Lilith

By: George MacDonald

Narrated by: Rebecca K. Reynolds

It is the story of Mr. Vane, an orphan and heir to a large house - a house in which he has a vision that leads him through a large old mirror into another world. In chronicling the five trips Mr. Vane makes to this other world, MacDonald hauntingly explores the ultimate mystery of evil.

Public Domain (P)2019 Oasis Audio

slow reader but excellent book esp. near the end

Really enjoyed listening to this story of redemption and last things, was not at all what I was expecting and now I am unlikely to ever forget a number of the scenes. The book is allegory and philosophy and theology much heavier than I anticipated, with a tiny amount of adventure to carry the plot forward. I will be listening to more of MacDonald's books.

Amazing

Loved the whole book. If you are a disciple of Jesus this book will blow you away.

narration is exquisite

the title tells all I have to say about the performance. audible requires these words.

Mr. Raven sounds too unmusical for my musical ears

I found myself not listening to the parts spoken by Mr. Raven. The reader is expressive, though even speaking normally her voice is scratchy, becoming intolerable when depicting Mr. Raven. I can't listen to this.

An unpredictable allegory of humanity

Anyone who enjoyed C. S. Lewis’ space trilogy will connect with the themes in Lilith. There are the nuggets of several ideas Lewis used in the Chronicles of Narnia as well. “Further up and further in” used in The Last Battle and “living gems” found in The Silver Chair are some examples.

Refreshing and stimulating

A mixture of refreshing and stimulating. At times, I didn’t really know what was ‘happening’ in the story, but it was even then Poetic and enjoyable.

If you loved Stepenwolf but wished there was more fantasy.

This is by no means a passive read, and it is filled with depth that can’t really be explored in one sitting. This is one of the first novels one could think of as “fantasy” before the genre had an official title, and it does such an amazing job elevating fairy tales, myth, and folklore to high art you’ll be unable to see its influences on the likes of Neil Gaiman, Carl Jung, H.P. Lovecraft, and Stephen King. If you want a book that is less of a journey to a magical land, and acts more as an adventure of the internal universe- complete with fantastic characters from esoteric Christian mythology- do yourself a favor and give Lilith a listen. My only complaint is you can’t just binge this one. Take your time, and your enjoyment will multiply.

Beautiful, poetic, deep.

This is a beautiful story that is structured more like a long poem. The narrator is not to everyone’s taste - she has a lilting unusual cadence - but I found it quite suited to the work. I would recommend this highly.

INACCESSIBLE BOOK BECOMES ACCESSIBLE AND ENJOYABLE

I love MacDonald. I have always loved his Princess and the Goblin book and its' sequels. Growing up we had an old collection of his Christmas stories. But unlike his Phantastes and At the Back of the North Wind, I could never penetrate Lilith beyond the first twenty or thirty pages. I don't know why but I know I am not alone. Now I can truly say I have completed Lilith and I love it. Finally there is an audiobook with a narrator who gets it. Rebecca K. Reynolds is perhaps the most masterful storyteller I have ever heard narrate an audio book. Despite the protagonist being a male (Mr. Vane), Reynolds expertly portrays his male voice without strain. Her interpretation of Lona, Lilith's daughter, is noticeably sad. And her characterizations of the Little Ones, Her child voices are adorable. I would love to hear her narrate Peter Pan.

Lilith is full of imagery and metaphor. If you, like me, picked this book up and set it down more than once because you didn't have it in you to struggle through, then I encourage you to listen to this version. The narrator clearly knows her material. As you conclude the book, you too will be able to say, "I get it!" Such a lovely 11-1/2 hours.

A wonder and a piece of art

This story is both beautiful and difficult. It requires that the listener release to a different place of existence in order to fully be changed by its content. Only on the second reading was I able to really enjoy it. The invitation stands for anyone to do the same.