The Shack question

One of the worst books I've ever had the misfortune of reading.

This is one of the worst books that I have ever read.

It was certainly something different, maybe weird, but not exceptional, not even interesting. Despite any theological view it was boring, and rather amateurish. I wouldn't reccomend it at all.

I don't understand the negativity above - This was a life changing book for me. Don't put aside any theological issues - they are part of the book's essence. Roesser's "Finding God in the Shack" might help some more conservative readers...it did me! Irene - I understand your enthusiasm

I fond the book to be very profound in so many ways.
This book can only touch you if you have experienced something similiar and are in Macks "state of mind" (this is exactly the space I'm in and the way i am feeling about my own tragedy). the inner most feelings of sadness and doubts Mack has about his situation and the fact that hes questioning his higher power is relatable for me on sooo many levels. I appreciated the book and found a since of healing for my own circumstances.

I don't think that religion and philosophy go well together. One prevents thinking while the other encourages it. In my opinion book was just a way to modernize dogmatic thinking that is long obsolete. Forgiveness is the best thing that Christianity teaches and author made an effort to highlight that. The book itself couldn't do much as it is intended for religious people that don't like changing their views on anything, and others will find this book just irritating.

I agree with Warrior. I thought the book was terrible. The author takes the Trinity and separates it into 3 beings...Jesus being a bumbling idiot. I don't care about the warm fuzzies that people got from the book because I thought it was hugely disrespectful.

It is a great book and if you were confused try to enjoy it with an open mind the next time you read through!

I read The Shack for a book club several years ago not expecting much, & when first presented with God as a woman, I put the book down for several days in irritation. But after picking it up again, I understood that the main character was seeing God as he was ready to see God, in a way that made sense to him; as a man who had had a rotten relationship with his earthly father, he was not able yet to see God as his Father.
The author's depiction of forgiveness was very helpful & inspiring to me, & I ended up liking the book as a whole very much.

I did not like this book. I could care less about the religious aspect than the stereotypes and sanctification of the wife. The book still annoys me and it has been years since I read it.

I loved this book! It was passionate and it shows a reflection of God's love for us. I have read it 3 times and will more than likely read it again just to feel at peace through my trials. Great read!!!

Honestly, anyone saying 'I had to open my mind in order to understand', well, you're not opening it with this book.

God knew I needed to read The Shack when He sent it to me :-) The book moved me to find the courage to do what I needed to, knowing His Love was always going to be holding me through the worst :-)
God is Great & this book is one of His tools to reach His 7 billion children :-) Being the smart Being He is, He's published dozens of other tools too ;-)
Blessings to all

I very seldom do not finish a book. But this one, was awful. I couldnt relate to the Godhead depicted. Jesus seemed quite nerdy to me. I cant put my finger on it, but I didnt see it as a Christian book.

After having been encouraged to read this book by people whose opinions I value, both spiritually and with regard to reading suggestions in general, I was very disappointed in this book. I have no issue w/ its theological nature, or whether or not it coincides w/ the bible, or anyone's specific spiritual interpretation. My issue was simply w/ the way it was written. It just seemed to me to be very remedial.

I get the message it was trying to convey, I was just past the point at which I needed to be sort of condescended to the way I felt this book did, as far as the writing style. I would recommend the book to those closer to the age of adolescence, but having read it in my late 20s, I just couldn't get past the feel that I was reading a children's book, which felt further conflicting due to the graphic nature of the events that served as the backdrop of the story.

Everybody's different, this just wasn't my cup of tea. Not because of the subject matter, just the way it was written. I couldn't recommend this to anyone who reads at a level above that of a 13/14-year-old. That's not an insult to anyone who has read it over that age and enjoyed it, and I'm not bitching about it, was just disappointed, personally.

I thought it was one of the most profound books I've read. It is taking me awhile to process the whole thing, but I know will keep a copy on my bookshelf so I can give it to my grandson to read when he gets a bit more mature.

The jury is still out on the representation of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit but overall it is a reflective book that does peak the curiosity and the imagination.

I loved this book! To understand it better I had to have an open mind. But, I really did enjoy this book.

I really liked the book. I liked it that God was depicted as a black woman. This is fiction, but it really made you think.

Beautiful reflection of God's love for us all, regardless of our weaknesses He just loves us unconditionally, just the way love is explained in 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. God is Love.Through happiness and pain God still loves us. That is what He is, He does not become less than Love at any given time. Whether God is a black women or a white man is irrelevant and actually doesn't matter, God is everything He chooses to be. I think anyone who has negative comment about this book simply feels afraid to accept the truth of what God really is cause they are so used to their own explanation of God, which is mostly a punishing, angry and dissatisfied God.

My sister loved it and highly recommended it, as did all the reviews I read. I picked it up at the airport on my way out of town and I have to say I was completely disappointed. My mother didn't care for it either. It just didn't inspire me at all, unfortunately.

POS

Warrior, I'm sorry you feel that way. What with Mack's difficulties with his own father, if he had met God as a white male, would he have stayed and experienced the love. I know I had to struggle with this at first as well but on further reading, it made sense. I don't think it is defiling God in any way. After all, our image of God, based on our western values, may be totally off the mark for others.

Fantastically beautiful book. Everyone should read it because it is lovely and life-changing.

I'm not religious, but I really liked the book. It made me think about God and the afterlife in a new way. Also, I think it's a great book for people who are trying to overcome a tragic event.

