Heaven and Hell

I first read this book 35 years ago, and it remains one of the most extraordinary books ever written. This is a new and beautifully bound edition with an introduction by Jorge Luis Borges, using the text of the lecture he gave in 1978. It is particularly appropriate, since it recounts Swedenborg's life and career with a commentary on this book ranging across many other distinguished literary figures. In comparing this text with Dante, he comments that it is clearly a work of fiction while Swedenborg tries to recount with the utmost clarity his own experiences and conversations. This leads Borges to remark that 'his doctrine is stated with great lucidity, and it is absurd to believe it is written by a madman.' This indeed is one of the striking characteristics of Swedenborg, that he writes with moderation and restraint, 'without metaphor or exaggeration' about the most extraordinary experiences. It is a book that everyone should find time to read, especially as his descriptions of the dying process so closely resemble the accounts found in modern research.