Called Out of Darkness

Title: Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession

Author: Anne Rice

Publication date: 2008

Book's setting: Rice's life, from the 50's through the 90's.

Random facts: I'm on a quest to read all the favorite books of everyone I love. Amanda recommended Called Out of Darkness to me and I couldn't say no!

Plot summary: Called Out of Darkness is Rice's memoir of her falling out with Christianity and her re-entry into the church, decades later. It's very complete. She starts when she is a very young child and ends with her present. She details all the different eras in her life and the different beliefs she had at those times, but constantly reminds the reader where her life was taking her- back to God, back to a complete belief in him.

Favorite aspects: First of all, I'm not Catholic nor was I raised one. Most of what I know about Catholicism as a sector of Christianity I learned from books or, sadly, tv. Rice really lay down what it was like to be raised Catholic, what it was like to be a part of the church; she captured that appeal. However she was also honest about what drove her away from religion while in college. It was a very candid memoir and I think I learned a lot from it. I was really inspired as well.

Least favorite aspects: I have never read Rice's vampire novels. In Called Out of Darkness she talked often about how the plots of her fantasy novels would reflecting the struggles she was having with atheism. Although I can imagine what the religious symbolism in her fantasies must have been, without ever reading them it was hard to grasp exactly what she meant sometimes.

Other works it reminded me of: Girl Meets God by Lauren F Winner.

Sadie's merciless break-down: I could say a lot right here. I could say so, so much. Instead I'm just going to quote Anne Rice.
"One afternoon I accosted my son, Christopher, on the staircase and demanded, 'Do you believe in God?' Here was a young man not yet twenty, brought up to believe in nothing, and in that time of life when beliefs are most easily dismissed. And Christopher, after a moment's reflection, responded, 'Yes, I believe in God.' How could that have happened? How could our free-thinking son believe in God?
The creation was talking to me of God. My visceral responses to the purple evening sky, to the canopy of oak branches that sheltered out front steps, to the flowers blooming beyond garden fences- my most cherished memories of the beauty of Port-ay-Prince, Haiti, or Rio de Janerio, or Venice, Italy- all this was speaking to me of God. The world around was filled to the brim with God."

Recommendation rate: If you're a Christian or interested in Catholicism this is a really fascinating book.