Book Description
The first of a three volume collection of the letters of C.S. Lewis, this volume contains letters from Lewiss boyhood, his army days in World War I and his early academic life at Oxford. From his declared atheism at age 16 to his budding friendship with Tolkein during his days at Oxford, these letters set the stage for the Lewiss influential life and writings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

We Don't Write Letters Anymore...
I should begin this review with an important stipulation: I haven't finished the book yet. I am slightly over halfway done -- about 600 pages into it.

That said, I think I have a pretty good grasp of the course this first volume is taking. And it's a good one. I am thoroughly enjoying this detailed romp through C.S. Lewis's early life, though I must join with a previous reviewer in saying that I do feel a bit guilty reading through his personal papers.

You have to attack this book with the right mindset. It's not a novel, an action adventure story or even a biography. It's simply the unedited, honest ramblings of a man growing up in the early 20th century.

This first volume does contain a lot of excruciating details that one might call mundane. In many of the letters, Lewis is doing nothing more than asking his father for money, describing the binding of a new book he has recently purchased or apologizing for taking so long to write.

But at the same time, the anthology is chock full of minute details that shed infinite light on what life was like at the dawn of the 20th century. The very idea that people would write so many (and so lengthy) letters at all seems foreign to us now in the age of e-mails and instant messages. Imagine growing up in a time when you were expected, not only to learn Greek and Latin, but also to speak and read it fluently. I used to think I was an intellectual for having read The Iliad and The Odyssey in their English translations. Lewis (and likely his contemporaries) seemed to scoff at anyone who would read anything other than the Greek versions. It was a different time.

The other reason this book is appealing is that it enables you to trace a seismic shift in Lewis's worldview. Smattered among the grocery lists, the book reviews and the complaints about his father are honest observations about the universe itself. These doses of philosophy come from Lewis unedited and unexpected -- a sentence or paragraph in between the requests for new socks and a comment on the weather.

By the time he entered his teenage years, Lewis was a staunch athiest. In fact, he sometimes chides his childhood compatriot Arthur Greeves for his belief in Christianity. On several occasions he mockingly calls down the anger of God upon himself and blasts Christianity in favor of the older religions, such as Greek mythology.

But slowly, we see Lewis's atheism whittled down until, by the end of Volume One, he has converted to Christianity. Being a believer myself, I am always amazed to see the contrast between a person before and after they accept Christ. This collection of Lewis's letters provide a window into the "before". Volumes Two and Three will no doubt give us the "after".

Extremely interesting in parts, rather boring in others
My opinion of this book is rather similar to the previous reviewer's.This book provides an extraordinary glimpse into the pre-Christian life of the giant of the faith, C. S. Lewis.There are many, many letters which are extremely interesting, and you can see Lewis' thought developing as the years pass in the book.On the other hand, there are also many letters which have no relevance to Lewis' thought at all and are, as far as I can tell, completely useless to anyone who is not some kind of Lewis fanatic or something (who really wants to read a letter about what groceries Lewis needs that week?).Hooper could really have done a better job at choosing what to weed out, and some of the letters he chose to retain are doing nothing but taking up space in the book and frustrating readers who are looking for gems in this book.

One of the best parts of the book is that in a good portion of his letters Lewis writes about books that he is reading at the time.I loved reading about what Lewis thought of the books he was reading, and seeing the vast number of books that Lewis was reading was what inspired me to start reading the classics myself, so I owe a great debt to this book (as well as the 2nd volume, which I read at the same time).

As to the previous reviewers question about how to read through this book, I just read sraight through.It was tough, but I wanted to see Lewis' thoughts develop, which is hard to do if you take the "island hopping" approach.It may be a tough read, but it is definitely worth it.

Overall grade: A-

Intermittently interesting.
I feel a bit guilty reading this book. Since I "discovered" Lewis thirty years ago in a friend's basement in Alaska, his ideas, stories, logic, and humor have more than influenced me, they have become part of the furniture of my mind. Anyone who knows Lewis well, knows how little he would have liked having his mail read by snoopy Americans. Oh, well, where he is now, they can afford to be forgiving.

This volume is put together well. Walter Hooper is both thorough and judicious in his editing; the notes he adds at the bottom of the page are often helpful. I find myself wondering how in the world he tracked down some of these sources. The book is also physically attractive, as Lewis would have appreciated.

Most of the letters in this first volume are to one of three people: Arthur Greeves, Lewis' "first friend," his father, and his brother Warren. Especially with Arthur, who seems to get the most, the topic is usually books and the ideas contained in them, romance (in the literary sense, not sex, which is treated with a detached voyerism), philosophy, art and music, natural beauty. The "real world" also intrudes (school, war, college, a job) from time to time. Not all of this is interesting to me; often he's talking about subjects I know nothing about, in a way that sheds little light on them.

But from an early age, Lewis has already become a precise and perceptive writer, with wide-ranging curiosity. So while the material is not equally interesting, and some could have been excluded -- are the sexual fantasies of two post-adolescents really our business? -- I am finding it intermittently interesting to look behind the screen, and grapple with this new motherload of unsifted Lewisiana. But I wouldn't recommend volume one to anyone who doesn't (a) have a strong interest in Lewis AND (b) love Western literature. Volume two is broader in scope and correspondents.

While volume two is easier to read right through, I'm not sure I have found the right way to do the first volume yet. Straight reading would be like hacking a road through the Peruvian jungle. I have tried the "island hopping" method of General McCarthur, and the "pick up and read" method of Augustine . . . Compared to volume 2, this one may get more shelf time. But I am glad to have it, and will leaf through it from time to time. The paperbacks and garage sale hand-me-downs on my shelf seem flattered by such gentile company; though perhaps they worry that property taxes will now go up.
... Read more

Book Description

Laurence Harwood presents his memories and interactions with godfather C. S. Lewis, spanning Harwood's early boyhood to young adulthood. Harwood's recollections include letters received from Lewis, as well as memories of and letters between Lewis and Harwood's father, Cecil Harwood, who was one of the original members of the informal group the Inklings. This book contributes to a more complete portrait of Lewis and focuses on Lewis's friendships with a boy and his father.

Customer Reviews (1)

A delightful reminiscence
This is a charming, if slight, memoir of Lewis's relationship with Cecil Harwood, Owen Barfield and his godson Laurence. It is beautifully illustrated throughout with early pictures of Lewis, Harwood, and Barfield. While it throws no new light on Lewis's character or views, it gives the flavor of the man and his friendships, and there are a number of charming poems and letters which bring all of them vividly to life. ... Read more

Book Description
The personal story of one of the most influential Christian writers of all time

From his celebrated children's stories of Aslan and the land of Narnia to his imaginative insight in The Screwtape Letters, Clive Staples Lewis has become one of the most prominent Christian statesmen of the twentieth century. His writings are known worldwide, and his own story offers readers an illuminating and fascinating look into the events and factors that shaped his life and thinking.

Christians familiar with Lewis' books may be surprised by what they find: the faith-shattering early loss of his mother, a father who remained aloof, constant illness which threatened his education, a tormenting principal who strengthened his belief in hell, a near death in France during World War I. This story of C. S. Lewis a confirmed agnostic and skeptic at the age of thirty-one and of his remarkable conversion to Christianity and subsequent commitment to influence others for Jesus Christ make for inspiring reading.

When God "closed in" on him, life would never be the same!

Customer Reviews (1)

This is a very good book about the life of C. S. Lewis.
In this book by Catherine Swift, you will find a very interesting and touching book about a beloved author. The book tells of his early childhood with out a mother and with a father who doesn't pay much attention to his children. The only thing the children have to turn to are themselves and there writings of animal kingdom. This story follows through his teenage and adult life through his marriage until his death. It was very well written and is a great book although it is not very long. I think this book was a 9 and 1\2 ... Read more

Book Description
C. S. Lewis is perhaps the most beloved modern Christian author. From The Chronicles of Narnia to Mere Christianity, his works have enthralled readers of all ages. Yet, though numerous books have been written about Lewis's life and his dramatic conversion to Christianity, none have asked the important question of how he grew spiritually. Lyle Dorsett sets out to answer that question in Seeking the Secret Place. Drawing on Lewis's books, letters, and interviews with his contemporaries, Dorsett reveals how Lewis's faith grew on a steady diet of Scripture, prayer, and the sacraments--not only to show how his faith developed but to encourage readers on the path to spiritual growth. C. S. Lewis fans and anyone looking to grow spiritually will value this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

a fewnuggets but very disappointing
Twenty years of doing interviews, one year of time off to write, and we get THIS book?Where are the interview quotes?Where is the meat? Where are the diverse human personalities of voices other than the author?I borrowed this from the library and read it in an hour. There are a few nuggets in the chapter on spiritual direction, but the Cowley monks in Cambridge recently printed another version of that chapter in their magazine which is as good as this whole book. Read that and Alan Jacobs' The Narnian if you want good new stuff on Lewis.But best of all, skip the biographers and just read Lewis himself, especially the Letters.

