C.S. Lewis and Tolkien

[greypilgrim]

Alright, The Chronicles of Narnia are the only books by Lewis I have read (a long time ago). Now I can see where Tolkien had a major influence on the writings of Lewis. Any other recommended books by C.S. Lewis? I have seen alot and want to know the good ones. Any replies cool.

[Goro Shimura]

I recommend The Abolition of Man if you want to see how he thinks. (My favorite!)

Miracles is an intersting apologetic. Mere Christianity is more famous, though.

Prilgrim's Regress is a bonafide allegory.

Until With Have Faces is probably his best attempt at creating a "mythical" work. It is a "true account" of what really inspired the Persephone myth, I think-- very exciting and moving!! It's much better than most of his other attempts at fiction.

Out of the Silent Planet is a science fiction story. Perelandra is the sequel... the philologist that stars in the stories is obviosly Tolkien!

The Screwtape Letters are a very great work, too: Advice and counsel written from a Head Demon to his underling!!

[Treebeard]

Easy! Some of the best books I've ever read are C.S. Lewis trilogy, "Out of the Silent Planet," "Perelandra," and "That Hideous Strength." Absolutely magnificent in my opinion.

[Tao]

Yeah, I've read some of CoN, and they're pretty good. You can see the influence that Lord of the Rings gave to C.S. Other than that, I've read no books by C.S. (that aren't in the Narnia series)

[laura]

I agree with Treebeard, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength are magnificant. I have read another book by Lewis, which he never finished, name escapes me, but something to do with a man who has a horn growing from his head or is that by somebody else? If anybody knows the answer, I'd be really grateful as I'd like to re-read.

[Lindir]

I've only read the Narnia Chronicles and I didn't like them much; too religious for my taste.
An interesting thing though: have you noticed that Lewis' Calormen is almost an anagram of Tolkien's Cormallen?

[Úlairi]

:D :D :D I have just completed a mini-biography, about 10 pages or so on Tolkien's life. Tolkien was actually partly responsible for C.S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity!!!:D :D :D

[Roseberry]

Yes, he was, Ulairi. And there were a whole bunch of them that used to meet at the local pub & discuss theology & literature, etc. They called themselves "The Inklings," & there's a fine book by that name. Charles Williams & G.K. Chesterton were part of that group, as well as sometimes Dorothy Sayers (all three fantastic writers as well).

[Tao]

Really? I did not know that at all, actually. It's quite interesting...

[UngattTrunn475]

Yeah, C.S. Lewis had a huge influence on Tolkien, and vice verca.

Have you read Till We Have Faces? It's interesting, and if you know your greek mythology, you'll understand it fine.

[Roseberry]

Till We Have Faces is one of my very most favorite books. You have a really different view on the whole Cupid-Psyche things when you're done; in the myth, of course, the sister is the bad guy & Psyche suffers terribly from her actions. This is so well done - I recommend it highly.

Our family just finished reading Out of the Silent Planet (Lewis) yesterday. I had forgotten how wonderful it is - I tend to read Perelandra & That Hideous Strength a lot more. My favorite line is at the end, when after everything he's been through, Ransom staggers into a pub:
"A pint of bitter, please," said Ransom.

Lewis was a genius.

[Tao]

Wow! Lewis has written many books that I've never even heard of...

[Arda's Bane]

Me think that Tolkien and ole cj were a bit more than friends ;) I mean they had a huge influence over each others life

[Úlairi]

Yes, they did.

[Samwise_hero]

If you want a real in depth look i suggest the Screwtape Letters. I haven't read it yet but i do have a copy and i've heard it's really good!

[Elu Thingol]

I have read every book of the space trilogy except 'That Hideous Strength' can anyone tell me what its about?

[Flame of Udûn]

Originally posted by laura
I have read another book by Lewis, which he never finished, name escapes me, but something to do with a man who has a horn growing from his head or is that by somebody else? If anybody knows the answer, I'd be really grateful as I'd like to re-read.

The story you are referring to is one from a compendium of Lewis's unfinished stories, published posthumously, called "The Dark Tower". This particular one features Ransom and is linked to a letter to him about time-travel at the end of Out of the Silent Planet.
ISBN: 0-15-123902-9

[33Peregrin]

Ummm... I've read CoN, in third grade. I enjoyed them then. I'll have to reread them. I probably don't have the right to say this, at least untill I reread and read more of his works, but in the Carpenter Biography it says that after Tolkien published The Hobbit and started reading LOTR to the Inklings, Lewis began to write the Chronicles. Tolkien felt "Lewis had had a go in his genre".

Now I don't even know what I said. Lewis, like Tolkien, is also a genius. They were very good friends.

[FoolOfATook]

Nitpicking, but Chesterton wasn't an Inkling. I've never even come across an acount of Chesterton meeting JRRT in any of the books about Tolkien that I've read. However, the works of Chesterton are studied by the Mythopoetic society, which is largely concerned with the work of Inklings- this may be where the confusion arises from.

And The Screwtape Letters is a neglected masterpiece of the twentieth century.

Two days, and reading yet another biography of Tolkien later (Tolkien: Man and Myth by Joseph Pearce) it occured to me that I should also point out that Dorothy Sayers wasn't an Inkling either. She did show up at the Eagle and Child pub once. (the Eagle and Child, or as the Inklings refered to it, the Bird and Baby was, along with C.S. Lewis' Oxford study the usual meeting place for the Inklings) However, the Inklings were a bit misogynistic, and essentially snubbed Sayers, not wanting a woman to invade their all male sanctum. I think the story is in Carpenter's official biography, but it's possible that I read it in a different Tolkien bio.

[Eledhwen]

Lewis and Tolkien were firm friends until Lewis married Joy Gresham/Davidman - a marriage Tolkien (a Roman Catholic) had problems with as Joy had been divorced. (Lewis, ever logical, argued that the Anglican Church were trying to have it both ways; they said that marriage to a divorced person was not valid, but Joy's first marriage had been to a previously divorced man, so technically was not a marriage, which meant she was still single; so Lewis saw no reason why he should not marry her.) Tolkien had not had fellowship with Lewis for the ten years prior to Lewis' death, probably to the poverty of both.

Fiction: I thought Til We Have Faces was a brilliant work. The screwtape letters is witty and thought provoking, though younger readers may take a while to get used to the style.

Theology: Mere Christianity is an excellent apology for the Christian faith, challenging and demolishing many popular, but ill-considered misconceptions.

Lewis also wrote based on his personal experience "A grief observed" which was a cathartic outpouring following the death of his wife.

I thoroughly recommend a pub lunch in the Eagle and Child, St Giles, Oxford. The pub has not been spoiled over the years, though the Rabbit Room is no longer a back parlour, it was opened out when the pony yard to the back of the pub was converted to a dining extension (the loos are now indoors!). On the wall, framed, is a note signed by all the inklings present (incl Christopher Tolkien, undergraduate), confirming that they had that day drank the health of the Landlord.