Hidden Treasure
Books that Plunge Deep
What draws you back to a book to enjoy it a second time? What sort of elements awaken wonder and compel your thoughts, long after you finished the last chapter? What does it take to make a story significant and not just fun?
Answer: Depth.
Some stories—even enjoyable stories—simply don’t bother with this. The classic Nancy Drew books come to mind. They are easy and enjoyable to read, but you’d never imagine there was more to see than what is plain on the surface.
Then there are stories with passing “easter eggs” and literary shout-outs. Such things are amusing, but cannot be described as “depth.”
I’m talking about meaningful allusions, architectural echoes, and spiritual insights.
N.D. Wilson does the first and second types of depth particularly well. One example that stands out to me is the way Treasure Island’s story architecture and characters contribute to The Ashtown Burials. While on a vacation a couple of years ago, I noticed an old copy of Treasure Island on the bookshelf of the VRBO where we were staying. I had never read it before and so gladly picked it up. I could not put it down! Part of my delight was in the story itself. The other part was more complex and gradually increased as I began to smell reminiscent elements of Wilson’s book series. I had previously read that series at least twice and loved it for its story and gospel flavor, but now I realized it had other depth I previously knew nothing of. Wilson had, in fact, hidden in his books a whole array of treasures from this classic hidden treasure story. Discovering this was sweet and caused me think through The Ashtown Burials and its complex characters afresh, bringing greater understanding and fresh insight.
But books—fiction books…and even fantasy books—sometimes go deeper still. Sometimes they help you know God more. Many good Christian writers do this, but none so well as C.S. Lewis. I’d prove it to you here, but I can’t! A simple quote will not do. No, it takes an entire well-woven story to lead you to a paragraph that will change your life forever. Anyone who has walked with Shasta and Aslan from Archenland to Narnia or been awakened from a stupor by the smell of burnt marshwiggle or enjoyed the glorious refreshment of a bubble tree knows exactly what I mean.