I wanted to like this book
I truly wanted and expected to like this book.Aside from the Holy Scriptures themselves, no other writings have meant so much to me personally as those of C.S. Lewis.Dorsett is a leading, respected Lewis scholar.This volume is well researched and contains important information not readily available elsewhere.Dorsett takes care to appreciate Lewis' Anglican context.(Aside from saying that the 1662 English Book of Common Prayer was the official Anglican version in Lewis' lifetime - the American Episcopal Church issued its first in 1789 and the Scottish Episcopal Church issued its first in 1639 - Dorsett does fairly well with this.)

The problem, as I see it, could have been dealt with by an editor's more active feedback.It's a question of readability outside of Dorsett's own ecclesiastical circle.All Christian traditions seem to have acquired very disctinctive manners of expressing their faith and piety.There's nothing wrong with this, of course.There are Roman Catholic, Anglican, Reformed, Eastern Orthodox forms of "in-house-speak," and many, manymore.The issue, in a work intended for broad distribution, is that if one isn't careful, the result can come across as affected - and certainly, distracting.It can seem like code language, in other words, insider-talk.To be very clear here, this is NOT a matter of authorial commitment to Christ.The issue is mode of expression.One of the greatest gifts of Lewis himself was his avoidance of clubbishness in tone when speaking of his faith.

With regret, I have to say that this volume, at least to me, was so dripping in the style of Revival Evangelicalism, that I found it actually hard to read.165 pages is a long dose of the gospel tract genre.Who knows, maybe what Dorsett did here, at least to some extent, was to transcribe oral presentations.Sadly, what could have been a valuable addition to Lewis studies, has been set in a small circle, literarily speaking.

I didn't do so, but most readers not in this particular club membership will either give up before finishing or disregard what Dorsett had to offer here.

A truly inspirational look at a truly inspirational life...
This book is obviously the result of an incredible amount of research. Thank you, Professor Dorsett, for all of your hard work. Lyle Dorsett has drawn from numerous sources, but the most interesting are the detailed accounts of Lewis's correspondence with ordinary individuals who sought out his spiritual advice. Lewis corresponded regularly with some of these people for over 20 years, and Professor Dorsett personally interviewed many of them. Equally informative are the interviews with many of Lewis's former students, friends and colleagues.

What one comes away with is a very distinct picture of what the man C.S. Lewis was really like. I already had great appreciation for Lewis the Christian thinker, writer, and apologist. After reading the book, I have a much greater appreciation for Lewis the follower of Christ. His greatness and his influence were not primarily the result of his brilliant mind, but rather his determination to "see Jesus Christ, to know and love Him". And to Lewis, this meant "a steady attempt to obey all the time", because "I cannot learn to love God except by learning to obey Him".

Through this precious book, one learns what "obeying Him" looked like to C.S. Lewis. He was a man of constant prayer, commitment to the local church, devotion to the Word of God, submission to spiritual direction, and a tireless dedication to being used by God in the spiritual encouragement and mentoring of others. His faithfulness to this last conviction was truly remarkable. As Dorsett points out, to one correspondent who feared she took up too much of his valuable time, Lewis responded that "every human being, still more every Christian, has an absolute claim on me for any service I can render them without neglecting other duties". Wow.

After reading this book, I see Lewis even more as a true saint who took serious the call of Christ to "deny yourself, pick up your cross daily, and follow me". When Lewis advised us in Mere Christianity to "give up yourself, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it", he was only telling us to do what he was already committed to doing. Thank God for his life. And thank you, Professor Dorsett, for this book.

The Chronicles of C. S. Lewis' Spiritual Formation
In "Seeking the Secret Places," historian and C. S. Lewis scholar, Dr. Lyle Dorsett, writes a lively story of the spiritual life of author C. S. Lewis. As Dorsett notes in his Preface, much has been written about Lewis the Christian author, but much less about "how he grew from infancy to maturity in the Christian faith" (p. 15). Thus, Dorsett's purpose is pinpoint: "As a student of his life and writings for well over two decades, I have been intrigued by a question that has inspired this book: How did C. S. Lewis mature spiritually after his conversion to Christianity in 1931?" (p. 15).

Prayer is the first of Lewis' spiritual habits that Dorsett explores. Appropriately so, since Lewis himself taught other young converts that the first rule of spiritual growth was "be busy learning to pray" (p. 30). Dorsett's description of Lewis' struggle with believing prayer, brought on it part by the death of Lewis' mother when he was only nine, is worth the price of the book. Lewis summarized his own battle, as only he could: "Often when I pray, I wonder if I am not posting letters to a non-existent address" (p. 34). Throughout his excellent chapter on prayer, Dorsett demonstrates the stages of growth in Lewis' prayer life and the nature of that life of prayer. In no small part, prayer for Lewis had to be real, not sentimental, because our lives "do in truth influence God" (p. 39), and because "one of the purposes for which God instituted prayer may have been to bear witness that the course of events is not governed like a state but created like a work of art to which every being makes its contribution (in prayer) a conscious contribution, and in which every being is both an end and a means" (p. 39).

Reading this chapter not only informed me, but enthused me, even as "joining into this artistic enterprise enthused C. S. Lewis" (p. 39). "That we creatures are coworkers with the Creator quite simply excited him" (p. 39). As he grew in the school of prayer, Lewis was delighted to learn "that God invites us to be partakers in the execution of his will" (p. 46). Dorsett's explanation of Lewis' views on the age-old issue of Divine sovereignty, human responsibility, and prayer, provide some of the clearest, most practical theology that you can read on the topic.

Real regarding prayer as petition, Lewis was even more raw concerning prayer as praise, noting that initially he felt as if God said, "What I most want is to be told that I am good and great" (p. 47). "He wrote that such an attitude disgusts us when we encounter it in humans" (p. 47). A lifetime of struggle to praise led to a depth of insight toward the end of his life. "It is not that God insists or demands our praises, it is that when we begin to see Him more clearly--then who He is demands one's praise" (p. 48).

To his description of Lewis growing in grace through the spiritual discipline of prayer, Dorsett adds equally compelling chapters on Lewis and Scripture, Lewis and the Church, Lewis and Spiritual Friends, Lewis and Spiritual Guidance, and Lewis on Soul Care (what I call "sufferology"). Dorsett then concludes with an important chapter summarizing Lewis' spiritual formation legacy.

If you want to understand C. S. Lewis' practice of the traditional spiritual disciplines of the faith, I know of no better source than "Seeking the Secret Place." If you want to be schooled in why and how to practice these disciplines, and if you want to be motivated to do so, then "Seeking the Secret Place" is the place for you.

Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and the forthcoming "Sacred Companions: A History of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

Lewis in his own words
A powerful book that outlines Lewis' spiritual development using primary source material.Topically arranged, it shows how prayer, scripture, and obedience refined and tempered the man who's works have influenced countless thousands.Read it not only as a guide to the life of C.S. Lewis, but also to bless your own life with the study of one of the church's greatest 20th century saints and the God whom he served. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not what it's cracked up to be
I normally enjoy Kreeft, and there are some merits to this book.His essay about whether the moral code can be abolished at all is very interesting.

That said, I got a book full of "Brave New World is upon us!"I don't disagree with that point, but I was hoping for more on "The Abolition of Man".If you're really looking for someone to tell you that the Brave New World is here, read this book, otherwise, get something else.

Tonic for our times
This book is a treat. One of the great Christian apologists, writers and thinkers of the last century is discussed by one of the best of this century. Peter Kreeft, Professor of Philosophy at Boston College, here gives us an introduction to the thought and influence of the great Oxford don.

Both authors are known for their clarity of mind, their prolific literary output, and their commitment to the truths of historic Christianity. And both authors have been known as fearless warriors against the prevailing secularism and relativism of our culture.

Indeed, a major target of Lewis's pen was modernism and all that it entails. The rejection of the sacred and the elevation of the secular was a defining feature of modernism. It meant the exaltation of human reason and the rejection of non-human revelation. Autonomous man, guided only by intellect, could usher in a perfect world, accompanied by science and technology. Such a utopian quest was doomed to failure of course, and many of Lewis's works were directed at this theme.

