Through a Glass Darkly

Jostein Gaarder (author)

Phoenix Paperbacks, UK: 1998; 161pp)

ISBN: 0753806738

Note: extension concepts

Genres: philosophy, realistic fiction, religion

Issues: death, family, grief illness, relationships

It is Christmas and Cecilia lies in bed, too ill to join the family festivities. She should be in hospital having another treatment but her grandmother convinced her parents that it was better for Cecilia to be home with the people who love her.

Cecilia listens to the happy preparations, longing to join in but glad that she can at least hear the joyful, familiar sounds. Although the joyfulness is a little strained this year, as everybody strives to be natural, to pretend that Cecilia's illness will pass, that she will soon be well enough to rejoin the routine.

While she is listening, Cecilia is visited by an angel, Ariel. Although he looks rather different to Cecilia's idea of an angel, she finds that Ariel is interested in many things, especially in the human experience - her experience - of life. They have lively discussions about everything from the remarkable nature of the human senses to the lives of the angels. As the weeks pass and winter creeps into spring, Ariel helps Cecilia work through the turmoil of emotions that beset her as she struggles to come to terms with her inevitable death.

This is a deeply moving and inspirational story, as is so often the case with Jostein Gaarder's work. Although written in simple language, the conversations between Cecilia and her angel examine concepts of great depth and richness. ‘Lots of people suffer so much that perhaps they would have died of sorrow if they couldn't dream something nice in between all the sadnesses,' says Cecilia, after a long discussion with Ariel.

‘You could congratulate yourself because you're a human being who has been part of an extraordinary journey in the firmament round a fiery sun. Here you experienced a fraction of eternity. You have peered out into the universe, Cecilia! That's how you were able to look up from the design of which you are a part so you were able to see your own great majesty in the enormous looking-glass of heaven,' says Ariel to Cecilia during one conversation. A beautifully crafted, thought-provoking, enriching read that is made to be shared.

Highly recommended.