C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
Author of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
About the Author
C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, "Jack" to his intimates, was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. His mother died when he was 10 years old and his lawyer father allowed Lewis and his brother Warren extensive freedom. The pair were extremely close and they took full advantage of this freedom, show more learning on their own and frequently enjoying games of make-believe. These early activities led to Lewis's lifelong attraction to fantasy and mythology, often reflected in his writing. He enjoyed writing about, and reading, literature of the past, publishing such works as the award-winning The Allegory of Love (1936), about the period of history known as the Middle Ages. Although at one time Lewis considered himself an atheist, he soon became fascinated with religion. He is probably best known for his books for young adults, such as his Chronicles of Narnia series. This fantasy series, as well as such works as The Screwtape Letters (a collection of letters written by the devil), is typical of the author's interest in mixing religion and mythology, evident in both his fictional works and nonfiction articles. Lewis served with the Somerset Light Infantry in World War I; for nearly 30 years he served as Fellow and tutor of Magdalen College at Oxford University. Later, he became Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. C.S. Lewis married late in life, in 1957, and his wife, writer Joy Davidman, died of cancer in 1960. He remained at Cambridge until his death on November 22, 1963. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
C. S. Lewis first published A Grief Observed under the alias "N. W. Clerk". Don't separate that name, unless there will ever be an author called N. W. Clerk turning up.
Series
Works by C. S. Lewis
The Pilgrim's Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity Reason and Romanticism (1933) 2,675 copies
The Inspirational Writings of C.S. Lewis: Surprised by Joy / Reflections on the Psalms / The Four Loves / The Business… (1984) 1,608 copies
The Grand Miracle: And Other Selected Essays on Theology and Ethics from God in the Dock (1983) 462 copies
Mere Christianity / The Screwtape Letters / A Grief Observed / The Problem of Pain / Miracles / The Great Divorce (2001) 401 copies
The Magician's Nephew / The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / The Horse and His Boy (1989) 307 copies
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 2: Books, Broadcasts, and the War, 1931-1949 (2004) 286 copies
The Abolition of Man / The Great Divorce / Mere Christianity / Miracles / The Problem of Pain / The Screwtape Letters (1978) 276 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia: Never Has the Magic Been So Real (Radio Theatre) [Full Cast Drama] (2003) 232 copies
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950 - 1963 (2007) 210 copies
The Pilgrim's Regress / Prayer: Letter to Malcolm / Reflections on the Psalms / Till We Have Faces / The Abolition of… (2002) 134 copies
The C. S. Lewis - 9 Books - Signature Classics Box Set - Includes The C.S. Lewis Journal (2017) 61 copies
From Narnia to a Space Odyssey : The War of Letters Between Arthur C. Clarke and C.S. Lewis (2003) 57 copies
C. S. Lewis' Little Book of Wisdom: Meditations on Faith, Life, Love, and Literature (2018) 57 copies
The Problem of Pain / The Screwtape Letters / The Great Divorce / Mere Christianity (2005) 51 copies
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe / Prince Caspian / The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1970) 46 copies
The chronicles of Narnia 43 copies
The Wood Between the Worlds: Adapted from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (Narnia) (1999) 40 copies
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia: The Classic BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations (2000) 21 copies
The Four Loves / Surprised by Joy / A Grief Observed / The Screwtape Letters / The Great Divorce / Mere Christianity (1996) 14 copies
White Christmas (Chronicles of Narnia) 13 copies
The Complete Works of C. S. Lewis: Fantasy Classics, Science Fiction Novels, Religious Studies, Poetry, Speeches &… (2016) 13 copies
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Chapter Book Box Set (Narnia) (2006) 13 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia vol II (2): The Horse and His Boy, The Magicians Nephew, The Last Battle, The Lion of Judah in… (1973) 11 copies
