The Shack discussion

In The Shack, William P. Young sets a very descriptive and interesting stage. Young’s importance in the narrative is to depict what is going on in the main character’s life, Mack. Young sets out to explain a story that is indeed fictional but is inspirational to the reader. Young’s job in the novel is to portray a friend’s life journey for a lack of better words. His mission is to explain his friend’s life and legacy so that his family will have something that he can be remembered by.
The overall important thing to understand about the story is Young wanted to write this fictional story. Many may wonder why Young wanted to write a fictional story with so much imagery and description. The answer to one’s question is in the foreword section of the book. He wanted a narrative to help him express to his family not only the depth of his love, but also to help them understand what had been going on in his inside world. Within just the previous sentence, once will think that Mack is actually Young and this story is an outpouring of Young’s emotions from within himself.
The 1st chapter starts off as descriptive as the foreword did. Sadly a lot of the descriptive forms being used are not the most positive. There seems to be storms raging mentally and physically. The main character is the one who is experiencing the terrific storms. As the reader goes through the book, they will begin to wonder when will Mack, the main character experience happiness and joy? The pro is that he will experience happiness; the con is that it will not happen any time soon in the story.
The book however, is something that seems to let of frustration and worry. With Young seeming to be Mack’s closest friend the reader sees a bond and a relationship. So within the times of struggle, Mack has a friend that he can come to and Young aids Mack in his problems. “I will tell you honestly that being a part of this story has affected me deep inside, in places I had never been before and didn’t even know existed; I confess to you that I desperately want everything Mack has to told me to be true” (12). So in actuality it is doing Mack good to tell Young and Young is glad to write this story for Mack to clear Mack’s mind. “What you are about to read is something that Mack and I have struggled with for many months to put into words” (12).
As the story begins it is best to not get lost in the weeds. If one reads the book as a fictional story then they are hindering the process of understanding the story. It is important the read the story from a personal point of view. When it gives description of Mack hurting himself walking to his mailbox to get mail or getting angry with the anonymous letter in the mailbox. Mack is a figure just like a person in the real world and he experienced pain just like anyone in reality.
However, within the story Mack is seen as an alone figure. One that experience struggles with his past and it haunts him. Mack in many cases throughout the book seems to worry himself to sleep about a situation. He then wakes up and things are often better then they were before he laid down. “When he finally crawled off the sofa, he was somewhat chagrined to see that the ice follies had fizzled out so quickly but delighted to see Nan and the kids when they showed up less than an hour later” (24). So within the passage, the reader should see that within the darkest hour and when alone, happiness can arrive. Trouble truly doesn’t last always and God has a strange sense of take someone off of his or her negative thoughts, worries and concerns.
Mack seems to be a very silent and reserved person through the book but really smart. He doesn’t share anything with his family for the most part. However, he does share things with his friend, Young. The fact that Mack holds things inside of him could be his problem. Just like in times where someone needs a whole church family praying for them, someone needs their whole family to pray for them. The question is, what is a family when someone cannot share their deepest darkest secrets with? That is something that should be brought to Mack’s attention solely by his friend Young.
By the time the reader gets into the beginning to mid section of the book, mixed emotions should occur. Mack finds new friends at a campout that he takes his family to. That is where is finds the Ducattes and the Madissons whom also have children as well. Oddly enough, he opens up to these people and explains basically what is going on in his life and household. So in this portion of the reading, everything seems to turn around for Mack in a way. He makes new friends and that should hopefully help him through his personal woes.
Sadly enough, as “papa” permits it, tragedy strikes Mack again just like when he was a child. While Mack is trying to rescue his two children from a canoe that tipped over, his baby child got kidnapped. It’s if the reader thinks that things couldn’t get worse from the previous situations in the text, however things got worse. Even though things were already bad for Mack, a downward spiral truly happened after his baby girl went missing. So many questions come from this portion of the text. Why did his baby child get abducted and why would his other children nearly drown to death?
After the tragedy that struck Mack, he is now left with what he knows is right to do. That is, he must tell his family about the strange letter or just go to the shack. Strangely enough, Nan his wife, and the children leave to go to her sister’s home. Mack now takes off in his friend, Young’s Jeep headed to the shack. Just like it was explained in the foreword section, Young is a trued friend to Mack. Young believes Mack’s story even if he doesn’t understand it.
From this point on, Mack experiences situations in the shack that is life changing. If one were to read this novel, they probably would explain the shack to someone like an alien spaceship. The flip to this story is that no spaceship came and picked up Mack, he went to the spaceship himself. In the shack the imagery and description depicted gives someone a whole new way of thinking about the trinity. However it do explain the power that the trinity has, should strike the reader how the trinity is shown.
With Mack being someone who is at odds with a father figure, “papa” or God is seen as an old black lady names Eleanor. Jesus is seen as a Jewish man in his thirties or labors. Sarayu is a woman of Asian decent who is very hard to see and she is the Holy Spirit. There, the trinity is displayed and it is displayed in a way that all can understand.
Even though Mack seems to be managing with his daily tasks, him visiting the shack seemed to do him a great deal of good. The experience he had and the closure he got should show a reader how many people hold on to the past. Instead of burying it, many hold on to it. In actuality Mack literally buried his youngest daughter who was abducted and murdered. It can be a hard portion to read in the book but it was for a reason. In this section, Mack is shown by God that it is not his way but God’s way. God knows what is right and he knows the best plan.
However the judge character that is basically an example the judge spoken about in proverbs was amazing. There, Mack is taught to change his perception on everything but most importantly to forgive the killer. Throughout this whole portion of Mack being in the shack, the weather is nice. When he first came in the weather was brutal, now it is like a spring day.
Another thing that stood out was that each spiritual being spent time with Mack. As said stated previously, Mack seemed to be a person who was alone a lot. He is depicted as a quiet person also that doesn’t share his feelings with hardly anyone except his friend, William P. Young who is the writer of this book. God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the judge is somewhere around Mack at all times. They are comforting him and helping to see a brighter way compared to his previous way.
The way the ending happened was again another left hook from the author. The fact that Mack was in a car accident and that it happened before he went to the shack was unexplainable. It shows that time is not on God’s side and that God works on his own time and space. Mack woke up in a hospital bed and was told what happened to him by his wife. That was again another tragedy that hit Mack, however at least he knows that God is in control over his life.