It was overly sentimental and so poorly written that I would have to say it was one of the worst books I have ever read.

I don't know about all you guys who didn't like it, but this book literally changed my life.

The first time i read it, i thought it was amazing, but I already believed in God.

I was hating God in about a year after, for reasons that aren't important

And I mean REALLY hating Him

To the extreme

But I read this book again, because there was nothing else to do, and it literally changed my life

I now love Him a lot more than before


So yah

I am literally crying right now because how huge this book changed my life

And i'm not the emotional type

Everyone who complains about God being shown as a woman, where in scripture does it say that God has a gender? Jesus was a man, because He had to be a normal human He had to be one or the other, but He could also have come to Earth as a woman, but that might have not fit in with God's plan. This book challenges our preconceptions of God, and I thought it was incredible. It showed the Holy Trinity in a whole different way, one we could understand, but still keeping it true to the truth. I couldnt' find anything in this book that didn't coincide with the Bible, except for the actual story, which is not a rewrite of the bible, but fiction, just like all the other Christian-fiction books out there. I can understand why this book may have made some people uncomfortable, but I personally thought it was incredible.

One thing "The Shack" did for my book group was instigate a LOT of conversation. It is so controversial that everyone had very strong opinions about it. I'm not a fan, I hated the tragedy that was the base of the story, but can certainly appreciate the emotion it stirs up in readers.

I really loved the book. It gave me a lot to think about as far as my own faith. It made God more 'real' to me. Yeah, it is a work of fiction, but it wasn't meant to replace the Bible. For myself, it gave me a new understanding of myself, God, and our relationship. I think people are looking way too deep at it to really see it for what it is. It is a story to be interpreted in whatever way you choose. I really don't see how you can find anything negative in that.

hated this book. was forced to read for a book club and it took forever to get through. terrible.

I read this book about 4 years after my 26-year-old son was killed in a car accident. I must admit that I did not finish it. To think that a kind and all-knowing God would allow some of us to resolve all the issues of a mother like me in sorrow and pain but gives no opportunity to others speaks to me as direct contradiction of the definition of the Christian God. Please understand I am not a non-believer but this kind of self centred, ridiculous claptrap is offensive.
It is also poorly written. The author has little understanding or command of language or grammar. It just goes to show you that anyone can write a novel if you can appeal to a certain demographic and that is rather sad.
For those who found revelations in this book and at least opened the door to a greater understanding, all I can say "is good on you".
HOWEVER:IF YOU LOST A CHILD AND ARE AT THE STAGE WHERE YOU FINALLY ACCEPT THAT THEY ARE DEAD, PLEASE DON'T READ THIS BOOK.

Unfortunately this was a real let down for me ...the concept was good however it was spoiled by the over sentintimental view of how God percieves the world and us within it.. I don't need a book to tell me how God thinks...If you are looking for a revelation I suggest you read, The Revelation to John found in the New Testament..this was written with the intention of giving the readers hope and encouragement, and to remain faithful during times of suffering and persecution....Which I am pretty sure thats what the Shack tried and yet failed to do.
However I will not slate it completely as I am sure there are those that may find solace and comfort within the story ..I clearly am not one of those.

I absolutely loved this book. I had been struggling with my faith for years. I was to the point where I absolutely hated God. But then my teacher assigned this book to my class for a book report. I'm not going to tell you that my faith is healed, but it did help me gain a better understanding of Gods ways. I am also a big fan of radical philosophy of any matter. And this book caused just enough of an uproar for me to be interested. But all in all it was a very well writer and thought out book.

I remember that I cried when I read this story--not just for the unfathomable sadness of loss, but for the beautiful illustration of who God really is. Obviously, the author wasn't saying that sometimes God is a white man with a white beard and at other times a jovial black woman, because God is God, not human. The point is that the author provides an illustration--something our limited human brains are capable of picturing--to better understand the loving oneness present in father, son, and holy spirit, and the joy found in and OF God apart from everything else. This picture of the Trinity is a facet of my faith I had never thought about before reading this book. It falls into line with everything else the Bible reveals about God's loving nature.

I just started reading it.

it's certainly different. Once I read first two chapters, it held my interest.

interesting concept but one of the worst books I've ever read

It was very bad. In speaking for God in the book he radically contradicts the Bible regularly.

Putting aside any theological issues, it was one of the worst written books I've ever read. To say that it was amateurish is being kind.

This book is great. I read and studied whole the Bible and this book being fiction , I can see where the author got his ideas from. Remember we are looking at the book as a form of art not fact.

Thanks Ed. I really like the book. The author did a great job. I can find Scripture that the author used as reference. I can relate.

I loved the book!

I loved this book and my daughter did too! it's an very creative way to represent the Father(Mother), Son and Holy Spirit!

Blasphemous. Probably THE worst book I've ever read. I heartily encourage people to NOT read it!

The book is fiction, but I loved it.

Well written but I didn't like the characterisations, strange concept that didn't prove real enough for me. Conflicted totally with my thoughts on God...but I guess this could be my weakness not the writers

I loved this book, it was eye opening for me. It helped me learn to forgive those in my life who have 'wronged' me. It is a very emotional book and every time I read it, I get a different message. I guess the book is in the eye of the beholder.

A book I was hoping to like but I just couldn't take it seriously. I had to put it down.