All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis, 1922-1927 [Paperback]

C.S. Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2002

The life of the young Lewis was filled with contemplations quite different from those of the mature author. This early diary gives readers a window on the world of his formative years. Edited and with an Introduction by Walter Hooper; Index; photographs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

As an Oxford undergraduate, Lewis set up house with Janie King Moore, a woman 26 years his senior who was separated from her husband, and her daughter Maureen. Lewis's liaison with ``Mrs. Moore,'' which he kept secret from his father, was probably sexual, according to Hooper, Lewis's biographer and personal secretary. This diary, a disarming self-portrait of Lewis as sensual, self-assured atheist and clandestine family man will chiefly interest scholars and hardcore Lewis devotees. Mostly a humdrum, skeletal recital of household chores, conversations and the academic grind, the journal's tedium is relieved by soaring passages on nature's beauty, thumbnail sketches of Lewis's friends and quick comments on his wide-ranging reading, from Beowulf to Hardy, Nietzsche, Jung and Havelock Ellis. (July) (Publishers Weekly )

About the Author

C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) gained international renown for an impressive array of beloved works both popular and scholarly: literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and numerous books on theology. Among his most celebrated achievements are Out of the Silent Planet, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, The Four Loves, and Surprised by Joy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 536 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (December 16, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156027968
• ISBN-13: 978-0156027960
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963), known as Jack to his friends, was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. His major contributions in literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. Lewis and his good friend J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of the The Lord of the Rings, were part of the Inklings, an informal writers' club that met at a local pub to discuss story ideas. Lewis's fascination with fairy tales, myths, and ancient legends, coupled with inspiration drawn from his childhood, led him to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the best-loved books of all time. Six further books followed to become the immensely popular The Chronicles of Narnia. The final title in the series, The Last Battle, won the Carnegie Medal, one of the highest marks of excellence in children's literature. His other distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars C.S. LEWIS, The Oxford Early Years, March 11, 2003

By 

Michael JR Jose (the UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis, 1922-1927 (Paperback)

A book with such a dry-sounding title will necessarily cause the prospective reader, even the fans of CSL, to wonder whether it is worth its price and the effort of reading it. To answer that question, I would say that the book is of real value to both the diehard Lewisophile, and the researcher of well-known characters from that period of Oxford such as John Betjeman (Lewis's comments chime nicely with the biography of 'The Young Betjeman' by Bevis Hillier).

This book is for anyone who has already read: 1) the Lewis autobiography, 'Surprised by Joy'; 2) 'Jack: a life of C.S. Lewis', the biography by his good friend, George Sayer; and 3) the official biography by W. Hooper and R.L. Green. I would rank it about equally with books like 'C.S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table and Other Reminiscences' by James T. Como, and Kathryn Lindskoog's books, but before his collections of letters.

The time period covered is given by the title which covers his study for the second of his three degree subjects, to the second year of his English Fellowship at Magdalen. On eventually being offered a position, he was asked would he mind teaching some philosophy as well as English. In a letter to his father, he records that by that time he would have 'agreed to coach a troupe of performing bagbirds in the quadrangle' - the Lewis wit not yet baptised.

His main motive for keeping the diary was that the entries were read aloud to his companion Mrs Moore, who kept house for him. If he allowed the diary to lapse, she would prompt him to start again. This is all to the good in terms of a candid insight into his life, as publication would be the last thing he would have expected. The published text is well edited, and generally gets the flavour of his domestic and college life. The general range and depth of his intellectual life is captured particularly well, with Shakespeare, Sigmund Freud, Havelock Ellis, and a variety of philosophical savants (now mostly forgotten) being the daily diet.

There are some surprises in the text. I was surprised at the extremely social nature of his life at this time. Far from a life of solitary study, the steady stream of houseguests, companionable walks, and visits to the theatre or musical performances form a large part of the normal routine. Without doubt the most horrifying section is his account of their attempt to help 'The Doc', who goes mad shortly before his death. This reminded me of the later Lewis who was to write 'A Grief Observed' - an account of his wife dying, and his coming to terms with it - a rare blend of compassion and self-analysis. At the end of the book is a fascinating but rather uncompromising set of nine pen-portraits of his Magdalen colleagues. These are private notes, and not intended for publication, but we see how the lancet accuracy of his analysis is turned with equal facility on human nature or literary works. It explains why he could be unintentionally intimidating, and why he was not equally appreciated by all his colleagues.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Interesting, Well-Written Diary I Have Ever Read!, March 31, 2003

By 

Christiana Washington (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis, 1922-1927 (Paperback)

I have always been a big fan of C.S. Lewis and this book is just one more glorious example of his skill and his intuitive writing. In fact, his diary gives us a clear picture of the man he was, and the man God was to make of him in later years. God's gifts are irrevocable and this book is a testament to that reality. C.S. Lewis was given an amazing talent to write and in his diary I can see the shaping of his mind and his heart, long before he professed to be a Christian. There is something so humble and unassuming about Mr. Lewis' writings. He was, in essence, a very simple man who led a complex mental life. I finished this book with a sense of amazement at the grace of God, who used an atheist to give the world a clearer picture of Christianity and all that it stands for. C.S. Lewis' words are always encouraging, even in his days as an unbeliever, he still managed to write reflectively and with an imcomparable sincerity. This book/diary is worth its weight in gold!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mainly for hardcore Lewis buffs, April 2, 2009

By 

Christopher Grant (Salem, UT USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis, 1922-1927 (Paperback)

I think that few people who aren't serious students of C. S. Lewis will find this item very interesting. Although Lewis was urged to write it by "his adopted mother" Mrs. Moore, it really appears to be a typical diary, filled with a lot of mundane details of life. For example, a substantial amount of space is devoted to recounting the routes Lewis took in walking the family dog, Pat. Of course, Lewis was a professional writer, and his descriptions of the weather and landscapes he encountered on his walks are not completely without interest, but they'd probably be of a lot more interest to people familiar with the Oxford area than the rest of us.

Nevertheless, I think that people with a deep interest in Lewis's life will be glad they read this diary. It certainly helped correct my faulty impression that all those affiliated with Oxford a century ago were members of the leisure class. Lewis, the intellectual, spent a lot of his life being Lewis, the household laborer--scrubbing floors, painting rooms, preparing food, mowing the lawn, cleaning the kitchen, etc. And walking wasn't just a form of recreation for Lewis's household, it was a major form of transportation (as was bike riding). Furthermore, there's a lot of data in this diary that ought to be taken into account when analyzing the nature of Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Moore. I think I understand that relationship even less after reading this diary than I did before, but at least my previous impressions have been proven to be rather simplistic.

Finally, interspersed among the day-to-day details are accounts of some remarkable events, most notably that of Dr. John Hawkins Askins' descent into madness. Quite harrowing.