Favorite CS Lewis Work?

[Gibby]

Alright, I couldn't find any threads on this so here goes...

I need some advice. Anybody who has read Lewis' books, could you post which ones are, in your opinions, the best and list them in order of your favorite? Perhaps even write a brief summary of the ones you like the best? I have read Mere Christianity and CoN; that's it. I purchases Surprised by Joy but have not started it yet. I also have The Four Loves on audio but it is a terrible recording (Lewis reads the book himself). I am hooked on Lewis' writing so I think I am going to tackle them all but I want to read the best ones first. http://www.narniafans.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

Thanks.

Oh, and is George Macdonald worth picking up and reading?

[Charn_Tim]

I haven't read everything, but I suggest The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses next. The Screwtape Letters and The Problem of Pain are also excellent in my opinion. I also just recently picked up The Four Loves, so that book and The Great Divorce are next for me. As for a summary of what's in the books, it's rather difficult to do in some of their cases becuase some are just collections of essays...But I haven't read them all, and I'm sure others will come on and give you better advice than me :)...By the way, congrats on the Broncos :).

[Nenya]

Till We Have Faces is said to be his best novel. It's hard to understand, though. The Christian lesson is not as clearly written out as in CoN... Basically, it is about the selfish nature of man being personified in Queen Orual, the main protagonist. Then at the end, she sees that the "greatest of these is love". All of us, like Orual, dont really have "faces" right now.. we are not perfect yet. But then God will see us someday, face to face, and we shall know Him fully. The title is actually from 1 Corinthians 13, the chapter on love. It's a heavy reading, really. It can get to you.


Lewis used the classic, pagan story of Psyche (Orual's sister in the story) and Cupid (you can also think, Beauty and the Beast) to tell a Christian message.

[pacifiquesea]

Surprised by Joy is very interesting, it seems you already have that. The Space Trilogy is excellent, if you want more fiction.

[Gibby]

Oh, I forgot. I have read Screwtape Letters. Pacifiquesea, what is The Space Trilogy about? I have heard this title before but have never really heard what the story is about. Thanks everyone for your thoughts, and yes, the hype is building in Colorado for the Broncos; Broncos football is huge here.

[CSLewisFan]

I love the Chronicles, obviously. I also love The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity. Till We Have Faces is a good read as well.

-Austin

[Charn_Tim]

Gibby, you said before that you wanted to know more about The Space Trilogy. I actually haven't read it, but after reading this review on amazon, it is definitely on my list :):


The Space Trilogy is CS Lewis's allegorical statement of theology and philosophy. Lewis was one of the most prominent Christian apologists of his time, but he always felt there was an audience he couldn't reach. This was his solution, and we are left with a masterpiece both in the world of fiction and the world of theology.

The hero of the books is Dr. Ransom, a philologist who is a good man, though not exceptionally heroic at first. The first book finds him captured and whisked off to Mars, where he encounters a society much more morally advanced than our own, and learns that the corruption of our planet is due to an evil influence (which we would call Satan). These higher creatures cannot grasp the concepts of war, murder, or any vice.

The second book finds Ransom transported to Perelandra, also known as Venus. This is Lewis's allegory of the garden of Eden, and here he encounters an unfallen woman who is being tempted into doing the forbidden. Here Ransom learns of the nature of sin, and of the temptation that (Lewis says) befell the parents of our own race.

The final book is quite different from the other two, and Ransom, this time on Earth, is battling an evil organization which is bent on penetrating the mysteries of the universe and purifying the human race. Ransom and his followers are aided by a power that has long slept, and together they battle the power of science gone haywire. We see, through their eyes, the evils of society and of so-called 'higher thought.'

There are many lessons to be learned from this wonderful trilogy, but there is also a remarkable story to be told. If you're a fan of fantasy and science fiction, a reader of Christian and theological works, or both, you will greatly enjoy the Space Trilogy.

Here (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/068483118X/103-0701869-6898239?v=glance&n=283155) is the link where I found it. I hope this helps...

[DeplorableWord]

Oooh! I want to finish reading those space trilogy ones!!! I read Out of the Silent Planet and part of the next one. Gosh, they were so good. I highly recommend them!!!

