Proof of life

Yes, I'm still alive! I've taken many months off to deal with personal issues, which probably will make for a great book at some later date.

A Smallish Contest

Last week, I read The Great Divorce, by C. S. Lewis. This week, my local library posted a Summer Reading Contest: to enter, I simply needed to fill out a card with a small review, which follows. (I might win something smallish, perhaps.)

The Great Divorce (a review)

I read this book because I'm writing an allegory of my own, and this is one by Lewis, a favorite author of mine. Lewis constructs a rich allegorical world that depicts aspects of Hell and Heaven, while clearly disclaiming to be any sort of true representation of either place.

It is an experience that is both visceral and surreal, yet the characters seem just as lifelike as people we may know. The dialog is tight and sometimes saddening, as characters choose not to embrace freedom.

For fun, he throws in another perspective--almost an allegory within an allegory--right at the end.

I am glad I read this book, for two reasons: one, it demonstrated how a good allegory feels to read; and, two, it gave me a greater sense of urgency and compassion for the souls among us on this side of eternity.