Marvelous book! C.S. Lewis never ceases to please the mind and imagination, and he does it again with this fantastic piece of literature. The entire book seems to grip you and pull you in. Lewis' attention to detail makes it seem as if you are actually on Malacandra, and helps you visualize an exact picture, while at the same time not being so detailed as to bore you. An excellent read! The only problem one might find is also the reason why it is so great. It is written by a genius who's mind seems to go beyond mere humanity, which makes it difficult to comprehend at times. It really forces you to think about our own violence and foolishness. Are we really so close-minded. Can we dismiss our past as glorious? Compelling questions with shaking results. All in all a timeless novel that no one can go without.
Favourite Quotes:
'Weston! Weston!' he gasped. 'What is it? It's not the Moon, not that size. It can't be, can it?' 'No,' replied Weston, 'it's the Earth.' I like this quote because it's to me the point where the story really takes off. I love stuff like this. All of a sudden you're spinning off reality and everything's gone mad. Really get's the blood pumping.
"I always thought space was dark and cold" he(Ransom)remarked vaguely. "Forgotten the sun" said Weston contemptuously. I like this due to it's cleverness and wit. Funny, yet also revealing, makes you think, how much do we know and how much do we assume about space.
'Well,' said Ransom, 'you hold all the cards, and I must make the best of it. I consider your philosophy of raving lunacy. I suppose all that stuff about infinity and eternity means that you are justified in doing anything - absolutely anything - here and now, on the off chance that some creatures or other descended from man as we know him may crawl about a few centuries longer in some part of the universe.' More for the first part of the quote, but how many of us as Christians or religious fanatics believe that because we have been giving eternal life by the divine that we are somehow better than our fellow man. The Pharisees believed themselves to be the greatest and most beloved of God, much more than the beggars and prostitutes and tax collectors and so on. Yet Jesus rebukes them for this, telling them to care for others rather than scorning them. So to we must learn, if we profess to follow Christ.
Worldview of Weston:
The worldview of Weston is that of someone who believes himself and his beliefs superior to all others. He believes he has self-appointed supreme authority to do what he wants to achieve a goal he himself has set. He abducts Ransom, uses him, treats Ransom and Devine both as pests and inferiors. Has a very cold, removed demeanor. Definitely what one might call an eccentric, or a mad-scientist. Almost racist. Someone we can learn from to know that the ends don't necessarily justify the means.