C.S. Lewis: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
No edit summary
 
(General {{cleanup}} not required - {{rewrite}} of Biography still needed (section header added))
 
(67 intermediate revisions by 18 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
C.S. Lewis was a good friend of [[J.R.R Tolkien]] and was an enormous influence on [[The Hobbit]] and [[The Lord of the Rings]].
{{author infobox
| image=[[File:C.S. Lewis.jpg|250px]]
| name=C.S. Lewis
| born=[[29 November]], [[1898]]
| died=[[22 November]], [[1963]]
| education=[[University of Oxford]]
| occupation=Author
| location=England
| website=[http://www.cslewis.org/ C.S. Lewis Foundation]
}}
{{quote|Friendship with the latter marked the breakdown of two old prejudices. At my first coming into the world I had been (implicitly) warned never to trust a Papist, and at my first coming into the English Faculty (explicitly) never to trust a philologist. Tolkien was both.|C.S. Lewis, ''Surprised by Joy''}}
'''Clive Staples "Jack" Lewis''' ([[29 November]], [[1898]] – [[22 November]], [[1963]]), commonly referred to as '''C.S. Lewis''', was an Irish-born English writer and scholar. Lewis is known for his work on medieval literature, Christian apologetics, literary criticism, and fiction. He is best known today for his bestselling series ''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''.
 
==Biography==
{{rewrite}}
Lewis was a close friend of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. Both authors were leading figures in the English faculty at [[Oxford University]] and in the informal Oxford literary group known as the [[Inklings]], where he was a leading figure. According to his memoir ''[[Surprised by Joy]]'', Lewis had been baptised in the Church of Ireland at birth, but fell away from his faith during his adolescence. Owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, at about the age of 30, Lewis re-converted to [[Christianity]], becoming "a very ordinary layman of the Church of England". His conversion had a profound effect on his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim.
 
In the 1930s Tolkien and Lewis discussed about science fiction and decided to make an amateurish attempt simultaneously, on time-travel and space-travel. Tolkien's attempt at time-travel fiction was the unfinished ''[[The Lost Road]]'', but Lewis's attempt at space-travel fiction evolved to his famous [[Space Trilogy]].<ref>{{L|24}}</ref>
 
Throughout the writing of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' Lewis kept encouraging Tolkien and supported him with positive reviews, and enthusiastic blurbs before publication. At some point Tolkien recognised that without Lewis he would have never finished the book.<ref>{{L|149}}</ref>
 
His brother was Inkling [[Warren Lewis]], who after his retirement acted as C.S. Lewis's secretary.
 
In later years, around [[1940]], Tolkien and Lewis distanced from each other; Tolkien credited the influence of [[Charles Williams]] (whom Tolkien did not appreciate much<ref>{{L|276}}</ref>) on Lewis. They distanced further after his "very strange" marriage to [[Wikipedia:Joy Gresham|Joy Gresham]] ([[1956]]<ref>Walter Hooper, ''C. S. Lewis: A Complete Guide to His Life and Works'', p. 79</ref>). Lewis remained dear to Tolkien, and Tolkien was struck by his death<ref>{{L|257}}</ref> which coincided with the murder of J.F. Kennedy. As Tolkien said "The loss reached for me its climax on Nov. 22nd, not for me the day Kennedy was murdered, but the day C.S. Lewis died".<ref>[[Letter to Przemyslaw Mroczkowski (20–26 January 1964)]]</ref> Tolkien also said that while he was already feeling like an old tree losing its leaves, Lewis's death was "an axe-blow near the roots". His funeral service was attended by Tolkien himself, [[Christopher Tolkien]], [[James Dundas-Grant]], [[Robert Havard]], [[Owen Barfield]] and several others.<reF>{{L|251}}</ref>
 
==Bibliography, selected==
===Books===
*[[1933]]: ''[[The Pilgrim's Regress]]''
*[[The Space Trilogy]]
**[[1938]]: ''Out of the Silent Planet''
**[[1943]]: ''Perelandra'' (aka Voyage to Venus)
**[[1945]]: ''That Hideous Strength''
*[[1939]]: ''[[Rehabilitations and Other Essays]]''
*[[1942]]: ''[[The Screwtape Letters]]''
*[[1947]]: ''[[Essays Presented to Charles Williams]]'' (editor)
*''[[The Chronicles of Narnia]]''
**[[1950]]: ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe''
**[[1951]]: ''Prince Caspian''
**[[1952]]: ''The Voyage of the Dawn Treader''
**[[1953]]: ''The Silver Chair''
**[[1954]]: ''The Horse and His Boy''
**[[1955]]: ''The Magician's Nephew''
**[[1956]]: ''The Last Battle''
*[[1955]]: ''Surprised by Joy''
*[[1960]]: ''[[The Four Loves]]''
*[[1962]]: ''[[English and Medieval Studies Presented to J.R.R. Tolkien on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday]]''
**"[[The Anthropological Approach]]"
*[[1966]]: ''C.S.: Letters of C.S. Lewis''
*[[1966]]: ''[[Letters to an American Lady]]''
*[[1969]]: ''[[Selected Literary Essays]]'' (edited by Walter Hooper)
*[[1972]]: ''[[Of This and Other Worlds]]'' (edited by Walter Hooper)
*[[2000]]: ''[[The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 1]]''
*[[2004]]: ''[[The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 2]]''
*[[2006]]: ''[[The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy 1950-1963|The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3]]''
*[[2010]]: ''[[Language and Human Nature]]'' (edited by Steven A. Beebe in ''[[SEVEN 27]])
*[[2013]]: ''[[Image and Imagination|Image and Imagination: Essays and Reviews]]''
 
