Is anyone interested in a great books thread?

[Jennifer12]

Wow. That's interesting. I really had no idea people were just sitting around waiting for the world to end. I was raised Catholic, and we never heard such dreary stories. But, I guess if you truly believe you're moving to a better existence, the end of the world's no biggie. Personally, I like it here.

So what are the subplots about? People converting to Christianity?

Jen

I don't believe the bit about everyone under twelve, but the rest, I believe. I believed it before the books, and they only helped to increase teh belief.

In regard to what is so appealing, it is the boks themselves. The overall story, and the smaller stories are so gripping, were so gripping. Although as teh authors have started churning the books out, they have grown strangly less exciiting, unless you are like me and read the whole thing in an afternoon I can see why people are dropping the books after about book 6, or 7.

Now though, I can't wait for the final in teh series. *excited*

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

wow, i guess those ones haven't quite broken in australia yet... i work in the book industry and have Never heard of them...

just listening to descriptions puts me in mind of 'Survivor' by Chuck Palhanuik (the guy who wrote fight club), which is about the last survivor of a heaven's gate-style cult who thought the apocalypse had come...

i think one of the most interesting things i've read recently concerning religion is philip pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy (the first one is The Amber Spyglass, or The Golden Compass if you're in the US). it's one of the most profound and thought-provoking criticisms of The Church that i've ever read.

plus they're some of the freshest and most innovative and entertaining fantasy i've read in a looooong time.

I agree His Dark Materials is really well-written and intriguing. I love the idea of the daemons. I want one! It's a little depressing for me, though. The third volume came out several years after I'd read the first two, and I didn't really realize how anti-Church Pullman was until I read a couple articles about him in between. It may have colored my perception of the third book somewhat. I did enjoy the trilogy, but not nearly as much as Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia.

That's interesting that Left Behind hasn't hit it big in Australia yet. I first heard of the series about four years ago, just a couple months after I first heard of the Rapture. It was the second half of 1999, so I figured end-time thoughts were running high with Y2K upon us...
Erin

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

Wow. That's interesting. I really had no idea people were just sitting around waiting for the world to end. I was raised Catholic, and we never heard such dreary stories. But, I guess if you truly believe you're moving to a better existence, the end of the world's no biggie. Personally, I like it here.

I like it here too! I'm in no hurry for the world to end. I'm a Lutheran, and I never heard of the Rapture until after I graduated from high school, but every once in a while apocalyptic stuff would come up, mostly in school, and it always gave me the shivers.
Erin

 

[lili]

i think it's important to note that pullman is not anti-religion, just anti-church... i think that's a big and important difference...



do you think that the muppets will survive the armageddon?

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

do you think that the muppets will survive the armageddon?

Probably the rats and insects or crustaceans. So, good news for Rizzo and Pepe!

 

[Beauregard]

*Consider this post deleted, because I posted twice...*

Beau

 

[Beauregard]

Wow. That's interesting. I really had no idea people were just sitting around waiting for the world to end. I was raised Catholic, and we never heard such dreary stories. But, I guess if you truly believe you're moving to a better existence, the end of the world's no biggie. Personally, I like it here.

So what are the subplots about? People converting to Christianity?

Jen

Er, well, I'm not just sitting around waiting for the world to end, but I do blieve it will end....

Subplots are characters getting married, 'undreds of characters dying, getting disguises, running secret missions....etc...

 

[electricmayhem]

i think it's important to note that pullman is not anti-religion, just anti-church... i think that's a big and important difference...

It's a HUGE difference and I think people don't always realzie that.

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Similar to the difference between criticizing the government and being "unpatriotic." There's a big difference there too. It's the difference between belief in ideals and support for institutions.

 

[Don'tLiveonMoon]

Yeah, I'm not all that big on institutions myself. I've always gone to church, but I don't think that's necessary to be a religious or spiritually grounded person.
Erin