Review: The Great Divorce

Review: The Great Divorce

I have finally read the Christian Classic - The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis - first published in 1946. Obviously it has been reviewed, studied, and received many accolades before.  I add my 2 cents worth in the spirit of admiration and because of the self-revelation this book afforded me.

Lewis goes to great lengths in the preface to state that this story was not based on a dream or a vision of heaven and hell given by divine revelation.  He calls The Great Divorce a fantasy.  I believe he emphasizes this because the book contains so much profound insight into God’s design that it seems like a vision.  The reader would easily have believed Lewis if he had told us that an angel had taken him on this bus ride to visit the suburbs of heaven.  

The story demonstrates how the heavenly realms are much larger and more substantial than both hell and earth.  Lewis seems to have put the Book of 2 Corinthians into a fictional form.  “if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing, among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God. “ 4:3.  The passenger on the bus are visitors from Hell (or Purgatory)on an excursion to the suburbs of heaven.  But even in heaven, the passengers are blinded by their paltry little sins which keep them from the glory which is all around them.  

The heaven dwellers (called the bright people) have come to meet the visitors (who are called ghosts) from the bus in hopes to lead them to heaven.  Each visitor has his or her own teacher or guide that s/he knew on earth.  The bright people constantly tell the visitors “now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation,” 6:2. Yet each of the visitors has some problem that keeps them from accepting this salvation.  What blessed me is seeing how some of the problems of the visitors are also my problems that keep me from experiencing joy and heaven even now.

I cringed when I heard the once well dressed fearful woman fight against the Spirit’s guidance.

“Friend, said the Spirit, ‘Could you only for a moment, fix your mind on something not yourself?’” (62).

Self obsession, it seems, is one of the major obstacles in seeing heaven. Then there is Hard Bitten Ghost who is negative and suspicious about everything.  And Grumbler who is a very unhappy creature.  “Ye’ll have had experiences ...it begins with a grumbling mood, and yourself still distinct from it; perhaps criticising it.  And yourself, in a dark hour, may will that mood, embrace it.  Ye can repent and come out of it again.  But there may come a day when you can do that no longer.” (77-78). I have had many dark hours and grumbling moods.  And I can feel this truth in my soul - that there is a point when I may no longer be able to repent of my grumbling - a point when I become a grumbler for good - bereft of the comforts of the Holy Spirit - stuck in my own small dark sad world.

Then there is the ghost who carries on his shoulder the lizard Lust.  And the dwarf who is manipulated by his own marionette Tragedian. So many sins, so little time.  What the Great Divorce helped me to see is how easy it is to be free of these unclean attitudes and sins that cling to our souls.  The Bright Lady admonishes the dwarf, “But now ...you can set all that aside.  Never think like that again. It is all over” (122).  And the reader wants to shout,”Yes, Just believe what the bright spirits are saying!”

The Bright Spirits are models of heavenly citizens. Always forgiving, kind, loving, and serving those they hope to guide.  They patiently point out to the ghosts the problems with ghostly thinking. The sin areas that they hold onto.  Yet most of the ghost ignore the admonitions of the Bright Spirits.  They love their own sins more than light and freedom.

It is a rare book that sheds such a light on both the dark nook and crannies of our souls and the brightness and joys of heaven.  Which is what makes the The Great Divorce a classic that one will want to read many times and share with many friends.