The Abolition of Man was a classic volume in this regard. So too was the third volume of his space trilogy, That Hideous Strength. The naïve and baseless belief of modernism that fallen reason, aided and abetted by science (really scientism), could create a new man and an earthly paradise has been the cause of more human misery and death than any other worldview.

The Judeo-Christian worldview, which gave rise to Western civilisation, has been repudiated, resulting in a host of heresies that beguile modern man. Kreeft lists twenty "isms" that Lewis waged war against, all the products of the modernist rejection of it transcendent roots. These include subjectivism, cultural relativism, utilitarianism, pragmatism, cynicism, hedonism, and secularism.

These destructive isms plaguing the West today are part of a much bigger sweep of history. Lewis argued that the history of Western civilisation has been characterised by two monumental spiritual revolutions, the first from pre-Christian to Christian, the second from Christian to post-Christian.

He argued that the second revolution was more radical than the first, just "as divorce is more traumatic than marriage". The second change is happening quicker and is more destabilising. As a result, the soul of Western civilisation is dying. The real question is how long and how deep this second revolution will run.

The first revolution however is the permanent one. It may appear to have been eclipsed for now, but our vantage point is limited. True, the new dark ages may continue for quite sometime. Writing six years before the new millennium, Kreeft could argue that we have two options: "Either we will build Gothic cathedrals again, from a restored faith, or we will build the Tower of Babel again, from a restored apostasy".

As a prophetic figure, Lewis could clearly see thestark choice facing the West. He knew that if we rejected the right choice, many more horrors would await us. But if we choose wisely, the new dawn will soon arise.

The six meaty essays in this book offer the way out of the spiritual, cultural and intellectual morass we find ourselves in. The prophetic vision and insight of Lewis needs to be captured again by a new generation. And this book is an ideal means by which that can happen.

Boring
I have read most of C. S. Lewis's works. I have read some Kreeft before and I enjoyed his writings. However, these essays are boring. I could not get through them. The essays have very little to do with what Lewis thought and a lot to do with what Kreeft thinks about. What's more after the first essay, I could care less what Kreeft thinks about. I would suggest that you reread "Abolition of Man" again and save your money.

Eclipse of the First Things
"Can the natural law ever be abolished from the heart of man?"Prof. Kreeft presents both sides of the argument, pitting Aquinas ("no") against C.S. Lewis ("yes").

I think it is a "loose" argument.Lewis in The Abolition of Man says there will be no men left.Natural law ceases to be because man ceases to be.Does that mean that Lewis' position is correct - that the natural law can be abolished?Well, one might argue that if man himself ceases to be a moral agent, he is no longer truly human.

Kreeft holds out the hope that Aquinas is correct, that man will awaken to his danger.

But, in this polity, a society where people decide how to order their lives together, we are facing a powerful tyranny of thought that has granted unto itself the obligation of making those decisions.That power asserts that the belief of "an ethic or morality that transcends human invention" is a "religious" notion - and that religion can play no part - indeed, must not be permitted to play a part - in the life of the polity.

This tyranny of thought is found in the judicial chambers of our government, in the US Supreme Court and its circuit courts.Surely, the reasoning behind many Court decisions over the past 50 years can be found in the list of 20 "heresies" Prof. Kreeft supplies.

This book is a very "uncomfortable" work - reading it, one should be concerned about the erosion of the polity, should be unhappy about it, should be ready to do something about it.That list of 20 failed philosophies is the most important and valuable part of this work, and possibly the most uncomfortable aspect of it: I am sure the reader would recognize many of his or her own personal beliefs (and those that have been presented to him or her in school or church) described somewhere in that list.

We don't stone prophets anymore - the Court just rules them inadmissible.

A BOOK TO AVOID IF YOU ARE INTELLIGENT
The occasional good or interesting idea manages to escape from a confused sea of mannered verbiage.This is the written essence of talk radio.The writer seems more intent on giving paternalistic viewpoints in annoyingly cute expressionsthan explaining.A poor choice for an intelligent person.Rather than look at ideas, set them down, weigh them, and discuss methodically, this book rants.Would make good bird-cage flooring, however, and may be commended for that.The subject matter of the book is of great concern; the treatment, however, is for the mass consumption of the fear prone.I want my money back.The book should be called Kreeft for the Third Millenium, but then, who would buy it. ... Read more

Book Description
The second of a three volume collection of the letters of C. S. Lewis, this volume contains many letters to prominent thinkers and writers, including J.R.R. Tolkien and Dorothy L. Sayers. The theology and ideas revealed in these letters provide insight into one of the greatest imaginations of our day. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

deep, fun, wise
This is the most fascinating collection of letters I've ever read: Lewis was not only a genius, but a wise and compassionate man as well.The other reviewers here go into more detail, but I did want to mention this: what struck me most was how creatively and wisely Lewis dealt with his own difficulties in life,his own sadness, his suffering.His deep and active faith helped him to see beyond himself; his kindness kept him caring for others; his lack of self-pity is a wonderful example.He enjoys life both in the many good times, and in the midst of hard times.These letters are not only fun and informative: they are inspiring as well.

Essential for devoted Lewis fans
This is a review of The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume II: Books, Broadcasts, and the War, 1931 - 1939.ISBN 0060727640; HarperCollins, 2004.

Walter Hooper, in the preface to this volume, mentions that Owen Barfield divided Lewis into three different men: the popular theologian, the literary critic, and the writer of popular fiction.Being a fan of Lewis the literary critic doesn't mean you know Lewis the popular theologian exists, and being a fan of Lewis the writer of popular fiction doesn't necessarily mean you like Lewis the literary critic.But fans of all three Lewises owe Walter Hooper a great debt of thanks for editing three thousand-page volumes of the man's letters.

In the first volume, Lewis's correspondence was divided between his father, his brother, and his "First Friend" Arthur Greeves; with a few letters to people such as Cecil Harwood, Owen Barfield, and Leo Baker thrown in for good measure.Here, he writes to many, many people, and is much more interesting: former pupils (Dom Bede Griffiths, Mary Neylan), Sister Penelope, Dorothy Sayers, Americans . . .The years covered by this volume (1931 - 1949) cover some of Lewis's best work: The Screwtape Letters, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strenght, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and his talks for the BBC that eventually became Mere Christianity. (This period also included more scholarly work such as his Preface to Paradise Lost and The Abolition of Man; also his editing of the Essays Presented to Charles Williams.)He talks about the etymology of Old Solar, the proper pronunciation of double vowels in Old English (palely v. paley), and how to properly read Milton, among other things.

What I found interesting (and rather disappointing) is that Lewis doesn't talk very much about some of his books in his letters.For instance, there's more about the Screwtape Letters in his preface than in his letters.I have to occasionally remind myself that the Lewis writing letters in 1945 was the Lewis who was writing That Hideous Strength at the same time.But there's nothing better than reading a brilliant man talk about books you've both read; and so I enjoyed Lewis's offhand comments on Macdonald, Trollope, and others.Lewis on Cervantes: "I tried to read Don Quixote and failed: it seems to me a wretched affair.I suppose I must be wrong" (page 250).

Though it's true that Volume II is more interesting than Volume I, readers of the first volume already know what a Pigiebotie is, the significance of a P'daytism, and who the Witch of Endor was.I wasn't sorry I read the first volume before the second.

Those who want an introduction to Lewis should try Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, or even the Narnia books; the Letters would probably be too much.But those who already know and love Lewis should buy Volumes I and II of the Letters now, and Volume III when it comes out in October.

A look into the life of a giant of the faith
This second volume of C.S. Lewis' letters was, I though, much better than the first.It is amazing to be able to read what c.S. Lewis was doing and what he was thinking.Reading these books of letters has gives me an entirely new perspective of C.S. Lewis.One thing that constantly amazed me was all of the books he read.It seemed that in every letter he was describing which books he had read since the last letter, and it inspired me to begin reading more regularly.

Also, and more importantly, in the latter part of this book C.S. Lewis begins answering fan mail, and in these he talks a lot about theology.These letters are especially interesting and worthwhile to read.In this volume one can also find a letter in which Lewis clearly states his inclusivistic beliefs (I don't remember which one off hand, but it was towards the beginning somwhere).

If you enjoy reading C.S. Lewis material, or if you want to see into the life of a giant of the Christian faith, this is an amazing opportunity for you.

