WHAT A REVIEW !
The Religion Of Self-Enlightenment 10/10
@_intellectual_bookaholic_20
QOTD – If you could glimpse the truth about existence for just a moment, would you want to know – even if it changed everything you believed?
Some books don’t just make you think – they make you feel like your entire perspective has been slightly tilted, forcing you to re-examine things you thought you had figured out. The Religion of Self-Enlightenment by Emily Scialom is one of those books for me. It was an experience, not just a read.
Carrick Ares starts off as an almost painfully ordinary person. Boring, in fact. The kind of person who just exists rather than truly lives. And then – bam – he dies. Just for a bit. That near-death experience flips his world upside down, making him question everything he knew, or rather, never bothered to know. What follows is this messy, chaotic, and deeply compelling journey of self-realization, philosophy, and existential crisis. And, honestly? I loved every bit of it.
What stood out the most was how bold the book is in its ideas. It doesn’t play it safe. It dives deep into philosophy, science, religion, history – everything that makes us question what we are, why we are, and what the hell we’re supposed to be doing with our existence. But it never feels like a dry intellectual exercise. Carrick’s personal transformation, his moments of madness and clarity, make these heavy themes feel urgent and personal.
The writing? It’s poetic, raw, and immersive. Some passages hit me so hard that I had to stop and re-read them, just to let them sink in. The conversations between Carrick and Dr. Turnstone felt so real, so unfiltered, like I was eavesdropping on someone desperately trying to make sense of something bigger than themselves. And that’s exactly what I connected with – the desperation to understand, to seek meaning in a world that often feels indifferent.
Did I buy into The Religion of Self-Enlightenment? Not exactly. But that’s the beauty of it – you don’t have to. It’s not about convincing you; it’s about making you think.
And think, I did. About life, death, consciousness, identity, and all those things we shove to the back of our minds because they’re too damn overwhelming. By the time I finished, I wasn’t just impressed – I was affected. Books that do that are rare. So, if you’re someone who loves fiction that challenges you, that messes with your head in the best way possible, this one’s worth picking up.