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Summary: Murder, a Quest, Humor, and Theology!
Review: "War in Heaven" is a must for any serious reader of Christian fiction. It begins with an interesting murder and quickly evolves into a Quest for the Holy Grail,thus assuming that Those Feet in ancient times, did indeed wander England's mountains green. Along the way, an unlikely triumverate (or should we say Trinity) of good guys battles some very sinister fellows. Touches of humor grace the book, and the theology and the message are sound and inspiring.Williams was one of a trio of great early 20th century Christian authors, in a little club (The Inklings) with fellow dons C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Today, Tolkien is most remembered for fiction, and Clive Staples Lewis for theology. This is, in part, because Williams wrote in a more formidable style. However, once you get into the syntax and rythym, his words flow smoothly and he is very readable. Press on through the first few pages of any Williams book, and you will be rewarded with a "ripping yarn" on many levels. This book is recommended not only for those who love Williams' other fiction (Descent into Hell, Place of the Lion, etc.) and nonfiction (Descent of the Dove), but for anyone who would enjoy a serious Christian adventure novel. There is a strong message of the role of faith, and of eccumenical Christianity in "War in Heaven." Maybe it isn't for sticklers on one denomination's doctrine, but for most, it is well worth ordering.
Rating:
Summary: Murder, a Quest, Humor, and Theology!
Review: "War in Heaven" is a must for any serious reader of Christian fiction. It begins with an interesting murder and quickly evolves into a Quest for the Holy Grail,thus assuming that Those Feet in ancient times, did indeed wander England's mountains green. Along the way, an unlikely triumverate (or should we say Trinity) of good guys battles some very sinister fellows. Touches of humor grace the book, and the theology and the message are sound and inspiring. Williams was one of a trio of great early 20th century Christian authors, in a little club (The Inklings) with fellow dons C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Today, Tolkien is most remembered for fiction, and Clive Staples Lewis for theology. This is, in part, because Williams wrote in a more formidable style. However, once you get into the syntax and rythym, his words flow smoothly and he is very readable. Press on through the first few pages of any Williams book, and you will be rewarded with a "ripping yarn" on many levels. This book is recommended not only for those who love Williams' other fiction (Descent into Hell, Place of the Lion, etc.) and nonfiction (Descent of the Dove), but for anyone who would enjoy a serious Christian adventure novel. There is a strong message of the role of faith, and of eccumenical Christianity in "War in Heaven." Maybe it isn't for sticklers on one denomination's doctrine, but for most, it is well worth ordering.
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Summary: And another John...
Review: I really, really enjoyed this book, probably the most out of all of Charles Williams/s stories I've read so far (War in Heaven, The Place of the Lion, Many Dimensions, and Descent into Hell). I think Karl missed out at least one other John. That is St John the Evangelist (who wrote the Book of Revalations). John is supposed to have taken the Virgin Mary to the town of Ephasus after the crucifixion and eventually died in Ephasus after returning from exile. In pictures of him he is often shown holding a chalice with a snake in it, which represents his being able to make a miracle to clear the poison out of a drink he was given in an attempt to kill him.
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Summary: Search for the Graal
Review: Charles Williams' War In Heaven starts with the finding of a corpse in a London publishing house. The tone is very light and the reader is ready for a screwball adventure. But with the introduction of Gregory Persimmons the story turns darker. Persimmons has been searching for the Holy Graal (sic), and seeks to use its power to perform occult ceremonies. He believes it now resides in a country parish of Fardles. He resolves to steal it but is foiled by the Archdeacon of Fardles. As the struggle for the Graal continues both Persimmons and the Archdeacon gain unexpected allies.
War In Heaven is reminiscent of CS Lewis' cosmic trilogy. Not surprisingly since Chalres Williams was a member of the Inklings, whose members also included CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien.
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Summary: not what I expected
Review: I loved C.S. Lewis' _The Great Divorce_, and I was hoping to find something similarly imaginative here. But the writing was so stilted that I couldn't read past the first three chapters.
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Summary: War in Heaven will revitalize stale theology
Review: I was absolutely amazed by "War in Heaven". The attitude of the priest towards the occult happenings and devices was astounding in that he completely disregarded the occultist's power. This novel will refresh you and make you think simultaneously. As for someone's claim that this book displays Williams' antisemitism, the "jew" is not referred to as the "jew" except for one or two times. He has a name which Williams uses. "Manasseh" (the jew) can no more be used to demonstrate Williams' antisemitic views than calling the other main character the "Arch-deacon" can show his anti-Anglican beliefs.
