C.S. Lewis

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sugarmouse said:
I’m a huge fan of Lewis, although I’ve still got a whole lot of his books still to read. I started reading him about a year and a half ago, and I’ve been in love with his writings ever since.

The Space Trilogy, as has already been recommended, is excellent, although the writing style is perhaps not to everyone’s taste (have a look for example at the Amazon preview, although it does get easier to read once you get into the story).

I would also highly recommend Lewis’s final novel, and one of his lesser-known works which is called “Till We Have Faces”. It is a really beautiful book, with a lovely (much easier to read) style to it, and is based on the Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche.

Others I’ve enjoyed have been The Screwtape Letters and of course Mere Christianity.

I’d also recommend this fun YouTube channel where they have illustrated some of Lewis’s articles and chapters from his books. They’re very fun to watch, and the illustrations are excellent. It’s called CSLewisDoodle

youtube.com/user/CSLewisDoodle

I hope this helps you!
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And TILL WE HAVE HAVE FACES was Lewis’ personal favorite of his fiction.
 
GKC said:
And TILL WE HAVE HAVE FACES was Lewis’ personal favorite of his fiction.
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I haven’t really read much in the way of Lewis’s fiction part of that is because I prefer things other than fiction but I’ll have to take a look at it. Of corse my book has some of his fiction so eventually I’ll get there anyway
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I haven’t really read much in the way of Lewis’s fiction part of that is because I prefer things other than fiction but I’ll have to take a look at it. Of corse my book has some of his fiction so eventually I’ll get there anyway
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His second favorite was PERELANDRA.

I never really liked FACES, but maybe it’s time to give it another try.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
I have to learn more about him first. Thank you for bringing the name of though that makes me interested
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I absolutely love the Screwtape Letters. I read that and The Great Divorce every Lent. From what I’ve read the reason he didn’t convert to Catholicism was mainly cultural, as the Papacy was a stumbling block for him. I also think Mary would have been more prominent in his writings if he had.
 
He’s one of my favorite authors. I have never found anyone who can describe the human condition so succinctly and accurately. The Great Divorce was the perfect example of this and is my favorite of Lewis’ works.

I also was introduced to George MacDonald through Lewis and he has since become my favorite author. If you read Phantastes, you’ll see how much influence MacDonald had on Lewis and Tolkien. That is by far my favorite book.
 
I’ve been hooked on Lewis ever since I read the Screwtape Letters a few years ago. I think his most underrated book is “Miracles” - especially the first few chapters on his Argument from Reason.
 
Bill_Martin said:
He’s one of my favorite authors. I have never found anyone who can describe the human condition so succinctly and accurately. The Great Divorce was the perfect example of this and is my favorite of Lewis’ works.

I also was introduced to George MacDonald through Lewis and he has since become my favorite author. If you read Phantastes, you’ll see how much influence MacDonald had on Lewis and Tolkien. That is by far my favorite book.
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Thank you. I think I got to get to do some reading.
 
SPBlitz said:
I’ve been hooked on Lewis ever since I read the Screwtape Letters a few years ago. I think his most underrated book is “Miracles” - especially the first few chapters on his Argument from Reason.
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I’ve heard good things about “Miracles”. By the way I just want to say that I am very happy to find so many Lewis fans on caf
 
utah_rose said:
I absolutely love the Screwtape Letters. I read that and The Great Divorce every Lent. From what I’ve read the reason he didn’t convert to Catholicism was mainly cultural, as the Papacy was a stumbling block for him. I also think Mary would have been more prominent in his writings if he had.
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The Papacy is one of the points that he mentioned in a private letter that he found problematic, yes.
 
My admiration for much of Lewis work and thought (not all of it though) is actually one of the reasons I have such a tremendous issue with (many) traditionalists. Because to them, no matter how good or Christian a person Lewis might have been, no matter how many hearts his books might have brought back to Christianity, he was a Protestant, so to them he’s definitely in hell.
 
I wonder what prompted Michael Coren to
go Anglican? Perhaps he might have been
influenced by C.S.Lewis, I know that it was the
“gay” issue that finally caused his exit from the
Catholic faith, but why Anglican??
 
For me, CS Lewis was the outstanding Christian apologist of the 20th century.

I’ve read a lot of his books, and he’s hard to beat for clarity of thought and expression.