I loved the book from start to finish. It's definitely a spiritual book. If you're going through a life changing event or faced with something you can't quite understand why this is happening...it's a good book to pick up and get you through a tough time especially if you're wondering if God is listening to your prayers.

It was a great read for me -- I've been going through some rough patches and this re-affirmed my faith in God as I understand Him. The book provided me with a feeling of comfort. Like getting a hug when you need it most. Fiction but I found it to be like a warm hug.

This book was a great reading visual understanding for me in comprehension of the holy trinity and understanding and overcoming loss while maintaining ones faith. Great read.

What a sensitive, profound book. I do believe it presents the best explanation of forgiveness vs reconciliation that I've heard to date. It's often so difficult to separate the two, but they are not the same, as author Young so gently demonstrates. It's only as Mac learns from the loving trinity that he arrives at a successful resolution to is pain. A terrific affirmation of divine faith and love for me.

I have given this book to several friends going through tough times, and to each member of my immediate family as well. Hopefully they will derive the same feeling of comfort and certainty that I did.

This book was a great read for me. I loved it and would recommend it. The explanation of the Trinity, bad things happening & why God allows its; everything about this book was good.

I started reading this book, but just couldn't wrap my arms around the way God was described as a human. I saw it as blasphemy and couldn't finish. I'm glad to see that others could get past it and not only enjoyed the book, but benefitted from it.

The way Mr. Young depicts how each person of the Trinity remains involved during our times of questioning life is very creative. I realize some readers had hard time visualizing God as a female; but the message The Shack delivered was powerful; to say the least. Awesome read!

David wrote: "I started reading this book, but just couldn't wrap my arms around the way God was described as a human. I saw it as blasphemy and couldn't finish. I'm glad to see that others could get past it and..."

