Found as a baby and raised by a couple of thieves, Auralia is a mystery to those in the kingdom of House Abascar. Inside the walls, House Abascar has been under a proclamation that outlaws colors except for royalty. Outside the walls, Auralia disappears for days at a time, discovering colors. Not everyone sees colors the way she does, but her forbidden colors bring joy and have the power to...
more Found as a baby and raised by a couple of thieves, Auralia is a mystery to those in the kingdom of House Abascar. Inside the walls, House Abascar has been under a proclamation that outlaws colors except for royalty. Outside the walls, Auralia disappears for days at a time, discovering colors. Not everyone sees colors the way she does, but her forbidden colors bring joy and have the power to unleash beauty in a way the people from House Abascar haven't known.
The story and its childlike wonder enchanted me. Auralia's joy with colors is that of an artist. She discovers them everywhere she goes, in a bird's nest, in the grass, even in a vicious beastman's hair. She weaves a cloak that captivates all who see it, but it's a mystery to even her. She's created something she can't fully understand, and each time even she encounters it, it entrances her. When asked what the cloaks mean, what the colors mean, what its purpose is, Auralia answers, "Can't say what it means. It's not a riddle. It's not somethin' you solve. It's more like a window. Look through it for a while."
These are the words of an artist.
And these are fitting words for the Bible--a book that has indescribable power but cannot be solved.
Not quite an allegory, Auralia's Colors has many allegorical elements. Auralia is a Christ-figure, from unknown origins, raised by the outcasts of society, unexplainable, and the bringer of salvation to the land. To be honest, though (without giving spoilers), I was disappointed with what Overstreet did in the end with her character. It was too allegorical.
Other allegories lie in the descriptions of the Christian life. The people of House Abascar cannot wear colors, yet they can gain ribbons of color by following the rules and reporting on those who don't. The earn marks, in other words. This kind of life becomes about pride and superiority, not about the colors or the joy of serving. One character who embodies this, Stricia, in this attitude expects the law to serve her. She serves selfishly, in other words, and revels in how she's better than others. This reminds me of C.S. Lewis' description of pride in Mere Christianity, that it doesn't rejoice in good but in being better.
Is this how we live our Christian life?
Or do we live it like Maugum, the jailor responsible for punishing the worst of criminals, of giving them what they deserve. When he fails the law, he punishes himself. Do we seek to punish others and ourselves, only seeing the failures?
Or do we approach it like Auralia, bringing victory, life, and beauty into the world, seeking to free the oppressed? To we rejoice in our Father, his creation, and the salvation he offers? Do we seek his glory? Do we fight to unleash his power and joy throughout the earth?
Tolkien talks about a soup to which authors contribute, a bone there, spices here, and from which authors draw. It's not hard to see other stories weaved in the fabric of this book--the story of Saul and David, of Peter and John supernaturally released from jail, of Tolkien's enchanted king, of Aslan and Narnia's winter, of Christ's gospel. Overstreet doesn't mimic the stories but draws on them to enrich his own.
Auralia's Colors has a challenge to artists--as we live in the beauty and life of Christ, will we create in the beauty and life of Christ? When Auralia's presented with the stamp of the king, she says of it, "It doesn't have shine in it. It's just a gold square, and no special gold. It's got no surprise. It's got no problem. It's just a stamp. Anybody could make another one just like it."
How much art made by Christians could be described in this way, paintings of praying hands and crosses, footprints jewelry, endless paintings of light? They hold no surprise. Anybody could make another just like it.
Auralia's Colors weakness is the prose. Jeffrey Overstreet is a storyteller, but the book reads like a movie. No surprise since he's a movie reviewer. I can't help but wonder if he saw the movie in his head and set out to describe it. While books, movies, and plays are all forms of story, they're different. Each have different advantages, and I fell Overstreet didn't take advantage of the book form. The prose is visual, which in itself is not bad, but his point of views never delve into the character. They're distant. He plays with both the omniscient and limited point of views, but even when he uses limited, the scene could almost as easily be told by any other character in the room. Because of this, it was hard to connect to a character.
I recommend this book, especially for those who grew up with the Narnia series and A Wrinkle in Time.
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