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Asteriktos
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« on: October 29, 2010, 05:45:02 AM » |
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What are your two favorite C.S. Lewis books? And if you feel like sharing, why did you pick the two that you picked?
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"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch
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Asteriktos
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« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2010, 05:50:14 AM » |
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I voted for The Screwtape Letters and The Chronicles of Narnia. I chose the first because I thought it was an enjoyable look into the hypothetical psychology of demons. I chose the second because, besides enjoying all seven books generally, Voyage of the Dawn Treader was one of my favorite books as a kid, and I really liked some of the theological imagery in The Last Battle (which was my first real exposure to theological ideas).
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"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch
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PrincessMommy
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« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2010, 06:31:39 AM » |
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The "Space Trilogy" is not a book. It is three books. I voted "other" because my fav. Lewis book is "Perelandra".
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Asteriktos
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« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2010, 06:41:46 AM » |
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The "Space Trilogy" is not a book. It is three books. I voted "other" because my fav. Lewis book is "Perelandra".
The Chronicles of Narnia isn't a book either, but I wasn't going to list every single book individually. |
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"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch
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Aindriú
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« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2010, 08:38:52 AM » |
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The "Space Trilogy" is not a book. It is three books. I voted "other" because my fav. Lewis book is "Perelandra".
The Chronicles of Narnia isn't a book either, but I wasn't going to list every single book individually. Lazy...  I put "Mere Christianity". |
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Ioannis Climacus
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« Reply #5 on: October 29, 2010, 09:54:01 AM » |
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I would have say Till We Have Faces. Not for any reason particularly profound, simply it remains the ONLY book I have read by him.  |
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Note : Many of my posts (especially the ones antedating late 2012) do not reflect charity, tact, or even views I presently hold. Please forgive me for any antagonism I have caused.
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Cognomen
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« Reply #6 on: October 29, 2010, 11:01:14 AM » |
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Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters compliment each other so well that they almost constitute one excellent selection. They played a pivotal role in my reevaluation of Christianity.
While I enjoyed those books immensely, The Great Divorce is a strikingly vivid depiction of how we can, through pride, hate, our warped sense of love, and failure to trust God, unintentionally prevent our own salvation. Some examples given in the story readily apply to those we know, while others cause us to question how we would act in a similar situation.
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theistgal
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« Reply #7 on: October 29, 2010, 11:44:05 AM » |
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I too love "The Great Divorce" not only for what it teaches spiritually but because it is, in places, just WICKEDLY funny! There is one segment about a woman who can't understand why all the people she "helped" in her life seem to have vanished - it's hilarious! One of the other characters comments:
"She's the kind of person who does things for others - you can tell the others by their hunted looks."
LOL! (If you're interested, Daphne DuMaurier wrote a short story called "The Limpet" which has a similar character and is also very funny.)
My second choice would be "The Screwtape Letters" because even though it's so familiar, it holds up so well after all this time. And the last "letter" still brings tears of joy to my eyes.
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Carl Kraeff (Second Chance)
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« Reply #8 on: October 29, 2010, 11:48:06 AM » |
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Like Cognomen and for the same reasons, I also did picked Mere Christianity and Screwtape Letters but was also tempted to vote for The Great Divorce.
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FormerReformer
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« Reply #9 on: October 29, 2010, 11:55:32 AM » |
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Choosing just two was tough. I went with The Great Divorce because it was my first exposure to ideas that Hell might mean more than just a place where God sent "all them people what weren't saved". I went with the Space Trilogy because (a) it gives the most realistic account of what might happen when we imperialistic-minded humans first find alien life, (b) Perelandra was a beautiful reflection in the matter of the Fall, (c) it has That Hideous Strength which is like being able to pick both The Abolition of Man and Lewis' fictional work at the same time, being a fictional telling of the ideas presented in that book (plus it ties the Space Trilogy into Arthurian mythology).
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"Funny," said Lancelot, "how the people who can't pray say that prayers are not answered, however much the people who can pray say they are." TH White Oh, no: I've succumbed to Hyperdoxy! |
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Father Peter
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« Reply #10 on: October 29, 2010, 12:05:17 PM » |
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I listened to Mere Christianity on CD a little while ago while driving from Scotland down to Kent. I found it excellent. Really excellent. And what was amazing was that it had been broadcast for ordinary people to hear in 10 minute snippets. Now it would never be broadcast by the BBC, and it would be assumed that no-one would be able to understand it.
But I don't think that is true. I think it remains a great explanation of 'Mere Christianity' without detracting from anything an Orthodox might then want to add.
Father Peter
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Maria
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« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2010, 11:55:27 PM » |
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What are your two favorite C.S. Lewis books? And if you feel like sharing, why did you pick the two that you picked?
