Hey, everybody! Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf, where we review any and all books related to CS Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia.  Today, we will be looking at CS Lewis’s  Of Other Worlds.

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Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at From the Library of CS Lewis edited and compiled by James Stuart Bell, Jr and Anthony Palmer Dawson.

Title: From the Library of CS Lewis
Various Authors
Edited by James Stewart Bell Jr and Anthony Palmer Dawson
Publisher: Shaw Books (November 6, 2004)
ISBN-10: 0877880441

ISBN-13: 978-0877880448

Summary of the Book:

Part devotional book, Part Who’s Who of Western Thought and Literature, From the Library of CS Lewis contains passages from selected authors, thinkers, philosophers, critics, and scholars who influenced CS Lewis. From writing that helped him in his Christian faith, to the writings of those who knew him personally, this book runs through a whole gamut of literature spanning thousands of years of human history. Each writer is still just as important and relevant today as they were not only in their own time, but in the life of Lewis.

Review of the book:

As time seems to go on and more and more theology books and devotional books are published, the more ‘nice and soft’ they become. While some devotional books are great others are just quick cash-ins on what ever “new idea” may be popular. With modern entertainment clamoring for our attention, we tend to favor these more Happy Meal approaches to our daily walks with God, and forsake some of the older, more meatier aspects of Christianity.

From the Library of CS Lewis is not that kind of devotional, as it is just as much an indispensable resource material containing a vast treasure trove of key thinkers and writers of Western thought. Part of the books appeal is the fact that the writings contained in this work are all those of authors who influenced Lewis either as a writer or a person. Some of the writings contained in this volume are by big names in European literature like John Donne, John Milton, John Bunyan, Dante, and Plato. These writers find themselves right alongside church fathers like St. Augustine, and Martin Luther and not one of them seams out of place.

This is also one of the few books where you will find excerpts of writing from other members of the Inklings beyond Tolkien ( though he is in here.) There is even a sample of writing from Joy Davidman as she did influence Jack as a writer and person. One writer is featured in this work the most is GK Chesterton, and rightfully so, as his own writings influenced Lewis’ apologetics.

James Stuart Bell and Anthony Palmer Dawson did a great job collecting all the materials in this book and laid them out in a clear, concise format. The book is divided into 18 chapters dealing with different topics that were pertinent to Lewis as a Christian and a scholar.

For those wondering about who influenced Lewis as a writer, or are wanting deeper ideas in their Christian faith this book is indispensable and makes an excellent devotional for all readers. Parents will also find this an excellent educational tool for their children in introducing them to a wide range of important writers.

I had gotten this book on a whim when purchasing some books for one of my college literature classes. It was well worth the purchase and has found a prominent place on my shelf, and in my devotional time. I am sure it will for you as well.

5 out of 5 shields

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Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at The Pilgrim’s Regress by CS Lewis

Title: The Pilgrim’s Regress.
Author: CS Lewis
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (January 1992)

ISBN-10: 0802806414
ISBN-13:978-0802806413

Summary of the book ( some possible spoilers. Please highlight to read:

Once in the land of Puritania there was a man named John. In this land he was brought up in fear of the Landlord, the ruler of Puritainia .Like every one else John was one of the Landlord’s many tenants and he had to follow His rules. As a young boy he had a hard time following these rules so his mother took him to see one of the Landlord’s Stewards. The Steward enforced the Landlord’s rules by telling him of the harsh punishments that awaited him, such as the Blackhole, where all who disobeyed the Landlord were sent. Ultimately, he was told not to worry about the Landlord.

Sometime after this, he was out walking and trying to memorize the rules of the Landlord. His studies were interrupted by beautiful music. He peers through a crack in the wall and hears the singing of some enchanters. His mind is suddenly cleared of all his worries and he was given a vision of a beautiful island.

Later his parents and his Uncle George are with a steward. The Landlord had given George notice to leave. He is saddened by this news, and afraid that his uncle will be put in the Black Hole but he is unable to show it as everyone puts on masks and quotes little platitudes. John grew to resent the Landlord for doing something like this to his uncle. John never forgot the island of his youth, or the music he once heard and longed for it.

Some time after all of this he left the town and meet a brown girl. She told him that it was not the music or the islands he longed for, but her. He was persuaded by her charms to be with her in an intimate way. As he was with her, she’d flatter him and he grew to hate her and realized he didn’t want her. She sends him away with the children they had together that he never knew about. He fled from them to the road and went home quickly.

Life in his home grew hard, the children seemed to follow him every where and he couldn’t shake his guilt. He had to get to the Island. At last one night he made his escape from Puritania. Along the road he meet Mr. Enlightenment who filled his mind with worldly knowledge and told him there was no Landlord. Mr. Enlightenment invited John to the city of Claptrap. John refused as he had to find his island.

He traveled along the road, overjoyed at the news that he need not fear the landlord or His wrath and believes that maybe Enlightenment was right. He encounters Mr. Vertue and Ms. Media Halfways. Vertue insisted that they follow the path as it is a rule, albeit one he made up. Media persuades John to come with her. John is at a crossroads but ultimately decided to follow Media and ignore Vertue.

Media introduces him to her father, Mr. Halfways. They fill his head with nonsensical poems and he falls in love with Media. She claims that they are the island and he is at his final destination. This lasts until a strange man comes and insults her and her father.

The young man, who was Media’s brother, Gus Halfways, informs John that she is just a brown girl. Gus invites him aboard his bus to the city of Escrapolis. John accepts the invitation, and discovers the Clevers and their art. If any one were to speak of traditions or claim something isn’t “art” by the terms of the Clevers, they were attacked for being puritanical. They ended up chasing John out of Escrapolis for such thoughts.

John escaped and begs a passer buy, Mr. Mamnon, owner of Escrapolis. He begged him for help but Mamnon refused. John continued on, alone, and was arrested by two guards and taken to Mr. Sigismund Enlightenment who informed him that the island was really a representation of his primeval desires. John wound up a prisoner of the Giant known as the Spirit of the Age who is disguised as a Mountain.

John was rescued by the Lady Reason who defeated the Sprit of the Age with riddles that the Giant could not comprehend, the Giant was destroyed and toppled down. While the other prisoners refused her offer for freedom, John asked to go with Reason. He was deeply troubled by his time in the dungeon, and Reason set his mind at ease. However she would answer none of his questions as he had to find those answers himself. They parted company at an inn and John continued on his way.

