Title: C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller
Author: Janet & Geoff Benge
Series: Christian Heroes: Then and Now
Major Themes: C.S. Lewis, England, Writing
Synopsis: Many events and objects in the life of C.S. Lewis helped to shape his writings.
We have always loved the Christian Heroes: Then and Now series of biographies by Janet and Geoff Benge. In fact, a couple of years ago we bought the entire set of these and the Heroes of History series by the same authors. We haven’t taken the time to read all of them yet, but recently, when one of my sons was trying to decide what book to ask me to read aloud to him next, he went to that shelf. Since someone else in the family has been reading aloud the Chronicles of Narnia for the last few months, he was interested in C.S. Lewis, and he chose the book about him for me to read.
Publisher’s description:
“Jack’s mind began to churn with ideas. What could he possibly do with an umbrella-carrying faun running through a snowy wood and a group of evacuee children who were bored living with an elderly professor? Soon Jack had the hazy outline of a story that would draw millions of children into the magical world of Narnia.”
From his earliest childhood, C.S. Lewis loved to hear and tell stories. Persuaded that stories could reveal the truth about the real world in a unique way, the literature professor would write more than thirty books, including science fiction, theology, literary criticism, and fantasy.
In an era marked by two world wars, Lewis attacked tough questions about life and faith headfirst. Convinced that the story of Jesus Christ is the truest of all stories, and known for searching out the truth with honesty, clarity, and imagination, the former atheist would become one of the most influential Christians of the twentieth century.
My thoughts:
I found C.S. Lewis: Master Storyteller quite a fascinating story. It was really interesting to see how the events of his life shaped his writing. He lived through a lot of hard experiences, and after his mother died didn’t have a parent who was very interested in him. I was impressed with his loyalty toward certain people he loved, and how he stuck by them and supported them even when they were not easy to love and made life hard for him. Even his marriage began purely as a way to help a woman stay where she wanted to be—it began as a secret marriage of convenience.
We also found the description of how the Narnia stories came into being and evolved into the form in which they were published a fascinating account. That was probably what the children commented on the most as we read this book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good biography or who loves the Chronicles of Narnia.
WARNING: Chapter 2: Mother dies, boy beaten. Chapter 5: Horrors of World War I. Chapter 6: Results of battle. Chapter 15: C.S. Lewis married a divorced woman. Chapter 17: Man committed suicide.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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