One of the finest pieces I have ever read.

Emily sent me this funny note:
"Your silence is deafening. You didn't like the book? Were you afraid you would hurt my feelings. You might not have enjoyed it as much as I did because you are like Psyche and I like the other one...can't remember her name."

10/08/2008 01:16AM My reply to Emily:

Haha! NOT!

I haven't commented yet, because I haven't had time to do justice to this masterpiece. I have to say, when it ended, I stared at the wall for a while saying, "What did I just read?"

I was nervous going into book club, because I felt like I didn't understand it. Then as we started discussing, it started making more and more sense, and I left in awe, thinking of all the connections: "The gods answered with silence." Oh, I don't have time to do a real review, but I will!

Let me just say, reading this book reminded me of reading Jane Eyre; I was completely un-made and re-made through the process--a stronger, better version of my old self. (I should be really good by now!)

At the end of book club, someone said, "Now that I get it, can we do this again next month?" And that's exactly how I feel. Lewis is so brilliant at presenting the story through Orual's mental filters that you really see things as she does (with only a few glimpses into her self-deception). But, going through it again, you see how colossal her deceptions are, and how the gods very gently and thoroughly reveal them to her, right to the bitter end. That second section just blew me away. I was so moved by the gentle pulling of the gods.

As soon as she says, "In this last case, I know my grievance is just!" you just know the gods will send her exactly the thing that will help her see how she has fooled herself--again!

And the circular TELLING of the grievances! Dagger in my flesh!

I also loved how it gave a grand purpose to the mutterings of old age (visions!). So many things to love in this book!

Oh, so revealing! AMAZING! Thanks for the compliment, but I'm no Psyche--that was VERY clear! Yes, I loved it--and NEEDED it, like Orual needed to write it. Between this book and Pres. Uchdorf's talk at the RS meeting, I am a changed woman.

And, I was only going to send you a note to say I would write about it later! I'll still have to do a real review. I'll definitely read it many times. Thank you for the suggestion!
__________

Now it's a year later, and I chose it for our couples book club and read it again. I loved it even more the second time around, and I think this is a book that I should read every January.