John was reunited with Vertue at a spot known as the Grand Canyon that no one could cross. Suddenly a stranger offered to help them. It was Mother Kirk. Mother Kirk was the Landlord’s Daughter-in-law, and knew a great deal about the Landlord, and told them how this chasm came to be when the first two tenants chose to eat from the forbidden wild apples of the mountain.

After hearing her story, they declined her offer and decided they would search the canyon for another way to cross. The two of them arrived at the home of Mr. Sensible and received food and lodging. He told them many philosophical things and spoke fluent Latin. The next day at breakfast, they discover that Sensible’s servant Drudge is gone. Vertue offers to stay with Sensible but Sensible told him there would be no need for it. The two departed from Sensible’s home and discovered that Drudge was traveling with them now.

Drudge had lived along the canyon for some time and offered to lead them, which they accepted. John soon grew tired and Vertue and Drudge carried him. They come to the home of the Three Pale Men, Mr. Neo-Angular, Mr. Humanist, and Mr. Neo-Classical. They are the sons of Mr. Enlightenment’s first wife and former students of Mr. Halfways. They only offer food and lodging to them out of duty not kindness.

The next day John stayed with the Pale Men while Vertue and Druge sought a way across the canyon. Later Vertue returns with food and wine to thank the three pale men for their help. He announced that they must all leave as they were in danger. Drudge had taken in with the giant Savage who wished to feed on the likes of Humanist and Neo-Classical.

John and Vertue continued on the next morning. Vertue was torn about whether or not the Island or the Landlord were real as he was deceived by the lies of Savage. He was tempted to return to the giant. In his weakness, Vertue fell ill and it was up to John to lead them.

They arrived at the home of Mr. Broad who was very hospitable, but didn’t speak of anything that interested John. After tea with Mr. Broad, John and Vertue journeyed to the house of Wisdom, a neighbor of Mr. Broad. Wisdom and his children agreed to tend to Vertue while John rested.

In the night, Contemplation, the daughter of Wisdom appears to John. She taught him how to fly across the canyon by moon light and told him that in time he could not only fly across the canyon but to the Island. John awoke the next day and learned more of Wisdom’s ways. He learned that through Wisdom he won’t lose desire, but hope as he is in the Valley of Humiliation. After another lesson from Wisdom at dinner about the Landlord, the Island and the rules, Wisdom announced that Vertue was nearly well.

As soon as Vertue was well, he and John set out on the road .The two had a sharp disagreement and separated.SPOILERS! A Man came down from the cliff that Vertue had gone down and urged John to follow Vertue. The Man told him the only way he’d make it is if he stuck with Vertue. John contemplates the Man’s words as he travels and he soon becomes lost and afraid.

He begins to wonder if maybe the Landlord is just a metaphor. The Man appears to him again during the night while he rests and assures him that the Landlord is real. After a disturbing dream where he was caught in slavery John continued on . He starts to not only realize that the Landlord is real but sees that the Island has been obstructed as it is the Landlord he wants.

John arrived at the cave of an old hermit named History. He inquires of History about the Landlord and the Island. History tells him that John’s vision of the Island came from The Landlord as it was the Landlord’s way to give such visions to those who didn’t know him so they’d come to him. History cannot give him what he seeks, that can only come from Mother Kirk. John must not only return to her, but become a blood brother with Vertue. John resolved that he would do this.

In the night Contemplation comes to him in a dream and takes him to the Landlord who he is still afraid of. He awakened and saw Reason who forced him out of the cave. John left the cave and came to the edge of the canyon. A dark voice spoke to him. This voice, which was Death, had been the one who haunted him since his uncle was taken.

This Voice gives him a choice he can be thrown in and possibly die, or surrender himself. John chose surrender. Because John surrendered, Death no longer had power over him and let him go as he choose surrender. John headed for Mother Kirk.

Mother Kirk bid him to cross the river. He wasn’t sure at first and became afraid. As he wrestled with the choice before him the Wraiths of Humanist, Media, Sigismund and Mr. Halfways and others came before him and tried to talk him out of it. At as Vertue came to him and told him to dive. He listened to Vertue and took the plunge.

Once he has crossed the river, the two travel through the caverns. Wisdom appeared to him and tries to dissuade him. The Landlord’s voice overrode wisdom and John was able to continue on until he and Vertue joined a band of Pilgrims. The two of them are given a Guide for their journey.

Their guide, Sliksteinsauga, leads them along the road. As they travel they saw all the places they visited had become desolate shadows. They now saw them as thy really were. They learnt the true nature of the black Hole and that it is only there for those who do not wish to serve the Landlord and accept His help as He cannot enforce His will upon them. They discover that the Landlord is in fact benevolent as they once believed.

After passing through the village of Luxuria John and Vertue were forced to contend with Dragons on there own as it was their battle to fight, not that of the Guide. The guide returns to them when the dragons are vanquished and continues leading them to their destination: Puritainia. John returns to the place he had left having found the true Island in the Landlord.END SPOILERS!

Review of the book:

There is an old cliché that goes “imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.” CS Lewis was no stranger to this concept. All of his works have similarities to others in the genre and at the same time, helped define it. One of Lewis’s earliest works of fiction was an “imitation” of John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. The book had been one of his favorites and it was only natural for him to emulate it.

However, while Bunyan sought to tell the tale of one persons journey to Heaven, Lewis sought to tell a different tale. That of his own journey of faith, going from faith, to agnosticism and back to faith again. Pilgrim’s Regress is in every sense of the word an allegory.

The term “allegory” has been misinterpreted at this point to not only include all seven Narnian Chronicles, but JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Even the film and the book Jurassic Park is labeled as an allegory of technology and nature and humankinds abuse of both. It is often assumed just because a story has some abstract concepts to it that it must be an allegory. While the stories I have just mentioned are not true “allegories”, ( keep in mind that Lewis himself said Narnia was not an allegory but a “let us suppose” story) Pilgrim’s Regress, like Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory.

One of the defining aspects of a “true” allegory is that everything in the fictional book will have some kind of analogue. Narnia for example fails in this regard as while there is Aslan the Christ figure, The Emperor Beyond the Sea is God the Father , Peter Pevensie for the apostle Peter, Edmund for Judas Iscariot, Susan for Martha and Lucy for Mary, where are analogues for the rest of Christ’s followers, and why doesn’t Edmund die as Judas did?

In Pilgrim’s Regress, much like a true allegory, the story follows the format of the traditional morality plays of the Middle-Ages such as Everyman. Each character, save the protagonist is not given a real “name” as much as an attribute that they represent. For example one of the children of Enlightenment, Mr. Sigismund is clearly meant to be in the way he talks and looks an analogue for Sigmund Freud, a thinker who Lewis clashed with, especially in terms of religion and literary analysis.