A rich mine of assorted treasures.
The second volume of letters from C.S. Lewis is more varied and consistently interesting than the first, I think.For one thing, Lewis is writing to a wider group of people.While in the first volume most letters are addressed to father, brother, or friend Arthur Reeves, now he is ensconced in Oxford, mildly famous and cursed with more correspondents than he wishes (though he is always polite, and usually thoughtful).His father has passed away, his brother does some ghost-lettering, and Arthur still gets a few epistles.But this volume also contains leaves to Dorothy Sayers (an excellent match), Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, John Betjeman, poet and painter Ruth Ritter, the Catholic student of Hinduism, Dom Bede Griffiths (whom he warns, "I now believe that refined, philosophical eastern Pantheism is far further from the true Faith than the semi barbarous pagan religions"), and a few short letters to T. S. Elliot, interesting for their terseness and studied politeness.(Besides not liking his poetry, Lewis was mad at Elliot for not contributing to a book for the widow of Charles Williams.)Possibly the most common topic of discussion is literature, much of it by one or the other correspondant.But lots more gets touched on.

Some letters are also written to help people with spiritual questions, "plot good" of some sort, or pray with people like his Italian priest friend, with whom he corresponded in Latin.(Given here in English and Latin.)You can also find many interesting observations on a variety of topics sprinkled about.("Poetry I take to be the continual effort to bring language back to the actual.")

But the adjective that may best describe Lewis in many of these letters is "fun-loving."To Barfield: "Did I ever mention that Weston, Divine, Frost, Wither, Curry and Miss Hardcastle" (the villains in That Hideous Strength) were all portraits of you?"To Sayers: "Mr. Bultitude (the lazy bear in the same book)is described by Tolkien as a portrait of the author, but I feel that is too high a compliment."I especially enjoyed the faux quarrel between Lewis, pretending to be the middleman for a medieval prince who seduced his king's wife (one letter goes out in Old English), and Barfield, representing himself as agent of the king, demanding reparation.Lewis understood that a person makes a bad bargain in growing up if he forgets along the way how to play.

Lewis' letters to Laurence Harwood, his godson, mark a change of style: now he writes with Narnian simplicity, not "talking down" to children but talking about things both still find interesting. (And I did, too.)"Yesterday the man who lives next door to us came into our garden when we weren't looking and cut down one of our trees . . . He is an old man with a white beard who eats nothing but raw vegetables.He keeps goats who also have white beards and eat nothing but raw vegetables.If I knew magic I should like to turn him into a goat himself; it wouldn't be so very wicked because he is so like a goat already!"

Much less interesting are the many "thank you" notes Lewis sends to Americans for "CARE" packages.Some of these are repetitious; Lewis seems uncomfortable, experimenting with new ways of saying "thank you."Later some of these correspondences develop into something more interesting.But since Hooper or Harper cut some, this would have been a good place to chop more more deeply.The best stuff needs to be quarried a bit.But like gemstones in a bedrock of fine granite, most of the other material is moderately interesting, though some is merely utilitarian.

Walter Hooper has done a phenomenal job with this series and this book in particular.His notes are useful and often enlightening -- especially when he explains what Lewis' correspondent said, as he often does.At the end of the book he gives graceful biographical sketches of about three dozen people who corresponded with Lewis.(Very interesting people.) He has done a first-rate job with these first two volumes, and I'm looking forward to seeing the third.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man
... Read more

Book Description
Sound scholarship is a treasure, and bright prose is a pleasure.

This book combines the best of both these worlds. It includes something to challenge, enrich, amaze, or amuse every reader of C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and Dante Alighieri.

Here are dozens of surprising aspects of the life and writings of C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and Dante. (George MacDonald loved the writings of Dante, and C. S. Lewis loved the writings of both Dante and MacDonald.) Contents range from the quick, surprising fun of "Who Is This Man?" to the practical, down-to-earth instruction of C. S. Lewis's Free Advice to Hopeful Writers and the adventurous scholarship of Spring in Purgatory and Mining Dante.

"Surprised by C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and Dante is a wonderful and very readable collection of essays, written by the foremost C. S. Lewis scholar in the world. Kay Lindskoog writes with the precision and sound scholarship of a master…but with a light touch (much needed in Lewis scholarship today!) and sense of humor. These superb pieces shed much new light on C. S. Lewis, George MacDonald, and Dante, three great writers who continue to move and inspire all of us who will listen."—Perry C. Bramlett, author of C. S. Lewis: Life at the Center,Touring C. S. Lewis's Ireland and England, and contributor to The C. S. Lewis Encyclopedia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Delighting in CSLewis, Geo. Macdonald, and Dante
Curiosity, tenacity, and dedicated truth-seeking have produced this delightful book. There is fresh meat here to nourish doctoral candidates for decades. The work's clarity of expression, depth of argument, breadth of illustration, humour and thoughtful tutoring are worthy of a session with Oxford's Inklings. Lindskoog's Primavera discovery alone would have ensured her a welcome there.
Lindskoog writes about certain literature by three men--Dante Alighieri (1265-1321),George MacDonald (1824-1905), C. S. Lewis (1898-1963). Sharing a belief in a changeless universe ordered by a loving God, their highly rational works and complex symbolism have a timeless appeal. Each engages in a "dialect of desire," leading the reader into the universal appeal of the Christian's certain hope in the Message of the Suffering Servant. (But each
is greatly enjoyed by readers who don't care about or accept their religious beliefs.)
This book is a collection of 23 essays.Due diligence unearthed the influence of Beatrix Potter on Lewis, Lewis' anti-anti-Semitism in the GREAT DIVORCE and George MacDonald's stories with dual meanings and prophetic warnings. But most of the book is taken up with some truly startling, sparkling, and sober revelations which also enlighten and delight.
In the due-diligence type, Lindskoog traces meticulously and with great originality the surprising connections of these men with each other and with events, art and authors before and during their times.In Beatrix Potter, whose books he read as a child, Lewis found "at last, beauty", intense desire, and pleasure "in another dimension".In "Where is the Ancient City of Tashbaan?" geography and politics combine to provide the background Lewis used in THE HORSE AND HIS BOY of the CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. (Lindskooglearned from Brad Brenneman that THE CHRONICLES are for sale in Tashkent in Russian translation.) In "All or Nothing: A Newly Discovered Lewis Essay",she paraphrases the text of a Lewis article that Perry Bramlett discovered and generously shared with her.
Only Dante was active in politics, but politics was the bane of each.Dante was framed as an embezzler and banished from Florence; MacDonald lost his church when accused of preaching "unbiblical" universal redemption, and Lewis, scorned by Oxford for his popularization of sacred concerns, left for a warm welcome at Cambridge. Indeed, if Germany had invaded England, Lewis might have been killed by the Nazis for writing of"subhuman dwarfs in black shirts called the Swastici" in THE PILGRIM'S REGRESS (1933).
Lindskoog reveals surprising evidence that in THE GREAT DIVORCE (modeled on Dante's DIVINE COMEDY) Lewis' "Beatrice" (Sarah Smith) is a Jewish woman overflowing with heavenly love. As a bonus, Lindskoog and others had noted the resemblance of the Sarah Smith hymn to OLD TESTAMENT Psalms. Lindskoog credits Joshua Pong for pointing her to Psalm 91, Lewis' obvious source.
Using cognition and noting coincidence, Lindskoog takes us ever further up and further in toward the connection among the works of these three authors and others.Each points, whether in canto or correspondence, verse or prose, with relentless consistency toward the eternal fountain.It's this reliability which helps Lindskoog uncover Lewis' debt to Sadhu Sundar Singh,
for example, in THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH."Links in a Golden Chain: C. S. Lewis, George Macdonald, and Sadhu Sundar Singh" ends whimsically with circumstantial evidence for a mystical passing of Sundar Singh's mantle on to MacDonald and from him to Lewis.
In "Roots and Fruits of the Secret Garden", Lindskoog shows us the historic links between MacDonald's CARASOYN (1871), Frances Hodgson Burnett's THE SECRET GARDEN (1911), Willa Cather's MY ANTONIA (1918) and D. H. Lawrence's LADY CHATTERLY'S LOVER (1928).Colin as shepherd boy, Colin as a motherless, crippled child, and then, thanks to Barbara Reynolds, Colin as a
crippled adult.Animals, gardens, invalids, rescues, moors, and wise women figure in one after the other. (Lawrence's book, however, is stunted by its narrowing, inward-looking worship of physical love with no link to spiritual reality.)
Equally fresh is "The Salty and the Sweet: Mark Twain, George MacDonald, and C. S. Lewis".The Twain and MacDonald families had traded hospitality, books, and a proposal to write the Great Scottish-American novel together.Twain's children, fond of MacDonald's AT THE BACK OF THE NORTH WIND, asked their father to invent stories about its hero, Diamond.Although co-authorship was never realised, Lindskoog shows that Twain bought and read MacDonald's SIR GIBBIE while writing HUCKLEBERRY FINN. She
traces some remarkably specific contents of SIR GIBBIE that Twain included in HUCKLEBERRY FINN. She explains her convincing theory of why Twain did this.
Something "difficult to see" over the centuries is revealed for the first time by Lindskoog in her masterful analysis of Botticelli's Primavera as an "intentional Christian allegory," a tableau of Dante's sacred Garden of Eden at the peak of Mount Purgatory, with Beatrice at the center. Because it is a NeoPlatonic painting, this scene also appears as a tableau of figures from classic mythology.
Lindskoog also leads the casual reader or the scholar through 50 new insights of hers into specific phrases in Dante's many-faceted DIVINE COMEDY.Her 20 non-biblical discoveries involve, among other things, astronomy, animal husbandry, geology, geometry, sexual ethics, metaphysics, and church
politics. The other 30 are even more striking; all are Biblical allusions or illustrations of Dante's that have been overlooked or sadly misunderstood until now.
Dante, Lewis and MacDonald deal with the kind of death that leads to rebirth.Writing to point the way of faith, not deeds, through secular snares toward heavenly reward, each put into verse "things difficult to think." The timeless gift of all three is summarised in Lewis's praise for MacDonald's ability to trouble "the oldest certainties" and shock "us more fully awake than we are for most of our lives."
Closely reasoned, wittily presented, and based on solid evidence, Lindskoog's book rouses and enlightens her readers, cheerfully acknowledging the threads that others have contributed to her tapestry of discoveries. I hope the inevitable doctoral theses which will follow her leads exhibit the same integrity and credit the fertile source of their inspiration.

