They were written by C.S. Lewis and he was a devout Catholic. He wrote them with Christian overtones and lessons because of his beliefs. I love them because they teach life lessons without smacking you in the head with a bible. To each his own I guess but I think they are genius.
I know who they’re by and his religious background. As an adult, I definitely feel smacked in the face by the religious overtones in his writing. I never said they’re not good books, but they just aren’t for me anymore.
@Corinne Agreed. I liked them as a kid and didn’t catch the religious overtones. But as an adult, I definitely catch it and I don’t like that. They’re well written other than that. I wish he would’ve left religion out of it.
@Erica but that was his point Erin – if he left God out of it, the entire theme of the novel would not be as he intended it. That would be like me saying I wish King left the horror out of his horror books.
No offence to any fans, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert, so preachy, leave her life behind, if your main problem hen, is that your bathroom is too big, I don’t know what to tell you?
@Paula i liked it a lot just because to me its relatable. The concept that you feel so trapoes in something you start to hate everything so you detach is something i liked hearing. I also enjoyed the different sides to spiritualism
@Paula I actually read a book written five years earlier which I enjoyed, so EPL felt like a rip-off. Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman
I find anything that mentions specific religious or political ideology to much. I want to be taken out of the world with fiction not thrust into more drama.
I just read ‘ True Places’ by someone or the other. Constant undertone of ‘ parents too busy being busy to notice kids are off the rails’ with a bit of ‘ we’re killing our world ‘ thrown in for fun. Both great messages, but she was pretty overt and it got tiresome near the end.
Little Women… I enjoyed it & I get that it was written during a different time period, but I felt that the Mother was a little too preachy. It didn’t come off as natural to me. Maybe if I was religious it wouldn’t have bothered me as much ??♀️
Almost none. If I pick up a religious or spiritual book, I prepare myself for a religious or spiritual bombardment. If an author is a political or environmental activist, I assume their writing will include themes about politics and the environment. If a writer is religious or spiritual, I assume their world view will spill over into their writing. It’s unavoidable. I just go into it knowing that the author has their own style, ideas, opinions, and experiences, and I just roll with it. It’s fine if I disagree. I don’t necessarily think of the author as “preachy”; I just think, “Well, that’s the story.”
Nothing. I am a practising Muslim from a conventional and small city and have lived a very sheltered life without any kind of exposure. I read books to gain knowledge and to compensate for the lack of opportunities, trying to understand the writers’ and characters’ motives. Everything I read is most times against my own values, but I read objectively and through that, I try to find connection and subjectivity.
Depends on what is meant by “preachy”. To me that means a “taking the reader to task”, or making certain assumptions about your readers intelligence by assuming you need, as the author, to drill a point home. For me, that author is Margaret Atwood.
Robert Sawyer’s Neanderthal series. It’s fun and it’s good reading but is also an obvious attempt to diss religion because atheism. Phillip Pullman’s series is also like that. And, no, I’m not traditionally religious at all. But I noticed it. Handmaid’s Tale is a propaganda piece but I liked it. Sheri Tepper was evidently a birth control activist and her books are full of women being forced to reproduce. Again, I quite liked her books but yeah, I noticed the propaganda. Didn’t mind it, though.
I read an interesting novel once- can’t remember the name- dystopian future. It was actually about discrimination against Jews. I didn’t mind reading it at all.
There are Christian novels that look like vanilla non sectarian mysteries, etc, then you get into them and find that they have a pronounced message. But… it… I just wanted to read a mystery…
There are certain christian fiction publishing houses to watch for. Once u get to know them yiu can then avoid that problem if they are too preachy for you. The big one is Bethany House. Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Amazon Crossings, and once you do see these, flip thru the pages. I like some Christian fiction authors because they are not preachy at all. If I flip thru the pages and see the word God everywhere then I give it a miss.
I stopped reading Terry Goodkind because of a book that deteriorated into a self absorbed ego trip wherein the main character went around preaching to everyone.
Not sure I’d really call them preachy, but I can definitely see the religious tones in the Narnia books as an adult and I find it a touch off-putting.
I haven’t read the books but i definitely see that with the movies
They really are excellent books. But not ones I would revisit now.
They were written by C.S. Lewis and he was a devout Catholic. He wrote them with Christian overtones and lessons because of his beliefs. I love them because they teach life lessons without smacking you in the head with a bible. To each his own I guess but I think they are genius.
I know who they’re by and his religious background.
As an adult, I definitely feel smacked in the face by the religious overtones in his writing.
I never said they’re not good books, but they just aren’t for me anymore.
I wasn’t suggesting you read them again 🙂 just giving my opinion .
@Corinne Agreed. I liked them as a kid and didn’t catch the religious overtones. But as an adult, I definitely catch it and I don’t like that. They’re well written other than that. I wish he would’ve left religion out of it.
@Erica but that was his point Erin – if he left God out of it, the entire theme of the novel would not be as he intended it. That would be like me saying I wish King left the horror out of his horror books.
CS Lewis was Anglican not catholic.
No offence to any fans, ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ by Elizabeth Gilbert, so preachy, leave her life behind, if your main problem hen, is that your bathroom is too big, I don’t know what to tell you?
@Paula i dont think thats what it was though
My parents looooooove the movie.
Not really a book I intend to read
@Tessa I know that Tessa, I guess I just didn’t get her point of view?
