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The Shack | 
 enlarge | Author: William P. Young
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £1.99
You Save: £6.00 (75%)
New (35) Used (7) from £1.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 47
Media: Paperback
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0340979496
EAN: 9780340979495
ASIN: 0340979496
Publication Date: July 17, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: All product BRAND NEW and normally dispatched in 10 to 14 working days from our UK warehouse containing over 30,000 titles.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 47 more reviews...
 Way off the mark.... November 21, 2008
I began reading this book with an open mind, expecting something quite extraordinary, partly based on the reviews here, and partly based on the excitement it seemed to be generating from those that had read it.
The basic premise (and this is in no way a spoiler) is that something very bad happens, and the novel attempts to work through the why's and what-if's of it all. No suprises there..
That it uses some unusual stereotypes for its central characters is unusual, and in parts delightful to read, but once again, no suprises there. I was expecting a little of that anyway.
When I got to the end of the book, and its underlying implication / message of "this might be a true strory" I was outraged.
Outraged, because I found the deeply hurtful central issue of "why did this (bad thing) happen" totally unanswered to any satisfaction. I found the implication that it was in some way "meant" to happen misjudged, and that all is OK in some other place, bizarre. And I found the whole treatment of such deeply dreadful loss and injustice skirted over, dismissed, and explained away.
This is totally unforgivable from the author (and a totally unforgivable crime in my book too.)
Sorry, fans, it just doesn't live up to the hype I'm afraid.
 "This weekend is about relationship and love" November 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The blurb says it's "heart-warming and inspirational", and that it's about a man, Mack, striving to understand why God allows pain and suffering in the world. Well, it wasn't my choice to read the book, it was given to me, and I was determined I would find it smug and irritating.
Right from the start there were surprises: after a few pages I realised it was funny, down to earth, and was going to deliver some jolts. First page, the men in Mack's family are all addressed by their middle name - as in my family. That got my attention. Then the setting seemed eerily familiar and jolt 2, I realised it is set in Nez Perce Indian country, Oregon. I have just read and reviewed "Selling Your Father's Bones" about this place... it was like journeying over some very familiar ground. Jolt 3, whether I liked it or not, the deceptively simplistic language of the book contains some mind-blowingly huge theological concepts in the most accessible way. There is a lot that orthodoxy will frown at. (Good) - and a lot of answers that will make a lot of sense to a lot of people.
Many readers will immediately love this; (dare I say, it is more likely to appeal to less cynical Americans than British) others like myself will have to struggle past the initial "over-sickly-sentimental" doubts and hesitations. But...
..."Mack would like you to know that if you happen upon this story and hate it, he says "Sorry...but it wasn't primarily written for you"" (page 13).
My own final jolt was on page 147 as this has been the subject of much debate among some of my friends recently.
Finally, if addressing God as Papa sounds weird: Jesus uses the word "daddy" in Mark 14:36.
Tears would not stop.... November 14, 2008
I am not a religious person at all but this book was gripping, moving, inspiring and gobsmacking all at the same time - a great story if you believe in God or not.
Now I understand the love of God November 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The great question of our time is: "Why does God allow terrible things to happen?" Here it is, bravely faced - one of the most appalling crimes that a man can commit, and God let him do it. WHY? The answer that Paul Young gives makes sense to me. It cannot be expressed in a few words - it needs a whole book.
 Hmmmm... November 12, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
With so many reviews to choose from there seems little point in spending much time on the plot, which is just as well as it really is as simple as "Man loses faith owing to family tragedy, meets a really nice God who's also kind of cool, all OK again".
As a story then, The Shack is barely worth a read. If you have faith however there's some interest in reading this authors interpretation of the Christian belief system and there are some nice ideas, albeit New Age and touchy feely about what God might think of how us humans have warped his teachings to suit our own ends.
The trouble with these ideas though is that, for me anyway, they were a bit unsatisfying. Unless I missed the point (a distinct possibility)it's all our fault man, 'cause we chose Free Will and stuff and although God's like really dissappointed he still loves us yeah?
It's that kind of book and goes nowhere near asking if he loved us all so much why'd he kill all the first born that time and unleash all those plagues on the Egyptians, who are also "his" people apparently. I think the author may have skipped the Old Testament when they did it in Sunday School.
If I met God the first thing I'd ask is what's with this Cancer business or why do you let people be born with mental or physical problems? Mack (the protagonist) doesn't bother, sticking to asking why other humans can do such bad things to the rest of us. Whilst its not unreasonable to presume a man who's daughter is killed by a serial killer may be a little obsessed about why God would allow it, half way through I think God had pretty much covered the reason. Surely, given the opportunity presented to him, Mack might have moved on to a few tougher questions?
If you don't buy the whole God idea by the way, it's probably not worth a look.
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