The New Yorker: The Critics: A Critic At Large
It's been a few weeks since I have recommended a New Yorker book review, but the link above is to a good one on CS Lewis. As usual, the "review" is really just an essay on the subject of a recent book, but it is interesting and detailed.
CS Lewis is already getting lot of renewed attention due to the forthcoming release of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in the cinema, and from what I can gather there is a generally good "vibe" about it. I just don't get Tolkien at all, but am quite fond of some of the Narnia books.
I think I have read every major book by Lewis, except for his couple of purely academic ones. When I occasionally dip into his work again, I am usually pleasantly surprised by his clear and engaging prose, and how some of the points he made on the state of Christian faith are still very relevant today despite it being 60 years since his earliest books.
I don't agree with every point made in the review, but it is a good read anyway.
2 comments:
Tolkien was considered the better writer by C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams and various other writers at the time; I think they were wrong.
Read the Out Of The Silent Planet trilogy? They were something of a revelation for me. I've recently re-read the Screwtape Letters, which were great. I'd love a chance to get hold of some of the more obscure Lewis titles, but the trouble is they're ... well, rather obscure.
Yes, the basic problem I have with Tolkien is that I find his writing style terribly uninvolving. I tried reading Lord of the Rings (I think) 3 times, and each time my interest just petered out around the Council of Elrond[?] As a result, I also found the first movie rather confusing after that point, as I think it put no effort into explaining clearly who was who (and what race they were.)
Then it was suggested to me to try The Hobbit first. I think I got about 40 or 50 pages into that, and lost interest again.
So I am happy to hear from someone who also thinks he was not a great writer.
Yes I have read the trilogy, and liked them a lot.
On his more obscure titles, do you have any in mind? It is possible they are on my shelf, although in rather yellowing paperbacks. I also think that a recent Time magazine article on Lewis said that a lot of his titles were about to be re-published.
Post a Comment