 "Re-read every few years" | 2009-09-11 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3LRHPTELM5X5C |
This is one of my all time favorite books. You will find tinges of this book in the writings of CS Lewis... and JK Rowlings.
The images MacDonald creates and the story line, will haunt you for years to come. And the theology... though challenging and a bit controversial... will force you to rethink some of your ideas about salvation and damnation.
An important note on this particular edition (by Wilder Publications) is that the cover picture, as well as the write up in the back cover are for a totally different book... so if you just want an extra copy for your personal use (as I did) then buy it... but if you are looking at a copy you can give or loan, I would purchase one of the other editions. |
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 "Dreamlike" | 2009-08-16 |
| - Reviewed By dandylioness |
Even according to my usually odd tastes, Lilith is a strange read, certainly stranger and more surreal than the works of C.S. Lewis, who was greatly inspired by MacDonald. The beginning has a standard fantasy feel. The hero, Mr. Vane, is seeing to his estate. One day in the library he sees a strange apparition. Curious, he follows the spirit of the enigmatic Mr. Raven and finds himself led into a fantastical otherworld. From there the narrative becomes decidedly bizarre. Reading Lilith is like peering into a dream as Vane encounters a steady procession of inexplicable situations and grotesque images. In fact, MacDonald packs the book with so many symbols and lessons that the narrative structure tends to break down a little, and I found the story dragged quite a bit in the middle. This and MacDonald's sometimes awkward attempts at exposition made finishing the book questionable for me for a large portion of the story.
Yet I persisted... and I'm glad I did! I find it a little difficult to say why I liked Lilith. MacDonald was writing for Christian readers, and I am not one of them. I wanted to read it because of my general interest in religious imagery in fantasy and a more specific interest in the odd ways that particular mythological character has been reinvented and reinterpreted by different people. I certainly do not embrace all of MacDonald's moral ideologies fully, and some I find vaguely distasteful. Even so, I was enthralled with the images MacDonald chose to describe Vane's spiritual journey. I was intrigued when Mr. Raven subjects Vane to a Zen-like line of questioning at the beginning of the novel. I found the description of Vane's redemption and rebirth deeply moving and beautiful. Perhaps this is just my Christian upbringing showing through, but I like to think it also speaks to the relatedness of all spiritual seeking, and to the deeps well of myth and imagination from which MacDonald drew. |
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| "One of the Great Works of Literature!" | 2009-08-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: AJWUB4YZ9QO92 |
Lilith is the story of a man who begins noticing strange things happening in his library, which eventually lead him into another world. In this world, there are beautifully good beings, but also great and dangerous evil beings. Lilith is the Queen of the latter, a vampire-like being who sucks life from all that she can get her hands on, including the entire city which she rules over and at one point our unsuspecting traveler. When our traveler encounters the daughter of Lilith, a sweet girl with whom he falls in love, plans are made and steps taken to overtake Lilith in her city and end the reign of terror. But who will survive this grand plan? Will our hero ever make it back to his own world? And, would he want to?
One of my favorite reads. |
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 "Classic Fantasy" | 2009-05-12 |
| - Reviewed By noxush |
George MacDonald's 'Lilith' is a a classic of fantasy fiction. Largely allegorical, it tells the tale of Mr. Vane's adventure's 'through the looking glass' as it were. Mr. Vane has many strange adventures but the story meanders somewhat until Mr.Vane encounters Lilith, from here the story picks up. But as others have noted, MacDonald is not the best writer, often it is not exactly clear what is happening, as one example it is often unclear which of the two leopardesses is being referred to at any time. As for the theological arguments being advanced by MacDonald I am not qualified to offer an opinion.
The average reader will probably be unimpressed but for those interested in religious allegory or classic fantasy there is much to admire, as there are many memorable episodes and interesting ideas within the novel. |
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| "This Is an Epic Book" | 2009-03-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2503ZOJNW9PE6 |
| If you're gonna buy this book, buckle up. MacDonald is the master of allegory. There are so many metaphors, comparisons, you won't even be able to keep up. Not to mention the tremendous amount of philosophy you'll find. Lilith is not like any fantasy you've ever heard of. |
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| "For Non-Christians, too" | 2008-08-29 |
| - Reviewed By o_sancta_simplicitas |
While the author and the underlying allegory of this book are Christian, I think prehaps non-Christians could be turned off by the label of religion attached to this book, and miss out on an incredible reading experience.
Lilith is a dark, eerie, and beautiful fantasy, very Victorian in writing style, very imaginative and evocative in the depth and mystery woven into the story. There is immense complexity in this story, from the depiction of childish, unrestrained innocence in the characters of the Little Ones to the mysterious white leoparedesses and the chilling darkness of the Shadow and Lilith herself. This is a book worth anyone's time to read, as long as you can handle the writing style of the 1800's, which unfortuantely discourages too many from reading the classics.
Also a strong presence in Lilith are the powerful but gentle female protagonists who are quite common in MacDonald's tales--extraordinary, considering our modern view of the Victorian age.
There are no other books out there quite like these. MacDonald's writing has a depth and wonder, a magic if you will, that I have yet to find anywhere else. Auden put it best when he compared Lilith to "the best of Poe." This book has a deep mystique and an often-chilling air to it, but a softer beauty, as well--a bit like being alone in the forest at night: surrounded by the wild beauty of the place, yet uncertain if it's quite safe in the shadows. |
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