Traveling the road is John, the protagonist. John is simply an “everyman”. His name itself is one of the most common forenames in the English language. Coincidentally the name “Jack”, which was Lewis’s own preferred name, is a commonly used nickname for those named John. This name is one of the many key indicators that “John” is meant to be CS Lewis.

The friend of the protagonist, Mr. Vertue, is clearly meant to represent virtue. He is often led astray and deceived by the clever sounding arguments of the world. He falls ill and is susceptible to these worldly lies, and it is only when the two of them have completely been given over to the Landlord is he of any use. This is representative of how Virtue, unless given over to God, can be misused for other means and that sheer virtue alone won’t save you.

Representing God is The Landlord. In Pilgrims’ Regress the world is represented as a great tract of land owned by a ruler who leases it out to tenants. The Landlord is desired as being “benevolent”, but his followers end up disfiguring his image and he seems terrible, remote and even cruel to John. Several figures, called Stewards stand in for religious leaders who at times offer no help to the tenants except for Platitudes. This is drawn from Lewis’s own experience as a child. Like the character of John, Lewis lost a very dear relative of his at a young age which led him to not believing. It is possible that he found the “platitudes” of the clergy to not be of any comfort to him as a child. It is ultimately to the Landlord, and his daughter in law, Mother Kirk or Christianity that he must return as they are what he truly seeks.

Along the road John encounters many figures who represent key movements in the fields of literature, art, politics, philosophy and psychology in the late 19th and early 20th century. Each one clamors for his attention and tries to lead him into the fold, but John ends up leaving disgusted as they don’t offer the one thing he is searching for.

Often times he gets trapped by these thought movements. His key rescuer is Lady Reason a lady clad in armor who wields a powerful sword and an incredible mind. At the time Lewis wrote this it would have been unheard of to depict a woman being a war-like heroine ( this was not the time of Xena Warrior Princess, but the none Grimm depiction of Cinderella.) However, she is not meant to be a feminist archetype, but rather is part of a deep literary legacy. Traditionally in literature, wisdom, or reason have always been personified as women. Solomon used his imagery in the Proverbs ( complete with the female figure coming to the rescue or the male), and the Greeks had Athena who was not only the goddess of wisdom but of offensive warfare and aided such heroes as Odysseus. Reason, much like Athena or Wisdom in the Proverbs rescues John and serves to give him aide when he needs it.

Even JRR Tolkien’s role in Lewis’s conversion shows up in the character of History. It is History with John, much like Tolkien with Lewis, who reveals to John that this island was a way of the Landlord getting to him, much like Tolkien said it was fantasy and mythology that God used to get to Lewis. This talk with History gives John much to think about and soon helps lead him back to the Landlord.

One of the hard parts of a “true” allegory, unlike Narnia, is that you have to reread every page you pass as each one is steeped in even more imagery and metaphors that you may have missed. Also with so many of the allegorical figures representing a different philosophy it is almost necessary to stop, reread the text, find the footnote and briefly look up what is being talked about in a dictionary or encyclopedia. This book can be hard to follow upon a first dry reading so multiple readings are required to fully understand and appreciate it.

If readers come across difficult words and terms, one thing is for sure: do not skip over it, as most reading comprehension classes will teach you now. You will be lost in this book even more if you do so.Pilgrim’s Regress is not really a summer beach read or a take it on the airplane and read it during your flight book. This is a book that you have to spend several hours of quality time with. It may seem like a lot, but it is well worth it at the end, especially since the book is a very entertaining fantasy story as well as a complex allegory. And guess what? In the process you might just learn something too!

Like Pilgrim’s Progress, Pilgrim’s Regress is told “in the similitude of a dream,” Every so often, Lewis the narrator will intrude and describe more what’s going on, as though he were actually telling us of a dream. This helps to keep the pace flowing amidst the ideas presented in the book, much as if one were actually telling some one of a dream they had.

The book does contain some very difficult metaphors and at times it has some rather disturbing imagery. For example when John is trapped by the Spirit of the Age John is made to see his internal organs. Because of the metaphors and imagery, this would not really be a book for young readers to hear as a bed time story. It would be much more suitable for High School Students and above.

Readers can expect to understand not only how Lewis came to faith, but how many people may make their own journey of faith. Containing an interesting depiction of the faith journey of one of the 20th Centuries greatest Christian thinkers in an epic fantasy setting, Pilgrim’s Regress is worth the journey.

5 out of 5 shields.

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Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Fight For The Throne

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Fight for the Throne.
Based on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Adapted by: JE Bright
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (April 1, 2008)

ISBN-10: 0061231584
ISBN-13: 978-0061231582

Summary of the book:

Late one night in the Telmarine castle in the land of Narnia, Prince Caspian was woken up by his mentor Dr. Cornelius. Caspian’s uncle Miraz had a son, and Caspian had to escape as his uncle was trying to kill him. Before leaving Cornelius gave Caspian a gift, the horn of Queen Susan Pevensie to use to summon the heroes of old.

Fleeing from his Uncle Miraz’s soldiers, Prince Caspian falls into the company of three of the Narnians, Trufflehunter the badger, along with Nikabrik and Trumpkin, two dwarves. Caspian blew the horn to summon the heroes. The three of them were pursued in the woods and Trumpkin was taken captive. Guided by Nikabrik and Trufflehunter, Caspian was led further into the woods where he then meet Reepicheep and other Narnians. They were afraid to trust him at first as they hated the Telmarines because they had stolen their land. He assured them that he would restore Narnia to them if they fought alongside him.

The Narnians agreed and training begun. Sometime during their training Trumpkin returned with the four Pevensies who were only children.SPOILERS! By the urgings of Peter, and despite the protests of Lucy, the Narnians engaged in a futile Night Raid, in which Caspian rescued Cornelius and learned that his uncle Miraz had killed Caspian’s father.

In the process of this night raid many Narnian lives were lost. Nikabrik and some companions of his attempted to convince him to resurrect the White Witch. With the help of the Pevensies he was able to defeat Nikabrik and his two friends.

They at last decided to do the right thing. After sending Lucy out to find Aslan, Peter decided to engage in a duel of single combat with Miraz to by time. Peter won the duel and was given the choice to kill Miraz he refused as it was not his job. To deal out justice He handed over the sword to Caspian who also refused as he would not sink to Miraz’s level. Miraz was then killed by two of his generals and they blamed his death on the Narnians.

