Customer Reviews

Many Dimensions

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Difficult to find, sometimes difficult to understand, this particular novel of C.S. Lewis' contemporary Charles Williams has something his other novels lacked; it was difficult to put down. Williams is reknowned for writing about the numinous as though he has experienced it directly, probably the strongest point of his writing. In Many Dimensions, Williams has created a cast of likeable characters who interact with real emotion and occasional witty humor, hand in hand with the author's standard forays into the paranormal. As in "All Hallows Eve" Williams' creates a strong female protagonist, something rare among his Inkling colleagues. The story centers around a miraculous stone, once the property of an ancient king whose wisdom and power were legendary. The characters in the novels react to the appearance of this stone in 20th century Britain with varying motivations and actions. For some, the stone is a mode of power, much like nuclear energy, while for others it is "the end of desire," a spiritual force unparallelled on earth. To reveal any of the plot points is to take away from the joy of reading this fantastic book. A must have for fans of C. S. Lewis, G. K. Chesterton, or Clive Barker. (I have this sneaking suspicion Williams' was an influence on Barker)

Many Dimensions is a fast-paced, mystical-scientific-spiritual novel in the same vein as C.S. Lewis' sci-fi thrillers (take That Hideous Strength and replace the Arthurian mythology with Middle Eastern Muslim mythology and you will have an idea of the mood of Many Dimensions). I found both Williams' briefly mentioned concept of "Organic Law" and his much discussed idea of time-travel fascinating. The characters are not extremely well developed, but the plot doesen't really allow it anyway. Since this is my first Charles Williams novel, I wouldn't know if it's his best but I would reccommend it to those interested in C.S. Lewis and the other Inklings.

Charles Williams is always deep, and often thick and meaty. Happily, in this novel, he is extremely funny. Watching what the British do when a spiritually powerful stone is dropped into their outstretched hands is a fine pursuit. Some situations are farcically funny, others witty, and some are, in the end, pitiful- the kind of jokes about the human race that are rooted in our failure to do all we should with our great gifts, that we wish we didn't have to make.

Williams combines an ultimately serious theme with high poetry, good plot and characters, and his highly individual treatment of the supernatural and mysticism for a very satisfying read (and re-read).

Contrary to popular belief, I'm fast coming round to the idea that Williams was a *philosophical* writer rather than a *religious* writer. And not only because he himself described his seven novels as "metaphysical thrillers".

Unlike "Descent into Hell" - which is quite frankly an overwrought gothic monstrosity - "Many Dimensions" is a 'typical' Williams story, with standard English prose (standard for the 1930s, that is), a straightforward plotline and plenty of pace. In fact you could put "Many Dimensions" up against later fiction of a similar tone - like Dennis Wheatley, for example (not very well-known now, but immensely popular in the 50s and 60s) - and be hard put to pick a winner.

So where does the philosophy come in?
Primarily in the form of a series of very basic, but also very important, questions that lie just below the surface of the story - and sometimes not even below the surface.

Questions like: "If you can restore all of the people in group A to health, but in the process throw at least an equal number of people in group B out of work - at a time when work isn't that easy to come by in the first place - which group should take priority?"

This question, and others closely related, run all through the story yet, due to Williams' writing skill, they do nothing to impede the plot unless the reader actively chooses to think them through.

The final answer Williams gives, I *think*, is that there is no *easy* answer. Only he frames his conclusion far more lucid and impactful manner than that last observation might suggest.

In short, this writing has the power to enthrall and satisfy a wide range of readers.
The only reason I don't give it five stars is because the literary style is typical of British writing in the 1930s, which I guess won't necessarily be to everyone's taste.
Having said which, I really do recommend the majority of Williams' novels as a taste worth acquiring.

Oh yes, why did I give this review the title "Does God Play Dice?"? When you read the book I think you'll know exactly why.
Good reading!

Even to his fans Williams can seem a bit remote, but once you get used to the British inflection and syntax in his dialogs - and identify the parameters of the uncanny worlds he portrays - Williams can become exhilirating. His is a very unique and peculiar genius. This particular book has depths and images I will ponder for quite some time. It also has a very subtle and intelligent humor. I should probably read it again. Apart from the provocatively and profoundly problematic talisman of the Stone and a clever plot illustrating some fascinating ethical and theological conundrums, I believe Williams brilliantly (and prophetically?) explores (what I had previously thought was) the ultra-modern and ultra-sophisticated (or perhaps, if you prefer, science fiction) topic of teleportation in its many forms. No doubt this guy got his Images from a Dimension few of us visit during our daylight dealings and distractions.

On page one the reader finds that Charles Williams's "Many Dimensions" has a setup similar to his "War In Heaven"- namely, that the scholar Sir Giles Tumulty (a crossover character from "War...") has obtained an ancient artifact which purportedly has supernatural powers of a religious flavor. The remainder of the book develops as a struggle over the artifact between those who are aligned in someway with the forces of light and those aligned with the forces of darkness.

"...Dimensions" falls short of "War..." in that Williams's narrative in "...Dimensions" is less cohesive and more prone to various sidebars and extraneous characters - always a risk in a Williams novel. To his credit, however, the extraneous sidebars and characters allow Williams to perceptively comment on some character types and issues commonly encountered in the modern (or post-modern) world.

Though perhaps not as good as "War in Heaven", worth reading as a loose sequel to that book, or can be read as a stand alone. Somewhere between 3-4 stars and generally better (if only by being more substantive) than most contemporary fiction and certainly better than "The Da Vinci Code".

For a provoking supernatural thriller (to the extent early 20th century Brits can be thrilling) Williams can't be beat. But here Williams goes beyond his typical heterodoxy to apparently reject the Triune God and further poses a bizarre revisionist history where Persians have somehow maintained the engine of King Solomon's flying carpet. That's all well and good for ecumenical sorts I suppose, but, personally, I think Mr. Williams drew a bit too deeply from the hookah during the Golden Dawn ritual at which he conceived the plot of this particular metaphysical potboiler. Ultimately the book seems to abandon the cycle of redemption. Williams finds salvation outside of Christ's death on the cross and instead in the workings of a queer rock. Weird, Wilde stuff. So I would skip this one, unless it's raining and you don't have anything else to read, or you've read War in Heaven and have a burning desire to know the fate of Giles Tumulty.

Also, the quality of the Eerdmans books is disappointing. This is unfortunate since they're publishing a third of the current Williams catalog. My copy of Many Dimensions is already falling apart and the pages resemble a digital scan of the original. My Regent College copy of All Hallows' Eve appears to be of better construction. Read it or War in Heaven instead.

This is a difficult read, and very exciting. A little like Dan Brown in the 1930's.