[fea~mar~vanwa~tyalieva]

I would recommend the Pilgrim's Regress, it's sort of like Surprised by Joy but it's in the form of an allegory...the writing is very beautiful and eloquent, and I've read that book several times already, I really liked it...it has a lot of ideas in it too, and a lot of references to the ideas in the early 20th century, but everything is written in story form. It's about a boy named John who one day, sees a beautiful Island (you'll see what it is really) and goes on a journey to find it. It helps to read Surprised by Joy beforehand, but that's not necessary I think...
Also, I liked the Great Divorce, which is about people in hell who are given an opportunity to go to heaven, and...you'll see what happens :) it's very entertaining to read.
the Screwtape Letters is also good...a demon writing to his nephew. I couldn't put that book down! It's really witty and dark at the same time.
Also, Mere Christianity is really great; really intelligent and in general a good apology.
That's all I have read so far, well except I haven't listed Narnia because we all know about it :) hehe
It's hard to put these books in order, but they were all really good...

cheers

[arwen3]

Chronicles is definetly the best I have ever read of his. :)

[QA48]

i kinda like the whole idea of The Screwtape Letters. yep i have to say that one. i tried to read Mere christianity but the language used was too old fashion :o

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Till We Have Faces is one of Lewis' most underappreciated yet powerful works. I highly recommend it.

McDonald is worth it, but brace yourself for very "dated" prose. He writes very much in the late Victorian manner - flowery, stylized work - but is well worth it.

[QA48]

Till We Have Faces McDonald is worth it, but brace yourself for very "dated" prose. He writes very much in the late Victorian manner - flowery, stylized work - but is well worth it.
yeah that's what i was talking about with mere christianity! :eek:

[she-elfwarrior19]

The Chronicles of Narnia
Actually i have a confession.
Ive never read any other works by him, yet....YET!!!I hopefully shall!!

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Start with Mere Christianity! Start with Mere Christianity! Start with Mere Christianity!

(Not that I have a preference... :D)

Seriously, if you prefer fiction, try his Interplanetary Trilogy. If you want to add a bit of thinking to your faith, MC is the place to begin. Some of his other works, like Miracles and Problem of Pain get quite sticky unless you're accustomed to philosophical writings.

Then again, if you're into Medieval and Renaissance studies, I'd recommend The Discarded Image...

[Sam]

Yeah, that book helped me get through my Medieval paper! I was actually wondering whether to read 'till we have faces' so I'm glad of the feedback. Also, has anybody read 'War in Heaven' or any other Charles Williams books? And would they recommend them? I'm trying to choose something to read over the holidays. (and I've read 'mere christianity' Screwtape, surprised by joy and the Great divorce- all of which are brilliant in their different ways. I think Screwtape is brilliant if you are a Christian and want to grapple with the difficulties of faith.)

[PrinceOfTheWest]

Williams is a little odd - more opaque than Lewis (by far - don't even think about Taliesen Through Logres / Region of the Summer Stars - that even stumped T.S. Eliot). Of his fiction, I'd recommend (in this order) War in Heaven, Place of the Lion, Descent Into Hell, Many Dimensions, All Hallow's Eve, Shadows of Ecstacy, and The Greater Trumps. They vary in quality, but are all worth the effort.

[Charn_Tim]

Well, I don't know about Charles Williams, but that's really cool that you have read those other Lewis works. They are all excellent.

One Lewis book that doesn't get talked about enough in my opinion is The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, which is a wonderful collection of some of his other essays and talks. I would very much recommend reading that one if you get the chance, especially the essays, "The Weight of Glory" and "Is Theology Poetry?" (from which my banner quote is from).

[abbyluvswilliam]

sadly enough the only C.S Lewis books i have read are the narnia series!

[giselle]

Sadly, I have only read The Chronicles of Narnia, just as many of you. My favourite book was obviously LWW but my second is The Last Battle.

Giselle

[purplemonkeyhunter]

The Weight of glory is definetly a must read. That is definetly one of my favorites.

[Lawrence]

For its impact and brevity, The Great Divorce. For a slightly less (at least initially) theological bent, Out of the Silent Planet. One simply has to read Surprised by Joy in front of a fire, on a cold night, with a good scotch/good tea after a very brisk late afternoon walk through the woods. (you'll know why as you read it). Cheers.

[Charn_Tim]

Welcome to the site, Lawrence. I certainly agree with you on that. Lewis would be proud of you if you read Surprised By Joy like that :). I just read that one a couple weeks ago and I loved it, and would highly recommend it as well.