A massive battle broke out. The Narnians routed the Telmarine forces to the river where they meet up with Lucy and Aslan. Aslan summoned up the River God and the forces of the Telmarines were defeated. Caspian was crowned king and the Pevensies returned home.END SPOILERS!

Review of the book:

Let’s see if you can follow this. This book, Prince Caspian: Fight for the Throne, is an adaptation of the movie, which is an adaptation of the book Prince Caspian pretty much like most tie-in books dealing with the Narnia books. It’s almost a given fact for a big movie release. With this book, however it does something different. It looks at Prince Caspian’s story through his perspective.

It is meant for readers who are in the early junior high stage. It is meant to be like it were Caspian’s journal so it is written in a very simple, strait forward manner, with no frills attatched to it, much like a journal entry. This, combined with the books choice on limiting the perspective, means that it does not try to be too challenging. The concept itself of telling the story from Caspian’s perspective is interesting and does intrigue a reader enough. However, it also means that many key plot points for the original novel are cut out as it is based on the film.

SPOILERS!Caspian and Peter do butt heads, but on the plus side Peter seems like less of a jerk in this book than he did in the film and more like he’s trying to help free Narnia. This book also does not have the apparition of Jadis appear in the ice or the “kiss that was heard around the world.” In many ways this book flows like a possible fan edit of the film would.END SPOILERS!

The battles are described in detail but they come off as very lethargic. While they are fun to watch on screen they are less enjoyable in print. One becomes grateful that CS Lewis did not focus on battles as much. Readers realize that he knew what he was doing. By not describing the battles in detail he left them for the readers to imagine and choreograph on their own, which when you are reading a book is much more fun than having it spoon feed to you.

There is also much less of Lewis’s symbolism in this book.SPOILERS!The limited perspective features Aslan only briefly at the end and we have no idea what else is going on in the other parts of story, such as with the Pevensies.END SPOILERS!In a small way, the original book’s beauty is taken away and in it’s place is a quick adventure story for adolescent boys to read in between rounds of playing Nintendo Wii. But in another way there is more mystery about Aslan and the Pevensies as no one sees them until they come.

There are no pictures as this is not meant to be a children’s story book. This is a young readers novel. The advantage of this is that it does give the reader more room to imagine what the characters may look like, even though their versions of the Pevensies in their minds may be the ones played by William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley.

Readers may enjoy this book just for the virtue it looks at a favorite story from one characters perspective. However, in reading it there is one thing that must be kept in mind: this book is not a supplemental book, a replacement, or even an introduction to the story. It’s a companion story. It should only be read if readers have first read ( or heard) the original novel by CS Lewis and then seen the movie, other wise there will be huge blanks left to fill.

Prince Caspian: Fight for the Throne has an interesting premise behind it and does make for a good read for a few times. Next to the original book however, this book is merely the Shadowlands: a good reflection for readers of the wondrous world of Narnia.

3 ½ out of 5 shields.

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Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: Caspian’s Army.
Based on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Adapted by: Sadie Chesterfield
Illustrated by: Justin Sweet
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (April 1, 2008)

ISBN-10: 0061231576
ISBN-13: 978-0061231575

Summary of the book:

Fleeing from his Uncle Miraz’s soldiers, Prince Caspian falls into the company of three of the Narnians, Trufflehunter the badger, along with Nikabrik and Trumpkin, two dwarves. Caspian is taken further into the woods, where he meet up with other Narnians, They were afraid to trust him at first as they hated the Telmarines because they had stolen their land. He assured them that he would restore Narnia to them if they fought alongside him. With a magic horn that could summon the heroes of old in hand and his new army, Caspian was ready to began his quest.

Review of the book:

While this may sound like an apples to oranges comparison, this particular book, Caspian’s Army isn’t as good as the other adaptations of the Narnian Chronicles in this particular series. While the illustrations are just as splendid and the retelling of the tale is nicely paced, this story is a bit lackluster, especially after reading the Tail of Reepicheep.

Part of the problem would be that this book functions like a prologue for Prince Caspian as it’s ending is just left dangling. An old writers adage is to leave the reader wanting more, and this book left you wanting a lot more. While this book may be meant for children, I’m not sure if it’s ending would be as satisfying as the Tail of Reepicheep for them. It would be very easy to picture a little kid sitting up in bed after hearing this story and going ,“is that the end?”

The somewhat disappointing ending of the story aside, it isn’t that badly written. It’s still paced fairly well, and it does contain a good bit of dialogue. One of this books strongest features is it’s use of more “challenging” words like “extinct”. While most reading comprehension courses may teach that kids should skip a challenging word and only read what they know, it is far more important for them to be challenged and improve their skills in order to become better readers, and this book would help with that.

The art is still great. The use of the concept art just helps the story so much more than using a still shot form the film which could easily be blurry from the motion in it, and leave the characters looking rather awkward. This style of art just keeps the story going.

If you are looking for a well paced book for young readers that will challenge their vocabulary skills, with great illustrations this book is certainly worth the try. Certainly, the Narniafans that have to have every book, and parents with younger readers, would like having this in their library. However this story is simply “good” but not “great”, and it is almost better to wait until they are older to read the full story of Prince Caspian to them.

3 1/2 out of 5 shields.

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Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Tail of Reepicheep.
Based on The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis
Adapted by: EK Stein
Illustrated by: Justin Sweet
Publisher: HarperEntertainment (April 1, 2008)

ISBN-10: 0061231568
ISBN-13: 978-0061231568

Summary of the book:

Reepicheep was a brave little mouse who lived in Narnia. He wanted to free the land from the Telmarines and help Prince Caspian take his rightful throne. Reepicheep and the other mice took part in a big battle. The brave mouse was wounded in the battle and lost his tail in the process. The other mice were willing to remove theirs in honor of him. For their devotion, Aslan restored Reepicheep’s tail.

Review of the book:

Reepicheep! Yes, he is a mouse. Need I say more for any long time fans of the Chronicles of Narnia? If a fan sees his name on the book alone, they are immediately interested in reading it. Forget any comparisons to him and Puss n’ Boots in Shrek, Reepicheep the mouse is to Narnia what Chewbacca the Wookie is to Star Wars. He’s brave, fearless, courageous, heroic, but at the same time he’s also fluffy, cute and cuddly ( just don’t let him catch you saying that). Irregardless of who their favorite character is, fans will always have a soft spot in their heart for that lovable fur ball.