@Paula i liked it a lot just because to me its relatable. The concept that you feel so trapoes in something you start to hate everything so you detach is something i liked hearing. I also enjoyed the different sides to spiritualism
@Paula I made it to page seven (I was in my early 30s) and may have thrown it against the wall.
@Tessa I’m glad you enjoyed it??
Yuki Shimmyo Dumaresq It’s not for us I think Yuki??
@Paula I actually read a book written five years earlier which I enjoyed, so EPL felt like a rip-off. Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman
EPL changed my life. Not the whole book, but particularly when she was speaking to God and asking what is was she wanted from life. I left my husband.
I agree Paula. I only got 4 chapters in a ditched it!
Oh @Paula my thoughts exactly!
Anything by Ayn Rand
I didn’t mention her only because I refuse to read anything she’s written… But I agree,
C. S. Lewis. That guy…
The Taking by Dean Koontz. I’m not about surprise religion sprung on readers who were expecting a fun thriller
I find anything that mentions specific religious or political ideology to much. I want to be taken out of the world with fiction not thrust into more drama.
I just read ‘ True Places’ by someone or the other. Constant undertone of ‘ parents too busy being busy to notice kids are off the rails’ with a bit of ‘ we’re killing our world ‘ thrown in for fun.
Both great messages, but she was pretty overt and it got tiresome near the end.
Little Women… I enjoyed it & I get that it was written during a different time period, but I felt that the Mother was a little too preachy. It didn’t come off as natural to me. Maybe if I was religious it wouldn’t have bothered me as much ??♀️
As I said though, I did enjoy it & I don’t mind religion in books even though I don’t practise.
This was one of the only books I’ve read where the “message” really stuck out to me and almost felt forced at times.
I hated it – the mother let their canary die to teach the girls a lesson. Ugh!
Almost none. If I pick up a religious or spiritual book, I prepare myself for a religious or spiritual bombardment. If an author is a political or environmental activist, I assume their writing will include themes about politics and the environment. If a writer is religious or spiritual, I assume their world view will spill over into their writing. It’s unavoidable. I just go into it knowing that the author has their own style, ideas, opinions, and experiences, and I just roll with it. It’s fine if I disagree. I don’t necessarily think of the author as “preachy”; I just think, “Well, that’s the story.”
@Emmie same
Totally agree with you
Anna Karenina – boy, NOT what I was expecting.
I have this on Audible, but haven’t gotten to it yet.
@Corinne It’s heavy work.
The Shack, The Secret, Girl Wash your Face
Nothing. I am a practising Muslim from a conventional and small city and have lived a very sheltered life without any kind of exposure. I read books to gain knowledge and to compensate for the lack of opportunities, trying to understand the writers’ and characters’ motives. Everything I read is most times against my own values, but I read objectively and through that, I try to find connection and subjectivity.
I can’t imagine having to live within the confines of any religion.
Eat, love, pray. One of the few books I never finished. All characters annoyed me.
Agreed! They were just so irritating ?
I just finished this book. I liked the Italian characters. But everywhere else…meh. I agree though. Very preachy.
I liked the book but I see what you mean. What got me is she then was touted as a pundit. That sort of thing irritates me.
Any books by Mormon authors. I always end up annoyed.
@Andrea ohhh I thought the same thing, until I discovered Brandon Sanderson! Check him out!!
The Bible, anything that shoves religion down your throat. UGH.
Depends on what is meant by “preachy”. To me that means a “taking the reader to task”, or making certain assumptions about your readers intelligence by assuming you need, as the author, to drill a point home. For me, that author is Margaret Atwood.
Barbara Kingsolver has that tendency, but I agree with her line of thought usually.
Robert Sawyer’s Neanderthal series. It’s fun and it’s good reading but is also an obvious attempt to diss religion because atheism. Phillip Pullman’s series is also like that. And, no, I’m not traditionally religious at all. But I noticed it. Handmaid’s Tale is a propaganda piece but I liked it. Sheri Tepper was evidently a birth control activist and her books are full of women being forced to reproduce. Again, I quite liked her books but yeah, I noticed the propaganda. Didn’t mind it, though.
I read an interesting novel once- can’t remember the name- dystopian future. It was actually about discrimination against Jews. I didn’t mind reading it at all.
There a book called The Poppy War. It’s good but is an obviously extremely heavy handed reference to The Rape of Nanking.
There are Christian novels that look like vanilla non sectarian mysteries, etc, then you get into them and find that they have a pronounced message. But… it… I just wanted to read a mystery…
@Claire House by Frank Peretti & Ted Dekker; took me a few pages to catch on and quickly ditched it once I did ?
There are certain christian fiction publishing houses to watch for. Once u get to know them yiu can then avoid that problem if they are too preachy for you. The big one is Bethany House. Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Amazon Crossings, and once you do see these, flip thru the pages. I like some Christian fiction authors because they are not preachy at all. If I flip thru the pages and see the word God everywhere then I give it a miss.
The Bible
The Shack
Little Women, Jane Eyre, Westminster Abbey.
I actually like them, but I still think they are preachy.
Narnia books.
Murder by family by Kent Whitaker.
Anne Rice : Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt…its sad all her previous books are amazing ?
I found the instructional series ” how to be a preacher” a bit preachy.
The Bible
I stopped reading Terry Goodkind because of a book that deteriorated into a self absorbed ego trip wherein the main character went around preaching to everyone.
That guy sucks.
Mrs. Roosevelt’s Confidant by Susan Elia McNeal