Tuesday, June 30, 2009

10 Books A Day: #68

Surprised By Joy: The Shape Of My Early Life...C. S. Lewis...Harcourt Brace

C. S. Lewis: A Biography...A. N. Wilson...Fawcett

The Narnian: The Life And Imagination Of C. S. Lewis...Alan Jacobs...Harper SanFrancicsco

Jack: C. S. Lewis And His Times...George Sayer...Harper & Row

C. S. Lewis: A Life...Michael White...Carroll & Graf

C. S. Lewis A Biography, Revised Edition...Roger Lancelyn Green and Walter Hooper...Harcourt Brace And Company

Clives Staples Lewis: A Dramatic Life...William Griffin...Harper & Row

The Magic Never Ends: The Life And Work Of C. S. Lewis...John Ryan Duncan...W Publishing Group

C. S. Lewis: Images Of His World...Douglas Gilbert & Clyde S. Kilby...Eerdmans

C. S. Lewis: Through The Shadowlands...Brian Sibley...Ravell

C. S. Lewis: Writer, Dreamer & Mentor...Lionel Adey...Eerdmans


A slew of biographical works on Lewis, beginning with his "spiritual memoir." The Green and Hooper book is the authorized biography; the Wilson book is the most readable but some of its facts have been questioned; the Alan Jacobs book is nicely balanced, as is the Michael White. Jacobs come from a more religious angle and White from a more worldly one. The Magic Never Ends and Images Of His World are chock full of pictures of the people, places and things he knew. It's odd, but when you read one biography of someone, you get the impression that you know them pretty well, but read several and the person described becomes more enigmatic as you try to figure out whose take is correct.

Book Count: 869.

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