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Summary: War in Heaven -- no contest!
Review: In classic `Inklings` style, Williams takes the legends of long ago and the inner longings of th human spirit, and carves a masterwork so real and up-to-date it will amaze you. Meeting a real wizard or the only Prester John at the corner store will be as believable as meeting your best-loved teacher from Freshman Lit.
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Summary: some thoughts on a thought-provoking book...
Review: Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these...Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." (John 1:50-51) "War in Heaven," much like the story of humanity, is all about the invasion of the supernatural--the divine and the demonic--into the mundane settings of everyday life. Charles Williams has a keen sense of what Thoreau called the "lives of quiet desperation" that most people live. The characters in "War in Heaven" are plagued by everyday demons long before they encounter any exceptional ones...Williams takes these lives, and in a most un-quiet way...builds an entrancing story--one that shakes the reader to the core. This is one of the scariest books I've read in a long while. The presence of evil is palpably felt in the antagonist of the book...a very creepy kind of evil...not your run of the mill stuff. I don't want to spoil the plot (not to mention that the plot is a little hard to describe-owing to the fact that so much of what is import in this book has little to do with story line--so much of it is "in the moment.") So all I will say here is that the conclusion is well worth the "dry spots" one finds in the prose. It is one of the most beautifully written scenes I have ever come across in English Literature. I recommend this book...but not to the faint of heart.
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Summary: This Also is Thou
Review: Let's start by granting all the cavils of the critics: Charles Walter Stansby Williams wrote bad poetry, worse plays, and worst of all, a handful of obscure, nearly unreadable novels. Nevertheless, Charles Williams is my favorite writer, and War in Heaven my favorite of his books. Let me proceed to explain why. CW's poetry may miss the mark of some poetic standard, but even now I can recite pieces from Taliessin Through Logres, while I usually find modern poetry uninspiring. His plays may not hold up well in some conventional sense of what plays are supposed to be, but they contain some of the most quotable lines I've ever read, and I would drive to the next state to see one put on. His novels may be dismissed as dense and obscure, but they are among the most gripping books I've ever read. War in Heaven isn't his best novel--that would be All Hallows Eve-- yet it's my favorite. I'm finally up to the point of saying why. Some college lit classes read Descent into Hell because it takes place on a number of well-defined levels. War in Heaven has wheels within wheels as well, but they aren't so clearly defined. It's not quite his easiest to read novel--that would be Many Dimensions--but it's still one of the easiest. Of all his novels, War in Heaven perhaps falls over into the most categories--it's a supernatural thriller that is sort of a detective novel, kind of a suspense novel, in a way about relationships, about self-growth, spiritual search and discovery, but not in a traditional sense. Everything that conventional novels are supposed to be these novels are not, which is why people like me who have no desire to read the bestsellers at the supermarket checkout stand yet find themselves taken with Williams' novels. One popular book report topic in college lit classes is to show how the characters "grow" through the book. With War in Heaven I found this difficult to do because reading a Williams book, it seems it's more like the reader who grows. Although the little group who throw in their lot with the Archdeacon in War in Heaven come to live by a typically Williams-esque maxim, "Believe and doubt well," the book seems to end where it began, yet somehow everything is new.
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Summary: Those Nutty Henry VIII-ists.
Review: War in Heaven is not a bad place to start for readers new to Williams. The story is fairly straight-forward and entertaining and the book explores a few major Williams themes without getting too wacky. These themes include understanding evil as a privation, recognizing the awful omnipotence of God, and believing in a sort of spiritual architecture to the physical universe. Some of Williams' ideas are a bit heterodox, but, assuming you are not going to Williams for your religious formation, an orthodox reader should be safe enough puzzling over a few of Williams' more benign conceptions. The book narrates a battle between good and evil for "control" of the Holy Grail. The alliance defending the Grail is composed of: (1) an Anglican Arch-Deacon who desires to prevent the Grail from being misused, although he reckons God can defend his own cup if he so desires, (2) a Catholic zealous to obtain the relic and ship it to Rome for protection, and (3) a somewhat Romantic literary-type who wants to keep the Grail out of harm's way. The interaction between these three characters is one of the more interesting aspects of the book and, I suspect, reveals much of Williams' own thoughts on religion. Despite Williams' gentle ribbing of the One True Church, War in Heaven is an excellent read, but one wonders if Williams might have profited from the advice of a fellow Inkling: "Never laugh at live dragons."
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