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aaaleksic's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I had this saved in my ‘to read’ list for a while and finally got around to reading it on my tablet. Plus I may have needed something shorter to fulfill my goal of reading a book per week. I think I added this book when I was still interested in stories where an author took their own interpretation of biblical characters and made a story from it. Unfortunately I can’t say I’m that enamored by those types of stories anymore, if I read something biblically based now it’s more esoteric in nature than this story was. This book is pretty on the nose with a lot of its metaphors (the people who see Heaven's light literally become blind and endlessly devoted to God - the fact that Heavens light is a real narrative device is not exactly subtle either), so sometimes it was irritating to read. That being said, it’s still an interesting narrative to transverse.
In the book, everyone knows God exists and that Heaven and Hell are real places you go to when you die. However, you still have people who struggle with faith since they cannot muster a complete love for God that others can. It doesn’t seem to villainize demons the way other biblical based narratives do either, which is interesting, instead the demons (or fallen angels as they’re called) simply don’t love God and are perfectly content existing without God’s love for eternity. The narrative follows three main characters, Neil, Janice and Ethan, each dealing with their own dilemma in being fully devoted to God. The most interesting character here is Neil, since he desperately wants to get into Heaven but can’t seem to muster any love for God, instead trying to force it through other means. The characters dilemmas all bring up different theological questions that spring up in debates about religion and God- is God a moral authority? What if we misinterpret a miracle as a test or vice versa? Is it possible to love something which has also caused immense suffering, even if it brought us great joy? Is Hell any worse than the mortal plane? All questions which many theologians have battled with throughout the ages, so I was interested to see how the author would wrap this story up.
The ending leaves a lot to be desired. In the end, Neil sees Heavens light and dies, only to be sent to Hell afterwards. This isn’t something I had issue with, considering the entire narrative was leading up to this moment. I think I was more disappointed that the ultimate answer to these questions was just ‘God’s beauty and his creation’. Obviously I’m not one to deny how beautiful this world is, but there are also aspects to it which aren’t seen as beautiful by most people, and even if it could be argued that God sees everything as beautiful and imbued that sense of beauty in Neil, ultimately in this narrative God doesn’t see everything as beautiful. God sends people to Hell pretty easily, arguably more often than He sends people to Heaven, where they live in absence of Him and God doesn’t seem to bemoan their lack of presence. It essentially ropes back around to nihilism, yes people have a specified purpose now but they were ultimately insignificant and never mattered to God in the first place. I guess it could also be argued that since people are blessed with free will they choose that path, and the author relies heavily on this sentiment. The only problem is that in the context of this narrative, Neil didn’t choose that path, it’s emphasized time and time again that he tried all he could to love God, but was unable to do so, leading him to take drastic measures. The light chasers are portrayed as no better than people with suicidal ideation (yeah it’s that kind of narrative…) but in another light, they are literally dying for Gods love. Doesn’t that show more of a devotion to God than simply preaching his message does? The issue isn’t that Neil went to Hell, the issue is he tried not to go and went anyway. Which would make sense if this was a God based on Justice and he committed an ultimate sin, it would also make sense if this God simply wanted more devoted followers to appreciate His creation and Neil spat in the face of that, but he didn’t do either of those things, so the narrative just falls flat.
absolomb's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jackroche's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
My gut is to compare to Asimov, in that it feels like a story as a mean of explaining a cool idea, without much in the way of emotional investment or styled prose. I do find the idea itself to be a much richer and more complex one than that of “The Last Question”, but the apparent open-endedness doesn’t leave much room for contemplation. And there are characters, but they feel purely like allegorical figures for story function, which almost makes me wish he hadn’t written them at all.
artex's review
5.0
On a surface of this fiction novel you have this:
"In a world much like our own, the existence of Heaven and Hell are objectively proven. Indeed, the souls in Hell can be seen, and angels occasionally come to Earth, typically causing a mixture of miraculous events and capricious disasters"
Under the hood you will find deep novel on ethic, morale, faith and eternal Menschliches, Allzumenschliches.
"In a world much like our own, the existence of Heaven and Hell are objectively proven. Indeed, the souls in Hell can be seen, and angels occasionally come to Earth, typically causing a mixture of miraculous events and capricious disasters"
Under the hood you will find deep novel on ethic, morale, faith and eternal Menschliches, Allzumenschliches.
teenagelightning's review
5.0
Amazing. Dense, unique, absurd. A fantastic exploration of how we might think about miracles if the existence of God, angels, heaven, and hell were literally undeniable
As a former Christian, this book made me feel all kinds of ways. I see an embarassing shadow my past self in the ways that the characters interpret the Will of God.
Great satire. What a fun read.
As a former Christian, this book made me feel all kinds of ways. I see an embarassing shadow my past self in the ways that the characters interpret the Will of God.