.

A good stew
Lindskoog has a special taste for coincidences, unexpected connections, odd synchronicities, and the like.In this book she indulges her taste to the full, with enjoyable results.For those who already have some direct knowledge of Lewis, MacDonald, and Dante, this book will fill in blanks that they did not know, maybe, were there.

I particularly enjoyed reading about the connections between MacDonald and Mark Twain.Perhaps Lindskoog's case that _Sir Gibbie_ influenced Twain's _Huckleberry Finn_ by provoking its author should be taken under consideration by Twain scholars.I think it is a strong one.

The book is, as its title indicates, in the way of a potpourri, rather than a unified case.There is no connection here to the Dark Tower controversy explored by Lindskoog in her book _Sleuthing C. S. Lewis_. ... Read more

Book Description

C. S. Lewis is a beloved writer and thinker and arguably the most important Christian intellectual of the twentieth century. His groundbreaking children's series The Chronicles of Narnia, lucid nonfiction titles such as Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain, and thought-provoking fiction, including The Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce, have become trusted companions for millions of readers. Here Lewis breathes new life into words and concepts that have dulled through time and familiarity, and his writings inevitably provoke deep thought and surprising revelations.

Customer Reviews (1)

What!?
So now books that deal with Christian topics have to be cheapened by blatantly ripping off the cover art of sensational teen fiction?what is the point of that?I'm expecting some reaction from Little Brown/ Stephenie Meyer eventually.I guess you have to sell the book and do it by whatever means necessary.Just keep recycling Lewis. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Very good, but not the best
This is a very good biography on C. S. Lewis by two men who knew him personally. They present an even-handed coverage of Lewis's life, weaving in discussion of Lewis's many writings. The biography is entertaining, even funny at times (how could a biography on Lewis not be humorous?!), but I'm afraid some of the humor is so British, that it will be lost on most American readers. A better biography, in my opinion, is Jack by George Sayer (who also knew Lewis). But this was probably the first important biography of Lewis to be written, and is very good in its own right. I'd recommend it for Lewis fans who want to read multiple biographies. But if you just want to read one, get George Sayer's.

A Book Lover's Delight
Book lovers are introduced to the subject in an enticing way as Lewis' boyhood environment is described in the opening section:
"The house was full of books--I had always the same certainty of finding a book that was new to me as a man who walks into a field has of finding a new blade of grass--through all of these were the works of novelists, historians, essayists and biographers."

On researching their subject, the authors confess in the preface: "This colossal monument of paper contains many hundreds of letters from C. S. Lewis to his father, his brother, his close friend Arthur Greeves, and a few other family connections; it also includes dairies, sometimes kept with great minuteness, covering many years." So the challenge of condensing this data into book form was formidable. What adds to it is Lewis' quest for knowledge. He read widely and wrote prolifically. The result of this aim at telling the story of a masterful mind is successful, however. We know the essence of the man after having read this inspiring look at his life.

Good Book, Yet Difficult
I found this book to be a very, and perhaps TOO, in-depth look at C.S. Lewis. Though he is probably my favorite author of all time, the book itself seemed to concentrate on little details that were unimportant in the scheme of things and it was at times hard to keep an interest in the book. I chose it for a report, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone below high school because of its difficulty level. If you are interested in taking a very detailed look at the life of a fascinating person, however, and you have the time, this book is probably worth your trouble.

An entertaining biography
Although I think George Sayer's JACK the best of the C.S. Lewis biographies available, Green and Hooper's book is also good, with the added advantage that both men knew their subject personally.Their book complements Sayer's and is worth obtaining for Lewis fans.It is certainly better than Wilson's biography of Lewis, though without quite the achievement of Sayer's book. ... Read more

Book Description

Seven Spiritual Masterworks by C. S. Lewis

Customer Reviews (57)

The Complete C.S.Lewis Signature Classics
This book is a great bargain for anyone new to C.S.Lewis. I wanted just one or two books, but when i noticed this one, with SEVEN books inside, i decided to give it a try. Good Move! I have enjoyed the entire collection, and at a price of barely two single books!!!

Love C.S. Lewis, book too big to enjoy.
I got this book after hearing a series of lectures on CS Lewis.I already love his writing and this review is not a reflection on him as a writer.I dislike the SIZE of this anthology.Far from being a volume that you can curl up with or take on a trip in the car, this is a coffee table book and can really only be read sitting at a table or desk.I took it on a road trip and had to stop reading because of the size (like 24 inches by 12 inches - really big).

I did return this book and I guess will buy the volumes separately so that I can enjoy them anywhere.

Very insightful and profound, but not a novel
bought this book initially being drawn to the author and references that were made to his work in other books that i have read, and i was not disappointed. The first book in the compilation, Mere Christianity, dealt with the topic from a perspective that i never considered before- at the end of which i think non can refute the ideas postulated by the author. And that is one thing that must be said of CS Lewis- the ideas that he puts forward are profoundly original, and he does so in a very very logical manner, with one thought connecting with the other effectually making the 'whole' very clear.

Truth be told however, this is not a novel, or some book you can pick up and read in one night because you are intrigued by some catchy story line. If you dont have a taste for these sort of things, and an appreciation for what i view as a superior writing style, you may be daunted when you get to books like miracles. Nevertheless, i would give this book my personal recommendation, it is fresh (original), well written, logical etc. and well worth your money

C.S. Lewis creatively communicates God's glory in Jesus Christ
This book is a great investment. Not only does it help my theological understanding of what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us on the cross, but C.S. Lewis' writings expands my imagination and love for God's creativity! What a glorious picture of the Lord's love for us through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I recommend this book to anyone looking for answers about God and wanting to grow in their knowledge of Him. Although the book is thick, it's easy to read in small chunks. Don't let it be intimidating. It has become a restful read for my soul, yet also thought-provoking.

yo it was a sweet gift for xmas
was a sweet gift for xmas for the sis the postal took its time but not the sellers fault ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Misleading title, descriptions and reviews
This book's title, synopsis and descriptions are misleading.This is not C.S. Lewis' books (2 in 1).It is just some notes about them.I bought it thinking I was getting two C.S.Lewis books for a very good price.InsteadI just some dry notes that have little value compared to Lewis' excellentbooks.Publishers like this are taking advantage of Lewis' popularity tomake money.Buy Lewis' books, not these dry notes. ... Read more

Book Description
Fifteen former friends, colleagues, and students of C. S. Lewis share--in the form of deeply personal essays--their most intimate memories of one of the most influential Christian writers of all time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The many faces of C. S. Lewis
Lewis himself thought it unimportant, and even wrong, to be too curious about the private life of an author, as if you could work backwards into the "real" meaning of an author's writing through some sort of half-baked Freudian analysis (uh, does Wilson's book come to mind?!). Fortunately this book does not attempt to do so, since it is not really about is private life, but rather various angles of his public, mainly academic, life at Oxford and Cambridge. Of course personal tidbits are there, and they are quite enlightening and usually humorous, but you won't find the deep dark secret or alter ego that too many readers become obsessed with. Nor does the book paint a rosy picture in a hagiographic tone. It is just first-hand accounts of those who knew Lewis in varying degrees of intimacy at various stages of his life, some longer than others, showing that his life, like any other, is marked by the quotidian quality of normality. The only difference is that he was a genius with a rare talent for articulation and clear thinking, and his heart was kind; Sort of like a Spock with a sense of humor and a faith in God.

