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Edge of Eternity

by Randy Alcorn (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 598 ratings · 53 reviews

Imagine Being Pulled Into the Hereafter. While You’re Still Alive.
A disillusioned business executive whose life has hit a dead-end, Nick Seagrave has lost loved ones to tragedy and his family to neglect. Now, at a point of great crisis, he unbelievably and inexplicably finds himself transported to what appears to be another world.

Suddenly he’s confronted with profoundly...more

Paperback, 336 pages

Published August 10th 1999 by WaterBrook Press (first published 1998)

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Apr 06, 2013 Bradley rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Too easy to see the allegory here. The story started off fantastically where the subject suddenly finds himself in another world. This world has other-worldly animals in it, one that is chasing the person who finds himself in a bad dream. A great start but from there, it goes downhill. The subject has a conversion, ascends into "leadership" of a group of believers, then encounters the "leader is above it all" moment where he does something inappropriate (or almost does) as a believer, let alone...more

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Feb 22, 2010 Keiki Hendrix rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-christian

‘A non-stop, action packed, personality changing novel destined to be a classic.’

For the Christian struggling through the ever changing emotional roller coaster we call this world and battling the tidal wave of mental conversations we all conduct with ourselves, this is a dynamite book.

Very similar to ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ by John Bunyan and written with many of the same allegorical doctrine, I cannot say it surpasses Bunyan’s great work, but it does come close.

The journey of Nick Seagrave and hi...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this book, the central character is whisked into another world—worlds, actually, that overlap. Here he experiences the hereafter, while still alive.

I have mixed emotions about this book. While some of the lessons learned through this allegorical-style tale are valuable and reinforce important Biblical teachings, the writing-style and other story elements were, in my opinion, rather lacking.

I never felt connected to any of the characters save one, they never felt alive. The only one that was...more In this book, the central character is whisked into another world—worlds, actually, that overlap. Here he experiences the hereafter, while still alive.

I have mixed emotions about this book. While some of the lessons learned through this allegorical-style tale are valuable and reinforce important Biblical teachings, the writing-style and other story elements were, in my opinion, rather lacking.

I never felt connected to any of the characters save one, they never felt alive. The only one that was well-done was the one representing Christ—the Chasm-Crosser, the Woodsman, the King, et cetera. The main character, Nick…I never even liked him much. A lot of the dialogue and actions felt forced, and some of the jumps in the plotline felt overly-sudden, sprung upon the reader with little to no foreshadowing. The style was very much “telling”, and I kept thinking of ways the book could be re-written by showing instead of telling.

To-date I’ve only read one other of Randy Alcorn’s books, Deception, and I loved it—the characters, plot-logic, style, voice, everything—so in some ways, this book disappointed me a lot. If Edge of Eternity had been shown more than told, some of the scenes could have been mind-blowing—battle scenes between angelic forces, Nick shouting at the one representing Satan, and that fallen one screaming back, glimpses into Charis (eternal life), the Woodsman spanning the Chasm with the Tree and with his life, and the like. The scene with people oblivious to the battle of good vs. evil raging about them while Nick sees it and is trying to warn them also would’ve been stunning if amped up with a more personal, detailed style.

On the upside, a lot of the analogies/allegorical aspects were great. The rock analogy was one of my favorites. Nick and the other characters were given sacks and told to collect stones whenever they crossed a dried riverbed. Three of the characters collected a lot of rocks, Nick a few, and another character, zero. The trick to it is, when they aren’t at a riverbed, the sacks won’t open—so they can’t see what sort of stones they have collected. It turns out that those stones are their treasures, and if they withstand the fire, impurities are drained away. Inside each of the gems they can see one thing they did for the King—helping an old man, spending time talking to the King, refusing to give into sin, et cetera— and the stones are put inside of a crown for each one of them to lay at the King’s feet. No stones means you have nothing to show the King, as one of the characters discovered.

