. (And she experienced all three.) Thus she ultimately answers Ahasuerus,
"Perhaps one day he will bless you instead of cursing you. I don't know. Perhaps one day you will let him lean his head against your house. Perhaps you won't. I know nothing about that. But whatever you may do, your fate will be forever bound up with god, your soul forever filled with god."
I'm not sure that will be a comfort to Ahasuerus. But it is the Sibyl's advice that acceptance is the only course for humans whether living under Olympian or Heavenly rule.
Lagerkvist made an intriguing story pairing these two traditions, the meeting taking place at the crossroads of history when there was a changing of the guards of god, so to speak. And yet age-old questions remained, like how to endure the whims of god, and then how to endure the absence of god.
Ahasuerus was neither good nor bad, but a rather ordinary man living an ordinary happy life who, in one unwitting moment was unkind to Jesus as he was on his way to crucifixion, then was cursed by god's son to roam the earth for eternity, alone, unblessed. He was seeking the Sibyl to tell him his future -- hoping, I'm sure, to see some end to his suffering.
The Sibyl, who as a young country girl felt a vague lacking, was transformed when she was chosen to be a Pythia for Apollo. She gave it her all, accepted being a vessel to be used, and became one of the best ever Oracles, all without reward. In her 30s (the age when most priestesses were replaced but she was not because she was too profitable for the temple), she committed a crime against god by falling in mortal love with a one-armed man. Her punishment was the death of her lover, being violently raped by Apollo via a goat, and conceiving a half-witted, half-god (and half-goat!) son.
This is clearly not the experience one seeks when wanting to be closer to god. And is the sobering reminder of god's inscrutable and, from a human perspective, fickle nature.
The Sibyl had observed others, including her own parents, living quite peaceably and sincerely with god, and observed others living peaceably (and profitably) without god. There didn't seem to be a clear-cut right way or wrong way to garner a peaceful mortal life. Her hard-earned wisdom was whether god blesses, curses, or ignores, we are all under an erratic god. (And she experienced all three.) Thus she ultimately answers Ahasuerus,
"Perhaps one day he will bless you instead of cursing you. I don't know. Perhaps one day you will let him lean his head against your house. Perhaps you won't. I know nothing about that. But whatever you may do, your fate will be forever bound up with god, your soul forever filled with god."
I'm not sure that will be a comfort to Ahasuerus. But it is the Sibyl's advice that acceptance is the only course for humans whether living under Olympian or Heavenly rule.
kieranhealy's review against another edition
5.0
A fascinating rumination on faith, God, religion and human paradoxes. It's short but the concepts The Sibyl works with are dense and powerful. Written in a spare style, Lagerkvist manages to write sinle sentences that made me put the book down for a day and think about what they meant. Not confusing, but more "Wow, I need to think about this for a bit."
On experiencing God:
“I have seen god, as you have,” he added after a time. “I have met him, and the meeting has filled my soul with horror.”
On returning home after experiencing life:
"Nothing is more foreign than the world of one’s childhood when one has truly left it."
On Man's attempts to understand God:
"A riddle which is intended not to be solved but to exist. To exist for us always. To trouble us always."
Very small samples and meaningless outside the context of the book, but those were a couple that made me pause and think. Highly recommended!
On experiencing God:
“I have seen god, as you have,” he added after a time. “I have met him, and the meeting has filled my soul with horror.”
On returning home after experiencing life:
"Nothing is more foreign than the world of one’s childhood when one has truly left it."
On Man's attempts to understand God:
"A riddle which is intended not to be solved but to exist. To exist for us always. To trouble us always."
Very small samples and meaningless outside the context of the book, but those were a couple that made me pause and think. Highly recommended!
bellakat0828's review against another edition
5.0
“But I shake my fist at him who treated me so, who used me in this way, in his pit, his oracle pit—used me as his passive instrument—raped my body and soul, possessed me with his frightful spirit, his delirium, his so-called inspiration, filled me with his hot breath, his alien fire, and my body with his lusting, fertilizing ray so that I had to bear this witless son, who is a mockery of man—of reason and of man—a mockery of me who had to bear him. Who chose me to be his sacrifice, to be possessed by him, to foam at the mouth for god and to bring forth an idiot. Who has exploited me all my life; who stole from me all true happiness, all human happiness; who bereft me of all that others may enjoy—all that gives them security and peace. Who took from me my love, my beloved; all, all—and gave me nothing in return, nothing but himself. Himself. Who is in me still, filling me with his presence, his unrest, never giving me peace because he himself is not peace; never forsaking me. Never forsaking me!”
