Customer Reviews

A Landscape with Dragons: The Battle for Your Child's Mind

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3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In this volume, Michael O'Brien has provided both and invaluable service to parents (like myself) who want their children to read, but who are also concerned about much of the reading material currently available. He has analyzed children's literature, concentrating especially in the genre of fantasy and fairy story. He has clearly and cogently demonstrated how neo-paganism has become the dominant worldview of many authors in this genre.

Unlike many Christian authors, O'Brien has not made the mistake of throwing the baby out with the bath water. He does not lump all fantasy literature together in one category and toss it out. He carefully demonstrates the difference between good and bad fantasy literature, or, if you will, authentic and inauthentic fairy stories.

I do have a few points of contention, but they are minor, and detract very little from the overall value of the book.

1) CS Lewis is identified correctly as an Anglican -- a member of the Church of England -- but incorrectly as a member of that church's Evangelical wing. Lewis, in fact, attended a "High Church" parish, and strongly resisted political factions within churches.

2) JRR Tolkien is correctly held up as the model by which modern fantasy and fairy story should be judged. Having said this, very little actual analysis is provided for Tolkien's writings.

3) Similarly, in the book's "blurb", Charles Williams is held up -- but then not analyzed in the text. An analysis of Williams would have made O'Brien's concerns about Lewis' novel "That Hideous Strength" make more sense. (I'd still disagree with O'Brien on this one, but his case would have been stronger and easier to sensibly defend.)

4) O'Brien's analysis of Anne McCaffrey's "Pern" stories needed either to be fully developed, or eliminated entirely. O'Brien is using the image of the dragon as a neo-pagan symbol as one of the cornerstones of his book, and tries to place McCaffrey's "good dragons" within this context. To me, it was unconvincing.

Overall, an excellent book. As a final note to parents, O'Brien has helpfully added a lengthy appendix listing good (and usually available) books for children of all ages, arranged by level of difficulty and author. An extremely helpful resource for homeschooling parents.

An excellent and inspiring book. I use the word "inspiring" in the old fashioned sense of "it made me take action" not merely "it made me feel good."

I re-read this book every year or so, not only to dip into the wonderful appendix of recommended books, but to rekindle my courage and dedication to raising my sons. O'Brien writes in mythic tones as he recommends mythic literature. The old stories dealt with "powers and principalities" of good and evil, and O'Brien reminds us that it is ever so. Our children become flush-faced and wide-eyed at such stories, but we have allowed ourselves to be diluted and deluded into thinking that gray is the only reality. We lose not only black and white, but the primary colors as well!

O'Brien is a Catholic, a Christian - and is both unapologetic and unobtrusive with his convictions. That is, he makes clear the traditional rationale for his thinking, but the reader neither has to agree nor adopt those convictions to come to the same conclusions.

There are some books which one revisits again and again, and some authors you look forward to meeting and talking with. This book (and his Sojourners novels) and this author are in that category.

I'm a single twenty year old who has no children. I had read all of O'Briens fiction novels and was thirsting for anything by Michael O'Brien. So I bought A Landscape With Dragons and read it twice over completely enthralled with what I was reading. All of my sneaking suspicions and intuitions about the culture I basically grew up with were not only confirmed, but were enfleshed, and brought out in way that was spiritually horrifying yet courageous in Michael O'Briens sustaining, powerful, sinewy way. But again, as in all of O'Briens work, one is thankful that he doesn't simply do right-wing hugging. No, he convincingly calls us to prayer and implants succesfully, as always, that ferment and spear in our conscience. Chesterton is always for me, a huge formation in the way of looking. O'Brien is always for me, a huge formation in the way of seeking sanctity in order to be looked upon.

O'Brien has issued a wake-up call to conscientious parents in his latest book. We cannot take it for granted anymore that the entertainment aimed at our children is worthy of their attention. In fact, it may be harmful. The classic stories which teach us about good and evil (fairy tales, myths, classical literature) are being replaced or modified. The Dragon, the symbol of evil or chaos, is being tamed, leaving our children's souls in danger. O'Brien cites many examples of this in popular books and movies. I found his take on Disney movies very insightful and a little scary. Disney invariably belittles authority and religion, especially Catholicism. Yet this company is the world leader in feeding our children their steady diet of movies and videos. One only has to watch the Esmeralda dance in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" to question Disney's idea of 'family entertainment.' O'Brien doesn't leave you in the lurch, however, as he helps us discern what is good entertainment for our children. He also provides a comprehensive list of good literature -- and, thankfully, there's a lot of it out there. I hope every parent and educator reads this book. It is too important to be missed.

The essential message of this book is that minds are at war for the redefinition of the way you and your children will think, and by implication, children of generations to come.

Traditional fairie tales expressed the influence the unseen world has on the world in which we live, but did so within the framework of a clear understanding of good and evil, right and wrong. Today's fairie tale is blurring the defining lines between these elements and creating a powerful, new (yet ancient) understanding that is degrading moral conscience and inviting young people to explore powers traditionally understood to belong to the 'dark side'. They even encourage friendship with any 'good' denizens of that dark side.

