The book starts and ends with the subject of marriage. And Lewis was right, that is where much of the postmodern attack on our society is focused. Most Christians would agree on this (Those who do not, I fear, are dubiously to be called Christians.), but not all of us would agree where exactly it started. I am now Catholic partly because I think this started with the acceptance and widespread use of contraceptives. It's a strange thing. It seems like it should be fine, but it is amazing how destructive that is. Even if you set aside for the moment the poisonous effect of hormonal contraceptives (which is a horrifying problem that almost no one talks about), it is clear that the contraceptive attitude has wildly warped our society.
As I noted before, most of this book is a slow burn. I don't think that really bothered me before, but I definitely noticed it when I was carefully reading it chapter by chapter (and writing summaries for each section). And then there's an enormous explosion at the end, both literally and figuratively. In that, it reminds me a little bit of a Neil Stephenson book. I hear he's been infected by social justice thinking. That's too bad. He's a fascinating writer.
One of the interesting things about this book I noticed this time through is how Lewis explores different kinds of minds: animal & human, man & woman, modern & medieval, upper & lower class, and subject to various kinds of spiritual corruption. Is he perfectly accurate? Of course not, but it's interesting to contemplate.
This book also addresses what does evil look like in action. It's kind of interesting because both N.I.C.E. and the company of Logres have very vague expectations of the responsibilities of their members, but it works out so very differently in the two cases.
One flaw, which I had intended to mention in my comments on the final chapter, which I haven't made yet, is the idolization of the feminine. Lewis appears to fall victim to W.A.W., but nobody's perfect. Both Jane and Mark must make amends for their failures in the marriage, but these amends are very different in nature. Jane humbles herself before Ransom and God. She reluctantly, with some apparent distaste, humbles herself to her husband. Mark, on the other hand, when he realizes his error, is almost worshipful in his attitude towards Jane. This does not seem in balance to me.
One final note, an interesting progression I noticed in this trilogy:
Out of the Silent Planet - Unfallen
Perelandra - Will it fall?
That Hideous Strength - Fully fallen and with corruption almost entirely dominant
Perhaps that's part of why I like this one the least of the three (although I still think it's a very good book.)
We'll get started on Centrism Games shortly. I'll post the first discussion board either next weekend or the one after. Talk with you soon.
