“The only way to get to God is to go through the world.”
— A recurring theme in Percy's work, reflecting the protagonist's journey through mundane life to spiritual truth.
Archivist's Choice
The Second Coming
Walker Percy (1980)
Genre
Literary Fiction / Spirituality
Reading Time
9-12 hours
Key Themes
See below
Track Your Reading
Sign in to track this book
A suicidal widower's search for divine proof takes a wild turn when he meets an escapee finding new life, and perhaps salvation, in a greenhouse.
Synopsis
Will Barrett, a sad widower struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, wants a clear sign that God exists. He plans to either find proof or end his life, starting with an odd moment on a golf course. His search leads him to an old, empty house where he tries to build a complex path to understanding. During his crisis, he meets Allison, a young woman who recently escaped a mental hospital and is making a new life in a disused greenhouse on the property.
Allison, with her own difficult past and fragile mind, becomes a surprising support for Will. Their relationship grows as Will becomes more interested in her, eventually saving her from danger. Through their shared weaknesses and growing affection, Will starts to find a new purpose and a different kind of discovery: love. Their attempt at a new life together in a quiet cabin is threatened by Allison's past and the chance of being sent back to the institution, leading to legal fights and a desperate escape. Their journey ends with a trip to the mountains, where Will faces his remaining questions about faith and meaning, finding some peace in the cave with Allison, though the ultimate question of God's existence stays an open mystery.
Reading time
9-12 hours
Difficulty
Hard
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Philosophical, Existential, Tragicomic, Introspective, Spiritual
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy deep dives into existential philosophy, the absurdities of life, and the complexities of human connection, with a blend of dark humor and profound introspection.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer fast-paced plots, clear-cut answers to spiritual questions, or avoid stories with characters grappling with severe mental health issues.
Plot Summary
A Golf Course Revelation and a Suicidal Pact
Will Barrett, a wealthy, older widower and former lawyer, faces a deep spiritual crisis, thinking about suicide on a North Carolina golf course. He has a history of mental health issues and a deep sense of aimlessness, made worse by his wife Marion's recent death. He sets a test for God: if he can hit a golf ball into a specific tree, he will not use his Luger pistol. When he fails, he sees it as a sign that God is absent or uncaring. He then decides to go ahead with his plan, believing he has reached an existential dead end, convinced that life has no meaning without a divine presence.
The Old House and the Labyrinthine Search
Will goes back to his childhood home, now a nursing home called 'The Home for the Dying,' run by his daughter, Leslie, and her husband, Jack. He moves into a small, isolated cabin on the property, planning to end his life. However, his curiosity is sparked by the idea of an 'experiment.' He starts to slowly starve and dehydrate himself in the cabin, believing that by pushing his body to its limit, he might have a profound vision or encounter with God. This grim search is both a philosophical question and a desperate attempt to find meaning before ending his life.
The Mysterious Greenhouse and Allison
While increasingly weak, Will finds a run-down greenhouse on the nursing home grounds. Inside, he discovers Allison Huger, a young woman who recently escaped a nearby mental institution. Allison lives alone, almost wild, growing plants and taking care of herself. She is childlike, innocent, and sees the world in her own way, free from the philosophical worries that trouble Will. Her presence sharply contrasts with Will's inner turmoil and brings an unexpected element of humanity and vulnerability into his isolated search.
Allison's Past and Will's Growing Fascination
Will learns about Allison's past, including her history of electroshock therapy, which caused memory gaps and a fragmented sense of her identity. Despite her past, Allison shows a deep, pure joy in simple things, a quality Will finds both confusing and very appealing. He starts spending more time with her, drawn by her innocence and simple way of being. He finds himself increasingly distracted from his suicidal mission, his intellectual and spiritual search slowly replaced by a growing interest in Allison and her unique existence.
The Rescue and the Revelation of Love
A fire breaks out in the greenhouse, putting Allison in danger. Will, despite his weak state, rushes to help her, showing an instinctive desire to protect her. In the chaos, as he pulls her to safety, he has a deep realization: he loves Allison. This sudden, strong emotion breaks his philosophical detachment and his suicidal resolve. Saving her, and then recognizing his feelings, gives him a clear reason to live, a connection to another person that goes beyond his abstract search for God.
A New Beginning in the Cabin
With the greenhouse destroyed, Will brings Allison to his cabin. Their relationship continues to grow in an unusual way. Allison, still childlike and vulnerable, relies on Will, and he, in turn, finds new purpose in caring for her. They do simple things together, sharing meals and quiet moments. This time marks a big change for Will, as he moves from a purely intellectual and spiritual search to a real, relational life. He starts to experience a kind of grace not through divine revelation, but through human connection.
The Threat of Re-institutionalization
Allison's family, including her demanding but well-meaning sister, Lucy, and the mental institution authorities, start looking for her. They eventually find her living with Will. Their immediate reaction is to have her returned to the institution, believing Will is using or endangering her. This outside threat forces Will to face the societal impact of their unusual relationship and to actively defend Allison's new freedom and his own growing happiness, challenging common ideas of sanity and care.