Two others that I also appreciated (out of quite a few) were the thing-treasures. While climbing up a mountain, many people tried to take all of their things with them, refusing to leave them behind even if that meant they made zero progress. My grandmother is one of those wonderful people who has truly learned that “things are things, and people are more important than things”, and this analogy reminded me much of her. Our relationship with our Father, the King, and with the people He created is more important than any mountain load of stuff we “rich Americans” think we can’t live without. While we shouldn’t disregard anything He has blessed us with, we shouldn’t hang onto it as if our lives depend upon it either.

The other analogy I also liked very much were the guardrails, representing guidelines that God has placed along the way to protect us. While descending a steep mountain along a path so narrow they had to travel single-file, Nick and his companions were confronted with a group going the opposite way, away from Charis. One wrong step off the path would gain you a fall off a steep cliff, if it wasn’t for the guardrails placed along the edge. This group didn’t like the guard rails, they complained about them, and one actually began removing them. The result? Most of the group slid off the cliff and plunged to a certain death.

So, my overall opinion of the book? The lessons were good, but the flow, characters, and style/voice weren’t so great.
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Apr 03, 2012 Donald rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Edge of Eternity is the first book that I've read by Randy Alcorn. After seeing all of the very positive reviews, and being that I love a good Christian allegory, I was excited to dig into Alcorn's book. Without a doubt, Alcorn does an admirable job of putting some things into perspective and makes some nice comparisons. Unfortunately, despite a well intentioned book, this falls very short of others in the genre. Alcorn's characters are shallow and obvious. The dangers in the book are never scar...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, christian, tbr-again

I wasn't sure I was going to like this when I first started reading it, but quickly got into it and found it to be pretty well done. The last Christian fiction work I attempted was The Shack, and it was awful (IMO). As others have pointed out this book is similar to Pilgrim's Progress, depicting the Christian life as a journey to our final destination in Heaven. Alcorn was obviously inspired and influenced by Bunyan's work; there are too many similarities to deny it, but it is more modern and th...more

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Jun 02, 2008 Ashley marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: find-and-read-later

This is a cool book- it is one i can turn back to and read again and again.

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Oct 29, 2012 Casper marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I never got to finish this book, but I really enjoyed every bit that I had read. I was about sixteen when I read half of it, but that was four years ago and I don't have the time. I have to say that even as a non-Christian, this is a strikingly entertaining novel. Not only this, but it also makes you question life in so many ways, and even though this is narrowed for the Christian aesthetic, I think that the values taught in this novel is applicable to anyone of any faith. I'll probably never fi...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Timothy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-reviewed-in-2011

The Bible describes spiritual warfare in Ephesians chapter six, among other places. What if it were possible to roll back the screen of the supposedly tangible, and actually *see* the battles that take place between angels and demons? What if we could see more clearly than ever the actual truth of the spiritual world that we claim to believe in, but so often act as if we do not?

These interesting questions are explored by Randy Alcorn in his book, *Edge of Eternity*. The earlier-reviewed book, *T...more The Bible describes spiritual warfare in Ephesians chapter six, among other places. What if it were possible to roll back the screen of the supposedly tangible, and actually *see* the battles that take place between angels and demons? What if we could see more clearly than ever the actual truth of the spiritual world that we claim to believe in, but so often act as if we do not?

These interesting questions are explored by Randy Alcorn in his book, *Edge of Eternity*. The earlier-reviewed book, *The Chasm* is a later-written adaptation and expansion of part of *Edge's* narrative. In the story, a wealthy businessman, Nick Seagrave, is trapped in a storm on the way to a hunting trip and stay at his cabin in the woods. He finds himself in a strange land where he is attacked by some animals and protected by others.

He proceeds to follow the road to the City of Light, called *Charis*. Along the way, numerous evil forces try to corrupt him and turn him to the path of evil. Well, actually, they *do* turn him to the path of evil, but he is rescued by the working of the King and the King's mighty army.

