The Great Divorce

First of all, let me say, thank you, Angie, for this recommendation! I loved this book. I have always heard about C. S. Lewis and his very Christian-oriented writings. My parents have read C.S. Lewis, and he's often quoted in general conference talks. But I had never actually read one of his books. So, this particular novel was a great place to start. This book is the author's fantastical vision or "imaginative supposal," as he calls it, of what Heaven and Hell might be like and what might be required of us in order to leave Purgatory and enter Heaven. The main character in this book is a stranger to us. We know only that he is a male "Ghost" - a man who is witness to the encounters between other "Ghosts" and the "Spirits" in Heaven. As he watches these strange and telling meetings, we, the readers, become acquainted with the many weaknesses and faults that we tend to cling to - pitfalls we embrace, keeping ourselves trapped in Hell. One of my favorite statements from this book is actually in C. S. Lewis' preface. He says,

"If we insist on keeping Hell (or even Earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell."

I love that. It's so true. We cannot choose to be obedient only to those commandments that are convenient to us, or we will never attain Heaven. And when we do choose to accept Heaven, there's no room for evil there...not even the 20 minute episodes of Frasier that I love, with their two or three mild swear words (ouch, that's a tough one). There were so many good parts in this book that I have about 20 page corners bent down throughout (sorry library)! I feel like I could write an entire sacrament meeting talk using just this book, and it would still be quite gospel-oriented and spiritual. Let me tell you about just one more quote in the book that I found interesting. In talking with another "Ghost" (those from Hell who have not accepted Heaven yet) our main character gets quite the earful about whose responsibility it is to get everyone out of Hell and into Heaven,

"There you go!....Asking me to make a plan. It's up to the Management to find something that doesn't bore us, isn't it? It's their job. Why should we do it for them?"

Ah the cunning of the Devil - encouraging us to take no responsibility at all! What an attitude. I will just saunter through life, quite enjoying myself, while someone else is required to "save" me. Oh, oh, and one more. Sorry guys, bear with me. :) I just found this book to be so great and so interesting! Towards the middle of his travels through Hell and Heaven, our Ghost meets a "Teacher" who acts as his guide and answers some questions. At one point the Teacher says,

"There have been men before now who got so interested in proving the existence of God that they came to care nothing for God Himself...as if the good Lord had nothing to do but exist! There have been some who were so occupied in spreading Christianity that they never gave a thought to Christ. Man! Ye see it in smaller matters. Did ye never know a lover of books that with all his first editions and signed copies had lost the power to read them? Or an organiser of charities that had lost all love for the poor?

It is the subtlest of all snares."

Ah, we humans are so imperfect, aren't we?! Even in our preaching of Christ, we sometimes forget that in order to teach someone something, we must know it first ourselves. We need to have a personal relationship with our Lord in order to teach others of His goodness, mercy, and love. Well folks, I could go on and on with this one, but I'll spare you my personal soap box. :) Thanks for tuning in yet again, to one of my humble book reviews. And, again, a special thanks to Angie for suggesting this literary gem!