The original edition of this book was sub-titled "Christian and pagan imagination in children's literature." The second edition more clearly focuses on the immediate problem with its sub-title, "The battle for your child's mind." I read the original edition and was thrilled with the clear presentation of the dangers. This second edition is even more in-depth in its handling of the concepts and issues.

The reviewers of this book who speak negatively seem the rightful victims of the very forces exposed in the book. They give clear evidence of missing the point.

The point is not, "Are all snakes bad? Aren't any dragons good?" The point is that there is a malevolent mind, unrelenting, intent on destruction, at work at every level in our world, especially operative with tremendous effect in modern literature and visual media. To miss this point is to be a victim of the hypnotic forces of deception.

Those who read C.S. Lewis's 'Narnia' series will remember the Marsh Wiggle who burned his own foot in the fire in order to break the witch's hypnotic power over them. This book will help you burn your own foot in the fire so you can wake up.

Our culture is in motion, changing form, calling evil good and good evil, and many who are committed to 'good' are embracing the new forms as acceptable. When our culture has finally changed completely, will there be anyone there who will even know what happened?

This is a vitally important book. It is sound, sane, insightful, spiritual, discerning, and will enable readers to establish and maintain oases of light in the new dark ages that are already upon us. Don't miss it.

Michael O'Brien presents a text written specifically for parents who are concerned or questioning what children should read. He creates a ranking system that can help guide a parent's thinking. He also gives numerous examples and details on how to rank books and to discern the content. O'Brien specifically address Christian and pagan influences in children's lit.

I am a divinity school student studying religion and literature, with a special emphasis on children's/teen's literature and spirituality. There is an abundance of children's lit that focuses on magic and pagan influences. There's also an abundance of children's lit that intricately mixes Christian and pagan worlds. O'Brien's book help his audience think about the complexities this can cause. And he does so in an objective and informed manner.

How do you decide what is good for your children? And, when/if you allow them to read something which clearly has some or a lot of Pagan emphasis, how do you talk with your kids about it? O'Brien does not shy away from giving his opinions, but he also does not just slam the door on the discussion.

Chapters one through three give PERSONAL reflections from a father's perspective and experiences of raising his children and struggling with various issues. Chapters four, five, and six really get into in-depth details and dilemmas. The latter chapters were most helpful to me as a student.

As a big fan of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien as well as J.K. Rowling, I am always on the lookout for good books that provide a solid critiques about fantasy literature and spirituality. O'Brien certainly makes a positive contribution to the field.

*NOTE* O'Brien's book was published in 1998. It'd be great for a new updated edition to come out and address Harry Potter as well as the Witch's Night Out series, which makes Harry Potter seem like the last thing to be concerned about. It does not particularly focus on the Harry Potter series, but identifies several books in children's lit and breaks their storyline down thoroughly.

I also think O'Brien's scale (Ranking books 1 to 4 in regards to Christian and Pagan trends) could be improved, but, with that said, O'Brien tackles a lot that others do not, so I can live with these needs for improvement!

Lastly, O'Brien's attitude towards dragons in literature is harsh. He limits the image of a dragon to personified evil, though he does so powerfully. IF you can particularly look over his personal reflections and focus on the meat of the book in the latter chapters, then this is a great book. It does not "ride the fence" like so many other books attempting to address Christian and pagan influences in children's lit.

. . .and other concerned parents who want their children to read good literature.

Mr. O'Brien does a great service with this book by demonstrating the secular and pagan influences in much of what passes for children's literature these days. He carefully explains the difference (for Christians) between acceptable and unacceptable fantasy in a clear and cogent manner (and he sets quite a high standard!)

Portions of the book could have stood more detailed analysis. I agree with a previous reviewer who suggested that the "Pern" series was given short shrift. I also disagree with O'Brien's analysis of C.S. Lewis' "That Hideous Strength". But these are minor points.

Of special interest to the homeschooler is the detailed appendix which provides literally hundreds of safe and age appropriate titles for readers of all ages.

All in all, a remarkable and timely book.

Much of Mr. O'Brien's book is very interesting, and he is correct that how we use myth and legend reveals a lot about us. I found his comments about the movie "Dragonheart" very interesting. He also provides many good recommendations for parents. I depart from his reasoning when he seems to imply that if a dragon or snake is handled as a good character makes a book anti-Christian or anti-God. He seems to feel that snakes and dragons are inherently evil. He even comments negatively on people who keep snakes as pets (not something I want to do, but not because snakes are evil). Creation was made by God and has now fallen. No one part of creation is any worse than any other part (Acts 9: 9 -16). It is man's acts that are evil or good.

When I worked for a Christian homeschooling program, this book was considered essential. It's reccomended in their catalogue, and they've quoted it in their publications. Michael O'Brien is a superb writer. His style is eloquent, charismatic, and compelling. While I haven't read his fiction,"Landscape with Dragons" stands as his definitive piece of non-fiction.