My favorites are: The Chronicles of Narnia - This series of books was charming and very truthful as it teaches deep theological lessons. CS Lewis gears this series for children but actually writes for adults. The Problem of Pain - I loved this book and used it for examples of hypothetical sentences in my class in Teaching ESL. My professor made the comment that she felt that I was trying to convert her. The discussion on the Numinous in Chapter 1 is well worth reading. As a linguist, I also appreciated The Space Trilogy. |
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« Last Edit: November 22, 2010, 11:59:03 PM by Maria »
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Glory to Jesus Christ!
Glory to Him forever!
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lubeltri
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« Reply #12 on: November 23, 2010, 01:23:34 AM » |
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My second choice would be "The Screwtape Letters" because even though it's so familiar, it holds up so well after all this time. And the last "letter" still brings tears of joy to my eyes.
I'm currently listening to an audiobook of it read by...... John Cleese! It's fantastic. |
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lubeltri
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« Reply #13 on: November 23, 2010, 01:26:38 AM » |
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For me my favorites are Mere Christianity and The Abolition of Man. The latter is one of the most prophetic books written in the 20th century. He puts his very erudite finger on exactly what is plaguing our civilization today (which was still germinating in the 1940s).
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orthonorm
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« Reply #14 on: November 23, 2010, 01:34:59 AM » |
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A Grief Observed.
Two incredibly painful losses some months ago, perhaps longer now, I am not great with time.
That book had been on my shelf for a while.
Perhaps I enjoyed it simply out of vanity or pride, because so much of what he had written I so acutely and precisely thought and felt.
I stared at the book for a long time before reading it. Never been much of a C.S. Lewis fan. I think he is a poor fiction writer and a lukewarm apologist or evangelist.
Honestly Mere Christianity would not stand up to the analysis of a moderately bright college sophomore.
But Grief written with a concision only a Brit could muster rang so true in its most self-centered, angry, and joyful moments. Absolutely, brilliant.
If his any of his other works are of a more personal nature let me know. His generosity with his pain and its ebb and flow were a greater testament to his faith and the truth of the Cross than any of the other words of his I have read.
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« Last Edit: November 23, 2010, 01:35:22 AM by orthonorm »
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We cannot legislate morality by passing laws controlling firearms. The only evil we can combat lies within our hearts. We need stronger laws to protect the moral foundation of society against the evil of gay marriage. |
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ChristusDominus
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« Reply #15 on: November 23, 2010, 02:09:36 AM » |
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Gotta love The Screwtape Letters.
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There is no more evident sign that anyone is a saint and of the number of the elect, than to see him leading a good life and at the same time a prey to desolation, suffering, and trials. - Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
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Maria
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« Reply #16 on: November 23, 2010, 05:13:04 AM » |
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If his any of his other works are of a more personal nature let me know. His generosity with his pain and its ebb and flow were a greater testament to his faith and the truth of the Cross than any of the other words of his I have read.
Then, you will also enjoy The Problem of Pain as it is his personal observations and testimony. |
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Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Papist
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« Reply #17 on: November 23, 2010, 03:57:02 PM » |
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Mere Christianity - A fantastic apologetic for the Christian faith, and I love how Catholic C.S. Lewis can be.
The Abolition of Man - A pretty good discussion of where we are and where we are headed.
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"The only-begotten Son of God, wanting us to be partakers of his divinity, assumed our human nature so that, having become man, he might make men gods." - St. Thomas Aquinas
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Fr. George
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« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2010, 04:18:25 PM » |
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A Grief Observed.
Two incredibly painful losses some months ago, perhaps longer now, I am not great with time.
That book had been on my shelf for a while.
Perhaps I enjoyed it simply out of vanity or pride, because so much of what he had written I so acutely and precisely thought and felt.
{Snip}
But Grief written with a concision only a Brit could muster rang so true in its most self-centered, angry, and joyful moments. Absolutely, brilliant.
If his any of his other works are of a more personal nature let me know. His generosity with his pain and its ebb and flow were a greater testament to his faith and the truth of the Cross than any of the other words of his I have read. You're not the first person I've heard give such praise to this work. I've intended to read it for years, but (alas) it continues to not occupy the first place in the queue. On a more whimsical level, C.S. would likely be appalled if you called him, "a Brit." He was a proud, born and raised in Belfast, Irishman  |
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« Last Edit: November 23, 2010, 04:18:50 PM by Fr. George »
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"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the one who can't read them." Mark Twain
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Asteriktos
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« Reply #19 on: August 30, 2012, 08:58:31 PM » |
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*bump*
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"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled." - Plutarch
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Achronos
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« Reply #20 on: August 30, 2012, 09:07:36 PM » |
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I have to give the nod to Abolition of Man. If I want Christian apologetics I'd rather get it from Chesterton.
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