Tuesday, August 03, 2010

God Went to Beauty School
by Cynthia Rylant

Published in 2003. 56 pages.


I read this short book while my son had a swimming lesson. I then re-read some of my favorite parts. Later, I read some of the book to my family. I guess you could say I liked it!

The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication summary calls it "a novel in poems that reveal God's discovery of the wonders and pains in the world He has created." I call it a thought-provoking view of God as Immanuel ("God [is] with us"). It is tender as well as funny, and it lifted my spirits.

In addition to the title poem, among my other favorites are

  • "God Went to the Doctor" (And the doctor said, "You don't need me, you're God." And God said, "Well you're pretty good at playing me, I figured you'd know what the problem was.")

  • "God Went Rollerblading" (in which God feels invincible - apparently, although He knows He's invincible, He doesn't always feel that way)

  • "God Got Cable" ("Every now and then, even God needs a break.")

  • "God Got a Desk Job" ("The only thing that got Him through to the end of the day was Snickers bars.")
and the concluding poem "God Died."

Melissa (of Book Nut) posted her review here.

Here is a YouTube clip from 60second Recap™:



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3 comments:

  1. I think God Went to the Doctor was my favorite. I admit to having mixed feelings about this one. I liked a lot of the sentiment, but at the same time it was a very casual portrayal of God.

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  2. Tricia: I can understand your feelings. I guess I don't really know what Cynthia Rylant's view of God is or what her intention was in writing the book ... but I certainly read it with an attitude of reverence.

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  3. So glad you liked it. I didn't mind the casual portrayal of God (the couch one was my favorite): I figure God has a sense of humor, too, and it's nice to see someone pick up on that. It wasn't hilarious, but it was very... happy. I liked that.

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