A review by nickadams
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
5.0
I have to concede that I somehow escaped adolescence without reading any of Lewis's work. The Great Divorce first came on to my radar nearly six years ago, thanks to Kris McDaniel (lead pastor at Trinity Anglican in ATL), however I just now made the effort to read it.
With that preface, I found The Great Divorce to be just as thought-provoking and enlightening as promised. As many have noted, the premise is essentially a day trip from purgatory (or Hell), to Heaven, in which the narrator comes to a better understanding of both, as well as humanity. The revelations play-out through allegorical vignettes and conversations overheard in Heaven, all building upon another to create a vivid decription of what could be (as well as what could not).
If you are predisposed to disliking didactic stories, Christianity, or extended metaphors - don't waste your time, unless you're simply looking to revel in that disdain. All others will likely find The Great Divorce, even if only parts, to be a thoughtful, considered, and refined story of the afterlife (as well as present life) and the seeming dichotomies of our potential paths. I certainly did.
With that preface, I found The Great Divorce to be just as thought-provoking and enlightening as promised. As many have noted, the premise is essentially a day trip from purgatory (or Hell), to Heaven, in which the narrator comes to a better understanding of both, as well as humanity. The revelations play-out through allegorical vignettes and conversations overheard in Heaven, all building upon another to create a vivid decription of what could be (as well as what could not).
If you are predisposed to disliking didactic stories, Christianity, or extended metaphors - don't waste your time, unless you're simply looking to revel in that disdain. All others will likely find The Great Divorce, even if only parts, to be a thoughtful, considered, and refined story of the afterlife (as well as present life) and the seeming dichotomies of our potential paths. I certainly did.