C.S. Lewis' Little Instruction Book: A Classic Treasury of Timeless Wisdom and Reflection (Christian Classics Series) (1997) 10 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia WITH The Lion of Judah in Never-Never Land (The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince… (1973) 8 copies
Macmillan paperbacks edition 6 copies
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe | The Horse and His Boy | Prince Caspian | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1999) 6 copies
The C. S. Lewis Collection: Essays and Speeches: The Six Titles Include: The Weight of Glory; God in the Dock;… (2017) 5 copies
The C. S. Lewis Collection: Signature Classics and Other Major Works: The Eleven Titles Include: Mere Christianity; The… (2017) 5 copies
Xprince Caspian 4 4 copies
Le monde de Narnia 4 copies
Screwtape Proposes a Toast (Fontana Religious) — Author — 4 copies
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 4 copies
The Screwtape Letters (The Christian Library) by Lewis, C. S. (unknown Edition) [Hardcover(1985)] (1985) 4 copies
The Screwtape Letters (Abridged) (2 Audio Cassette Set) (Spiritual Classics On Cassette) (1988) 4 copies
a razao do cristianismo 3 copies
C. S. Lewis on Punishment 3 copies
The Shoddy Lands 3 copies
Prince Caspian 2 copies
The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis 2 copies
THE LETTERS TO THE CORINTHIANS 2 copies
Understanding The Old Testament 2 copies
Narnia 2 copies
Lewis new 2 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia, 7 Volumes 2 copies
The Inner Ring 2 copies
Mark vs. Tristram 2 copies
World of Narnia collection 2 copies
The Screwtape Letters: First Ever Full-Cast Dramatization of the Diabolical Classic [With DVD] (Focus on the Family… (2009) 2 copies
Hamlet: the prince or the poem 2 copies
Collected Articles 2 copies
"The Chronicles of Narnia / Vol 1" 2 copies
Tanri'nin Uclu Birlik Dogasi 2 copies
My Godfather, Letters 1 copy
Fra Helvedes blækhus 1 copy
Spirits in bondage: a cycle of lyrics ... I. The prison house. II. Hesitation. III. The escape 1 copy
Aslan's Triumph 1 copy
Una vida como lector: El gozo de conocer nuevos mundos a través de los ojos de otros (Spanish Edition) (2023) 1 copy
Chronicles of Narnia,v1 1 copy
The Dark Island 1 copy
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | The Silver Chair | The Magician's Nephew | The Last Battle 1 copy
Four loves 1 copy
As Cronicas de Narnia - Colecao de Luxo. O cavalo e seu Menino (Em Portugues do Brasil) (2019) 1 copy
L'Armoire Magique 1 copy
Narnia The Last Battle 1 copy
Narnia The Magician Nephew 1 copy
The Chronicles Of Narnia 2 1 copy
About The Chronicles of Narnia those things: Give the kids a letter (hardcover revised edition)(Chinese Edition) (2013) 1 copy
Lewis classic Museums: From the beginning of the year to the end of the year [paperback](Chinese Edition) (2006) 1 copy
Les quatre amours 1 copy
Six Spiritual Classics 1 copy
Narnia el príncep caspian 1 copy
Om forlatelse og andre essay 1 copy
Le cronache di Narnia VOL2 1 copy
A Sleepy Story 1 copy
A tearful celebration 1 copy
SCREWTAPE PROPOSES A TOAST 1 copy
They Asked for a Paper 1 copy
That Hideous Strength: 1 copy
A preface to "Paradise lost" 1 copy
Vivisection 1 copy
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Rescue of Prince Caspian [Books 5 of 5 from Chick-fil-a Kid's Meal] 1 copy
The Chronicles of Narnia, the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter's Destiny the Battle for Narnia 1 copy
Anthology 1 copy
Literature 1 copy
Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer by Lewis, C. S. published by Mariner Books (2002) (1994) 1 copy
In Our Tongues 1 copy
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; The Silver Chair; The Magician's Nephew (1900) 1 copy
Conceptions of God 1 copy
Faulting the Bible Critics 1 copy
The Last Battle; The Horse and his Boy; The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; Prince Caspian; The Silver Chair; The… (1955) 1 copy
Biographical Works: Surprised by Joy; A Grief Observed; All My Road Before Me; Letters to an American Lady; Letters (4… (2017) 1 copy
Costly Grace 1 copy
Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe (Oberon/ Plays for Young People) by C. S. Lewis (2000-09-01) 1 copy
On Faith 1 copy
Aspects of Faith 1 copy
De zeebries der eeuwen 1 copy
The Magician's Nephew 1 copy
Sobre cuentos, historias y literatura fantástica: ¡Para que puedas leer mejor y disfrutar más las… (2022) 1 copy
Csodák 1 copy
Poetry 1 copy
Two Titles: 1) The Abolition of Man (Font, 1982); 2) Prayer: Letters to Malcolm (Fontana, 1974). 1 copy
C. S. Lewis. Poems 1 copy
O Trono de Prata Livro 1 1 copy
Tales of Narnia 1 copy
Narunia Monogatari (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) Movie brochure 1 copy
Little Instruction Book 1 copy
Associated Works