[narniafreak216]

I am a freshmen in high school and I am trying to decide whether to read the space trilogy or not. I've heard some of C.S. Lewis's works can be hard to understand. Do you think I would be able to understand them or would they go over my head?

[Lawrence]

Out of the Silent Planet is a relatively easy read. The theology is subtle, creaping in towards the middle of the book. Perelandra is a bit more theological, interweaving ideas from the Book of Genesis on sin with the idea of Christ as a "RANSOM" (big hint) for our sins. That Hideous Strength is probably the most overtly theogical, but, still a relatively easy read. Go for it.

[PrinceOfTheWest]

I found the Space Trilogy an easy and enjoyable read in high school. As with all of Lewis' fiction, you can read them on several levels. They're always a great story, but as Lawrence correctly points out, he slips important points in that are worth learning. But they don't ruin the story!

[Gibby]

I just started Surprised by Joy. Kind of a slow start. The terminology of young English schoolboys in the early 1900's is difficult for this gen x yank here. I anticipate it to pick up soon.

[Lawrence]

Indeed. I recommended it to my Mom and she said the same thing. Fear not, once you get out of the whole Oliver Twist stuff (i.e. Oldie's, etc.) it picks up. When he gets on track to speak of his conversion (it all began with the yearning for the Northerness...) it gets good.

Xaipe,
L

[narniafreak216]

thanks for the advice

[Queen Swanwhite]

My fave CS LEWIS work is Narnia, but Mere Christianity is very good. ;)

[Charn_Tim]

I just started Surprised by Joy. Kind of a slow start. The terminology of young English schoolboys in the early 1900's is difficult for this gen x yank here. I anticipate it to pick up soon.
Yeah, but make sure you don't miss his definition of "joy" which is different from the colloquial use. He does tell a lot of biographical info, and the bulk of his converstion story is mainly in the last quarter of the book, but I do think all of it is really interesting.

[Gibby]

I just got to that part. I am going to have to go back to it and read it again when my kids aren't running around screaming.

[Sam]

I suppose having gone to an English boarding school makes a difference, but I loved 'Surprised by joy'. I liked all the biographical stuff, because I felt like it really brought the theological part into a realistic context. After all, Christianity must be about normal, everyday life and people if it is to be convincing. and the fact that he comes to a Christian way of thinking via stubborn opposition made it very real for me.

[Gibby]

I am confident that it will be convincing once I start getting into it. All I have is just one question...

Will somebody please explain to me what an "Oldie" is and his role in the school? Or just paint a picture of what an English boarding school was really like (i.e. function, staff, schedule, etc).

[Oddish]

Sorry, no clue. I was educated in American public schools. And although I adore the Narnia books, I think that for the sheer value of the lessons contained within, they fall shy of these two:

One is "The Screwtape Letters". I know that the devil hates the Bible most of all, but this one has to be, if not second, then high on the list. Jack completely lays out much of his bag of dirty tricks, allowing both new and experienced Christians to see what he's up to and stand against him.

But I also liked "The Great Divorce"... not only is the world it creates incredibly imaginative, but the theological insights are brilliant. Talk about a wonderful rundown of many of the all too many barriers between mankind and salvation.

[Lawrence]

Oldie, from my reading of the book, was not only the headmaster but the one who technically "owned" the school. Evidently at the turn of the last century, all one had to do was earn an academic degree, hang a shingle and open a school. It seemed to be a business with reputation being of utmost importance. From the book it seemed that Oldie's had seen better days.

Pax,
L

[Gibby]

Yeah, I have pretty much assessed that the school Lewis went to was a waste of money and time for his father just from how Lewis has described it so far.

[Sam]

But I also liked "The Great Divorce"... not only is the world it creates incredibly imaginative, but the theological insights are brilliant. Talk about a wonderful rundown of many of the all too many barriers between mankind and salvation.[/QUOTE]


I agree. I think the whole idea that our salvation (or not) is up to us, is quite difficult to grasp, sometimes. I mean, I think it is quite easy for us to think it is something God 'does' to us, like handing out punishment or reward. The way Lewis shows how much we create our own heavens and hells, by hanging on to our fears and other things, is brilliant, I think. And challenging.

[NARNIANKNIGHT]

Narnia what else