Perelandra

Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis, is the second book in the Space Trilogy. The first book was Out of the Silent Planet and the finale to the series is called That Hideous Strength. In the fashion of nearly all of Lewis' work, there are major Christian themes to his stories and for readers who don't enjoy that, you might want to stay away. However, for those who aren't put off by that and for those who want to be challenged to think in your reading, this is a book you should try.

Perelandra picks up not long after Out of the Silent Planet, and follows Dr. Elwin Ransom on his journey to Perelandra, also known on Earth as Venus. He has been sent there by the Oyarsa of Malacandra for some purpose, though he knows not what it is. In the end, he will be a major part of the battle to take place on Venus.

While I don't normally associate anything creepy with Lewis' writing, I have to say I was very disturbed by some portions of the book, which I suppose may have been his intention but it did get to me a bit. Ransom goes against what he calls an Un-Man and this creature and his actions were so twisted, he ends up being the stuff of nightmares. This reaction is amplified by the peacful atmoosphere of Perelandra, before the presence of the Un-Man.

One other difficulty for me in this book was found in a few areas of very dense perhaps cryptic writing. Some areas of the text were difficult to understand and while spiritual things are the subject, it can be hard to follow Lewis' writings in this book (which is not a problem I usually encounter in his work). Still, the book was strong enough to hold interest and it definitely draws you in.

Rating: 4.25