This book is an embodiment of the sublime. It makes you feel’s things that you are not supposed to feel- especially in the age of Christianity. Although this story is about the Delphic Oracle- the Pythia, who served Apollo, the way Lagerkvist weaves the prose- it is uncertain at times who this god is. It seems the Pythia serves the one-god, our monotheistic idea whom we call God, Yahweh, Allah, Apollo.
This creates a complex and layered testimony. How can we, in our Christian world, read such horrors as committed by god? Our god who is supposedly so full of light and love?
We receive answers through the traveller, cursed by Jesus- who, although left unnamed, is clear in identity. His hatred for Jesus and therefore god is palpable, bleeding into every line of dialogue, every thought he has. Which makes the old woman’s apathy toward god so puzzling. The old woman, the forsaken pythia, has endured much much more than the man has. We watch her long, devastating story unfold. Yet, she regards god with a deep understanding of her own lack of understanding. She knows she will never understand such cruelty and joy as is god, and so she leaves it.
Toward the end of the novel, the traveller comments on her eyes- they are so deep and wise, in contrast to his own eyes, which are so shallow and hard. He asks why her eyes can be as they are, when they both were cursed the same by god. How can she walk away with depth when god cursed them both so?
There is no answer but the deep seated apathy with which she describes her own life. She says it herself- hod took away her humanity- she had not been human for her entire life. And yet she can acknowledge this and accept that this was the way of the world. Her hatred does not affect god. And this is what the traveller missed. His hatred has consumed him.
I’m not sure what the lesson to be learned from this book is. It is clear that it urges the reader to contemplate life and god and the religious framework we all grow up in, but further than that it seems to express a deep apathy for the world. I don’t know how to reckon with that.
This book is an embodiment of the sublime. It makes you feel’s things that you are not supposed to feel- especially in the age of Christianity. Although this story is about the Delphic Oracle- the Pythia, who served Apollo, the way Lagerkvist weaves the prose- it is uncertain at times who this god is. It seems the Pythia serves the one-god, our monotheistic idea whom we call God, Yahweh, Allah, Apollo.
This creates a complex and layered testimony. How can we, in our Christian world, read such horrors as committed by god? Our god who is supposedly so full of light and love?
We receive answers through the traveller, cursed by Jesus- who, although left unnamed, is clear in identity. His hatred for Jesus and therefore god is palpable, bleeding into every line of dialogue, every thought he has. Which makes the old woman’s apathy toward god so puzzling. The old woman, the forsaken pythia, has endured much much more than the man has. We watch her long, devastating story unfold. Yet, she regards god with a deep understanding of her own lack of understanding. She knows she will never understand such cruelty and joy as is god, and so she leaves it.
Toward the end of the novel, the traveller comments on her eyes- they are so deep and wise, in contrast to his own eyes, which are so shallow and hard. He asks why her eyes can be as they are, when they both were cursed the same by god. How can she walk away with depth when god cursed them both so?
There is no answer but the deep seated apathy with which she describes her own life. She says it herself- hod took away her humanity- she had not been human for her entire life. And yet she can acknowledge this and accept that this was the way of the world. Her hatred does not affect god. And this is what the traveller missed. His hatred has consumed him.
I’m not sure what the lesson to be learned from this book is. It is clear that it urges the reader to contemplate life and god and the religious framework we all grow up in, but further than that it seems to express a deep apathy for the world. I don’t know how to reckon with that.
mittland's review against another edition
4.0
yeah I cried over human love and mortality and the apathy of the gods. what about it
whornerr's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
bubbletelescope's review
5.0
The Sibyl is a story about a man and woman that are wrestling with the "idea" of god - what god has given them and what god has taken away from them. The woman serves god through the temple and was driven out of her community. The man is cursed and searching for answers on his fate. Both have been impacted by the evil god and they are continuously searching for the good god.
A quick read and I reflected a lot after finishing it.
A quick read and I reflected a lot after finishing it.
rissaleighs's review
2.0
Didn't really care for this. Interesting from a cultural standpoint, but short as it is, it felt too long.
calciterox's review
1.5
The inadvertent abelism seeming to claim mentally handicapped individuals are abominations and disgraceful excuses for people to be related to god was very off putting and unfortunately ruined a mildly enjoyable story
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism
Claims of her son being an a disgrace of a human due to what can only be described as a mental handicap was unsettling