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The Narnian (Abridged): The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis Audiobook
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(4.00) - 828 listener ratings
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The White Witch, Aslan, fauns and talking beasts, centaurs and epic battles between good and evil -- these have become a part of our collective imagination through the classic volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia. Yet who was the man who created this world? This audio book attempts to unearth the making of the first Narnian, C. S. Lewis himself.
One of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential religious writer of his day, Lewis was also an Oxford don and a scholar of medieval literature who loved to debate philosophy at his local pub. Yet one of the most intriguing aspects of Clive Staples Lewis remains unanswered. How did a bachelor professor, nearly fifty, and living in a wholly adult world, turn to the writing of stories for children -- stories that would become among the most popular and beloved ever written?
Alan Jacobs masterfully tells the story of C. S. Lewis. From his childhood days in Ireland to his horrific experiences in the trenches of the First World War, to his friendship with J. R. R. Tolkein (and other members of the ""Inklings"") and his remarkable late-life marriage to Joy Davidman, Jacobs traces the events and people that shaped Lewis's philosophy, theology, and fiction. The story of a profound mind and extraordinary imagination, The Narnian is a remarkable tale of a man who knew great loss and great delight, but who knew above all that the world holds far more richness and meaning than the average eye can see.
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"This book was very unlike most biographies that I have read. It does tell the life story of CS Lewis but it is much more "scholarly" in the editorializing done on the writings of CS Lewis. I think I'll always be gratefull for having read the book and much more comfortable in my understanding of respect shown CS Lewis for his defence of "mere Christianity" and his criticism of liberal Christianity."
— Philip (4 out of 5 stars)
The Narnian Listener Reviews
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" The detail and beauty of Jacobs' exploration is nothing short of astonishing. "
— Gwen, 12/30/2013 -
" I enjoyed this. One of the few Lewis biographies out there that show him for the human he was. "
— Emily, 12/22/2013 -
" Wow, this is one of the most interesting biographies I've ever read. What a great scholary work it is too. I hated for it to end. I have made myself a whole new reading list based on just the stuff HE read all his life. I imagine I'll probably read it again sometime. "
— Leslie, 11/11/2013 -
" I was looking forward to reading this book because I love reading about C.S. Lewis, and then when it arrived at my library I thought it looked familiar, and when I started reading it...sure enough, I'd already read it. It's a good book if you want to know more about the man who created Narnia. "
— Alison, 11/8/2013 -
" A difficult read, because Lewis' ideas were dense, and Jacobs, while, like Lewis, a clear writer, doesn't shed much light on them. All in all though, it was a good literary biography and I appreciated him using the Narnia books as illustrations. That did add clarity, but he didn't do enough of it. "
— Beverly, 10/21/2013 -
" This book was interesting for the most part. I have always loved C.S. Lewis's writing, and it was interesting to learn more about him. This biography got a bit long-winded at times, but I enjoyed it. "
— Jessica, 9/26/2013 -
" I liked the way this book made no apologies for bim, but it left out the one thing I wanted most to know, the specifics of his relationship with Lucy Barfeild, the one LWW in dedicated to. "
— Jana, 9/19/2013 -
" I'm still at the first chapter of this book but i find it amusing already... "
— Pearl, 8/19/2013 -
" This is the best book that I have read so far this year. I am going to review it further soon; sufficed to say, I highly recommend it. "
— Matthew, 6/7/2013 -
" Analytical "
— Nancy, 11/30/2012 -
" This is the story of C.S. Lewis. He intrigues me as a person. He not only had the imagination to write The Chronicles of Narnia and was also a philosopher whose insights into Christianity are so aligned with my beliefs - he's very quotable for talks. "
— Marva, 11/25/2012 -
" A terrific biography of the man known to friends and family as "Jack." I have a greater and richer appreciation of the man (and I had a pretty high appreciation before reading this), his writings, and his relationship with God. Any Lewis and/or Narnia reader will inhale this. "
— Tim, 8/1/2012 -
" I've read many books about Prof. Lewis and while there is always some overlap, there is always some new insight. But this book seems to have an abundance of new insights. "
— Bryan, 5/10/2012 -
" I found it to be far too back and forth, not enough of what I wanted to know about Lewis, and too many inconsistencies. "
— Tara, 5/9/2012 -
" An incredible book! My favorite bio of Lewis, hands down. Must read more from Jacobs. "
— Chris, 3/21/2011 -
" A great biography on C.S. Lewis. It has a few lulls (like any life-story) but provides insight and empathy on the rather enigmatic Lewis. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and would recommend it to anyone. "
— Monica, 11/7/2010 -
" Wonderful! A highly personable and readable biography of Lewis...made me want to read everything the man has written. Oh, for the time to do it! "
— Melissa, 9/16/2008 -
" MCL. I didn't know much about Lewis's life before this. I'm not sure that I'm glad I read it, even though it is well done. People should be allowed a little privacy. "
— Kirsti, 7/10/2006 -
" Very good. The narrative threw echoes back and forth between C. S. Lewis's life and writings, which I loved, and filled in general facts of his life. "
— Katherine, 4/6/2006