Peter Last

RANTS AND RAMBLES

• • DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
  • Lewis’s ability to take difficult topics and break them down in an understandable fashion is uncanny. Often this takes the form of an allegory or vision as is the case here. Why do some people go to heaven and others to hell? Is there a chance to escape hell’s clutches? What makes a good man versus a holy one? Lots of topics are discussed in this short volume and many interesting concepts are introduced. For example, one character asks why citizens of heaven don’t go down to hell to rescue those residing there (such a transfer is possible in this story). The explanation: hell is so small compared to heaven, an atom in size, that the heavenly host cannot go since they will not fit. Only God, the greatest of all, could become small enough to go to hell. Lewis simply has a way of putting things in terms which make sense, even if I don’t agree with every single thing in his writings.
  • Minor Spoiler: Lewis’s description of hell in this book is fascinating. It does not conform to the traditional view of a pit of fire and brimstone, but it has merit in describing characteristics which I consider to be integral to a true understanding of hell. It focuses not on the physical pain of hell but on the mental state of those who are there. As to the description of the place itself, Lewis takes a mundane, drab approach, painting it grey with no color. Things there are easy to come by but have no substance. People dislike each other (and presumably God) so much that they spread out further and further the longer they are there, separating themselves by impossible distances from the bus stops which can convey souls from hell to heaven in this story. Most souls refuse to board the buses and even fewer chose to stay in heaven because of the many humanly things tying them to their existence in hell, things they refuse to give up. This can easily be seen as a parallel to the thought process of the same people when they were/are alive and possible reasons they ultimately reject God. It is an insightful examination of humans, sin nature, and our self-destructive tendencies. And if one is honest with oneself, it is a sobering blueprint to investigate which of these things keep us from fully surrendering to God.
  • Minor Spoiler: Lewis’s description of heaven is inspired (by his own admission) by a science fiction story he read where a traveler goes back in time only to discover he can change nothing. Even minute details like the paths of raindrops are unequivocally set making them very dangerous to a time traveler (should they find themselves in the establish path of a rain drop, the bubble of water will pass straight through them). Lewis adapts this idea to a spiritual plane, operating on the rationale that things of hell are so small and insignificant compared to those of heaven that they have no way to change them even an iota. This makes blades of grass seem as hard as diamonds, a falling leaf a catastrophic hazard, and falling water quite a terror. Though an interesting concept, this is where his visualization of heaven ends. This stands in stark contrast to his conceptualization of hell which is quite detailed and extensive. This seems to be a limitation in Lewis’s work, for though he excels at writing about things below (The Screwtape Letters being a prime example) and using this insight to hint at and extrapolate heavenly things (like how an object can showcase light in the shadow it casts), he falls short in description of things fully heavenly. Perhaps this is understandable for though humans, due to our fleshly nature, are incapable of fully understanding either, it feels more profane to inaccurately describe things above than those below. Whatever the case, this is a notable weakness of Lewis, and he relies on theological discussions and limited visuals to convey his thoughts on heaven and God.