Actually David, the fact that you saw it as blasphemy is very much a GOOD thing! The Shack IS blasphemous against a Holy God who shows us in HIS Word how we are to know Him! If someone wants to write a book of fiction ...fine. But to re-describe the One and only Holy Creator, Redeemer, Deliverer, Savior, Judge, King of Kings and Lord of Lords is a sacrilege. I personally would not want to be in the author's shoes come Judgement Day! I cannot believe how many 'Christians' will read this book and put it at the top of their lists of favorite books and barely touch the Bible...THE book that God wrote to us. So please folks, read the one book that God has given to us so that we can know Him and honor Him and worship Him, you won't be sorry...the benefits are eternal.

Save the judgment for yahoo blogs, Bonnie. How expansive that you allow fiction. Thank god you do not represent all “Christians” who believe Jesus when he said “I am the way the truth and the light”. Period. Enough said.

I think if anyone reads this with doctrinal purity in mind, they will be disappointed. Like the Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, you get a glimpse of God through another lens. The book is not suggesting orthodoxy, but if you cannot read the Shack without some insight into God's nature, it may say something more about you than the author. Also saw the movie which was also well done.

I personally loved this book and I am a Christian. I do not think is blasphemy I think it showed a humbling side of forgiveness that was awesome. God coming as a human should not bother any opened minded person. At first I was not sure about his coming as a woman would make me feel when I read the book and seen the movie, but God is spirit and he can come in any form he sees fit to come to someone. I believe if you really watched it and listen when God tells him why he came as a woman first you should have been able to understand it. It showed how people in real life really think when something this horrific happens the depth of our hurt, our anger - our questioning God. We are all human we all get it. Awesome book.

This book changed the way I view my relationship with God. Before it felt as though he were a disciplinarian and enforcing rules of right and wrong. Now, I feel as though he is my friend and supporter, and biggest fan. He wants me to do well, he walks beside me instead of in front of me. This book changed my life. I am also working through the workbook. It's wonderful.

AWESOME CAROL THAT IS GREAT. DID NOT KNOW THEY HAD A WORKBOOK ON THE BOOK. BUT COOL.

Great Book!!! Helped me to accept the loss of my loved ones and understand the selflessness we need to have dealing with your faith and moving on after a great loss instead of falling into depression and not letting God do his work. God giveth and God taketh. Having faith in the lord and remembering not to give up especially when you have more kids to stay strong for who are still with you here on earth!

I totally agree! it was so good! I could never put it down!

I have not watched the movie yet, but it sounds sooooooo good!

Great point about getting a glimpse of God through a different lens. Totally agree!

Sophie wrote: "I have not watched the movie yet, but it sounds sooooooo good!"

The movie helped me understand the book better. It was awesome. And the way they did the different people God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and Jesus was awesome. I like how God gave him room to figure things out and not pushing in on him yet God gave hints. And yes God gete ruff one time. It was really an awesome book and movie. I have both the book and movie. The movie
is a must see.

I loved reading this book. It was page turner, captivating, intimate and completely grabbed my attention. I am so glad that this was written the way it was. I also love the way the Trinity was depicted. The story line. Going in this journey was moving. I read the spin off from this too. Wish I remembered what it was called.

This book changed the way I view my relationship with God.

David escreveu: "Comecei a ler este livro, mas simplesmente não conseguia envolver meus braços em torno da maneira como Deus foi descrito como um humano. Eu vi isso como blasfêmia e não consegui terminar. Fico feliz em ver que outros poderiam superar isso e...""I understand how the way God is described in The Shack can be challenging, especially for those with a more traditional view of how the divine should be portrayed. The way God is shown as a personal figure, who treats each human being in a unique and specific way, may cause discomfort, especially if the idea of a 'human' God seems blasphemous or inappropriate. However, one way to approach the book is to view this portrayal not as an attempt to define God literally, but as a metaphor to show the intimate and personalized relationship we can have with Him.

In Mack's case, the experience he undergoes is exactly what God knew he needed to overcome his own pain and wounds. The central idea of the book is that God, being personal, can meet us in our vulnerabilities and speak to us in a way that only we can understand, depending on our own spiritual and emotional needs. This can be seen as a way to explore unconditional love and healing in a profound, yet individualized, way.

If you feel uncomfortable with how this is portrayed in the book, it might be helpful to focus on the emotional and spiritual lessons Mack learns throughout the story, rather than concentrating on the literal representations of God. This may help you see the work as a reflection on how life experiences and relationships with the divine can be personalized, touching each person in a unique way."