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 enlarge | Author: William P. Young
Publisher: Windblown Media
Category: Book
List Price: $14.99
Buy New: $7.15
You Save: $7.84 (52%)
New (87) Used (42) Collectible (1) from $7.10
Rating:  2250 reviews
Sales Rank: 6
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0964729237
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780964729230
ASIN: 0964729237
Publication Date: July 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Thought Provoking Fiction May 2, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
I just finished "The Shack" and was very touched by it. However, there were some statements made and ideas put forth about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit that didn't quite sit right with me. Overall, I think the purpose of the story is to try and bring people to God, even Christians who may have drifted away...and there were times while reading it I cried and felt like I had no clue what being so close to God is like, which motivates me to trust Him more. I also got bogged down somewhere in the middle, in the ongoing conversations and explanations of certain things...and ended up skipping some of it because it was too involved and complicated. I feel that a new Christian or someone who is not a Christian may end up totally abandoning the book at this point, because they would become lost in the words. I guess I'm trying to say it was written in a way that makes loving Jesus and trusting in the Trinity more complicated than it needs to be, and may end up discouraging some people.
Otherwise, it was a good piece of fiction, with a wonderful message of overcoming pain, grief and working towards forgiveness.
 Following the Pied Piper May 1, 2008
16 out of 25 found this review helpful
I suppose it is inevitable that when a book takes the Christian readership market by storm a book must be read, if for no other reason than to be able to have an informed conversation about it with those who have professed to have their lives changed by it. The Shack seems to be a book that falls in this category. Everyone is reading it. They are passing it on to others and are giving it high praise. It seems to me that it is a particular favorite among those who are involved in recovery ministries or are victims of abuse in their past.
While my heart is heavy for those who have suffered such abuse, I cannot offer this book as a suitable salve for a hurting soul. This book offers no true hope. Allegorical in its construct, it fails to root itself in timeless wisdom, but instead offers readers the opportunity to "grow" beyond their training, their upbringing and whatever training they may have received during their formative years. Of course none of this is done overtly, but it is a current that flows through the book. So for the unsuspecting, the book is a fresh new look at some of life's most challenging circumstances, to those who may be a little more reflective, The Shack may appear to be just that, a shack in all respects.
Personally I would not pass this book on to others, but if you want to engage in the conversation, it is a book that should be read, if for no other reason than to be able to join the robust conversation. I have had many people ask me what my thoughts were and if I had not read it I would have nothing to contribute. It is tricky to be less than complimentary about a book when someone has felt a burden lifted from their soul. Why should I take that from them by being disagreeable? Os Guinness, in his latest book, instructs us on the importance of civility (The Case for Civility) and The Shack is a good opportunity to practice civility with those with whom one might not agree. Is "The Shack"the next "Pilgrim's Progress"? I think Bunyan's position is safe.
 Thoughts For Us Nonbelievers May 1, 2008
20 out of 29 found this review helpful
If, like me, you're a nonbeliever interested in Christian apologetics, I would recommend checking out this book, but I think you'll come away from it slightly disappointed. The theology is in fact interesting (although the plot is not), and it presents a compelling worldview that attempts to answer many of the common issues people have with faith. (See other reviews for a synopsis.) It was an enjoyable read, and I actually found myself wishing I could buy into it all. Unfortunately, it does an inadequate job of really delving into the issues.
The main character, Mack, talks with God about the problem of evil, free will, God's nature, love, relationships, forgiveness, etc. But while what God says is often surprisingly insightful and refreshing, the author insults our intelligence by having Mack (supposedly a former theology student) react with bewilderment or astonishment or a small-minded "this was going to take some time to get his head around" response whenever God explains something. The reader is left waiting for a real conversation to start, but the author seems to expect that we'll be just as astounded by these ideas as Mack is, and leaves it at that. Anyone familiar with standard atheist-believer debate points will be intrigued by God's fresh approaches, but let down by Mack's lack of engagement with them. I suspect the author crafted his clever points and either didn't have the space in his story or lacked the will to explore how they stand up to intelligent criticism.
Despite struggling with his faith in the face of great pain, Mack remains a Christian throughout the story. Accordingly, God must help Mack deal with his anger, his lack of trust in God's goodness, and his will to be independent instead of close with God. Nonbelievers will recognize these as versions of typical misconceptions Christians have about them (e.g., "atheists are just mad at God" or "atheists just want to sin without consequences"). So the concerns of REAL nonbelievers -- the kind who see religion as an institution that exists only because of tradition and because of our fear of death and need for community, the kind who object to God on logical terms, the kind who often know more about the Bible than most Christians -- (not that this book is written for them), aren't addressed.
All in all, The Shack is worth checking out, if for no other reason than that it's become so popular amongst our more friendly neighborhood believers (but check the one-star reviews: the real fundies seem to object to it as being too liberal new-age-ey!). Expect to be pleasantly surprised; just don't expect to be impressed.
 Fantastically witten and thought-provoking story! April 30, 2008
4 out of 8 found this review helpful
The Shack is the best book I have read in quite a while. The story is gripping, and the messages it gives are very refreshing and thought-provoking. I especially liked the way it dealt in depth with some of the most stubborn question people pose to get Christians to admit their faith cannot hold water, questions like "If God is good, why is there so much evil?"
I come from a Church of Christ background, which is definitely not an "out-there" group, and I believe the author gives a great look at God when all the religious doctrine and ideologies are stripped away and all you have is the Creator of the universe. Of course we can't really know all about God, and the author doesn't pretend to. From my reading, I see no hidden agenda or ideas meant to undermine or universalize Christianity in any way. I found that reading this book, one must simply remember to pause when something seems to rub the wrong way and ask, "Does this go against what the Bible teaches, or simply against an interpretation or doctrine that we've created?" I plan to recommend this book to anyone who is looking for answers to difficult questions of life, or who is simply looking for a moving story.
The Shack if fiction! April 30, 2008
17 out of 26 found this review helpful
I picked up a copy of "The Shack" at a local Christian bookstore. I had no idea what I was getting into. While I think William P.Young is a creative and sometimes brilliant writer, I would remind ANYONE getting this book that it is fiction.
It was easy even for me with this knowledge to get caught up with the book, it made me feel good, almost euphoric and wishing that I could be where he was in some respects.
But I had to remember that the "advice" given by the Trinity characters were fictional. The book as I look back on it is a very quasi-Christian book, some good things in there but read it alongside reading the REAL Christian book: The Holy Bible!
Interestingly and I think on purpose, when I was really getting hooked on The Shack, I got a clear message from God to read a particular message in His Bible. The notes reminded me to be aware that others can sound, look and feel Christian but aren't. I would put The Shack into this category.
Would I recommend it? No, and definitely not to an unbeliever nor a new Christian, in my view, you have to be pretty strong and mature in your faith to see through so many of the absolutes that are quoted by the Trinity characters.
I say this is yet another semi-spiritual book in the disquise of a Christian book. Reader and buyer: beware!
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