Here you find Lewis the frustrated poet, Lewis the analytical machine who argued for the joy of debate like his hero Johnson, Lewis the Inkling, Lewis the privately charitable (giving huge sums of money away to people he barely knew, widows in particular), Lewis the absent-minded Chair, Lewis the man of infinite memory recall, Lewis the scholar and popular lecturer, Lewis the godfather, Lewis the theologian unpopular with his colleagues for it, Lewis the tutor, Lewis the defender of Truth, Lewis the literary scholar, etc. Each essay has its own style, some better than others, some longer than others. But all open a unique window into the man we have come to admire, argue with and ultimately respect as a fellow traveler on the path to Truth and Meaning.

In particular I found Alastair Fowler's recollections of Lewis as his tutor at Oxford worthwhile. The essay really is about Lewis' powers of recollection and how that related to his life as a scholar, lecturer, tutor and friend. For me, that essay alone was worth the price of the book.

A theme that stands out in the collection is that of Lewis as the self-described dinosaur and specimen of the "Old Man" from the school of classical western education. How apt a description. They really don't make them like that anymore. In thinking to myself about who from our own time could be described in such terms, the giant of theological history, Jaroslav Pelikan, came to mind. A polyglot who could function on the scholarly level in at least nine languages, a pioneer in his field of theological history, as well as an authority on German literature, classical music, philosophy and even yachting (among other things), Pelikan embodied everything that Christian scholars aim for: deep piety (he was Eastern Orthodox) and deep intellect with a strong ability to articulate and defend the Faith to the world combined with genuine care for others and deep humility. They just don't make `em like that anymore.

If you are interested in Lewis as a man, I think you would appreciate The Life of C.S. Lewis - Through Joy and Beyond, C. S. Lewis: Images of His World (get the first print for better page layouts of photos), Simply C. S. Lewis: A Beginner's Guide to the Life and Works of C. S. Lewis, The Magic Never Ends - The Life and Work of C.S. Lewis on dvd and The Magic Never Ends The Life And Works Of C.s. Lewis.

We have so much to live for.
... Read more

Book Description

Book Description
The popular unabridged recordings of The Chronicles of Narnia, previously released, are now repackaged and rejacketed with adult art in time for the first Narnia film coming from Disney at Christmastime 2005! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Deeply theological, 100% Christian
Just as the Bible, these books apply to past, present and future humanity!A very interesting incite to what we already know and need to be reminded of regularly.I will read (listen) to all of them again, as once is just not enough to grab it all!C.S.Lewis is a Master writer!

CS Lewis CD collection of 4 great books
The reading of each book was complete and well done.I had started 2 of these as books, "Mere Christianity" and "The Great Divorce", but I never seemed to find time to read them.I can listen to the CDs working around the house or in the car."The Screwtape Letters" were great.A real reminder how clever satan is at making you think that the issue is solely yourself or others.He is called the deceiver for a very good reason."Mere Christianity" is a very thoughtful book and one worth discussing with others (Book Club, Book study etc.)"The Great Divorce" has nothing to do with marriage, but our divorce from God and how he wants the best for us and we settle for so much less.After listening to this book you will make decisions differently."The Problem with Pain" is intense.C.S. Lewis is indeed a critical thinker. Pain is the result of the fall from grace and about how grace restores you (much different from curing you).Each time you listen to one of these CDs you will learn more about yourself, God and your relationship with Him.If you are not certain of who God is and is satan is real these CDs will be very helpful.

An outstanding and challenging series
There are few books that makeyou stop and take an accounting of whoyou are, what you're about and how you fit into time and the universe more than Mere Christianity. While it was originally a radio series (BBC) broadcast during WWII, it's approach is as applicable now as it was then or at any point in time.

If you have any doubts, concerns or interests regarding the existance of God and/or how we relate to Him; if you're searching for Truth (with a capital "T") you will find some of your answers here.

The approach is non-denominational and non- doctrinal. CS Lewis speaks of basic easy to grasp universal concepts rather than lofty dogma. Mere Christianity is and has been a modern classic that can be read and re-read with passion not only for they who search but also for they who have found answers to basic questions we all pose while here on earth

Incredible
Of course Lewis' books are great (we all know that) but the narrators in this package of books are spectacular.The narrator for The Screwtape Letters is uncanny (and eerie) in his reading.

The narrators truly make this a first class product. I highly recommend!

excellent
Some readers obviously don't understand the material.Others deliver it well enough, but don't sound authentic.Not this time.If I didn't know better, I would say C.S. Lewis himself was reading this book.It has been a pure delight to revisit these classics in audio form.I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A biography of C.S. Lewis
Reading through this book gives excellent insight into one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th Century.The letters are arranged in chronological order, so reading through them gives a perspective on Lewis' life that I found to be better than any biography.This is a very enjoyable collection, and if you are a fan of C.S. Lewis: Read these letters and get inside this great philosopher's mind!

Bigger is mostly better
This is fine reading for the tired hours of the day.The little biography by his brother Warren is first rate, and the letters themselves are windows looking into the garden of C.S. Lewis' life and thought.They are varied, usually insightful or edifying, sometimes splendid.This edition, edited and enlarged by Walter Hooper, includes a few marvelous additions but also what appear to be some errors in the text, especially in the (fortunately rare) bits of Greek.Let's hope that the Collected Letters (published by Fount in the UKand apparently available throughUK) will become available in the USA.

Hard to put down
While standard biographies are the medium people often turn to to find out more about someone, the letters an author pens often more revealing.I thoroughly enjoyed this (much needed) updated version of the letters of C.S. Lewis from 1916 - 1963 to his various correspondents.They are at various times funny, full of good advice, intentional nonsense, great learning, wit, homely (talking about the every day events that go on in life), and all in all intensely interesting.In addition to this fine volume, you might want to try his volume of Letters to Arthur Greeves (originally published as They Stand Together), C.S. Lewis Letters to Children, or The Latin Letters of C.S. Lewis.They are all quite good. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

C. S. LEWIS
A book with such a dry-sounding title will necessarily cause the prospective reader, even the fans of CSL, to wonder whether it is worth its price and the effort of reading it. To answer that question, I would saythat the book is of real value to both the diehard Lewisophile, and theresearcher of well-known characters from that period of Oxford such as JohnBetjeman.

The period covered is from the time of his study for the secondof his three degree subjects, to the second year of his English Fellowshipat Magdalen. On eventually being offered a position, he was asked would hemind teaching some philosophy as well as English. In a letter to hisfather, he records that by that time he would have `agreed to coach atroupe of performing bagbirds in the quadrangle'.

His main motive forkeeping the diary was that the entries were read aloud to his companion MrsMoore, who kept house for him. If he allowed the diary to lapse, she wouldprompt him to start again. This is all to the good in terms of a candidinsight into his life, as publication would be the last thing he would haveexpected. The published text is well edited, and generally gets the flavourof his domestic and college life. The general range and depth of hisintellectual life is captured particularly well, with Shakespeare, SigmundFreud, Havelock Ellis, and a variety of philosophical savants (now mostlyforgotten) being the daily diet.

There are some surprises in the text. Iwas surprised at the extremely social nature of his life at this time. Farfrom a life of solitary study, the steady stream of houseguests,companionable walks, and visits to the theatre or musical performances forma large part of the normal routine. Without doubt the most horrifyingsection is his account of their attempt to help `The Doc', who goes madshortly before his death. This reminded me of the later Lewis who was towrite `A Grief Observed' - an account of his wife dying, and his coming toterms with it - a rare blend of compassion and self-analysis. At the end ofthe book is a fascinating but rather uncompromising set of ninepen-portraits of his Magdalen colleagues. These are private notes, and notintended for publication, but we see how the lancet accuracy of hisanalysis is turned with equal facility on human nature or literary works.It explains why he could be unintentionally intimidating, and why he wasnot equally appreciated by all his colleagues.

Maybe it shouldnýt be fascinating, but it is
The UK paperback edition has a shiny, lurid and embarrassing cover. Harper/Collins was clearly trying to flog this book to the religious crowd, presumably on the grounds that the author of this diary wrote, years laterand among other things, religious works: a tenuous connection, one wouldthink.Ignore the cover.