The Legal Battle and the Plea
Will, using his past legal experience, tries to stop Allison from being sent back to the institution. He argues for her independence and her right to choose her own life, despite her history of mental illness. This legal fight highlights society's biases against those deemed 'insane' and the difficulty of defining mental health. Will's defense of Allison is not just a legal battle but a deep act of love and commitment, as he fights for her freedom and their shared future, showing his change from detached observer to active participant in life.
The Confrontation and the Escape
Despite Will's efforts, the authorities are determined to take Allison back. In a tense moment, Will and Allison manage to escape, starting a desperate flight. This escape strengthens their bond, as they are now united against the outside world. Their flight is not just from legal problems but from the societal norms and expectations that threaten to separate them. It highlights how fragile their unusual happiness is and how far Will will go to protect Allison and their new relationship.
A Pilgrimage to the Mountains
Will and Allison travel to the North Carolina mountains, seeking safety and a place where they can be free. Here, surrounded by nature, they find temporary peace and continue to deepen their bond. Will thinks about his journey, realizing that his search for God led him not to a profound revelation, but to the real, imperfect love of another human being. Allison, with her simple joy and acceptance, continues to be a source of grace for him, grounding him in the present and the reality of their shared life.
The Cave and the Lingering Question
Will thinks about making a cave in the mountains their permanent home, symbolizing their complete withdrawal from society. While they find happiness and a deep connection, the novel ends without a clear solution to their outside problems or Will's spiritual search. The ending suggests that while Will found love and a reason to live, the 'second coming' is not a single, dramatic event, but an ongoing process of discovery and commitment, often found in unexpected places and people. The question of God's existence, though no longer a reason for suicide, remains a subtle background.
Principal Figures
Will Barrett
The Protagonist
Will transforms from a detached, suicidal intellectual seeking a definitive sign from God to a man grounded in human love and responsibility, finding meaning in his connection with Allison.
Allison Huger
The Supporting/Love Interest
Allison moves from a solitary, almost feral existence to finding love, protection, and a sense of belonging with Will, maintaining her unique spirit despite external threats.
Leslie
The Supporting
Leslie remains a constant, concerned presence, largely unchanged in her pragmatic outlook, serving as a foil to Will's internal journey.
Jack
The Supporting
Jack's character remains static, serving as a representation of conventional, unexamined life.
Lucy
The Supporting
Lucy remains steadfast in her belief that Allison needs to be institutionalized, serving as an antagonist to Will and Allison's freedom.
Themes & Insights
The Search for Meaning and God in a Post-Modern World
Will Barrett's main struggle is his desperate search for meaning and a sign of God's existence in a world he sees as meaningless and absurd. His 'experiment' of self-starvation, his golf course test, and his constant thinking are all attempts to force a divine revelation. Percy criticizes the limits of purely rational or scientific approaches to spiritual questions, suggesting that such intellectual searches often lead to despair. The 'second coming' appears not as a big theological event, but in the unexpected, real love and connection Will finds with Allison, suggesting that grace can be found in the present rather than the transcendent. This fits with his earlier work, contrasting sterile intellectualism with concrete human experience.
“What is it that makes people like me feel so bad, so sick and tired of it all, so that we would rather be dead than alive?”
The Nature of Sanity and Madness
The novel constantly blurs the lines between sanity and madness. Will, a seemingly 'sane' and educated man, is consumed by suicidal thoughts and strange experiments, while Allison, an escapee from a mental institution, shows a deep innocence and a capacity for joy that Will initially lacks. Society calls Allison 'insane' because of her past and fragmented memory, yet she lives with a directness and carefree spirit that Will, in his 'sanity,' desperately seeks. Percy suggests that what society calls 'madness' might actually be a more genuine way of experiencing the world, untouched by modern detachment. Allison's 'insanity' helps Will heal.
“Perhaps madness is not a breakdown, but a breakthrough.”
Redemption Through Human Connection and Love
Will's journey from suicidal despair to a renewed will to live comes from his growing relationship with Allison. His intellectual and spiritual search for God's existence is eventually replaced by the real, immediate experience of love and responsibility for another person. Saving Allison from the fire and his later commitment to her give him a concrete reason to live, a connection that grounds him in the world. This theme suggests that redemption and meaning are often found not in abstract philosophical answers or divine revelations, but in the complicated, imperfect, and demanding reality of human relationships, echoing a core idea of Percy's Catholic existentialism.
“He knew then that she was the second coming, not of Christ, but of life itself.”
The Alienation of Modern Man
Will Barrett is a typical Percy character, showing the deep alienation and aimlessness common in modern society. Despite his wealth and education, he feels deeply disconnected from himself, others, and any sense of higher purpose. His suicidal tendencies come from this pervasive feeling of being 'lost.' The novel explores how modern life, with its focus on scientific materialism and consumerism, removes spiritual meaning, leaving people like Will adrift. His search is a desperate attempt to overcome this alienation and find an authentic way of being in a world he sees as increasingly empty.
“He felt like a man from outer space, observing the incomprehensible rituals of earthlings.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
The 'Experiment'
Will's self-imposed starvation and dehydration to induce a divine vision.
