C.S. Lewis : a biography

The vast Christian readership will welcome this definitve biography of Lewis--as will scholars and lovers of fantasy. Filled with fresh and frank revelations, C.S. Lewis is the biography of a complex and passionate man--an acclaimed writer of literary merit and bestselling author of the beloved Chronicles of Narnia--whose many faces tell many stories. An absorbing portrait of a secretive figure . . . --Publishers Weekly. Photographs.

出版社周刊评论

Known details of the Christian apologist's life, a veritable Freudian case history, appear along with fresh insights about his Oxford circle, the Inklings, and his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien. ``Wilson, though attuned to psychoanalytic theory, avoids reductionist psychobiography in this absorbing, intimate portrait of a secretive figure,'' said PW. Photos. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Kirkus评论

A fitting follow-up to his wonderful Tolstoy (1988), Wilson's new critical biography unmasks the interlocking life and work of the much mythologized chronicler of Narnia. The prolific Wilson begins by exposing the falsity of the ""sinless image"" of C.S. Lewis, worshipped by rival factions of Christian followers. Deliberately ""realistic,"" the author fleshes out the odd and sometimes difficult ""argumentative and bullying"" Christian apologist who loved to smoke and drink, compartmentalized his life, thrived on the companionship of his Oxford circle (the Inklings, which included J.R.R. Tolkien), sustained a 30-year devotion to a much older woman, Janie Moore, and kept his later marriage to Joy Gresham a secret. Writing with wit, logic, and vision, Wilson tracks the external and internal events that influenced Lewis' writing of over 50 books (including The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity) and his evolving religious conversion. The most decisive event in his life was the death of his mother in 1908, when he was nine. Forty years later, Lewis retrieved that stolen childhood by writing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Narnia took him through the wardrobe that had stood in the Belfast room where he and his little brother played, and into a rich imagination ""always threatened by a terrible sense of loss. . ."" Wilson champions the Lewis who was ""a mind abundantly stocked with reading,"" an Oxford scholar and teacher of literature, and praises The Discarded Image and A Preface to Paradise Lost. Yet, he argues that the persistent sanctifying of Lewis plays a major part in the story of a 20th-century myth-maker. As Wilson keeps pace with Lewis' intellectual and spiritual quests, his engrossing book (with photographs, not seen) draws us into a constantly interesting account of Lewis' life and ""imaginative impact. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Choice 评论

Of the several biographies of C.S. Lewis that have appeared, Wilson's is clearly the best, though the others were often impressive in their own way. The earliest, full-scale biography, R.L. Green and Walter Hooper's C.S. Lewis (CH, Feb'75), had a tendency to downplay some of Lewis's harsher features (such as his combativeness) and some of the more unusual episodes of his life (such as his living arrangements with Mrs. Moore). In his Clive Staples Lewis: A Dramatic Life (CH, Feb'87), William Griffin consciously refused the attempt to evaluate the new materials he had brought together. Wilson's book avoids both of these faults, but it is not without its difficulties. To avoid special pleading and uncritical narrative, Wilson has taken several risks with his materials that depend largely on speculative judgments. Some of these speculations seem ill-advised or just plain wrong. For example, he speculates that Lewis's liaison with Mrs. Moore was sexually consummated in some way, a conclusion that will come as a shock to some and one that Wilson weighs, perhaps too heavily, in his interpretation of the life by making it part of a "mother complex" of sorts. Even those who do not believe that Lewis remained a virgin throughout his life will question its validity and the emphasis placed on it. Wilson's judgments on some of the books, especially the novels, will also meet with disagreement. Yet, the risks were worth taking, and even if they lead to disagreement, the biography remains a satisfying piece of work. -F. P. Riga, Canisius College

《图书馆杂志》(Library Journal )书评

More probing than the affectionate biographies now available, this is a welcome addition to Lewis studies. Author of the acclaimed Tolstoy (LJ 8/88), Wilson renders yet another extraordinary but thoroughly human life. His Lewis is no ``plaster saint.'' Extremely reticent about his life and canonized by devotees since his death, Lewis was a unique challenge to the biographer. Wilson adeptly considers each of Lewis's books in the context of the life and reveals how the writer came to realize the importance of the imagination in Christian faith. Lewis's conversion to Christianity, his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, and his work on the Narnia books are presented insightfully. Recommended.-- Kathleen Norris, Lemmon P.L., S.D. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Illustrations	p. viii
Preface	p. ix
1 Antecedents	p. 1
2 Early Days 1898-1905	p. 8
3 Little Lea 1905-1908	p. 15
4 Schools 1908-1914	p. 22
5 The Great Knock 1914-1917	p. 37
6 The Angel of Pain 1917-1918	p. 52
7 Undergraduate 1919-1922	p. 62
8 Heavy Lewis 1922-1925	p. 74
9 Redemption by Parricide 1925-1929	p. 91
10 Mythopoeia 1929-1931	p. 114
11 Regress 1931-1936	p. 133
12 The Inklings 1936-1939	p. 148
13 Screwtape 1939-1942	p. 169
14 Separations 1942-1945	p. 186
15 Narnia 1945-1951	p. 206
16 The Silver Chair 1951-1954	p. 231
17 Smoke on the Mountain 1954-1957	p. 249
18 Marriage 1957-1959	p. 265
19 Men Must Endure 1959-1960	p. 278
20 Last Years 1960-1963	p. 282
21 Further Up and Further In	p. 299
Sources	p. 311
Acknowledgements	p. 313
Notes	p. 315
Select Bibliography	p. 322
Index	p. 326

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