Religious writers and audiences

Gerry Quinn · 07 Jun 2010, 12:48 · from 2010-June.txt.gz

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From: gerryq at indigo.ie (Gerry Quinn)
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2010 13:48:17 +0100
Subject: (urth) Religious writers and audiences
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Message-ID: <3715161A8A7445C39710E7E09E1FA66C@jill>

I had a similar experience in Ireland at a similar age.  I had enjoyed the Narnia books until I got to the _The Last Battle_ where the Christian allegory was hammered home.  I felt betrayed, not just by the message, but by its totalitarian import - the expected future lives of the children on Earth were not just aborted but rendered insignificant by the religious context.

Maybe it was especially unsettling as I was a child myself.

I don't think I've had the same feeling about any other novel/series - but then again I probably wouldn't have it about the Narnia books if I encountered them now.

- Gerry Quinn

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jerry Friedman 

  I'm one who felt betrayed by /TLtW&tW/, and as David Stockhoff said, timing was important.  I read all the Narnia books eagerly when I was seven.  When I was maybe 10 or 12, I learned the story of Jesus' redemptive sacrifice, and at some point I connected that with Aslan (and the end of /TVotDT/).  So Lewis had tried to trick me!  These books I was attached to were a covert attempt to advertise that religion that besieged me and my family, that continually tried to blandish and harangue and peer-press and maybe, under the surface, even threaten me into submission.  It was an unpleasant moment.
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