Final Thoughts - Realms of Gold

I recently finished the book Realms of Gold by Leland Ryken. My interest in the title came out of recent desires to expand my reading from being centered solely on theology and practical application to recreation in exploring some of the classics of literature. Not necessarily to diminish my current reading time and topics, but to replace some areas of recreation (like watching videos or playing video games) with what I deemed might be a more profitable and ultimately more enjoyable use of my time.

In each chapter of Realms of Gold, Leland Ryken examines some of the benefits of different aspects of literature from a Christian perspective. To add to the weight of his arguments and to incite a taste for the classics, he picks a specific literary work as his example in each chapter. In the chapter on literature as recreation, he chooses Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Other works used as examples include Macbeth, The Stranger, Paradise Lost and The Scarlet Letter.

Ryken does a brilliant job of both identifying the redemptive purposes of reading classic literature as well as inspiring a hunger to read the classics by his examples and his own passion that comes through in his writing. So far, I have yet to read another piece that does such a thorough job of addressing the Christian perspective towards literature. While pointing out what can be gained from the classics, he addresses common Christian concerns about literature and also provides guidance in areas where we should take caution.

I definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in diving into some of the classics of literature with purpose and passion. I'm currently trying to fit in The Idiot by Dostoevsky, but my reading schedule is getting a bit tight because of my grad class getting into swing. Also, I'd love to dig into the complete works of Shakespeare that I acquired not too long ago. I started reading Hamlet again but haven't gotten very far yet. Another case of too many things at one time.