Elantris

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SPOILER ALERT!

This contains spoilers for Elantris by Brandon Sanderson.

I finished reading Elantris. It was an amazing read like Sanderson's other stories. I loved all the main characters. I do hope Sanderson gets around to continuing this series.

I particularly liked some of the ideas the story focused on, like hope. Raoden was a source of hope for those around him. It was infectious. And even when everything seemed in despair towards the end, Galladon couldn't help but retain that hope even if he wished it would go away.

There was again the idea of not knowing someone and assuming things that turn out to be false or even completely the opposite. This has made me consider my own assumptions about people and situations. I want to cultivate this source of wisdom. While it's true that my assumptions may turn out to be correct, and possibly in all likelihood, I think it is still wise to take the time to question those assumptions. So even when I am correct about the motivations someone might have had, the questioning does at least calm my reaction and make me more tolerant in how I respond to that person.

Naturally there was also the idea of doing the right thing. Though I liked how this story touched more on the aspect of organized religion. The leaders of a religion aren't necessary correct in all they do. It is important to examine what's at the heart of a religion.

Finally, I was thinking about how these stories can seem like a string of unbelievable coincidences in how each character's actions happen to bring about the next series of events that then lead to the conclusion. But really, I see this happening even in real life. When things are viewed in hindsight, they often appear to be a string of coincidences that brought you to the current point. This just tells me that it is important to make the most of all your choices and actions since you can never know what they might bring about. At the same time, don't worry too much about mistakes because even those can lead to something good. Do the best to learn from them.

I realize this seems like a contradiction in saying that actions and choices are very important and yet the result might not really matter because things could turn out okay regardless. I don't really know how to resolve this contradiction at this point. And I don't think it is necessary. Somehow it is the growing heart behind those choices and actions that really matter.