All the Bells on Earth by James Blaylock (Ace Books) “Blaylock is one of the most brilliant of that new generation of fabulist writers; All the Bells on Earth may be his best book…mystical and enthralling…at once reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength and Clive Barker’s urban fantasies.” Washington Post Book World In fact, Blaylock’s book is a Read More ›
Louis MacNeice (1907-1963) was a near contemporary of C.S. Lewis, and the two men had much in common: a. raised in pious Ulster middle-class familiesb. sent away to school in England where they lost Christian faithc. won scholarships to Oxfordd. took 1st Class Degrees in Classicse. yearned to make their name as poetsf. became masters of the medium then called Read More ›
Browning said that his poem “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came” came to him in a dream, and he wrote all 204 lines in one day. He did not say what he thought the nightmarish dream signified.In light of Walter Hooper’s claim that Lewis wrote The Dark Tower in response to Browning’s poem, certain lines in the poem are Read More ›
Hope Publishing House, 2000 INTRODUCTION George MacDonald said “It is the heart that is not yet sure of its God that is afraid to laugh in his presence.” G. K. Chesterton said “Solemnity flows out of us naturally, but laughter is a leap.” C. S. Lewis said “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” This book is for people who Read More ›
by Joshua Pong (First published in Chinese in a Christian magazine in Taiwan) The Pilgrim’s Regress is a semi-autobiographical allegory by Lewis. We read in the story that John, the main character, in his search for the Island (the experience of joy), commits fornication with a brown girl in a wood and ends up producing a bevy of little brown Read More ›
From Words to the Wise (Hope Publishing House, 2000) I heard about a woman who was suing God because He struck her property with lightning. She said that she didn’t expect Him to appear in court to try to defend Himself against the charge, and if the court examined her past life it would find her reputation blameless. I assume Read More ›
Vermin: Dirty or destructive pests such as rats or cockroaches Small wild predators such as foxes or weasels Loathsome people 1919 “Satan Speaks” Spirits in Bondage (early poetry) Between their will and mine — such lot I giveWhile still in my despite the vermin live. (Lewis has Satan call humans vermin.) 1933 Pilgrim’s Regress But in each form the anguished Read More ›
Professor Yagyu was a professor of English at Kanto Gankuin University in Yokohama and Chancellor of the Kanto Gakuin system of schools. He discovered the literary criticism of C. S. Lewis in 1942. He translated into Japanese Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, and Miracles (the lattter with Lewis’s knowledge in 1963). He did Lewis research in England, became a friend Read More ›
by Nevill Coghill Upon a hill towards the sun,When part of my pilgrimage was done,I found my lover in a tree,Gathering bitter fruit for me.The branches tore his hands and feet,Yet, on the fruit he bade me eat,The bitterness was washed away;And in a year that was a dayThe tree was sometimes wild with flower,Sometimes a green and leafy bower,Sometimes Read More ›
Baylor University in Waco, Texas, is deeply committed to retaining its Baptist identity — so a student solemnly assured me when I visited the campus recently. Many parents pay dearly to send their children to a university that will pass on their Baptist heritage. Those same parents might be surprised to learn that the Baylor faculty wants to shut down Read More ›