I'm not really a connoisseur of privatediaries, so my words should not be taken too seriously: but I did enjoythis.It's for admirers of C.S. Lewis and graduate students.It filled mewith a desire to go through the diary page by page, and read, or at leastnibble on, every book Lewis mentions as having read.(If you seriouslyplan to do this, good luck: I recommend that you start by living next to arich library at least a hundred years old.)

But let the buyer beware oftwo things ...Firstly: this is not really a private diary, since it waswritten to be read to a Mrs Moore, who is one of the most prominentcharacters in it.If you want some sort of insight into the relationshipbetween Lewis and Moore, give up on the idea, for there is none to be had,here or anywhere else.Secondly: the diary has been edited by WalterHooper.He claims that he only removed the dull and repetitive bits.Yes,well.

I suppose you should also be warned that the diary gives theimpression that 1920s England was populated almost entirely by intelligentnitwits who blathered unintelligbly about metaphysics.Maybe this is true. It also gives the impression that everyone in 1920s England waslanguishing under the tyranny of idealism, which is false: G.E. Moore andBertrand Russell, and soon almost everyone, would have none of it.But onecannot understand why Lewis came to believe what he did until one realiseshow strong this tyranny once was.

C.S. Lewis's Diary of Day to Day Events from 1922 - 1927
As someone who has read nearly every Lewis title in print, my conclusion about the diary is that it is entertaining in places, is good for giving a feel for what day to day life was like for the author as he was made the transition from student to teacher, and gives fuller information about some of the characters anonymously or only briefly described in SURPRISED BY JOY and LETTERS OF C.S. LEWIS.I doubt, though, that anyone other than a Lewis enthusiast would enjoy the book.It is rather banal, certainly not on par with his later writing, and indeed rather provincial.I recommend it for Lewis scholars as reference material, but not for general reading.His brother Warren Lewis kept a far more interesting diary, posthumously published as BROTHERS AND FRIENDS. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Tremendous Disappointment
I am in awe of C.S. Lewis.I have read many of his writings.I join with so many critics who list him among the most accomplished writers of the 20th century.He has helped me through very difficult periods in my life, and I am grateful to him for sending me to his inspirational sources as well, who have also been of great spiritual benefit (and rescuing).You may imagine, therefore, I was excited to be going on a seven-day self-directed retreat, and brought this volume with me, expecting much inspiration.

What a tremendous disappointment!The author sadly was much more concerned with writing his thoughts than those of C.S. Lewis.There is a paucity of passages written by Lewis, and a plethora of mediocre pages written by this average at best author.He also references many other sources besides Lewis, but I'm not impressed.I wanted Lewis, and I got Robert Morneau, whoever he is.Only when I had reached my sad conclusion about this book did I consult the back flap to discover Morneau is a Catholic bishop.This book is something else besides the bishops' horrific failure to act on child sexual abuse that he has to be ashamed of.

And the editor shares his blame, for allowing this text to be published as is.Some of the "Retreat With" books are excellent (John the Evangelist by Raymond Brown is at the top of the list, and right behind it is the book on Brother Lawrence), and some are very poor.This is the poorest, only in part because it should have been the best.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Interesting, but confusing to read
The shape of this biography is certainly distinctive.I found the combination of chronological entries with "sidebars" about different aspects of Lewis's life awkward.I did learn more about Warren Lewis, Jack's brother, than I had ever known before, especially regarding his abilities as an author.Other bios had concentrated on Warren's alcoholism without showing his assets.
I think that this biography falls more into the category of a reference item.The arrangement makes it easy to look up events in particular years, but there is no subject index, which, in my opinion, is detrimental.
I have read "Surprised by Joy", Lewis's own account of his early life, as well as the A. N. Wilson and Alan Jacobs biographies, and I read the Chad Walsh, "C.S. Lewis, Apostle to the Skeptics" when I was first devouring Lewis's works.Each one has its good and bad points, and this one is certainly worth reading

Good, blog-style biography
The latest biography from C.S. Lewis scholar Colin Duriez impresses me as a blog-style work. It does not have a flowing narrative which attempts to tell the story of Lewis' life or, worse, attempts to reveal "the secret" of his success. It has the feel of third-person diary.

Duriez offers many details from Lewis' life in the chronological order they occurred with few contextual notes from the past or present. Each chapter is labeled with the years it covers, and after several paragraphs introducing those years, the biography flows according to the date. He includes plenty of historical context in each section, noting the deaths and births of pertinent individuals and events of that year, which may be valuable to literature students who need to be reminded no author writes in a vacuum.

The CSL Chronicles has other context too, lists mostly. For example, the January 31, 1919, entry notes: "This evening, upon invitation, Lewis joins a literary and debating society of the college, the Martlets, as secretary. Membership is limited to twelve." For context, an explanation of the Martlets with a list of papers delivered by Lewis to the group is on the following page, including this note: "There was another but short-lived undergraduate society, called the `Inklings'; in the 1930s its name was transferred to the later famous circle of friends around Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Lewis and Tolkien did attend the original undergraduate `Inklings,' but only as invited dons."

Duriez leaves many details unwritten, perhaps an irritation to readers who already know a good bit about Lewis; but I think this biography is respectably complete. I know I've learned some things (but this is also my first Lewis biography to read). For instance, I was disturbed when I learned earlier this year about sadism in Lewis' letters before 1918, but a note in The C.S. Lewis Chronicles suggests it is evidence of the impact of the abuse Lewis suffered while in boarding school under the care of madman. Such perversion was a part of his imagination as it were.

I recommend this small, fragmented biography to readers interested in Lewis or his Oxford friends. I think it would be especially useful to trivia fans. ... Read more

Product Description
There can be many obstacles to faith. As Art Lindsley says, "Lewis knew what it was like not to believe. He struggled with many doubts along the way to faith. Since he was an ardent atheist until age thirty-one, Lewis's experience and education prepared him to understand firsthand the most common arguments against Christianity." As a scholar and teacher of literature at Oxford, Lewis confronted many questions: Aren't all religions just humanly invented myths? Doesn't evil in the world indicate an absence of any personal or loving God? Why should what is true for one person be true for me, especially when it comes to religion? How can anyone claim that one religion is right? Why follow Jesus if he was just another good moral teacher? This book provides a readable introduction to Lewis's reflections on these and other objections to belief in Jesus Christ and the compelling reasons why Lewis came to affirm the truth of Christianity. Art Lindsley is a helpful and reliable guide to the voluminous and sometimes challenging writings of Lewis for both seekers and those who want to grasp their own faith more deeply. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Wonderful Study
This book was awesome.It helped me determine which of the C.S. Lewis books I wanted to read first.

The Heart Has Its Reasons
Art Lindsley's C.S. Lewis's CASE FOR CHRIST: Insights from Reason, Imagination and Faith came to me unbidden through the generosity of a devout, kind, proselytizing Christian. Therefore, though I am not a member of the choir, clearly the book, preaching to this group as it does, will be warmly received by its members, who would be scandalized by Richard Dawkin'sTHE GOD DELUSION (Houghton Mifflin, 2006), Daniel Dennett's BREAKING THE SPELL (Viking Adult, 2006) or Bertrand Russell's WHY I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN (Touchstone,1957). The unison praise of the book's other reviewers in this space attests to this. Coming from a different place, it is hoped the reader will consider my observations to be respectfully challenging about the books "arguments from reason." On the other hand, as Dr. Lindsley, a senior fellow at the C.S. Lewis Institute in Springfield, VA., also emphasizes in the subtitle reference to "Imagination and Faith", we share agreement with the 17th century philosopher Blaise Pascal who, in his classic defense of Christian religion wrote: "The heart has its reasons which reason does not know" (Pensees, Number 277).

First, some comments are, perhaps, in order about the choice of C.S. Lewis as an apologist for Christianity. Lewis is avidly cast in this role in the United States and his writings are, indeed, often apologetic. However, in his homeland on the other side of the big water he is seen by many as quirky or weird or even bullying. A.N. Wilson's biography C.S LEWIS: A BIOGRAPHY (W.W. Norton, 1990) is sometimes unflattering, sometimes unfair. Alan Jacob's biography is more admiring (THE NARNIAN, HarperSanFrancisco, 2006).

