Flight of the Shadow

Rating:
Summary: My favorite George MacDonald book so far!
Review: Flight of the Shadow is an exciting story wrought with mystery, intrigue, and evil. Unlike many of George MacDonald's other novels, you will find none of the author's preaching and musing. The story is seen through the eyes of Mrs. Day as she records the episodes from her life in a journal. The book is shorter than many of MacDonald's other books, but unveils many valuable truths in the telling of the story.

What is the insideous secret behind the behavior of John's mother? And why does Belorba's uncle appear on the moor at night during the storm when he is believed to be at home? What is the terrible secret he is ashamed to admit that torments him throughout his life?

As with all of MacDonald's works, this book is chock full of spiritual nourishment. I was especially touched by Belorba's deep love for her uncle and his love for her. Reading about John's mother, her own spoiling upbringing and her desire to control every aspect of her son's life, was so poignant as to make me feel not a little unsettled in some of my own parenting practices.

The Flight of the Shadow is a beautiful book which I will enjoy reading again. It is an easy read with no dialect and no veering from the story as occurs in other MacDonald books.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite George MacDonald book so far!
Review: Flight of the Shadow is an exciting story wrought with mystery, intrigue, and evil. Unlike many of George MacDonald's other novels, you will find none of the author's preaching and musing. The story is seen through the eyes of Mrs. Day as she records the episodes from her life in a journal. The book is shorter than many of MacDonald's other books, but unveils many valuable truths in the telling of the story.

What is the insideous secret behind the behavior of John's mother? And why does Belorba's uncle appear on the moor at night during the storm when he is believed to be at home? What is the terrible secret he is ashamed to admit that torments him throughout his life?

As with all of MacDonald's works, this book is chock full of spiritual nourishment. I was especially touched by Belorba's deep love for her uncle and his love for her. Reading about John's mother, her own spoiling upbringing and her desire to control every aspect of her son's life, was so poignant as to make me feel not a little unsettled in some of my own parenting practices.

The Flight of the Shadow is a beautiful book which I will enjoy reading again. It is an easy read with no dialect and no veering from the story as occurs in other MacDonald books.

Rating:
Summary: My Least Favorite MacDonald Book So Far
Review: George MacDonald is one of those writers who seems to have had a great impact in the literary world and yet who is little read today. CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, among others, held MacDonald in very high regard. His innovative method of reviving fairy tales and using them for adults greatly influenced their fertile minds. And yet, while his works are imaginative and hopeful, they probably aren't the best pure writing you will come across.

In this book, MacDonald explores a tricky romance beset with obstacles between Belorba (your narrator) and John. MacDonald first gives you all the background on Belorba's idyllic upbringing with her loving uncle. He then sprinkles details of John's past throughout the book...details which greatly influence much of the action of the book. While you mostly see and experience everything through the eyes of young Belorba, this story is not solely concerned with her coming of age story. MacDonald allows you to appreciate the growth and revelations of other characters as well.

In my opinion, "Flight of the Shadow" highlights MacDonald's weaknesses as well as his strengths. Oftentimes in his life he was not so much a story-teller as a minister with a heart to bring hope to the weary. While doing so in his distinct, dreamy manner, his end goal in this book is always in sight; you never escape the sense that he is trying to prove God's goodness and thus the story is often didactic at best.

To me, the one promising aspect of this book that could lift it from simply being an overly manufactured piece was his exploration of the fantastic. In his Princess tales as well as in "Lilith" and "The Portent" (also known as "The Lady of the Mansion"), he created breath-taking, mind-boggling ethereal realms that intersected and contradicted our everyday world. Such concepts thrilled my mind and stimulated my dreams. However, in this piece, the fantastic element is reduced to a rationalistic interpretation, and all I was left with was a nice but slightly didactic tale.

Rating:
Summary: Historical Mystery Weaved Full of God's Love
Review: Though the book is sometimes hard to follow due to its historical setting and language style, it is definitely worth the effort. As Belorba and her fiance' struggle to solve the mysteries of their ancestors' pasts in order to clear the way for a happy marriage, they cling to God's faithfulness and discover His loving, yet sovereign plan. Belorba's unique narrative style makes the reader feel like a present listener. The surprise ending neatly, and delightfully, ties up all loose ends.