Book Review - The Shack by William P. Young
Category Book Review William P. Young The Shack
OK... So I'm a bit behind the curve on this one. Already nearly 1600 reviews out on Amazon for The Shack by William P. Young. Needless to say, it took a bit of time before I got to the top of the library hold list. It didn't take me long to read the story, as I found it intriguing. It's a different slant and method for looking at how God works. Theologically, I can't say I fully agreed with it. Still, I think it was a worthwhile read.
Mackenzie Allen Philips, or Mack to nearly everyone, has lived through a trauma that every parent fears and dreads. While on a camping trip with his kids, he has to dive into a lake to save two children from drowning in an overturned canoe. But while everyone is focused on that, a serial child killer grabs his young daughter from their campsite and disappears. The authorities are able to follow the trail to an abandoned cabin deep in the woods, where they find the girl's bloodstained dress. But beyond that, nothing... Mack has no real closure, and "The Great Sorrow" weighs heavy on him over the following months and years.. During a winter trek to his mailbox, he gets a note inviting him back to the cabin to meet with "Papa", which was his wife and daughter's nickname for God. He wants to write it off as a cruel hoax, but he can't let it die. Either he'll go up to an empty cabin, meet with the killer, or come face to face with God.
Once he arrives at the cabin, he finds it totally undisturbed from the last time he was there. In frustration and anger he lashes out, but a strange thing happens. The site is instantly transformed into a spring day, a tidy cabin, and three visitors who are there to show him things he can't even imagine. Over the course of the weekend, Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu reveal the power of God in ways that bring Mack to a point where he can finally heal and forgive. He's still not sure how he can explain all of this to people when he gets back, especially given the twist at the end of the story...
From a fiction perspective, I really liked the book. Mack seemed very real, and you could easily understand his anguish at failing to protect his family. I also appreciated some of the "color" that Young was able to add to theological concepts that too often remain more abstract than practical. It made me think more than I normally do when reading fiction. Unfortunately, some of that colorful theology seemed to be more new-age'ish than traditional. Casting God the Father as an African-American woman who is cooking in the kitchen was a scene right out of the Matrix. Using The Shack as a Bible replacement would *not* be a good thing...
For me, I'd rate it a bit higher than I might rate some other book that tried this approach. I wouldn't hesitate to read it again knowing what I know now. It'll challenge many of your mental images and mindsets of who God is and how He works. Just remember that you *should* challenge it...
OK... So I'm a bit behind the curve on this one. Already nearly 1600 reviews out on Amazon for The Shack by William P. Young. Needless to say, it took a bit of time before I got to the top of the library hold list. It didn't take me long to read the story, as I found it intriguing. It's a different slant and method for looking at how God works. Theologically, I can't say I fully agreed with it. Still, I think it was a worthwhile read.
Mackenzie Allen Philips, or Mack to nearly everyone, has lived through a trauma that every parent fears and dreads. While on a camping trip with his kids, he has to dive into a lake to save two children from drowning in an overturned canoe. But while everyone is focused on that, a serial child killer grabs his young daughter from their campsite and disappears. The authorities are able to follow the trail to an abandoned cabin deep in the woods, where they find the girl's bloodstained dress. But beyond that, nothing... Mack has no real closure, and "The Great Sorrow" weighs heavy on him over the following months and years.. During a winter trek to his mailbox, he gets a note inviting him back to the cabin to meet with "Papa", which was his wife and daughter's nickname for God. He wants to write it off as a cruel hoax, but he can't let it die. Either he'll go up to an empty cabin, meet with the killer, or come face to face with God.
Once he arrives at the cabin, he finds it totally undisturbed from the last time he was there. In frustration and anger he lashes out, but a strange thing happens. The site is instantly transformed into a spring day, a tidy cabin, and three visitors who are there to show him things he can't even imagine. Over the course of the weekend, Papa, Jesus, and Sarayu reveal the power of God in ways that bring Mack to a point where he can finally heal and forgive. He's still not sure how he can explain all of this to people when he gets back, especially given the twist at the end of the story...
From a fiction perspective, I really liked the book. Mack seemed very real, and you could easily understand his anguish at failing to protect his family. I also appreciated some of the "color" that Young was able to add to theological concepts that too often remain more abstract than practical. It made me think more than I normally do when reading fiction. Unfortunately, some of that colorful theology seemed to be more new-age'ish than traditional. Casting God the Father as an African-American woman who is cooking in the kitchen was a scene right out of the Matrix. Using The Shack as a Bible replacement would *not* be a good thing...
For me, I'd rate it a bit higher than I might rate some other book that tried this approach. I wouldn't hesitate to read it again knowing what I know now. It'll challenge many of your mental images and mindsets of who God is and how He works. Just remember that you *should* challenge it...
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Comments
Thank you for your review of The Shack. I thought you might be interested to ask William Paul Young some questions in his live chat on Abunga.com. He will be chatting on 10/22 at 2 pm EDT. Here's the link to log in: abunga.com/authorsatabunga.
Brittany
Abunga.com
blog.abunga.com
Posted by Brittany At 12:42:41 On 16/10/2008 | - Website - |
Trish Pickard
Posted by Trish At 19:49:11 On 11/12/2008 | - Website - |
I'm currently rereading The Shack, along with Forgiving Ararat by Gita Nazareth and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, trying to explore the religious messages in these books and have an intelligent debate with fellow readers.
Posted by Stel At 21:29:38 On 01/01/2010 | - Website - |
After reading the book, I was left pondering several things about it – which is a true testament to the book's worth. I had several questions on the validity of some of the descriptions of God but I had to humbly admit that there may be no answers this side of heaven for how God presents Himself to each individual.
I posted a more in-depth review of this book on my own blog <a href ="{ Link } www.tracysbooknook.com. </a>
-Tracy
Posted by Tracy At 22:01:59 On 26/10/2010 | - Website - |
Posted by Sandra Rodrigues At 06:54:50 On 05/01/2011 | - Website - |