Knowing something about Lewis's personality through these and other authors, he seems an odd choice to adopt as a defender of the faith. Beyond his inventive mind and the glisten of his prose, he was so tractable (even late in life he came close to renouncing his god), and so persistently troubled. He grew up in a Protestant Belfast family and at four, when his dog died, insisted that he thereafter be called by his dog's name Jacksie, later shortened to Jack. At thirteen he became an atheist because he couldn't imagine a god who would design a world "so frail and faulty" - thus joining, at an early age, others who have complained the creator should not have rested on the seventh day. He was wounded in WW I and moved in with Jane Moore, the mother of an Army buddy who had been killed in battle. They lived together for many years until she became senile and died. Both of the biographers mentioned above and her daughter believe they were lovers though Mrs. Moore never divorced her husband from whom she was separated. As an Oxford Don, Lewis became a close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien and through Tolkien, on a lengthy perambulating conversation that lasted from dusk to dawn, accepted Christianity and its coalescence with myth and mysticism. His favorite argument for the belief in Jesus was that Christ didn't seem to be either a liar or crazy so he must be a god just as he said he was.

In CASE FOR CHRIST, Lindsley appears to set up a number of straw men who are unconvinced by Christian beliefs. For examples: "What does a two thousand year old religion have to do with me?"; "Isn't belief in God just a crutch for needy people?"; "Is what was true for C.S. Lewis necessarily true for me?"; "Aren't morals relative?" Perhaps some who are questing for faith might slightly stumble over these questions but it is hard to imagine them as hurdles.

At the same time, Lindsley's chapters about more fundamental questions, for examples, "The problem of Evil" and "Other Religions" did not seem penetrating and were sometimes illogical. For instance, his recourse to the "burden of proof" (p. 85), the "appeal to popularity" (p. 120) and the "appeal to consequences of belief" (p. 178) are well known logical fallacies.

The problem of evil was, of course, what turned thirteen year old Lewis from faith to atheism. Then, later, as a Christian apologist, his Panglossian answer was that evil showed that "the world had gone wrong" and that pain can direct people to the right path. When Lewis's wife Joy, who he married years after Jane died, succumbed to cancer, he came for a time to believe in a malevolent god. Some of his diary thoughts remind one of Jung's ANSWER TO JOB (Princeton Univ. Press, 1958) and had he died in the midst of this anger at god his place as an apologist would have died with him. As for other religions, Lewis argues, these do not include incarnation, which he considers an essential qualifier for the true religion. And, as indicated above, since Christ said he was God, it must be true.

Dr. Lindsley's knowledge of C.S. Lewis, integration of the literature and clear style will be appreciated by his readers but, as he says"...most of the [religious] doubts we battle are not intellectual but of emotional or spiritual origin." This echoes Pascal, the eminent philosopher, physicist, inventor and mathematician who obviously had extraordinary intellectual tools. Yet, in the face of a challenge to theistic belief that John Stuart Mill or Bertrand Russell might raise, such as "Who made God?" he would remind us "The last proceeding of reason is to recognize that there is an infinity of things that are beyond it." Finally, there is Faith.

By the end of the book, Lewis will be a dear and trusted friend
C.S. Lewis's Case for Christ is a concise and contemporary retelling of the famous author's beliefs. There is something in these pages for everyone. Those who are already familiar with Lewis will have a resource that highlights his key thoughts, while those new to him will follow his journey from atheism to a vibrant faith in Christ.

The book was creatively written within the framework of a bookstore discussion. A group of fictional people meets each week to talk about the author. This setting allows the reader a chance to pull up a chair and join them. The characters that participate in this forum are diverse, and probably reflect an accurate sampling of the book's audience.

Author Art Lindsley's knowledge of Lewis is beautifully complemented by his admiration of the author. He reveals interesting facts about Lewis's personal life and then provides a spiritually sensitive look at the obstacles that held him back from a belief in Christ. The pages offer a penetrating mix of Scripture and logic.

The author writes as if Lewis was a dear and trusted friend, and by the end of book, he will be to every reader. Most impressive are the clear explanations of the reflections of Lewis. Although some of these ideas have baffled brilliant minds throughout history, these pages offer an understandable summary. Lewis was one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century, and now all readers can be acquainted with his profound insights.

Yet, the most wonderful thing about this book is that it has the potential to lead people to a saving knowledge of the truth. The obstacles that hindered Lewis' faith in God are still present today. These pages offer a unique resource for opening discussions along those lines. -- Joyce Handzo, Christian Book Previews.com

Case Closed
On New Year's Day, I had a 2-hour discussion with a friend whobelieves in God but does not believe that Jesus was His Son.She said she believed that Jesus was a great prophet but nothing more. (No, she is not Jewish.) Because I am both a Christian and a great respecter of my friend's intellect, our talk disturbed me.

Later that same day, I stopped by a bookstore to get some calendars - you know, 50% off and all that.Anyway, I got the calendars and wandered around a bit, looking for a couple of specific books. On my way to these other books, I noticed a display of C.S. Lewis books at the end of an aisle. And at the top of the display was a book I had not until that moment knew existed: C.S. LEWIS'S CASE FOR CHRIST by Art Lindsley. Hmm. I felt like looking heavenward and going, "Hit me over the head with a two-by-four, why don't You?"

The book is not, as I thought it would be, a parable by parable, story by story examination of Jesus' life with all the evidence neatly trotted out as to why we should believe he was who he said he was. Rather, the book gives Lewis' reasons for choosing Christianity - which by its name indicates a belief in Jesus as the Christ - over other world religions.

One chapter titled "Myth: Isn't Christianity just one myth among many?"was especially helpful to me.I recently returned from a trip to the Vatican; while there, the gargantuan size of St. Peter's, the statues, the sight of Pope Benedict on the balcony, stirred feelings of unease in me.There were moments when it was too Hollywood, too much like hero worship.I began to look about and wonder what separated this elaborate and amazing story from other stories like, for example, The Lord of The Rings?I read the "Myth" chapter, and it went a long way towards calming my fears and dispelling my doubts; it helped me to see that the story of Christ has things about it that lift it above mere mythology.It was a relief!

For a person who has never read any of C.S. Lewis' works, this book, with Lindsley as your guide, would be a good place to start.Art Lindsley, a senior fellow at the C.S. Lewis Institute, has put together from Lewis' writings a convincing argument for the choice of Christianity over other faiths. I will definitely be sharing it with my friend.

For those of you who may have the same faith in Lewis as I do and
go to him regularly to be "talked" through doubt and confusion, you will enjoy this book and will also understand the need for the words that Lindsley gives his character John at the end of the book.John, the leader of a discussion group about C.S. Lewis tells a participant the following: "I can give you a good reading list, but remember faith in Christ is more than just satisfying your intellect.C.S. Lewis would not want people to focus on his personality or even his books. He wanted to point beyond that to Jesus."

A Must Read for CS Lewis fans!A Superb Defense of Faith
I am a huge fan of CS Lewis and of Dr. Lindsley's clear reasoning and eloquent argumentation; so, naturally when I saw this book, I immediately picked it up and read it with great enthusiasm.Admittedly, I went through the book rather quickly and will revisit it often for its clarity and to use as an aide in forming well-framed intellectual, imaginative and caring arguments in defense of faith in Christ.

Dr. Lindsley's treatment of Lewis's work provides the reader with a digestible overview of CS Lewis's intellectual and spiritual odyssey into the fullness of Christ that is remarkably clear.This book provides the reader with a wealth of resources, excerpts and personal stories.Dr. Lindsley weaves together many of the questions that people have when they come to the works of CS Lewis and to the very questions of Christianity.Dr. Lindsley documents the rigor of CS Lewis's intellect opening (or re-opening) thoughtful readers to the wonders and skill of Lewis's work.

The book is laid out in 14 chapters and contains a bit of "dialogue" between a set of individuals who are meeting together to discuss Lewis's work in a modern bookstore setting.The reader is drawn into the conversation and through it can see what types of questions people often have when they come to Lewis's body of work.You may even be able to identify some of your own questions.If you come to this book already holding a belief in Jesus Christ as Savior, Dr. Lindsley's treatment will help you to formulate your own defense and responses to the questions that appeal to our time through the lenses of CS Lewis.If I had to pick the best chapter out of this book, it'd have to be the one in regard to relativism since Dr. Lindsley goes into a bit more depth on one of my favorite works by Lewis, "The Abolition of Man."The chapter on Postmodernism is great also.I am amazed at how well Dr. Lindsley can articulate and refute many of the claims of full-fledged Postmodernism in so few pages!I find myself agreeing with his assessment of how CS Lewis would respond to Postmodernity; the good and the bad alike.

This book will be a valuable tool in my library as well as one that many of my friends will indeed receive as a gift!
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