Monday, April 20, 2015

Off the Bookshelf: C.S. LEWIS - A Life Inspired, by Christopher Gordon

Anybody who has known me for a while knows I adore C.S. Lewis. I have fond memories of discovering Narnia through a Sunday school paper when I was maybe in third or fourth grade. We got an actual chapter of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" every week .... I wish I still had those papers!

I graduated to his apologetics, and found them very intense, requiring lots of thought, and I'm sure I could reread those books every couple of years and still learn something from them. It's silly, but I really want to meet up with him in Heaven someday and say, "So, did I do a good job? Did you like any of my stories?" because he inspired me in many ways to write the kinds of books I write. He challenged me to write in fantastical genres and use them to explore matters of faith and spirit. I honestly hope I get at least a nod and a smile. Hmm, do you think we'll still be writing books and reading them in Eternity? Hope so!

So when I discovered a new book about the Master, I had to get it. I'm pretty sure it was either on sale or free at the time. It was refreshing to sit down and take small bites of this book -- because I've been so busy the last few weeks I haven't had time for any reading! -- and reacquaint myself with his life, his education, his spiritual rebirth, and an overview of his books. In many ways, this book can be considered an introduction, as it covers Lewis's life and writing very lightly. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested, but doesn't want to dive into a 400-page biography! Next on your reading list, I recommend "Surprised by Laughter," a study in Lewis' humor and writing, by my grad school adviser, Dr. Terry Lindvall.