On the Incarnation: The Treatise De Incarnatione Verbi Dei (0319) — Introduction, some editions — 2,655 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe [2005 film] (2005) — Original book — 1,893 copies
The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends (1978) — Contributor — 811 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader [2010 film] (2010) — Original book — 792 copies
Letters to Young Churches: A Translation of the New Testament Epistles (1900) — Introduction, some editions — 750 copies
The Assassin's Cloak: An Anthology of the World's Greatest Diarists (2000) — Contributor, some editions — 544 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia Pop-up: Based on the Books by C. S. Lewis (2007) — Contributor — 398 copies
A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen (2009) — Contributor — 360 copies
Understanding The Lord of the Rings: The Best of Tolkien Criticism (2004) — Contributor — 208 copies
The Trials of Theology: Becoming a 'Proven Worker' in a Dangerous Business (2010) — Contributor — 169 copies
The Complete Four Disc Collector’s Edition: The Chronicles of Narnia (1998) — Original book — 156 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe [1988 BBC TV series] (1988) — Original book — 111 copies
The Graphic Canon of Children's Literature: The World's Greatest Kids' Lit as Comics and Visuals (2014) — Contributor — 90 copies
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader [1989 BBC TV series] (1989) — Original book — 86 copies
The Hierarchy of Heaven and Earth: A New Diagram of Man in the Universe (1952) — Introduction — 41 copies
Major British Writers I, Chaucer, Spenser, Shakespeare, Bacon, Donne, Milton, Dryden, Swift, Pope, Johnson, Boswell… (1954) — Contributor — 30 copies
On Moral Medicine: Theological Perspectives in Medical Ethics (2012) — Contributor, some editions — 18 copies
Interpretations of Shakespeare (British Academy Shakespeare Lectures) (1985) — Contributor — 7 copies
SFの評論大全集 (別冊奇想天外 4) — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Lewis, C. S.
- Legal name
- Lewis, Clive Staples
- Other names
- Hamilton, Clive
Clerk, N. W.
Lewis, Jack
C.S. 路易斯
魯益士
路益師 (show all 8)
劉易斯
C.S. 劉易斯 - Birthdate
- 1898-11-29
- Date of death
- 1963-11-22
- Burial location
- Holy Trinity Church, Headington, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Country (for map)
- Northern Ireland, UK
- Birthplace
- Belfast, Ulster, Ireland
- Place of death
- Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
- Cause of death
- Kidney failure
- Places of residence
- Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK
Malvern, Worcestershire, England, UK - Education
- University College, University of Oxford (BA|1922|BA|1923)
Wynyard School
Campbell College, Belfast
Cherbourg House Preparatory School
Malvern College
private tutors - Occupations
- novelist
essayist
short-story writer
literary critic
professor - Relationships
- Lewis, W. H. (brother)
Davidman, Joy (wife|deceased)
Gresham, Douglas H. (stepson)
Wain, John Barrington (student)
Griffiths, Bede (student)
Barfield, Owen (friend) (show all 7)
Tolkien, J. R. R. (friend) - Organizations
- University of Oxford (Magdalen College)
University of Cambridge (Magdalene College)
Inklings
British Army (WWI) - Awards and honors
- Carnegie Medal (1957)
Sir Israel Gollancz Prize (1937)
Fellow, British Academy (1955)
Commander, Order of the British Empire (1951 - declined) - Short biography
- Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer and lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Oxford University (Magdalen College, 1925–1954) and Cambridge University (Magdalene College, 1954–1963). He is best known for his works of fiction, especially The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, such as Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.
Lewis and fellow novelist J. R. R. Tolkien were close friends. They both served on the English faculty at Oxford University and were active in the informal Oxford literary group known as the Inklings.[1] According to Lewis's memoir Surprised by Joy, he was baptised in the Church of Ireland, but fell away from his faith during adolescence. Lewis returned to Anglicanism at the age of 32, owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, and he became an "ordinary layman of the Church of England".[2] Lewis's faith profoundly affected his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim.
Lewis wrote more than 30 books[3] which have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies. The books that make up The Chronicles of Narnia have sold the most and have been popularised on stage, TV, radio, and cinema. His philosophical writings are widely cited by Christian apologists from many denominations.