When he gets near the city, he finds the way blocked by a fearsome, infinite chasm. He despairs of there ever being a way to cross it. What hope is there in any path? Won't he just die in this strange world no matter what he does? Then something interesting happens.

Nick takes part in a brutal execution of an innocent, who turns out to be the King, and is redeemed when the King rises from the dead. The King even helps him and several other of his murderers reach the other side of the chasm. Now placed on his journey with a group of fellow "Chasm-crossers", Nick and his friends must navigate the strange world in which they find themselves, with the help of the "Guidebook".

To identify which book was the "inspiration" for this story would be difficult. I'd say that it is bits of *The Pilgrim's Progress* by Bunyan, Lewis's *The Pilgrim's Regress* and *The Great Divorce*, and a smattering of some of Tolkien's poetry that has facets of journeys to otherworldy realms, as well as tiny bits of, and references to, others. All of these influences are rolled together and used to create a gripping tale that has truly convicted me of the enormous sins in my life.

I see so many of the person that I am, and the sins that I commit, in the fictional person of Nick Seagrave. These include both the supposedly "minor" ones (a nice fiction, there are no truly minor sins), and the supposedly huge ones, all committed by Nick Seagrave. He was a US Marine in Vietnam, and I was a Soldier in Iraq. I won't go further into the comparisons as to what sins or failings, but they are there.

I think to myself how awful I am. I think of how my relationship to my King, Father, Savior, Lord, and God, is not what it ought to be. I am going to endeavor anew to make it what it ought to be. With His help, I will succeed.

Yes, there are some drawbacks in the narrative. The shoutouts which were really neat at first to other theologians and to Lewis and Tolkien, get mighty tiresome eventually. I found myself rolling my eyes at them. I also felt that I was reading Alcorn's attempt to mimic the cosmic descriptions of song by the angels to God at the end of *Perelandra*, and not a good mimicry either. I also would have liked to have seen Nick's further life as he attempted to ask his family for forgiveness and witness to then. I feel like the story was left hanging.

Nevertheless, the not-so-good parts were even quite good, and who knows, maybe there will someday be a sequel. Perhaps the most significant thing I can say about the novel was that it truly convicted me with this view into a fictional representation of the truth of the spiritual battles going on around us. Please, read this book. Think on what it says. If you don't know Christ, come to Him as Savior. If you're pathetically ungrateful and away from Him, like I am, then turn back to Him as well. Please.

Highly Recommended.(less)

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Sep 16, 2011 Aaron Buer rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I really did not enjoy this book. I felt like the author was trying to duplicate C.S. Lewis or Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progess but since he couldn't tell a compelling story it didn't work. However, what I really disliked what the constant Christian cliches and overabundance of cheesy character development. I felt like the author was trying to tell a story that would help non-Christians become Christians but wrote in a language only Baptists could appreciate.

Sorry Bailey.

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Jul 26, 2011 Jessica Campbell rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I could NOT put this book down.. I am going to read it again soon and rarely re read books. I am not a religious person but being in AA at the time I had fallen into this book I found myself questioning how I took many things in life for granted. I strongly recommend this book.. not matter what religion, or what life experience or hardships you have or haven't had. It is filled with so much detail, I could actually see the wings of the beast in my head..

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Oct 18, 2009 Bekki rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: abandoned, christianity

I was so disappointed! I LOVE Randy Alcorn's books....However, this was just so hard to read...The ENTIRE book is basically symbolism/metaphor/allegory...It got really old...I also feel that while the book has a great point, (how much we need Jesus, and what our sin actually does to us..), I don't think that anyone who hasn't been raised in the church, or who doesn't have a STRONG biblical background, would have no clue what was going on...

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May 21, 2013 Rebecca Rash rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read a good half of this book before putting it down. I don't like it when writers write so matter of fact about heaven... there was several things I was questioning. Instead of filling my head with a fiction writers view of eternity, I decided to put it down and focus on the Bible's view. Others may be fine with this book, it just wasn't for me.