Naturally, due to his place amongst the vast collective of fans, a tie in book focusing on him would be in order. This book is by no means a brand new story. It is a nice retelling of the exploits of Reepicheep from the book Prince Caspian. It would have been difficult to try and come up with a new story focusing on him. Fans of the Chronicles can be very protective of the series and to many of them adding a brand new story to the legends would be unacceptable. The fact that it is the “same story” just different, doesn’t at all take away from the enjoy ability of the story. It is, afterall meant for the youngest of readers, so young children will finally have a Narnia book that is “just for them” as the novels are better suited for their older brothers, sisters and cousins.

The title of the book is a pun on Reepicheep’s actual “tail” and the type of “tale” that is a story, similar to what was done with the title the animated movie An American Tail with the mouse Fievel. As it is about him loosing his tail in battle and Aslan restoring it is a very natural one to make.

Unlike a lot of tie in books, this one does not feature pictures from the movie. Instead it utilizes some of the concept art and employs the art very nicely. The pictures give the story an almost surreal dream like quality that is missing from other tie ins and make it feel like a children‘s book and not a strict movie tie-in. Younger children may not appreciate it much, but older readers will appreciate the fact that everything doesn’t look “exactly” like the movie.

The story is short as it is meant for little kids and the dialogue is extremely limited. The story’s briskness aside, it is a fun and engaging read with very nice illustrations. Little ones will enjoy it and it is certain to make a good story to share with them for bed-time. I know I’d be glad to share it with a little one.

Four out of Five shields.

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Prince Caspian Official Illustrated Movie Companion

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion.
Author: Ernie Malik
Publisher: HarperOne

ISBN-13: 978-0061435607

Summary of the book:

The film adaptations of the Chronicles of Narnia are some of the most anticipated movies ever. Ernie Malik looks at the making of the second film in the series, “Prince Caspian”. From preproduction, to filming to post production this book goers every aspect of the filming of the movie, complete with exclusive behind the scenes photos from the movie.

Review of the book:

It was almost a given that with the success of the first film in the Narnia series, that a second would follow. This book looks at the making of the film and is great not only for film buffs interested in the process, but for fans of Narnia who want to know more about their new favorite movie.

The book begins with forwards from Andrew Adamson, Douglas Gresham and Mark Johnson. Appropriately it concludes with an afterward by newcomer Ben Barnes, who plays the titular prince. These forwards and afterwards are very inviting and welcoming and immerse you in the action of the film making process and make you eager for not only Prince Caspian, but for the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

As expected the book has many biographies on the cast and crew, complete with great photos. This includes some amazing shots of Will, Anna, Skander and Georgie, who, in my opinion are looking more and more like Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie and less like a bunch of actors and actresses chosen to play them.

Readers discover that the four young stars didn’t let their success on the first film go to their heads. What’s more these kids are clearly very good friends with each other, which will help so much in their performances in the film.

The new cast member profiles as just as enjoyable as the ones on the returning cast members. Ben Barnes recounts how he became the “fifth Pevensie” and fit right into their already jelled group of friends. This is great news for us fans when we go to the movie. If he can’t fit into the mix, then the movie would be a bust, but if he seems natural with them, the magic can continue. He even recounts how he grew so close to them that at times Will grew angry at him as it seemed Ben was usurping his role as Georgie’s on set older brother.

Warwick Davis recounts his work on the BBC Narnia films and how much he enjoys being back working on Narnia. There’s even a humorous anecdote about how on his first day on set, Howard Berger, blasted the Ewok theme from Return of the Jedi ( Davis played Wicket, the main Ewok who befriends Princess Leia in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi) over the speakers on set to welcome him.

The book goes into full detail about the whole production process from making the props and costumes to designing the creatures. They continually emphasis how everything in Prince Caspian should feel more “used” and “worn out” as opposed to how new and fresh it all felt in the first film.

Casting is described to be just as hard as it was with the first film. The hardest character to design and cast ended up being Reepicheep who was cast at the time the book was being finished. From what we’ve scene already in trailers and sneak peaks, when you read this book, you’ll be glad they did.

The behind the scenes photos are visually stunning and at times are funny to see. You’ll see things like tennis balls, or fake lion heads standing in for creatures like Reepicheep or Aslan. There’s even one of the four Pevensies standing on their marks at the ruins of Cair Paravel, with Anna and Georgie in very modern sandals. In the case of Georgie, they are a clearly oversized pair of sandals.

And of course, lest I forget, our own Paul Martin is mentioned in the Special Thanks section in the back of the book as he helped contribute some information for the book.

This books is nothing short of an exciting look at the magic behind the magic of the Prince Caspian film. It was well written, well researched, the photos were great and in short it had everything you need in a “behind the scenes book.”It is certainly well worth the read. However, when you buy it, make sure to read it after you see the film. There is plenty of juicy spoiler info inside. One thing becomes more sure after reading this book, you will want them to make the rest of the series.

Five out of five shields.

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Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at Devin Brown’s Inside Narnia

Book Title: Inside Narnia
Author: Devin Brown
Publisher: Baker Books (September 1, 2005)

ISBN-13: 978-0801065996

Summary of the book:

From the dedication page to the last sentence of CS Lewis’s classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the adventures of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie have enchanted people for generations. In the first book in the Inside Narnia series, Devin Brown examines in a careful, chapter by chapter commentary Lewis’s beloved work. From the biographical, to the religious, to the mythical, and the fantastical elements Inside Narnia allows the reader to love Narnia more. Readers come away with the same feeling for things in the natural world that they gained in reading Lewis’s Narnian Chronicles. They don’t despise the stories because those aspects are in there, they appreciate them more because of them.

Review:

By this point, there are countless books that examine Lewis’s Narnian Chronicles. Because of the imagery in the series, the vast majority of books look at the allegorical and biblical aspects of the series. However after a time, that can become redundant. There are not many ways of saying, “ Aslan=Jesus” before it becomes a cliché.

In the introduction to his book, Devin Brown admits this, and ponders why write another one. His reasons are simple. To say something that hasn’t been said and say it in away that hasn’t been used. Mr. Brown attempts to look at the series not strictly from the devotional and allegorical stand point, but from the literary and mythical stand point.

While many books may do this, they cover each of the Chronicles in seven short chapters. In doing so the depth of Narnia ends up getting left out. Brown seeks to avoid this by devoting one book in the Inside Narnia series to one corresponding title. Instead of one brief paragraph on everything, Brown looks at the whole book chapter by chapter.

