A friend has strongly recommended I read The Shack and has even given me a copy of the book.  Problem is I'm not really enjoying it.  I'm about one third of the way through the book and have to force myself to pick it up each evening to read a few more pages.  Christian fiction is not my favorite genre, in fact I don't read alot of fiction at all. 

To those of you who have read this book my question is this --- Is it really worth the time to finish it?  I see myself as more spiritual than religious these days and lean more towards eastern philosophy.   Maybe this book just isn't for me.  Need some input.

My mother in law loved the book. She recommended it to me, but I am not christian and even if I were, reading a book about a 5 year old girl who is raped and murdered would not intrigue me.  She said at one point they are very graffic about the rape and murder.  Otherwise, she said the rest of it was very inspiring talkng about what heaven is like, etc. 

I have never heard of it but not being a christian it would not interest me.  I never would finish a book that I lost interest in.  Too many good books, too little time.

I got about half way through it and then used it as a selection for a game. I really tried to read it, but got nowhere. I kept thinking it would get more interesting, but it was a no go.

Christian fiction is not my favorite genre

reading a book about a 5 year old girl who is raped and murdered would not intrigue me. 

Me neither. Sounds awful. Right up there with The Lovely Bones only with a little more Christian comfort tossed in?

I never would finish a book that I lost interest in.  Too many good books, too little time.

I agree.

I liked The Lovely Bones. It kept my interest whereas The Shack just moved too slowly.

I usually am not into Christian fiction either, but quite a few people suggested it to me so I got it.  Actually found 2 copies at the thrift store and posted one, read one then posted it too.  I really enjoyed the book a lot and have recommended it to a few people.

I am not a very relegious person but I really enjoyed the book.   I don't think the focus was on the rape of child but more about the aspect of religion.   I was brought up as Catholic and did not enjoy the "threatening" part of the religion.  I felt that this book gave a very interesting way of looking at religion and have passed the book on to many relatives who have enjoyed it as well.   The book isn't a fast paced type of book but more as a interesting way of looking at religion.  Many people I know were brought up to fear God and if you weren't good you would be punished when you die.  This book totally goes against that point of view and left me with a good feeling about religion, God, and the possible afterlife.    

it's heretical anyway, so it wouldn't be worth reading no matter your beliefs

I'm new to the swap but wanted to put in my 2 cents worth about The Shack.  Although the story concerns the abduction, rape & murder of a child that is definitely NOT what the book is about.  As a matter of fact this book absolutely took me by surprise.  After I read past the 1st few chapters I found myself skeptical, but continued reading out of sheer curiosity!!  Did I ever get enlightened!!!  I am a Christian and had never thought of God in the perspective He was presented in the book.  By then end of the book, I gained a completely new insight.  The book offers such a refreshing look into Christianity.  I was very pleased and just loved the book.  I definitely recommend the book for Christians & non Christians.  I think anyone who reads The Shack will be enlightened by this delightful approach to who God is.  Believe me this book takes such unexpected twists & turns I was constantly wondering what the next surprise would be.  Give it a try!! 

I read it soon after I decided I was a Christian, and it really made me think about God and religion. I don't find many books that line up with my beliefs, and this one did to an extent. I got a lot out of it, and I have recommended it to people.

That being said, if you don't get into it, or it doesn't hold your fancy then don't read it. I think it has merit, but obviously, it doesn't have to mean the same thing to others.

I had to make myself finish this book because so many people had reviewed this book as life changing.  I couldn't understand why I was in the minority.  After searching numberous reviews, I found about 75% reviews favorable and 25% unfavorable.  The book starts out interesting and seems to lag in the middle, which was what most reviewers said also.  The book is a feel good act of redemption intermingled with politically correct descriptions of the Trinity.  The writing is very simplistic and the depiction of Christianity is not biblical in this book.  I think that anyone searching for Christianity is going to be mislead reading this book.  If you are grounded in your beliefs and understand the Bible, you will filter through what is fact and fiction.  I personally found this book a waste of time and left me wondering why i was in the minority.

I have it on Mt TBR.....our church did a study group w/the book but I wasn't involved.  I'll get to it one day.....

First and foremost the book is not heretical ... at the heart of the book the author's point seems to be to remove man's skewed, dogmatic approach to who and what God really is.  

I found that the book caused me to change my level of accceptance of who God is  The book made me realize that I had pigeoned-holed God.

Yes, the abduction and rape of the child is disturbing and makes you shudder to allow yourself to think of something like that happening in your own family.  But I think the author put that in to illustrate the point (to the extreme) that regardles of the trials and tribulations in ones own life spirituality and a love of ones creator can help you overcome ANYTHING, even the worst  things imaginable!

I think the book was very inspiring. 

If you like a "different view" of God you might want to check out Dinner with a Perfect Stranger ... greatly inspiring as well. 

Regardless of your thougts on this book, don't discount Christian fiction as a whole many books are amazing and will grow you as a person regardless of your views on God.

Well I've made my decision.  I am not going to finish the book.  I truly respect and appreciate everyone's input but in all honesty I find the book to be a bit of a bore.  I think I will return the book to my friend, if she doesn't want it back I will be posting it in the very near future and someone may get their wish granted. 

The Shack also trys to say that God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are like masks that God wears and so He can only be one at a time. But if you look at the baptism of Jesus, Jesus is in the water, God the father speaks from Heaven and the Holy Spirit appears as a dove. They are 3 unique persons, yet one. It's hard to understand and the book tries to over simplify it so people can understand it. A lot of people have said that the SHack is so amazing because after reading it they understand the Trinity, but the Shack's version of the Trinity is not correct.


Our pastor spoke a little bit on the Shack and he has a lot of good information, you can watch or listen to it here.
http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/doctrine/trinity-god-is/the-shack


Hope it helps, it's scary how many "Christian" stuff there is out there that's not really theologically accurate.

A friend read the Shack and said it was horrible, then talked me into reading it because she wanted me to understand what she meant by horrible. I agree with her, way too much self contradictions from the god figure and I think theres just too much scenery description, but thats just me.

We're reading this for our bookclub next year.  Do you think it is a good bookclub book?

IT IS FICTION!      I read it as that and found it enjoyable and a book that made me think.      As a Christian I knew it was FICTION when I read it.   

I think it would be a good bookclub book inasmuch as it will provoke a lot of discussion.  Do not expect everyone to agree or to like this book.

I haven't had a box to write in all morning.  Strange.

This book is a love it/hate it book.  I loved it.  I got something out of it.  But I can completely understand those who don't like it.   I don't remember much about it because I read it last year but I found it inspiring.

I thought it was a quick and interesting read in the beginning but there's essentially no plot in the last 2/3 of the book.  And the theology had zero impact on me.  As far as being heretical- granted I'm not a Christian, but to me the Shack was an allegory, like the Narnia books.  I don't think the author was trying to present anything in the Shack as actual theology any more than Lewis was trying to get people to actually worship lions.

I consider myself a Christian, but found this a very hard read.  Not so much about the rape, as about what heaven may be like.  Also in the female gender.???

It denies the diety of Christ. Does that spark your interest?