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Aug 31, 2011 Kristin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The character in this book has the opportunity to view his life from a new perspective, outside of his own life on earth. Having the opportunity to make choices in this other world that will affect his final destination, toward a city likened to heaven or hell, gave me pause to consider some of my own decisions, motives, and actions.

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Feb 19, 2009 Orpha Hernandez rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a very profound book. I love it because again it shows how the actions that we take can affect our lives and of those around us. Also it let's us take a peak at the Spiritual world from a Christian point of view. I have read this book several times and plan on reading it again.

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Jan 08, 2013 Jeremy Whiteside rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is suspenseful, keeps you in the edge of your toes, make you ask the hard questions, and really makes you think about where you're headed for eternity. It also increases awareness of the spiritual realm and opens the spiritual eyes. Great read.

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Jun 10, 2012 Beth rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: top-25-favorites, high-school-recommendations

This book is an allegory similar to Pilgrim's Progress in its message, but written for 21st century teens. Very thought provoking and an excellent book for discussion. I call it "Pilgrim's Progress, Alcorn Style" Read it together with your high schooler.

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Jul 29, 2011 Andrew Donager rated it 1 of 5 stars

I really did enjoy reading this book but the only problem that I had was that the message that was being presented is the same one that we read in the bible. So why not keep the same names, scenery, so on and so forth. Why change Jesus into the Woodsman, that just did make sense. And I really thought that it brought the book down. The ending I thought was amazing but it could not bring the book back from the rest.

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Jul 20, 2012 Lori Zorn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm not sure whether the most accurate description of this book is allegory, fiction, or fantasy. It is the story of one man's journey toward the after-life, and if you love C.S. Lewis as much as I do, you will really enjoy this book.

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Feb 08, 2011 Bailey rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably one of my favorite books, EVER. It inspired me, moved me, and I dont think my creative side of the brain has EVER worked so hard! My dream is to make this book into a movie and to work as the Production Designer on set. What a challenge and an honor!

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Jan 18, 2013 Ona Mae rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a wonderful book that is really the way we live with God right now. The up's and down's and the loss. It really did move me. I would like to see every one read in.

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Jun 20, 2010 Melissa Travis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FABULOUS book. The imagery was amazing, and many truths were well-communicated through the story. Has a very interesting fantasy-genre feel.

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Feb 10, 2013 Deon Mangan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this novel about what happens after death, but found the end a little confusing. Overall, a very good read.

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Dec 01, 2009 Hannekeverhorst rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very interesting... If you like religious symbolism and having to 'think things through', you'll like this book.

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Sep 12, 2012 Gaylene Levally rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book....it was like a dream or a nightmare...not sure which. But I found it to be very eye opening

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Jul 05, 2012 Gary rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

One of the best books I've ever read! It does an a great job of drawing pictures of biblical doctrine.

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May 01, 2010 Amy Sanders rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is one of my favorite Randy Alcorn's, I don't see it in the book store often.

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Dec 25, 2012 Andrew Hall rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fantastic novel. So many biblical parallels i could not put it down.

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Aug 06, 2011 John added it

One of the few books that I re-read. It is great.

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Apr 13, 2011 Colleen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I finally got over being scared of dying after reading this.

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Mar 09, 2011 Jenna rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-inspirational, science-fiction-and-fantasy

An interesting premise, but the book itself just didn't capture me

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About Randy Alcorn

Randy Alcorn is the founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to teaching biblical truth and drawing attention to the needy and how to help them. EPM exists to meet the needs of the unreached, unfed, unborn, uneducated, unreconciled and unsupported people around the world.

"My ministry focus is communicating the strategic importance of using our earthly tim...more

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Quotes from Edge of Eternity

“The conflicting missions of the two armies seemed to have no fog, no gray, only black-and-white clarity. I had lived my life in terms of compromise, rule-bending, trade-offs, concessions, bargaining, striking deals, finding middle ground. In these two great armies, there was no such thing. Good was good, and evil was evil, and they shared no common ground.” — 6 people liked it

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