===Articles===
*[[1937]] ''Times Literary Supplement'', 2 October 1937, p. 714.
**"[[A World for Children]]" [review of ''[[The Hobbit]]'']
*[[1937]]: ''The Times'' (London), 8 October 1937, p. 20.
**"[[Professor Tolkien's "Hobbit"|Professor Tolkien's 'Hobbit']]" [review of ''[[The Hobbit]]'']
*[[1947]]: ''[[Essays Presented to Charles Williams]]'', pp. 90-105
**"On Stories"
*[[1954]]: ''Time and Tide'', 14 August 1954, p. 1082.
**"[[The Gods Return to Earth]]" [review of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'']
*[[1955]]: ''Time and Tide'', 22 October 1955, p. 1373.
**"[[The Dethronement of Power]]" [review of ''[[The Two Towers]]'' and ''[[The Return of the King]]'']
 
==External links==
*{{WP|C.S. Lewis}}
 
{{references}}
{{Inklings}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lewis, C.S.}}
[[Category:Inklings]]
[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Letter receivers]]
[[Category:British people]]
[[Category:People by name]]
 
[[de:C. S. Lewis]]
[[fi:C.S. Lewis]]

Latest revision as of 16:05, 19 February 2024

C.S. Lewis.jpg
C.S. Lewis
Biographical information
Born29 November, 1898
Died22 November, 1963
EducationUniversity of Oxford
OccupationAuthor
LocationEngland
WebsiteC.S. Lewis Foundation
"Friendship with the latter marked the breakdown of two old prejudices. At my first coming into the world I had been (implicitly) warned never to trust a Papist, and at my first coming into the English Faculty (explicitly) never to trust a philologist. Tolkien was both."
― C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

Clive Staples "Jack" Lewis (29 November, 189822 November, 1963), commonly referred to as C.S. Lewis, was an Irish-born English writer and scholar. Lewis is known for his work on medieval literature, Christian apologetics, literary criticism, and fiction. He is best known today for his bestselling series The Chronicles of Narnia.

Biography[edit | edit source]

"The wise will stay here and hope to rebuild our town..." — Master of Lake-town
This article or section needs to be rewritten to comply with Tolkien Gateway's higher standards...

Lewis was a close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien. Both authors were leading figures in the English faculty at Oxford University and in the informal Oxford literary group known as the Inklings, where he was a leading figure. According to his memoir Surprised by Joy, Lewis had been baptised in the Church of Ireland at birth, but fell away from his faith during his adolescence. Owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, at about the age of 30, Lewis re-converted to Christianity, becoming "a very ordinary layman of the Church of England". His conversion had a profound effect on his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim.

In the 1930s Tolkien and Lewis discussed about science fiction and decided to make an amateurish attempt simultaneously, on time-travel and space-travel. Tolkien's attempt at time-travel fiction was the unfinished The Lost Road, but Lewis's attempt at space-travel fiction evolved to his famous Space Trilogy.[1]

Throughout the writing of The Lord of the Rings Lewis kept encouraging Tolkien and supported him with positive reviews, and enthusiastic blurbs before publication. At some point Tolkien recognised that without Lewis he would have never finished the book.[2]

His brother was Inkling Warren Lewis, who after his retirement acted as C.S. Lewis's secretary.

In later years, around 1940, Tolkien and Lewis distanced from each other; Tolkien credited the influence of Charles Williams (whom Tolkien did not appreciate much[3]) on Lewis. They distanced further after his "very strange" marriage to Joy Gresham (1956[4]). Lewis remained dear to Tolkien, and Tolkien was struck by his death[5] which coincided with the murder of J.F. Kennedy. As Tolkien said "The loss reached for me its climax on Nov. 22nd, not for me the day Kennedy was murdered, but the day C.S. Lewis died".[6] Tolkien also said that while he was already feeling like an old tree losing its leaves, Lewis's death was "an axe-blow near the roots". His funeral service was attended by Tolkien himself, Christopher Tolkien, James Dundas-Grant, Robert Havard, Owen Barfield and several others.[7]

Bibliography, selected[edit | edit source]

Books[edit | edit source]

Articles[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

References

The Inklings
J.R.R. Tolkien · Owen Barfield · J.A.W. Bennett · Lord David Cecil · Nevill Coghill · James Dundas-Grant · Hugo Dyson · Adam Fox · Colin Hardie · Robert Havard · C.S. Lewis · Warren Lewis · Gervase Mathew · R.B. McCallum · C.E. Stevens · Christopher Tolkien · John Wain · Charles Williams · Charles Leslie Wrenn