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Originally Posted by mark12_30
Seems to me that Anodos ended the story alive, and that was why the story is unsatisfying-- especially after having read "I was dead, and right content." Death is MacDonald's satisfaction; everything points that way. Anything else and we are bound to be dissatisfied.
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Meh.
I think that, plotwise, the fatal error in the story is Anodos' death, and not his coming back to life on Earth. In order for the story to be related to its readers, in first perseon, and in a 'suspended dis-believable' fashion, it was necessary that Anodos should end the story able to write and publish. There is a story written by Robert E. Howard about a man who relates his story in first person, which is about a warrior in CroMagnon times, who defeats a giant slug, but is killed himself in the venture; and he can tell it in first person on the merit of reincarnation. Though I don't believe in reincarnation, the story works plot-wise. The reason Anodos' death and transmogrification (or whatever you would like to call it) back into Earthly life, is not only an anti-climax, but frankly against nature, especially Fairy-nature. Those humans foolish enough to go into Fairy and then put themselves in danger of death, die in Fairyland, and do not return to Earthly life; it's just not the way it works. So the upshot is that the book is either supremely dissatisfying, or must be rejected (or at least criticized) as portraying a falsehood as to what Fairy is.
In regard to your point that Heaven is the only acceptable conclusion to death, and thus return to Earthly life is dissatisfying, I agree. Which is why I think the story has a fatal flaw as story. Pity.