First of all,it's worthwhile to cover this book's strengths. Many parents are unaware of their children's reading habits, or blissfully ignorant of them. After all,yaoi (homoerotic Japanese manga with male same-sex relationships) and slash fiction (homoerotic fanfiction about well-known characters,such as Frodo&Sam getting passionate on their way to Mordor) are popular among teenaged girls--yet the Christian press is generally unaware (though Focus on the Family unsuccessfully whipped up hysteria about Harry Potter). O'Brien makes a strong argument about parents knowing what their children read&offering guidance. He also argues-rightly-that Gnosticism has become fashionable in fiction,along with paganism. This was before the Da Vinci Code was a bestselling book. He sees the Gnosticism in Star Wars&the amorality of recent Disney fare. One wonders what he'd think of the straight-to-DVD fairy tale sequels touted by Disney. Gnosticism presents the allure of secret knowledge,power,along with contempt for the physical world. O'Brien also sees the promotion of atheism in children's fiction-prescient,considering the atheism of Philip Pullman's Dark Materials trilogy,which has outright hatred for religion and God. O'Brien doesn't suggest censorship (like Laura Mallory on her crusade to ban Harry Potter from Georgia schools),but instead offers the alternative of parental guidance.



Now,on to the weak arguments. O'Brien uses the dragon for his "a symbol can mean only one thing" argument. That works in propaganda,NOT art. For example,night represents darkness&evil in John's Gospel,but it represents goodness&love in Shakespeare's classic "Romeo and Juliet." O'Brien makes the laughable argument that Disney's "Pete's Dragon" was the root of all evil,the radix malum,in that company. He also argues that Dungeons&Dragons lures hapless children into the occult. D&D is escapist fun;it's gone on for at least 3 decades. Most people haven't been corrupted by it. O'Brien counsels parents that if their children are into D&D or questionable fantasy literature,they should engage in fasting. That strikes me as manipulative--and ultimately counterproductive. It's a misuse of Mark's Gospel passage about "driving out demons through fasting and prayer." Turning D&D (and according to O'Brien's website,now Harry Potter as well) into a reason for exorcism is ridiculous.Dungeons&Dragons isn't a destructive habit like drugs or sexual promiscuity. He also counsels parents against innocuous books such as Ursula LeGuin's Earthsea series and Madeleine L'Engle's Time series. After all,Madeleine L'Engle is openly Christian,and her series is a different way of showing a Christian viewpoint.



O'Brien's non-fiction introduction to fantasy literature is a good starting place. He has commonsense advice, and his writing is engrossing. "Landscape with Dragons" is like a seaport;it's a jumping-off point,but the rest you must steer the course yourself.

Michael O'Brien, author of "Father Elijah," now turns his hand to the theoretical side of literature - of Fantastic Fiction, in particular, in his worthy book, "A Landscape with Dragons."

Focusing on the image of dragon as evil incarnate, and modern society's movement towards "cutesying" of the dragon image, O'Brien touches on a very real and terrifying shift of moral view in our time. From "The Lord of the Rings" to "Dragonheart," O'Brien traces literature (and film) from its excellent Christian viewpoint to the neo-pagan inverse of morality. He also includes words of encouragement and means of discernment for the concerned parent, as well as many pages of recommended reading in the appendices.

However, O'Brien falls short in two major areas. First, he attempts to absolutely equate theology with literature, which is a false and forced conclusion. Secondly, he spreads his argument too far and thus too thin - and leaves several gaps in his rationale, which make his critique a lesser force against the societal dragon.

To begin with the first: O'Brien tends to lean, at least in this book and on this subject, more towards the ultra-conservative point of view, seeing all literature as basically black or white, evil or angelic. If the morals are bad then the literature is as well. However, this does not take into account the hundreds of completely a- and immoral books written supurbly next to the hundreds of excellently moral books written excruciatingly. He makes no allowances for literary merit apart from moral quality.

Likewise, although he is justified in fearing and condeming magic in practice, he makes two distinctions between the use of "magic" in Fantastic Fiction - either miraculous or demonic. He makes no allowances, nor does he touch on "magic" which is inherent ("indifferent magic" as it were), such as the "magical" element of fairies, or singing swords, or eternal trees.

His argumentation, too, was too widely dispersed. He did not limit himself to solely tracing the use of the dragon image through literature, but looked at several different images through at least two mediums, with several tangental lines into child-rearing, the state of society, and discernment of spirits. While all of these are good topics to speak of, and are handled fairly competently in the book, they have little to do with his thesis and weaken the argument.

Because of the broader nature of his argument, several important works are not mentioned at all. The most notible gap lies in his critique of Disney films, wherein he completely ignores Disney's most blatantly "new age" film, "The Lion King." His critique of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" also left much to be desired, since from his comments it appeared that he had not read the original work.

This is not to say that "A Landscape with Dragons" is a failure - quite the contrary. Merely, I should have liked to have seen it a bit more thought out, a bit more tightened up, a bit more focused. As an means of encouragement and support to parents who rightly mistrust the "Harry Potter" books, this is an excellent primer. But for those who have been reading in the genre and fighting for God's place back into this realm, his conclusions are often too hasty. Be that as it may, it is my ardent wish that "A Landscape with Dragons" may bring people to the Lord and spare a generation of children from the wrath of the dragon.