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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780061448720
ISBN: 0061448729
Label: HarperOne
Manufacturer: HarperOne
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 384
Publication Date: April 01, 2008
Publisher: HarperOne
Release Date: April 01, 2008
Sales Rank: 286918
Studio: HarperOne
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
The White Witch, Aslan, fauns and talking beasts, centaurs and epic battles between good and evil -- all these have become a part of our collective imagination through the classic volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia. Over the past half century, children everywhere have escaped into this world and delighted in its wonders and enchantments. Yet what we do know of the man who created Narnia? This biography sheds new light on the making of the original Narnian, C. S. Lewis himself.
Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential religious writer of his day. An Oxford don and scholar of medieval literature, he loved to debate philosophy at his local pub, and his wartime broadcasts on the basics of Christian belief made him a celebrity in his native Britain. Yet one of the most intriguing aspects of Clive Staples Lewis remains a mystery. How did this middle-aged Irish bachelor turn to the writing of stories for children -- stories that would become among the most popular and beloved ever written?
Alan Jacobs masterfully tells the story of the original Narnian. From Lewis's childhood days in Ireland playing with his brother, Warnie, to his horrific experiences in the trenches during World War I, to his friendship with J. R. R. Tolkien (and other members of the 'Inklings'), and his remarkable late-life marriage to Joy Davidman, Jacobs traces the events and people that shaped Lewis's philosophy, theology, and fiction. The result is much more than a conventional biography of Lewis: Jacobs tells the story of a profound and extraordinary imagination. For those who grew up with Narnia, or for those just discovering it, The Narnian tells a remarkable tale of a man who knew great loss and great delight, but who knew above all that the world holds far more richness and meaning than the average eye can see.
Average Rating: 
Rating: -
This is a very good biography of C. S. Lewis. Jacobs is a skillful writer and has a great knack for weaving Lewis' own writing and ideas into the events of his life. He brings out the greatness of Lewis' mind and character without hiding his flaws or failing to point out what he thinks are some of his half-baked or somewhat parochial ideas. The thorough research that has evidently gone into writing this book is skillfully crafted into a fascinating narrative; very enjoyable reading. Jacobs convincingly ... Read More
Rating: -
Books about Lewis are a dime a dozen, and it hard to know where to begin when trying to find a concise but accurate biography that is not soaked with naive adulation or excessively absorbed detail. InterVarsity Press alone has published 10 titles in the last 5 years on various topics ranging from his philosophical arguments to his literary work to his mystical imagination. Several biographies have already been written by authoritative eye witnesses such as Walter Hooper, George Sawyer, and the son of Lewis' ... Read More
Rating:  -
It is a shame that someone whose style of writing is as fine as Jacobs should nevertheless produce a book of sloppy scholarship and questionable pronouncements. On the plus side, Jacobs writing style is lively, he creates fine links between Lewis's written works and people/events from Lewis's life, and he gives interesting interpretations of Lewis's works in all the various literary genres in which he wrote.
However, this book receives a two-star rating for several reasons. First, the ... Read More
Rating:  -
There are many books about magic worlds, some even excellent. I love the works of E Nesbit, Edward Eager, J. K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien and others, and enjoy rereading them from time to time. It's very pleasant to hang out with old friends and reground for an hour or two; but ah, there's nothing like the thrill of falling back into Narnia. As "The Wind in the Willows" was for C. S. Lewis, Narnia has always been a refuge for me. I wore out the public library's copies of the Chronicles of Narnia before I was ten, ... Read More
Rating: -
An excellent book! I have recently become a fan of the Narnian Chronicles and have also read them repeatedly to my third grade class since that time. That and Stanford Gibson's review of the Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis has lead me to purchase this book.
Jacobs has done well presenting the people and events that helped shaped Lewis' writings. His relationships with his father, his mother and her early death, his brother Warnie, Professor Kirk, Prof. Tolkien, the mysterious Minto, ... Read More
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