
#6, “Book with a Title Longer Than 4 Words”
I finished All Things Bright and Strange a while ago but am now just getting around to putting my thoughts about it into words. I think I intended for this to be my “KCLS Recommended Book,” having picked it off the featured shelf at my local library, but I’m counting it as the book with more than 4 words in the title instead.
I’m not sure what to make of the story. At first it read like a Christian historical novel about the healing power of prayer, but then slowly turned into a story of a ragged band of heroes who happen to be archangels, not coincidentally fighting against an incarnation of Satan. Honestly, that sounds pretty awesome, but for some reason it fell between boring and “just readable enough to finish” for me. Story was just too slow to develop. This was one of those books where symbolism may have been too heavy-handed. If four main characters are archangels, the bad guy is Satan, then are all the others representing someone/something as well in the mythos of Christianity?
The following are from the Archangel entry in Wikipedia, from the Eastern Orthodox Tradition.
Michael: Michael in the Hebrew language means “Who is like God?” or “Who is equal to God?” Michael has been depicted from earliest Christian times as a commander, who holds in his right hand a spear with which he attacks Lucifer/Satan, and in his left hand a green palm branch. At the top of the spear, there is a linen ribbon with a red cross. The Archangel Michael is especially considered to be the Guardian of the Orthodox Faith and a fighter against heresies.
Gabriel: Gabriel means “God is my strength” or “Might of God”. He is the herald of the mysteries of God, especially the Incarnation of God and all other mysteries related to it. He is depicted as follows: In his right hand, he holds a lantern with a lighted taper inside, and in his left hand, a mirror of green jasper. The mirror signifies the wisdom of God as a hidden mystery.
Raphael: Raphael means “It is God who heals” or “God Heals”. Raphael is depicted leading Tobit (who is carrying a fish caught in the Tigris) with his right hand and holding a physician’s alabaster jar in his left hand.
Uriel: Uriel means “God is my light”, or “Light of God” (II Esdras 4:1, 5:20). He is depicted holding a sword against the Persians in his right hand, and a flame in his left.