In 1956, Lewis married American writer Joy Davidman; she died of cancer four years later at the age of 45. Lewis died on 22 November 1963 from kidney failure, one week before his 65th birthday. In 2013, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Lewis was honoured with a memorial in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. - Disambiguation notice
- C. S. Lewis first published A Grief Observed under the alias "N. W. Clerk". Don't separate that name, unless there will ever be an author called N. W. Clerk turning up.
Members
Discussions
Fine Press Edition of Chronicles of Narnia? in Fine Press Forum (August 18)
Reading That Hideous Strength in July in The Green Dragon (July 2020)
Reading Perelandra in June in The Green Dragon (July 2020)
Reading Out of the Silent Planet in May in The Green Dragon (June 2020)
Lewis Seminar in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (June 2017)
Mere Christianity in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (January 2017)
Letters to Malcom in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (December 2016)
The Four Loves in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (December 2016)
C. S. Lewis in Legacy Libraries (August 2015)
Favorite Narnia quotes in Book Quotations (December 2014)
Author Grudge Match: Roald Dahl vs. C. S. Lewis in Book talk (March 2014)
50th anniversary of C. S. Lewis' death in Christianity (November 2013)
MAY READ - SPOILERS - Till We Have Faces in The Green Dragon (May 2013)
MAY READ - NO SPOILERS - Till We Have Faces in The Green Dragon (April 2013)
The Holy Spirit in Christianity (June 2012)
April 2012: C. S. Lewis in Monthly Author Reads (May 2012)
Tolkein and Lewis in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (January 2010)
Group Read - Til We Have Faces in 75 Books Challenge for 2009 (September 2009)
C S Lewis in Philosophy and Theory (January 2008)
Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) Message Board in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (March 2007)
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Statistics
- Works
- 496
- Also by
- 74
- Members
- 435,202
- Popularity
- #4
- Rating
- 4.0
- Reviews
- 4,357
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- 4,294
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- 45
- Favorited
- 1,466
Caspian was never my favorite Narnia book as a child, and I can kinda see why. It's a fairly linear adventure story with a lot of tromping through the woods. Still, the opening rates as one of the most magical sequences in the series: the four Pevensie children finding themselves on a mysterious island and slowly arriving at the truth: they're exploring the ruins of their former castle.
If the first Narnia book is about redemption, Caspian is about restoration. The opening of Caspian's story parallels the Pevensies' in a pleasing way—as the children uncover the ruins of the past, Caspian gradually discovers that the Old Narnia is still very much alive. The rest of the book is pretty straightforward: the kids tromp across Narnia, there's a bit of a war, and the girls and Aslan team up with the forces of paganism to bring on a new age of libertarian anarchy. (There are MAENADS, y'all.) It's a nicely spun tale, and if it has a fault, it's that Miraz is a pretty boring villain and his defeat requires an eleventh-hour deus ex machina.
The gender stereotypes here are... not great at times. I was pretty appalled both by the scene where Peter walks into almost certain death with a quintessential, English public school, stiff upper lip, not even hugging his little brother goodbye, and Susan's overall role in the party as the Bitchy One. If I handed these books to a kid, I might want to followup with a conversation about gender roles in fiction.
But of course what I really want to talk about is Lucy and Aslan and theology. The long sequence where Aslan is visible only to Lucy is the reason I say these books are interesting.
Now, as a secular reader, if you take these chapters literally you will get nowhere—or rather, you will find yourself in the weeds, arguing about what it means to have faith in a God who seemingly withholds information, and that is nowhere anyone wants to be.
Instead, I invite the reader to approach this sequence as a parable about commitment to the truth. A while back it occurred to me that the famous quote about Lucy is actually a really good motto for the #MeToo movement. "You know she doesn't tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth."
So yeah, I don't have much to say about lions who only appear if you believe hard enough (although this is a theme that Lewis explores more productively in Till We Have Faces). But if we stop worrying about Aslan's motivations and focus on Lucy, I think this becomes a really lovely parable about bravery and honoring the truth. Lucy knows something to be true, recognizes this knowledge is a call to action, and is afraid to do anything because her goddamn family won't believe her. I think this is a character arc we can all get behind.
What's more, read this way Lucy's siblings reactions become more legible—Edmund, who believes her but wants to follow the consensus of the group, Peter who listens to his head rather than his heart, and Susan, who knows in her heart that Lucy is telling the truth but just doesn't want to be inconvenienced.
I never in a million years thought I would stumble upon a close-reading of these chapters that redeems them, but there you go. #believeLucy… (more)