They say you're not supposed to comment on reviews, but this is just too interesting to me. I just came across an Amazon reader review that cautions GLOW is a Christian novel. I was quite surprised by this, since Publisher's Weekly said GLOW has a "strong anti-religion theme."
In a strange way, these divergent opinions are proof that I succeeded in my project. In writing GLOW, my intention wasn't to take sides one way or the other about religion, but to show how divisive religion can be in a society under duress. Some people want to run to the pulpit, looking for comfort when tragedy strikes. Some people find tragedy to be proof that the pulpit makes nothing but empty promises. When these two types have to work together, the politics get interesting.
In America we have a separation of church and state which, I feel pretty sure, is part of why we've been such a successful nation. Our founding fathers recognized how dangerous things get when the government sponsors one religion over the other, sometimes going so far as to kill off anyone who doesn't bend the knee at the proper altar. But why should this be so? What is it about a person's private beliefs about the nature of existence, whether it was created or whether it evolved, that brings out such ire? GLOW and the rest of the series will explore the relationship between religion and political power, looking at both sides, good and bad. A society that shares one religion tends to have a unified vision that can achieve such marvels as the Great Pyramids in Egypt, but can also stoop to such lows as the Spanish Inquisition. These extremes are interesting to write about, and I hope interesting to read about too.
Just like the guy at the dinner party who bores you by asking rhetorical questions that he answers himself, books that explicitly answer the questions they pose aren't very interesting. This might be why readers have such extremely different impressions about the book, because they're expecting answers where there are none. THE SKY CHASERS asks the questions. It's up to readers to decide for themselves.
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ReplyDeleteI really like YA novels (contemporary or other) that bring up questions of religion. Not being a very spiritual person myself, I like learning about why people feel a certain way about religion. Having read Glow, I really like how you let the readers decide which side to take. How even though we know what really happened, you still make us question what really happened. I think that this aspect really takes YA to a new intellectual level, not that YA is in any way inferior or not smart.
ReplyDeleteDear Amy:
ReplyDeleteNot trying to be critic, but just trying to understand better your thoughts: are you implying that the saying from Karl Marx "Religion is the opium of the people", meaning that the abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for real happiness is true?
By the way, your "Glow" is the best piece of science-fiction I read this year. I shall have my review ready sometime today or tomorrow. You will be able to read it at http://booksandmoviesreviews.blogspot.com
Thanks for your time.
Rgds,
Roberto Mattos
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ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm not certain I think that Marx was entirely correct with that aphorism. I do believe that religion can be used by the powerful as a way of duping people into believing that their earthly suffering is somehow gaining them a spot in the afterlife, thus keeping the masses subdued and willing to put up with all sorts of injustice. But the operative words there are "can be." I think that Marx throws the baby out with the holy water, so to speak. Religion, like any human institution, is apt to be used both for good, and for nefarious purposes. What I worry about is when people trust their religious leaders blindly, without being willing to watch out for all the ways any powerful person can be corrupted. Whatever you believe about God, whether he exists or not, his/her priests are mere men and women, and are just as apt to fall prey to dubious motives as anyone. The problem is, since they are "people of god," they have this cloak of piousness that often shields them from criticism. This can make them quite dangerous.
ReplyDeleteDear Amy:
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to answer my question. You answered it very wisely! I could not agree more with your words. Congratulations on your wonderful book. I wish you all the best on your writing career!
Rgds,
Roberto Mattos
PS: You will find my review on "Glow (Sky Chasers)" at:
http://booksandmoviesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/audiobook-glow-sky-chasers-by-amy.html
Thank you for posting this, I found it very insightful. I was even more pleased when I saw your (Amy) comment in response to another one. I found it very wise and profound. Now I'm going to be looking for some undercurrents about religion in other books just to see what I can come up with.
ReplyDeleteWOW! THAT IS SO TRUE! I gotta say you made me think quite a bit about your point!
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ReplyDeleteI finished GLOW this morning and I found the message about religion completely fascinating and thought-provoking - not to mention complex (in a good way). I found the issues you raised about both the good and bad points of religion via your main two characters to be incredibly powerful and at some points I wasn't sure where it was all going; you do not take sides, which is refreshing. As a school librarian I feel that talking about issues in a way that challenges young people is incredibly important.
ReplyDeleteI will be recommending this book to the students at my school.