Will's 'experiment' is a central plot device, serving both as a literal attempt to force a spiritual revelation and a metaphorical representation of his desperate intellectual and spiritual quest. By pushing his body to the brink, he hopes to bypass rational thought and experience a direct encounter with God. This device highlights his extreme anomie and his belief that conventional life offers no answers. It also provides the context for his initial encounter with Allison, as his weakened state leads him to discover the greenhouse, thus inadvertently initiating his path to redemption.
The Luger Pistol
A recurring symbol of Will's suicidal ideation and the ever-present threat of self-destruction.
The Luger pistol is a potent symbol throughout the novel, representing Will's constant contemplation of suicide and his readiness to end his life if he cannot find meaning. It is a tangible manifestation of his despair and the ultimate escape he considers. Its presence keeps the stakes high and underscores the seriousness of his spiritual crisis. When he ultimately abandons his plan to use it, it signifies his profound shift from despair to a renewed will to live, driven by his love for Allison. It is a constant reminder of the abyss he is trying to escape.
The Greenhouse
A sanctuary and a symbol of natural, uncorrupted life.
The dilapidated greenhouse serves as a crucial setting and a powerful symbol. It is Allison's hidden sanctuary, a place where she cultivates life and exists outside the confines of societal norms and institutions. For Will, discovering it is an unexpected intrusion into his self-imposed isolation. The greenhouse, with its vibrant plant life and Allison's innocent presence, stands in stark contrast to Will's sterile intellectualism and his preoccupation with death. Its eventual destruction by fire, and Allison's rescue, marks a turning point, moving their relationship from a symbolic encounter to a more immediate, physical reality.
The Home for the Dying
Will's childhood home, now a nursing home, symbolizing decay and the end of life.
The nursing home, Will's childhood home, is a significant setting that symbolizes mortality, decay, and the inevitability of death. It is a place where lives are winding down, mirroring Will's own perceived end-of-life crisis. By choosing to conduct his 'experiment' on its grounds, Will intentionally places himself in a literal and metaphorical environment of dying. The name itself, 'The Home for the Dying,' reinforces the novel's preoccupation with death and the search for meaning in its face. It serves as a stark backdrop against which Will's journey towards life with Allison unfolds.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“The search is what anyone would undertake who was not content to die while still alive.”
— Bink Bolling's internal reflection on his quest for meaning and the desire to truly live.
“Why is it that the only people who are truly alive are the ones who are about to die?”
— Dr. Thomas More's contemplation on the heightened awareness and urgency that often accompanies the proximity of death.
“The modern age has forgotten how to live, how to die, and how to believe.”
— A broader critique of modern society and its alienation from fundamental human experiences.
“Perhaps the only way to find God is to lose your mind.”
— Thomas More's radical thinking as he grapples with his mental state and spiritual crisis.
“Every day is a new opportunity to make a fool of yourself.”
— A humorous yet poignant observation on the human condition and the risks of living authentically.
“The greatest evil is not to act, but to fail to act.”
— More's internal struggle and his realization of the importance of taking decisive action in his life.
“If you are bored, you are not living right.”
— A direct challenge to the complacency and ennui of modern life, suggesting a lack of engagement.
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God, and we are blind to it.”
— A lament on humanity's inability to perceive the divine in the everyday, echoing Gerard Manley Hopkins.
“To be sane in an insane world is itself a kind of madness.”
— More's perspective on the absurdity of modern life and the challenge of maintaining one's sanity.
“The only thing worse than being alone is being with someone who makes you feel alone.”
— A reflection on the nature of relationships and the profound isolation that can exist even in company.
“Man is a pilgrim, and his life is a journey toward the truth.”
— A fundamental statement about the human condition and the inherent drive to seek meaning and purpose.
“The world is not enough. There must be something else.”
— More's persistent feeling of dissatisfaction with purely material existence, driving his spiritual quest.
“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul.”
— While a quote from Emily Dickinson, Percy often evokes similar sentiments of enduring hope amidst despair, particularly in the character of Allie.
Quiz
Test Your Knowledge
Ready to see how well you understood this book? Take our interactive quiz with 10 questions.
10
Questions
~5
Minutes
?
Best Score
Key Questions (FAQ)
Will Barrett is grappling with profound anomie and a sense of spiritual emptiness, exacerbated by his recent widowhood and a pervasive feeling of meaninglessness. He experiences a deep depression and suicidal ideation, prompting his desperate search for a sign of God's existence or a reason to continue living.
About the author
Walker Percy, OblSB was an American writer whose interests included philosophy and semiotics. Percy is noted for his philosophical novels set in and around New Orleans; his first, The Moviegoer, won the National Book Award for Fiction.
Similar books
The Power of a Praying Wife
Stormie Omartian
4.3
The Prophetic Imagination
Walter Brueggemann
4.3
The Pursuit of Holiness
Jerry Bridges
4.3
The Practice of the Presence of God
Brother Lawrence
4.3
The Power of Myth
Joseph Campbell
4.3
The Poetic Edda
Unknown
4.3
The Prince of Tides
Pat Conroy
4.2
The Portable Dante
Dante Alighieri
4.2