C. S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction

Description

The writings of C.S. Lewis have a universal appeal. His Chronicles of Narnia are by far the best known, but he was also a prolific literary scholar, essayist, broadcaster, novelist, poet, and Christian apologist. Following the chronology of Lewis's life, James Como draws out the core themes of his writings, showing how his ideas evolved.

• Introduces the reader to the vast variety of C. S. Lewis' published work, including his books and many essays, as well as poems, letters, and sermons
• Draws out connections between Lewis's life and his work
• Discusses major themes of Lewis' works, and analyzes their lasting appeal
• Part of the Very Short Introductions series - over nine million copies sold worldwide

About the Author(s)

James Como, Professor of Rhetoric Emeritus, York College, City University of New York

James Como holds a Ph.D. in Language, Literature, and Rhetoric from Columbia University and is now Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric and Public Communication at York College (CUNY). A founding member of the New York C. S. Lewis Society (1969), Dr. Como is also the author of several books, including Branches to Heaven: The Geniuses of C. S. Lewis, a study of Lewis as a rhetorician, and Remembering C. S. Lewis, a benchmark biographical anthology now in its third edition (and fourth decade). These, along with his many articles on Lewis in journals including The Wilson Quarterly and The New Criterion, and on-air commentary for five biographical documentaries, have established Dr. Como as one of the most highly-regarded Lewis scholars in the world.

Table of Contents

Preface
1:Lewis along the way
2:Roots
3:Lewis ascendant
4:Fame
5:Darkness and light
6:A new day
7:End game
8:The weight of glory
A readers' list of C. S. Lewis's works by type
Books of particular importance to C. S. Lewis
A selected secondary bibliography
Further reading

Reviews

"James Como, founder of the New York CS Lewis society and a world authority on Lewis, has produced a brilliant, short introduction ... that manages to say a great deal in very few words." - Church of England Newspaper

"This is the single finest biographical survey yet written on C. S. Lewis ... Dr. Como's Very Short Introduction employs the best sources possible, fully understanding the evolution of Lewis's own thought and writings while also incorporating the finest reminiscences of the man." - Bradley J Birzer, The Imaginative Conservative

"Como's C.S. Lewis: A Very Short Introduction is a useful text to recommend to new scholars and fans of Lewis and his work and is a refreshing reminder of how the various Lewises make up the one man." - Zachary Rhone, Mythlore Journal

"Como on Lewis is like Lewis on Christianity: He says so much in so few words. It is succinctness raised to an art form. Thoroughly recommended." - Joseph Pearce, Author, Further Up & Further In: Understanding Narnia