Book #89: Like A River Glorious, by Rae Carson

[grav_ity]

I really, really love this series. I mean, I love Rae's books in general (her first trilogy is marvellous, if you have the chance to read it), but this one is just plain good.

Lee and her companions have made it to California, but their trials aren't over yet. Lee's murderous uncle still wants her, she still has a dangerous superpower, and California is not an easy place. But they work and they trust and they learn, and they make a new home.

I love that Lee at her deepest suffering can recognize that others have it worse, and that she acknowledges her privilege even when she has been betrayed by it. She knows her job isn't over, and in the end, it's herself that saves her, not her power.

I am very, very interested in what happens next.

Comments

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I wish I could feel the same, especially as I really expected that I would when I picked up Book One. Carson's treatment of faith and religion in Girl of Fire and Thorns had been nuanced enough to make me hopeful about the potential for diversity and thoughtful exploration of faith issues in this series... especially since all the titles are taken from well-known hymns.

In Walk on Earth a Stranger, however, I was introduced to a lot of sanctimonious, bigoted, and arrogant "devout Christian" characters afflicting Lee's journey, with the side note that only when their faith was shaken or shattered did any of those characters become capable of empathy, decency, or even basic common sense. Not to say that I haven't met prideful, insensitive, ignorant or otherwise flawed Christians, or that nobody should write about such people -- but not one of Carson's characters reminded me of any Christians I have ever actually met in real life. They were far too stupid and blatantly self-absorbed for that, and too devoid of any positive human qualities. In fact, they reminded me of the way some clunky "inspirational" novels portray non-Christians (those who aren't destined to end up becoming believers at the end of the book, that is).

I know there are other characters in Book One (including Lee herself) who mention God and have some kind of Christian background, but the message of WoEaS seems to be that the less committed you are to any kind of serious study of the Bible or obedience to its doctrines, the better and more enlightened a person you are. Which made reading the book feel, to me, like having a door slammed in my face.

None of which is to deny that Carson is a capable writer and the books have a great premise. I can certainly see why other readers, including yourself, would be able to enjoy them. I just felt sad that Carson's approach to Christianity wasn't more balanced, because I was expecting so much better of her in that regard.

[grav-ity.livejournal.com]

I totally agree that it's a cheap shot, especially in terms of writing a secondary bad guy (and one that persists throughout book 2, sadly). For my own part, I find a weird sort of comfort in this kind of strawman, because I know they're not Godly, and so does God, and it reminds me that it works like that in the real world as well, but that's just me.

That said, I completely understand your feelings on this matter. If I'm allowed to use my imagination, I'd guess that you feel the same way about terrible preachers as I do about crappy teachers. I hate seeing my father's life maligned like that, so I imagine you feel the same about your dad and his work.