Think of Inside Narnia as an audio commentary with a movie on a DVD. Much like with a commentary on a film, it is best to read Lewis’s book first before reading the commentary. Brown expects that the readers have not only read all of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but the other seven Narnian Chronicles. He gives spoilers for everything from the end of the book to the end of the series. If you don’t know what happens in all seven books before going into it, he makes no apologies.

This book is not like a SparkNotes or CliffNotes version of Narnia where you don’t even have to read the real book in order to understand. It’s purpose is to take what you know, or think you know and enhance it. Readers discover that Narnia is not just a fine “allegory” but a “fine fantasy” , a “work of literature” and “ a mythology.”

His scholarship is insightful and goes past the biographies of Lewis. Such prominent Lewis scholars as Paul F. Ford, Walter Hooper, Clyde Kilby, and others lend more then their weight to his arguments. He even refers to Joseph Campbell, notable scholar of mythology and mentor of George Lucas, to show how well Narnia fits as a mythical heroes journey. As JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were great friends and influenced each other profoundly, Brown also looks at the parallels between Narnia and Lord of the Rings.

Unlike most devotional works which will look glowingly at Narnia. Because of this they will ignore the opposing views of the series, such as charges of sexism or racism. Brown’s work doesn’t do that. He not only allows these views their voice, but with his careful scholarship,he eloquently argues why they are invalid by carefully looking at the text, the scholarly sources and Lewis himself.

Particular surprising to most readers in this book will be the assertion that Aslan is not Jesus and that Lewis did not write the books with an evangelical bend in mind. Most quick readings will leave people saying this, and such things have been inflated more due to the comments such people as Phillip Pullman and JK Rowling. However, Brown shares that Aslan is “Christ-Like” and not “Jesus.” This allows Aslan to take his place along such “Christ-Like” figures as Gandalf the Grey in Lord of the Rings, John Coffey in Stephen King’s The Green Mile, Neo in The Matrix, ET, and Superman and not beside Jim Caviezel in Passion of the Christ.

Most readers may worry that this book is like a boring college literature class they slept through Freshman year. Non-literature majors won’t have to worry about this. While intelligent and insightful enough for an English Major, the book is simple, straight forward and cleverly written enough for everyone.

For long time fans of the series looking to enhance their future journeys to Narnia, this is one travel companion that’s indispensable. For new fans this will be an eye opening experience into a world they have only just discovered. From the wardrobe in the spare room, to the halls of Cair Paravel, readers will have a greater understanding of all the other aspects that we’ve missed Inside Narnia.

Five out of Five Shields

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Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’s
The Great Divorce

Book Title: The Great Divorce
Author: CS Lewis
Publisher: HarperOne; New Ed edition (February 6, 2001)

ISBN-13: 978-0060652951

Summary of the book:

Some Possible Spoilers.( Please Highlight to read)

One rainy day a man stood in line waiting to board a bus. After waiting for a fairly long time and watching as the other passengers got on and watching everything with the other passengers in their attempts to get on board, the man was let on. The man notices that there seemed to be a Light about the driver. This Light even seemed to fill the bus.

As the bus was driving down the road it suddenly flew off into the air. The man spoke with a fellow passenger about the town and where the bus may be heading. The bus, or as it was called The Ominibus, came to a lush green valley unlike any on Earth. Everything in this Valley seemed far more real, and far more alive and vibrant than on Earth, so much so that the passengers of the bus seem as Ghosts in comparison.

The passengers are greeted by the Solid People, or those who dwell in this world. One of them, George McDonald, meets the man and guides him through this world that is filled with gentle lions, unicorns and may other wondrous things. This world exists in-between the worlds of Heaven, Hell and life itself. The man witnesses the discussions between many of the Ghosts and the Solid People and learns what it is that separated these two worlds and leads some to favoring one and not the other.

SPOILERS!As the man’s time in this world comes to a close, George McDonald reveals to him that all of this had been a dream, one which he must relate to others. He awakens , finding himself back home, just as an air raid begins above him.END SPOILERS!

Review:

Jesus once told a parable about two men. A very wealthy man, and a poor beggar named Lazarus. The rich man had everything and Lazarus had nothing. One day both men died. The Rich man went to Hell, while Lazarus was carried by angels to Paradise. The rich man looked over and saw Lazarus at peace in paradise with Abraham. He begged Abraham to send Lazarus to dip his hand in water and touch it to the rich man’s to cool him for he was in great agony. The Rich man said he could not send him as there was a great gulf fixed between Heaven and Hell that none could cross.

It is through this gulf between Heaven and Hell that Lewis allows the reader to peer through in his book The Great Divorce. In this fictional story, Lewis examines the nature of Heaven and Hell. The title’s implication is that the two are so far divided from one another that there is no chance that they can ever be reconciled. Lewis shows just what some of these divisions are.

The story is written from the first person perspective. It is implied by various details that the man in question is CS Lewis, who is dreaming a dream. Because of his limited knowledge as a first person narrator Lewis is able to convey the same sense of wonder and amazement at this strange land he finds himself in, similar to the feeling his characters of the Pevensies feel when they are in Narnia.

Much like with Narnia, Lewis the narrator is taking us to a world that we have never been to. Unlike Narnia, which is like the fantasy world we dream of, this land is one that as Shakespeare said, “ None have journeyed back from.” Lewis in effect is showing what does lie in that “undiscovered country” of death and how we can end up in either the worlds of Heaven or Hell.

In some ways The Great Divorce is not that dissimilar from Dante’s Divine Comedy. In both works the authors take us to the eternal realm, allow us to see the inhabitants and what leads some humans to ending up in one place or another. Much like with Dante, a guide is needed to navigate through this strange country. For Dante it was the poet Virgil in The Inferno, and Dante’s dead lover, Beatrice in Purgatorio and Paradiso.The guide for Lewis is George McDonald, noted author of numerous fantasy works that later inspired those of Lewis and JRR Tolkien.

As Virgil served as a guide and source for inspiration for Dante, McDonald had also served as a sort of guide for Lewis in his own personal life. It was the works of McDonald that Lewis said “baptized his imagination.” Lewis’s “Lord, Liar, Lunatic” rational that was used to confirm the deity of Christ in Mere Christianity, was first employed by McDonald in his Everlasting Man. Lewis felt he owed a great debt to McDonald’s works, both in terms of his own fantasy and his Christian faith, so to use one who guided him indirectly is fitting. Notably Lewis makes reference to the appearance of Beatrice to Dante in Purgatorio when McDonald first appears to him.

