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Lila, the Divine Game
After 7 years and three records the mythology behind the band is complete!
The last installment, revealing the whole meaning and purpose behind Madina Lake is told only in these pages.
"Lila" is a 198 page book that includes each part, the "Auspice," "Scorched Earth," and "World War III."
Also included is an epilogue explaining each of the clues left in artwork, shows and in the records, as to the mystery of the town
The last installment, revealing the whole meaning and purpose behind Madina Lake is told only in these pages.
"Lila" is a 198 page book that includes each part, the "Auspice," "Scorched Earth," and "World War III."
Also included is an epilogue explaining each of the clues left in artwork, shows and in the records, as to the mystery of the town
198 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2012
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59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 10, 2023
Sorry, no.
Edit: I needed time to sleep on this. As far as technicalities and grammatical correctness goes, this really was a travesty. I know in the acknowledgements, people were thanked for their editing input, but they really should have used a real editor. Tenses were all over the place and perspective wasn’t helpful because we would switch from first to third to second to first without any context being offered as to why it was changing. We would go from speaking in past tense to present tense without the actual situation being described changing in any way.
In essence, this reads like a first draft. While the story was able to be gathered, it was not easy to follow and I found myself needing a break and/or having to flip back to a prior page to understand what’s happening.
In terms of the story itself, I won’t take away that it’s creative and writing really is hard, so I don’t want to take away from the passion and the effort Matthew put into this, especially after his accident. He owed us River People nothing and still completed this project and made it available for us. I will always be grateful for that because although I don’t listen to them much any longer, they held up their promise and they let fans be a part of this which meant a lot at the time.
That being said, there are pieces that are rife with pretension and bitterness. For example, references made in Matthew’s afterword about how American Idol is the death of art and proclaiming that these talented singers, who do write their own songs after the show, are essentially drones who don’t have to face adversity and fight for their dreams which isn’t true. I agree that idolizing celebrities isn’t something that works in favor of the greater good of humanity, but I won’t take away from these stars that talent is talent and does deserve to be recognized. Although they may not have the exact same path as others (winning a contest is an objectively easier path) it is not necessarily a path that lacks opposition and hard work, and it doesn’t result in a lack of art all the time. It definitely gave an air of “my work is more authentic because I had to work hard.” It smells.
Nonetheless, I’m glad to know the full story. I think the music is vaguely connected to it so that was a disappointment, and I really would have loved the story to be expanded on. I wanted to be able to actually see the war. Give me spiritual battles akin to what we get in war movies. Give me the juicy details. It was titillating but not rewarding. There was buildup but no climax.
That being said, I do have to give it 2 stars, but not for a lack of trying. I think with a real editor, and with more time, this story would have been really wonderful. Unfortunately it felt rushed and that’s why I was not impressed.
Edit: I needed time to sleep on this. As far as technicalities and grammatical correctness goes, this really was a travesty. I know in the acknowledgements, people were thanked for their editing input, but they really should have used a real editor. Tenses were all over the place and perspective wasn’t helpful because we would switch from first to third to second to first without any context being offered as to why it was changing. We would go from speaking in past tense to present tense without the actual situation being described changing in any way.
In essence, this reads like a first draft. While the story was able to be gathered, it was not easy to follow and I found myself needing a break and/or having to flip back to a prior page to understand what’s happening.
In terms of the story itself, I won’t take away that it’s creative and writing really is hard, so I don’t want to take away from the passion and the effort Matthew put into this, especially after his accident. He owed us River People nothing and still completed this project and made it available for us. I will always be grateful for that because although I don’t listen to them much any longer, they held up their promise and they let fans be a part of this which meant a lot at the time.
That being said, there are pieces that are rife with pretension and bitterness. For example, references made in Matthew’s afterword about how American Idol is the death of art and proclaiming that these talented singers, who do write their own songs after the show, are essentially drones who don’t have to face adversity and fight for their dreams which isn’t true. I agree that idolizing celebrities isn’t something that works in favor of the greater good of humanity, but I won’t take away from these stars that talent is talent and does deserve to be recognized. Although they may not have the exact same path as others (winning a contest is an objectively easier path) it is not necessarily a path that lacks opposition and hard work, and it doesn’t result in a lack of art all the time. It definitely gave an air of “my work is more authentic because I had to work hard.” It smells.
Nonetheless, I’m glad to know the full story. I think the music is vaguely connected to it so that was a disappointment, and I really would have loved the story to be expanded on. I wanted to be able to actually see the war. Give me spiritual battles akin to what we get in war movies. Give me the juicy details. It was titillating but not rewarding. There was buildup but no climax.
That being said, I do have to give it 2 stars, but not for a lack of trying. I think with a real editor, and with more time, this story would have been really wonderful. Unfortunately it felt rushed and that’s why I was not impressed.
May 11, 2021
A good story for anyone who is a fan of Madina Lake and their music, helping to bring the stories in their albums to life by weaving them into a full story.
It helps to listen to the three albums while reading, it really helps to heighten the experience and immerses you much more deeply in the story itself.
It helps to listen to the three albums while reading, it really helps to heighten the experience and immerses you much more deeply in the story itself.
February 26, 2013
This is a wonderful look into the story behind the fictitious town of Madina Lake. After 7 years, I think, Matthew Leone and his fellow band mates in Madina Lake have come very far in making this story a reality. Lila is an interesting story set in three parts: the auspice, scorched earth and Lila, the divine game. In it we are given inspiring philosophical debates as well as an intriguing and emotional journey that Adalia, Jonathan, The Auspice and the citizens of Madina Lake must face in order to defeat the Criminals. One issue I found with the book, however, was that the third and final section had several mistakes in it. I looked past it though due to Matthew's accident in 2010 and the effect it might have had on his writing. This is a wonderful read and an eloquent story that will stay with me for a long time.
February 3, 2015
Metaphysical murder mystery. A must read for any fans of the band Madina Lake.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews