Ever since Katie and I returned from Ukraine in 2008 I’ve been hearing about this book by William P. Young called The Shack. After hearing so many reviews for the last year and a half like, “It’s amazing!” and from others, “It’s blasphemous!“, I was finally able to start reading it a little over a month ago. The verdict: I think it’s both.
The book is about a man named Mack who has had an extremely difficult life and has just suffered a particularly tragic loss when we meet him. His life is covered by this “Great Sadness” and he feels his anger toward God building and building until he is on the brink of throwing his faith out completely. Then one day he receives a letter that motivates him to go to a shack in the woods where he discovers and spends the weekend with all three parts of the Godhead. This weekend challenges his faith unlike anything else ever has and he begins to see and relate to God in a much different way.
This book is written, I feel, for one specific purpose: to get the reader to look at God differently. And as long as you can keep that in mind while you read, I think this book will challenge and grow you. It causes you to take a second look at all of you preconceived ideas of God and his relationship to this world and to us. The dialogue between man and God is inspiring, and the lessons learned are convicting. People who have gone through severe difficulties in life have particularly connected with this book. William P. Young manages to answer some of life’s toughest questions that are asked during times of suffering and does so in a way that really restores hope. It’s a much softer version of the last few chapters of Job and is most definitely a welcome one to those who have lost so much in this life.
Unfortunately this book did have some bones to pick out as well. In this story the Bible still exists as God’s Word, and as such it was hard to face some of the glaring contradictions. (And I’m not referring to God the Father being portrayed as a big black woman. If you thought the author was stating that God was a big black woman, you need to read it again.) Jesus himself essentially teaches in this book that he is not the way, the truth, and the life because anyone can come to him by any means, even if they aren’t aware of it. And that whole “If you love me you will obey my commandments” also seems strangely absent from this Jesus who just wants you to have a warm and fuzzy “personal relationship” with him, and it’s conveyed that that’s possible even if you’re not a Christian.
In short, I liked about 98% of this book. In fact, as I was reading it I kept telling people that it would make an amazing movie. But then I got to that measly little 2% of untruth and was disappointed. And it’s because of the nature of these untruths that I wouldn’t casually recommend this book to anyone. If someone is not firm in their knowledge of the Word, they won’t necessarily be able to see the meat for the bones and might very well walk away with some misconceptions about God and their relationship with him stuck in their throat.
And that’s why I hope this book is not made into a movie.
March 2nd, 2010 at 10:07 am
Good review, Brandon. I read this for Bill Tracy’s class in the fall of 2008, and I think I’ll need to read it again for the parts with Jesus. I did like the fact that he wasn’t a Swedish supermodel in a bathrobe with a beauty sash, though.
I think my favorite part was when he went and spoke with Wisdom. That taught me a lot.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
I read about 3/4th of the book, it was not interesting to me in that the conversations seemed all the same. This book did not shake my faith, but it annoyed me. Sorry, I guess I enjoy reading the bible more, and these truths that the book unfolded are all in the bible, without the watering down.
I am going out on a limb here, but I would not recommend that book to anyone either.
You did a great review!
March 2nd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Brandon … excellent review. I feel like you do on about 98%. Basically we have to remember, “it’s just a book… a story that’s fiction.” I enjoyed the book and I’ve recommend to MANY, and will continue to do so.
Thanks for the review.
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 am
I agree that this book makes some good points and it did make me think about my relationship with God. My problem with the book is the 2% you mentioned is a complete contradiction of the gospel. I don’t want to recommend or waste my time reading a book that does not agree with God’s word. Is what he writes not a perversion of the gospel? (Galatians 1:7-8) The story he writes is fiction, but he spends a great deal of time giving his philosophical opinions about Christianity. If 98% of his book is true, it will be easy for most people to just believe the whole book. I recommend that anyone who has suffered loss or hardship read Job, or Romans 8. They are 100% true and are guaranteed to help.
March 4th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Brandon,
You are right. So many people have very different and strong feelings about this book. Thanks for ‘going out on a limb’ and writing a review anyway!
I liked the book overall. It’s been a while since I read it, but I remember overall I liked it and came away with some new ways to look at God and our relationship with Him.
I must say one thing that Dougle has really taught me, is that it is okay to like something and learn something from someone I don’t totally agree with on everything. I rarely- ok: never- agree with anyone on everything, even my husband. But we talk and debate and grow in our faith and confidence in God by doing so. I am glad we can read things like the Shack, or Pagan Christianity (I am reading it now), and learn from it, even if we don’t agree 100% with everything. I think you agree, or you wouldn’t have read the Shack in the first place. Anyway, just my 2 cents (or 75 cents!).
April 8th, 2010 at 12:02 am
Actually I really liked the book. Even if there were some contradictions. People have to remember that this book is a true story of a mans life. And although not all of this book is true you can still find some good in it. I like the way that the book portrays that God really does care about and understands. I mean in a world where people in America don’t want to believe in God. People are always pushing him away when he has single thing we need. And in a world where people are blinded by pain people need to wake up and realize that he’s there. And we as christians to start preaching a message of love not hate which we seem to do so well. Because Jesus is coming back soon and we want as many souls as we can get. :-)
But i do get why the contradictions would be a problem. because some christian would rather believe a book instead of actually reading the bible and knowing the truth.