There are also many other characters that fall into one of two groups. Except for Lewis and McDonald, none of them are given names as much as descriptive terms and characteristics to describe who they were in life, such as “Man with the Bowler Hat”,”The Hard-bitten Ghost”, “The Tragedian”, and “The Dwarf.” The names of these characters is actually not needed. The only thing that matters with any of them is how they have ended up in Hell as opposed to Heaven.

These people are divided into two groups.The first are the Solid Ones, the people dwell in this Land. The second is The Ghosts or the new arrivals. Through the conversations between these two types of people, Lewis shows what divides Heaven and Hell. The key divider between Heaven and Hell is the choice of Christ. Those who accept Him become Solid.

Perhaps the most haunting conversation is between a Ghost and a Solid Man who killed the Ghost’s friend while the Solid Man was alive. The Solid Man came to Christ and is in Heaven with the Ghost’s friend. It is unsettling for many Christians as it reminds us that essentially every one can get into Heaven if they only choose Christ. This means that the likes of Hitler, Stalin, Phillip Pullman, Nietzsche and Osama Bin-Laden have the chance of being in Heaven with Jesus and standing side by side with the likes of Deitrich Bonhoeffer, Mother Theresa, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and Billy Graham.

The world Lewis visits is described as being “real” and “hard” and is far more real than the world he left. Animals such as lions, fish, and even unicorns dwell and thrive in perfect harmony. This is in contrasted with the dismal ,rainy and virtually empty city they left. In some ways the world Lewis visits is not that dissimilar from Aslan’s kingdom in comparison to the Shadowlands in Narnia, which in turn is derived from Plato’s ideas of Higher Forms.

The Platonic ideas, the references to Dante and even George McDonald himself may be lost on many modern readers, as they may not understand them as most works of classic literature are fading into obscurity. This is the same fate of many of the allusions made in this, and Lewis’s other books, to works of classical literature. They can leave some modern readers confused. Lewis was a scholar of literature and writing in a time when people were more versed in such things. While a modern person may not understand completely what he means Lewis in away helps preserve the ideas in these works of literature and adds to their legacy.

Protestant and Catholic scholars debate about whether or not the dream is set in Purgatory as it appears to be an area in between Heaven and Hell. The location of the dream is not as important as the meaning. Quoting Milton, Lewis says that the choice of Hell over Heaven lies in saying, “better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven,” and in doing so, choosing to favor our Pride and our own will over God’s. The choice of Heaven lies in giving oneself over to God and choosing Christ.

In doing so all the good things of life are outshined by the glory of Heaven. Lewis reminds us that this choice is always before us and that choosing Hell is to choose something that is even more pale, and horrible, and smaller in comparison to even this world. He reassures us that Hell can never veto Heaven as it is nothing next to Heaven. For those bound for Hell, this life ends up being as good as it gets.

The is choice of Heaven is one we all have to make, and must make it while we dwell on Earth. In The Great Divorce, Lewis shows not only why we have to make it, but how. Lewis reminds us in his dream that the only way for any of us to get to Heaven is to choose Christ and let go of ourselves.

Five out of Five sheilds

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Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at CS Lewis’s
The Screwtape Letters

Book Title:The Screwtape Letters
Author: CS Lewis.
Publisher: HarperOne; New Ed edition (February 6, 2001)

ISBN-13:978-0060652937

Summary of the book:

Some Possible Spoilers.( Please Highlight to read)

Junior Tempter Wormwood was assigned to try and lead his human patient into Hell. Through a series of letters his “uncle” Screwtape instructed him on how to perform this task and about it’s importance to their cause. As they were at war with God, every soul that remained lost was a small victory for them. They devoured souls and needed every single one.

The first letter focused just on the importance of keeping the patient from becoming a Christian. However the focus of their correspondence shifted when the patient became a Christian. The goal from then on in was to either lead the patient into abandoning the faith, or to prevent him from growing. Their tactics were the same as they have used from the beginning.

From surrounding him with certain kinds of people, to attacking his relationships, to coercing him into being a zealot, to simply clouding his emotions, Wormwood was to stop at nothing. If he failed he would be punished accordingly. Screwtape instructed Wormwood to keep their letters private and say nothing to any other tempters.

SPOILERS!The letters carry on until the patient was killed in an air raid. Screwtape was enraged at this news. Wormwood had failed. They had lost the patient completely as he was now safely in Heaven.END SPOILERS!

Review.

Most writing classes will always tell you that writing a villain is more fun than writing a hero and a lot easier. There is some truth to that. A hero will always have a specific motive and a strong moral compass that can’t be broken. Villains, however provide plenty of room to wiggle around and cut loose. However at other times the villain can be very difficult and challenging to write, especially if a villain is your “hero“.

CS Lewis himself knew that first hand in writing what many consider one of his “best” works, The Screwtape Letters. Prior to this book, no writer accept for John Milton in Paradise Lost, had attempted to tell a story strictly from a demons point of view. Unlike Paradise, there is no poetic grandeur with Screwtape. While Milton’s epic poem is often quoted ( “ Better to reign …”) , the Letters have seen their share of imitators in the past few decades. Some didn’t work too well and missed the mark, others could have been better and some actually were really good. Irregardless, Lewis’s work is the original masterwork, and it is easy to see why it is hard to properly emulate.

One thing that makes it so unique is how it is written. Screwtape Letters is a satire. In a satirical work you take a very serious subject and look it it in almost a humorous way. In reading satire, you end up wondering why do we do that. For example Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a satire and in it he talks about a cannonball in such a way that it makes the reader wonder, “ why do we design such monstrosities?”

In Screwtape Lewis takes our sins and vices and makes us wonder, “ Why do we fall for the lies and temptations of the evil one?” We see through Screwtape that the demons like it best if we are on the safest road to Hell. That path is the one is with out any warnings, or signposts. They lead us upon it simply by using our most common vices that seem almost harmless and in the end we end up into deceiving ourselves about what we do.

One could even say that the is essentially the language the evil one likes to use best. What else could the words of the serpent to Eve have been but a parody or a satire of the truth that she knew? This allows the character of Screwtape to be a more convincing devil as we know his language so well. Because we have heard it before it has become our language.

Another thing unique about Screwtape is the way the titular character is written. Most “Screwtape inspired” characters, or even demons for that matter, come off as either campy-over the top figures, akin to Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa in the Power Rangers, a super-intimidating evil force like Darth Vader ( even Frank Peretti’s demons in his earlier works had a lot in common with Vader), or a laughable cartoon like the villains in a Scooby-Doo cartoon. This leaves the reader almost expecting the devil to say, “Curses, foiled again!” or “ And I would have gotten away with it too, had it not been for….” This could lead the reader into one of the two dangerous extremes Lewis warned about with demons: disbelief or unhealthy interest.