A couple of minor notes -
  1. The man who taught him to “think” was the ‘Great Knock’, William Thompson Kirkpatrick, an atheist of Presbyterian origin, which was an ironic twist. The rigorous intellectual discipline which he instilled into Lewis came from a rationalist mind, but was used, in the end, as a formidable Christian apologetic tool.
apilgriminnarnia.com/2012/10/04/mentor/
  1. Lewis died on the same day President Kennedy was assassinated, just an hour before JFK was shot, and as a consequence his death went almost unnoticed due to all the media emphasis on Kennedy. Aldous Huxley died the same day, and his death went unnoticed for the same reason.
But I think I can guess which of the three, Kennedy, Huxley, or Lewis, left the most indelible imprint on the heavenly economy.
 
Bob_Crowley said:
For me, CS Lewis was the outstanding Christian apologist of the 20th century.

I’ve read a lot of his books, and he’s hard to beat for clarity of thought and expression.

A couple of minor notes -
  1. The man who taught him to “think” was the ‘Great Knock’, William Thompson Kirkpatrick, an atheist of Presbyterian origin, which was an ironic twist. The rigorous intellectual discipline which he instilled into Lewis came from a rationalist mind, but was used, in the end, as a formidable Christian apologetic tool.
apilgriminnarnia.com/2012/10/04/mentor/
  1. Lewis died on the same day President Kennedy was assassinated, just an hour before JFK was shot, and as a consequence his death went almost unnoticed due to all the media emphasis on Kennedy. Aldous Huxley died the same day, and his death went unnoticed for the same reason.
But I think I can guess which of the three, Kennedy, Huxley, or Lewis, left the most indelible imprint on the heavenly economy.
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Peter Kreeft wrote an interesting little book on those three men intertwined by that day they died:BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL.
 
GLam8833 said:
I wonder what prompted Michael Coren to
go Anglican? Perhaps he might have been
influenced by C.S.Lewis, I know that it was the
“gay” issue that finally caused his exit from the
Catholic faith, but why Anglican??
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I wold guess it is because the Anglican Church of Canada espouses views on homosexuality that he found more compelling. And Anglicanism, generally, is something he was familiar with.

IIRC, he had also spent some time as a evangelical,before returning to the RCC, before leaving it again. His compass seems to wobble.
 
Another Lewis fan here. I grew up on him, and as such, my favorites were my first; The Chronicles of Narnia. There’s layer upon layer in them, esp. because they were for children, not despite that fact. I enjoy most of his other works as well, The Great Divorce definitely made me think about things, perhaps not to “change” my thoughts, but rather to entertain notions I hadn’t thought of before. The Space Trilogy, Miracles, Mere Christianity, etc … they’re all good.
 
Kliska said:
Another Lewis fan here. I grew up on him, and as such, my favorites were my first; The Chronicles of Narnia. There’s layer upon layer in them, esp. because they were for children, not despite that fact. I enjoy most of his other works as well, The Great Divorce definitely made me think about things, perhaps not to “change” my thoughts, but rather to entertain notions I hadn’t thought of before. The Space Trilogy, Miracles, Mere Christianity, etc … they’re all good.
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Oh cool, looks like I came to the right place to talk about this.
 
On a different note did anyone type into Google CS Lewis JRR Tolkien friendship and see something come up about atheism? I don’t understand how religious differences are evidence of atheism I didn’t read the site and I’m not going to but that just seems really weird. I think you have to reach a little bit for that one.
 
adamhovey1988 said:
On a different note did anyone type into Google CS Lewis JRR Tolkien friendship and see something come up about atheism? I don’t understand how religious differences are evidence of atheism I didn’t read the site and I’m not going to but that just seems really weird. I think you have to reach a little bit for that one.
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Well, I think the usual view is that CSL lost his faith fairly early and his relationship with JRRT is what drew him back, No doubt that is too simplistic, as one-liners usually are.

Of course I am astonished to hear that GKC is not altogether averse to CSL. 🙂

What a very fine thread this is! How splendid to hear people talking about literature they enjoy. Hope I don’t spoil it but … as a child I read the Narnia books and the Screwtapes. Narnia I rather disliked: too preachy. Screwtape I very much enjoyed: the tone of voice is just perfect.
 
Picky_Picky said:
Well, I think the usual view is that CSL lost his faith fairly early and his relationship with JRRT is what drew him back, No doubt that is too simplistic, as one-liners usually are.

Of course I am astonished to hear that GKC is not altogether averse to CSL. 🙂

What a very fine thread this is! How splendid to hear people talking about literature they enjoy. Hope I don’t spoil it but … as a child I read the Narnia books and the Screwtapes. Narnia I rather disliked: too preachy. Screwtape I very much enjoyed: the tone of voice is just perfect.
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You’ve not spoiled anything you just joined in part of the conversation. Outside of Narnia I would say the Screwtape Letters are Lewis’s work that I hear the most about. When I am finished reading Mere Christianity I will read the Screwtape Letters. I know the basic story and that actually does really seem like something that would interest me.
 
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