Heaven and Hell by John Jakes
Thoughts on pain...
Heaven and Hell is the third book of the Civil War trilogy written by John Jakes. The story is about the friendship between two West Point cadets, George Hazard from the north and Orry Main from the south. It tells of their lives and of their families before, during, and after the war. The following passage was when George Hazard was on a ship returning to America after staying in Europe during a time after his wife was murdered. His friend Orry had been killed in the war and now he was trying to answer the following questions about his life.
Why was there so much pain? Where did it come from?
This was what came to him...
The pain comes from more than the facts of circumstance, or the deeds of others. It comes from within. From understanding what we've lost.
It comes from knowing how foolish we were --- vain, arrogant children --- when we thought ourselves happy.
It comes from knowing how fragile and doomed the old ways were, just when we thought them, and ourselves, secure.
The pain comes from knowing we have never been safe, and therefore will never be safe again. It comes from knowing we can never be so ingnornat again. It comes from knowing we can never be children again.
Losing innocence. Remembering heaven.
That was the essence of hell.
Heaven and Hell is the third book of the Civil War trilogy written by John Jakes. The story is about the friendship between two West Point cadets, George Hazard from the north and Orry Main from the south. It tells of their lives and of their families before, during, and after the war. The following passage was when George Hazard was on a ship returning to America after staying in Europe during a time after his wife was murdered. His friend Orry had been killed in the war and now he was trying to answer the following questions about his life.
Why was there so much pain? Where did it come from?
This was what came to him...
The pain comes from more than the facts of circumstance, or the deeds of others. It comes from within. From understanding what we've lost.
It comes from knowing how foolish we were --- vain, arrogant children --- when we thought ourselves happy.
It comes from knowing how fragile and doomed the old ways were, just when we thought them, and ourselves, secure.
The pain comes from knowing we have never been safe, and therefore will never be safe again. It comes from knowing we can never be so ingnornat again. It comes from knowing we can never be children again.
Losing innocence. Remembering heaven.
That was the essence of hell.
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