Product Description
"Lilith is equal if not superior to the best of Poe," the great 20th-century poet W.H. Auden said of this novel, but the comparison only begins to touch on the richness, density, and wonder of this late 19th-century adult fantasy novel. First published in 1895 (inhabiting a universe with the early Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, and Oscar Wilde--not to mention Thomas Hardy), this is the story of the aptly named Mr. Vane, his magical house, and the journeys into another world into which it leads him.
Meeting up with one mystery after another, including Adam and Eve themselves, he slowly but surely explores the mystery of the human fall from grace, and of our redemption. Instructed into the ways of seeing the deeper realities of this world--seeing, in a sense, by the light of the spirit--the reader and Mr. Vane both sense that MacDonald writes from his own deep experience of radiance, from a bliss so profound that death's darkness itself is utterly eclipsed in its light. --Doug Thorpe
Product Details
| Title | Lilith, a romance |
| Format |
|
| Publication Date | 2009-08-13 |
| Author | George MacDonald |
Customer Reviews
Thought I would like it, but...Review by Maggie Jarpey, 2010-04-08
Since I like MacDonald's novels in general, I thought I would like Lilith, but I didn't. Maybe it's too difficult for me. I fought through it and enjoyed certain portions, but I was tempted not to finish it. I think it might be "over my head." I'm not talking about the "universalist" theology of it, because I understand what he is saying there, although I think the Bible clearly does not support it (I sense a temptation within myself to wish universalism were true), but I could have found much value in the story anyway if I could have understood it more thoroughly. I'm writing this review as a warning to readers like me who enjoy MacDonald's non-fantasy novels (and I prefer his originals there to the modernized versions) but will find Lilith to be a far different reading experience, one that they may not enjoy.
Vintage MacDonald
Review by K. Stephens, 2009-12-07
Great read. It's not an easily decipherable 1-to-1 allegory, but full of symbolism. I don't think it's my favorite MacDonald work, but still very good. Especially if you like this author. This particular book was much bigger than I expected. It's large-ish print with lots of space. I would have gotten a different version had I realized that.
Not Up to Other Horror Greats of His Era
Review by Melissa L. Owsley, 2009-10-21
This book put me to sleep every time I went to read it. I read dry histories without falling asleep. This is a mighty indictment from me.
Re-read every few years
Review by G.M.A., 2009-09-11
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.
Dreamlike
Review by Dandylioness, 2009-08-16
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.
