See I heard amazing things about it. I saw it on bestseller racks. I watched interviews with readers who said they had never read anything like it. And Christian acquaintances told me how it changed their lives.
So in June of last year when I found myself in an airport with nothing to read. (So unlike me by the way....but I was in the middle of putting everything I owned into storage, when my sister called to say that she was having her baby-a month early! And in my rush to make it to Va in time, I seemed to have forgotten my usual plane companion.) And so I picked up an overpriced copy of The Shack in an airport bookstore.
And I started reading, prepared to love it. And I have to admit...I didn't. It was a such a disappointment that I struggled to continue reading! I found it to be terribly written, the theology to be way off base, and to be honest, way too much like a weird version of A Christmas Carol. Sorry if you hate me for this blunt analysis, but it's how I feel. (And don't stop reading, cause I just might come around.)
In the beginning, the story seemed interesting and the slightest bit suspenseful even though the story is somewhat spoiled by the description on the back cover and the excessive amount of foreshadowing. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he finds God in the shack on page 80. And that's where the book begins to change. Not only in the plot, but also in the writing style. I should also interject at this point that if you are going to sway me to enjoy a piece of fantasy fiction, it's going to have to be amazing. (So earning my approval was admittedly going to be a challenging task for this author). And well...it just wasn't (amazing). I will say that the author and his collaborators are skilled in the use of imagery, but that is where the talent (in my opinion) ends.
I read it off and on during July. (Very unlike me, I am a voracious reader and generally finish a book in less than a week.) I felt like the story was droning on and on. Okay,let's be honest; I didn't just feel that way...it took the guy 250 pages to tell about 2 days of events! Seriously!? So about half-way through, I decided I hated it. And so in another move quite unlike my usually habits, I put it down.
At the end of the summer my friend (who isn't a Christian) asked what I thought, and I went off on a rant about how much I hated it (prepared for her to echo my thoughts)! And then she proceeded to tell me about how it changed her life! (God smack!) She explained that she finally felt that she understood the Trinity. (Again!)
I had to find out more about this book that touched her life and well, I am not a quitter, so I resolved to finish the book! I have picked it up a few times during independent reading time in my classroom since August and FINALLY finished today. And well, I have to admit something (other than the fact that I let my students read for 30 minutes instead of their usual 15, just so that I could finish!)....I neither loved nor hated The Shack. (In fact the ending made it much more enjoyable)
So that's it. It's not an amazing piece of literature, it isn't the most theological sound book, and it certainly didn't change my life. But it does attempt something, I'm not sure anyone has tried to do. And it has changed the life of others. And for those reasons I applaud the efforts of this author and challenge you to try to _______ The Shack. (And if you decide to accept this challenge, let me know what you decide!)
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