Lilith

What to say about this book? Well, it's the darker companion to [b:Phantastes|174948|Phantastes|George MacDonald|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327629648s/174948.jpg|2206809]. It's an immersive fantasy dream-experience that transcends plot (though it has one). It's a Christian exhortation to the reader: die to self if you would live forever. It is by turns odd, humorous, witty, sweet, downright chilling, and glorious. It's often a blend of [b:The Pilgrim's Progress|29797|The Pilgrim's Progress|John Bunyan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405982367s/29797.jpg|1960084] and [b:Alice in Wonderland|13023|Alice in Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, #1)|Lewis show more Carroll|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391458382s/13023.jpg|2933712], but I love it more than both those books put together.

Lilith begins as a man called Vane steps through a mirror into a vividly detailed fantasy world. His guide is an old librarian who, in the alternate realm, appears as a raven and offers him both practical advice and spiritual challenges (and their arguments on metaphysics, not without wordplay, leave no doubt as to MacDonald's influence on [a:Lewis Carroll|8164|Lewis Carroll|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1192735053p2/8164.jpg]). Midway through the book, Vane's path crosses that of Lilith--yes, the same Lilith who, in Jewish mythology, was the rebellious first wife of Adam, replaced with Eve.

As anyone who knows MacDonald will expect, the journeys of Vane and Lilith each illustrate the Christian's journey to redemption. He writes said journey with so many layers--of justice, mercy, sorrow, love for fellow man, willful sin vs. ignorant sin, mysteries vs. revelations of God. If all that sounds preachy, well, I never found the book to be so. I walked in the protagonist's footprints, saw the fantasy realm as he saw it, felt the pricking of his heart in my own.

MacDonald wrote with a profound awareness of eternity I've never found in any other writer (except perhaps in the song lyrics of Rich Mullins). That bright and beautiful view is perhaps at its most resplendent in Lilith. show less

me every other page while reading this book: "this cannot possibly get any stranger"
george macdonald, with a mischevious smirk: that's what YOU think

I’m certain that one day, I will be able to understand and appreciate MacDonald’s writings. So far, it’s been a bit hit-or-miss, as they often come off feeling somehow grander and taller than my brain can quite compute, but I am determined to persevere. I love allegories, and I’m sure I’ll love these…if I could just understand them!

Taken just at a story level, this was an entertaining read. It’s quite an adventure, and I enjoyed wondering what would happen next and how the main character would respond to the different things thrown at him.

Probably the biggest part of this book that I found interesting was considering all the ways C.S. Lewis likely drew inspiration from this story for his books. I saw some definite show more parallels between this book and Narnia, and that was fascinating!

Overall? I didn’t understand it, but I think that’s okay. Hopefully one day, when I’m older and wiser, I’ll be able to read it again and catch the nuances. For now, I’m glad to have read it once and mined what I could out of it. Recommended to all theologically-minded fantasy/allegory readers. show less

Though an obvious inspiration, comparing Lilith to the Chronicles of Narnia is like comparing car with a toy model. Superficially, they resemble each other, internally one is obviously far more complex while the other is a children's toy. This is a novel for adults. It makes no attempt to hide the Christian allegory, which I am sure would offend some readers. It also would probably offend some fundamentalist Christians should they stop and think about the message it portrays. It has the internal consistency that Lewis lacks, though is far less an exciting read. This is not an adventure novel. It is a journey into the realms of mysticim disguised as fiction. And it is one of the few books that has truly shifted my paradigm of the show more universe.

If you're looking for a traditional fantasy novel, don't go for this one. If you're looking for something to chew over when it comes to life, the universe and everything, this may be a perfect match. show less

Despite the very flowery, somewhat overwrought and clumsy writing, this is a uniquely imaginative and engaging story with lots of interesting ontological and epistemological questions.

This book has been aptly described by Aleister Crowley as "A good introduction to the Astral." It is insulted by comparison to the didactic allegories of C.S. Lewis' Narnia books, although they were strongly inspired by MacDonald's work. Lilith is instead an imaginative portrayal of adult mystical realization, as adumbrated through the distortions of reason, desire, and memory that befall spiritual seekers in the mundus imaginalis.

This book was assigned in high school in a elective on "Myth, Legend, and Fantasy" (Mr. Bleecker, if you're out there, you were amazing). It succeeds as few fantasies do in being truly strange and alienating, and I mean that in the best possible sense. Lewis in his forward notes the deficiencies of the prose style, and I can't disagree, but it's a book that stays with you as few do.