Both of these he avoided in his portrayals of Hell and the demons. The vision of Hell and the demons that Lewis strives to paint is something that no one else has gauged. It seems like a bureaucracy. Lewis himself said that he based his demons off of bureaucrats. Because of that Screwtape doesn’t come off as a snarling dragon or a mischievous imp in red tights and a pitchfork. He talks like a politician as was intended by Lewis as it was more convincing sound. According to Lewis the greatest evil occured in these settigns and not in the more “sinister” places of the world.

Because of how Screwtape talks, he doesn’t seem evil to some readers. In Screwtape’s mind, he isn’t evil. To Screwtape and Wormwood they are doing what’s right. In his twisted mind Screwtape is still an angel of light and Satan is the right one to follow. To those he’s tempting, they should also seem good. That is what makes him so convincing: they appear as the really are, not how they’d rather have us see them.

There are also times in the banter between the two demons when Screwtape comes across more as an uncle chiding a misbehaving nephew and less of the stereotypical villain rebuking a failing underling. Even at the end Lewis allows Screwtape to maintain his same wit that he has in the entire work. It tells the reader that Screwtape has been on this road before, it isn’t the first time and it won’t be the last.

Unlike most works in this genre, Lewis made sure not to use dated examples in his letters. While his references to “ The War” are clear that he is meaning World War II, it could apply to just about any war to occur from now till the end of history. SPOILERS!The description of how The Patient died could just as well apply to the battle fields of Iraq or Afghanistan, the World Trade Center in New York on 9-11, or the jungles of Vietnam as well as World War II. That’s what makes Screwtape so excellent is it is timeless.END SPOILERS!

Wars and vices like envy, pride, bigotry, vanity, strife, zealously, greed, and lust which are dealt with in The Screwtape Letetrs will exist long after current “pop-cultural threats from the world” like Harry Potter-mania and Da Vinci Code fever have died down. The situations that the patient faces in the letters are the same as we face now. By not using pop-cultural references that readers of his day would understand, as some are oft to do now, he allows Screwtape to speak to every generation.

The fact that the “Patient” is never given a name also allows him to be an “everyman” and allows the letters to be about any one, even you or me. It’s what makes the letters so chilling, the fact that you start to wonder if two demons could really be talking about you like this. It doesn’t cause you to look under the beds for demons, but begin to pray for coverage in your own weak areas.

We have no idea what Wormwood is like except it seems that this is one of his first assignments. He seems very excited by everything he finds on Earth giving the reader the impression that this is his first taste of the world. He seems to enjoy death and destruction and is easily distracted from his job by the nature of everything going on around him. Perhaps it is the fact SPOILERS! that he is distracted by the “scream of bombs, the fall of houses, the stink of smoke in the nose and in the lungs…” that allows the patient to slip through his fingers and into Heaven.END SPOILERS!

Some Christian readers have wondered and even been concerned about the fact that “Screwtape” and “Wormwood” call each other uncle and nephew. We know from scripture that demons were once angels who fell, and therefore cannot be married or given in marriage. Why the title?

“Nephew” and “Uncle” are familiar terms that denote a closeness in a relationship, between a younger and older person. Many times a child will call an older male, who is a close family friend an “uncle,” even if he is not the brother of the mother or father. It invokes not only closeness at times, but also authority. Even in The Last Battle, the children make reference to Polly Plummer being “Aunt Polly” even though she is of no relation to them, but is simply a term to refer to her . The “Uncle” “Nephew” relations are not meant to be a theological heresy. They are meant to be terms of authority, between the demons similar to Tolkien’s use of the title “lord” in Lord of the Rings.

This leads to a very puzzling aspect of the nature of the demons. They speak of “loving” each other and “desiring” each other in ways that can be misread as affection or even romantic nature. Lewis makes it clear both in his preface, and in the letters themselves that the terms they use for “love” and “desire” are simply the same ways that they mean for us. To Screwtape, a tempter like Wormwood, or humans like us, are food. Him saying he loves humans or Wormwood or desires them is akin to me saying I love a cheeseburger and fries with a milk shake on the side, and not the love I may have for a girl.

Screwtape’s hunger, is a hunger for food. He needs to fill it either with a human soul or a tempter, just as I would fill my hunger or desire for food with a plate of nachos and not a girl. This shows what Peter writes in 1st Peter 5:8, “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” This allows Screwtape’s “love” to stand in contrast with the love of God that he distorts. Screwtape says in one letter that they want humans for food, God wants to have a relationship with us and make us his children. God, through His Son Jesus Christ, is willing to die for us to make us His children, Screwtape wants to kill us to make us food.

Beyond a plethora of books based on or inspired by it, The Screwtape Letters has been influential elsewhere. The teacher in the Calvin and Hobbes comics was named for the demon Wormwood, as was the Secretary General of the UN in Mark Miller and Alex Ross’s DC comics graphic novel Kingdom Come. In a U2 music video Bono is seen reading the book. Lewis’s friend and colleague JRR Tolkein also referred to it in some of his own letters to his son as he said it was Wormwood who was keeping Lewis and Tolkien from meeting. Notably Lewis also dedicated he book to him as it was Tolkien who led him back to the Christian faith.

Some have misread the book and felt that Lewis had a sinister, Satanic bend in writing it. That was not the case. Lewis, a devout Christian actually stated that this was his least favorite work and the hardest one to write because it was so focused on evil. There was no way for him to craft a juxtaposition to Screwtape as he felt he was too deficient to write anything from an Angelic perspective. Because of it he’d never write another book like it again. He only had one goal in mind which he set out to do well, which is wonder what it would be like if we could read into the devil’s conversations about us.

By allowing us to intercept this mail, Lewis helps us become aware of the enemies attacks .They are so foreign to us, yet so familiar. Screwtape speaks to us in a language that is alien to us, yet it is familiar to us by nature. It is a satire, yet in it’s satirical approach it is also very serious. It’s a classic work, yet like the Bible itself it’s just as relevant today as it was when it was first written.

Like Lewis I have no way of knowing how this correspondence came to me. But I have read it and I know what to do with what I’ve learned from it. It is more than worth the read. Dare you open The Screwtape Letters and see for yourself? You may be surprised what you’ll read. Because what you read may even be about you.

Five out of Five shields

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