Great satire. What a fun read.
goosemixtapes's review
5.0
jesus fucking christ. stories with some of the most fascinating worldbuilding that use said worldbuilding to wind up and hit you in the religious issues with the force of a mike tyson punch. i need a stiff drink
hazem_walid's review
4.0
Angles descending from heaven and entering the mortal realm lead to miracles and disasters, humans can observe the visitation, and see hell sometimes, knowing where their loved ones end up at..
“It was an unexceptional visitation, smaller in magnitude than most but no different in kind, bringing blessings to some and disaster to others.”
What will happen if miracles can really be observed by humans, we can see angles, we know for sure that God is here, will we be all believers, and what does believing mean in this situation, we do not believe in the sun.
The real problem is the world still works with the same principles, logic, and whatnot, but the realm of God is not working in the same way, the collision between the two, leads to humans trying to comprehend how to go through it, try to make sense, try to understand, try to filter everything through the mind it is not a simple task, and that is our human curse.
(Two parallel lines that should never meet, at least with logic.)
"Perhaps, he thought, it'd be better to live in a story where the righteous were rewarded and the sinners were punished, even if the criteria for righteousness and sinfulness eluded him than to live in a reality where there was no justice at all.”
Story starts...
Neil lost his wife to one of these visitations from the angle Nathanael and he knows his wife Sarah end up in heaven, and Neil regardless of what is around him is not what you can say a devoted believer, so he needs to come to love God if he is going to reunite with his wife, but it is not this simple as his motivation is corrupted.
“In Heaven, they would both be different, and their love for each other would be mixed with the love that all the saved felt for everything.”
Neil’s life is intertwined with two other people Janice Reilly, is a devoted believer that preaches the word of God, but when she encounters a visitation from the angle Rashiel, and receives a miracle that will turn her life upside down, for most people this miracle meant that she was in the right way or she passed the test, but she does not feel like that. She feels the miracle may be a mistake or the true test, but she is sure that she needs to understand why all people that they need a miracle, she is the one that got it, and what will happen to her purpose in life that she thought she already knew.
Also, Ethan Mead had a part in this story, A man who feels that he had a special role in God’s plan ever since his childhood, he waits for a sign and when he witnesses the visitation of the angle Rashiel he knew it was going to change him, and whatever happens, it will have a meaning, something like that should have a meaning right? Or he is going to force the meaning?
This short story was something, in 34 pages the author was able to deliver some great ideas, build a cohesive world, and make you care about the fate of these characters and let you think, and wonder.
A read from the author of two short stories and this is the third. One I am going to read it again Tower of Babylon, the other one was good but did not click with me like the other two, it is called understand.
At the end of this, read and think about what if hell was just the absence of God…or the absence of a loved one.
“Hell, after all, was not physically worse than the mortal plane.
It meant permanent exile from God, no more and no less.”
“It was an unexceptional visitation, smaller in magnitude than most but no different in kind, bringing blessings to some and disaster to others.”
What will happen if miracles can really be observed by humans, we can see angles, we know for sure that God is here, will we be all believers, and what does believing mean in this situation, we do not believe in the sun.
The real problem is the world still works with the same principles, logic, and whatnot, but the realm of God is not working in the same way, the collision between the two, leads to humans trying to comprehend how to go through it, try to make sense, try to understand, try to filter everything through the mind it is not a simple task, and that is our human curse.
(Two parallel lines that should never meet, at least with logic.)
"Perhaps, he thought, it'd be better to live in a story where the righteous were rewarded and the sinners were punished, even if the criteria for righteousness and sinfulness eluded him than to live in a reality where there was no justice at all.”
Story starts...
Neil lost his wife to one of these visitations from the angle Nathanael and he knows his wife Sarah end up in heaven, and Neil regardless of what is around him is not what you can say a devoted believer, so he needs to come to love God if he is going to reunite with his wife, but it is not this simple as his motivation is corrupted.
“In Heaven, they would both be different, and their love for each other would be mixed with the love that all the saved felt for everything.”
Neil’s life is intertwined with two other people Janice Reilly, is a devoted believer that preaches the word of God, but when she encounters a visitation from the angle Rashiel, and receives a miracle that will turn her life upside down, for most people this miracle meant that she was in the right way or she passed the test, but she does not feel like that. She feels the miracle may be a mistake or the true test, but she is sure that she needs to understand why all people that they need a miracle, she is the one that got it, and what will happen to her purpose in life that she thought she already knew.
Also, Ethan Mead had a part in this story, A man who feels that he had a special role in God’s plan ever since his childhood, he waits for a sign and when he witnesses the visitation of the angle Rashiel he knew it was going to change him, and whatever happens, it will have a meaning, something like that should have a meaning right? Or he is going to force the meaning?
This short story was something, in 34 pages the author was able to deliver some great ideas, build a cohesive world, and make you care about the fate of these characters and let you think, and wonder.
A read from the author of two short stories and this is the third. One I am going to read it again Tower of Babylon, the other one was good but did not click with me like the other two, it is called understand.
At the end of this, read and think about what if hell was just the absence of God…or the absence of a loved one.
“Hell, after all, was not physically worse than the mortal plane.
It meant permanent exile from God, no more and no less.”