The writings of C. S. Lewis often stir in readers a profound sense of spiritual longing, a desire for joy lying beyond the offerings of this world. This special kind of longing, known to the Romantic tradition by the German word Sehnsucht, has been a recurrent theme in some of our most powerful works of literature. Bright Shadow of Reality, first published in 1974, remains the best available study of this idea of spiritual longing, especially as it functions as a key to understanding the writings of C. S. Lewis. Corbin Scott Carnell explores Lewis's life, theology, and literary legacy — looking in particular at his science fiction trilogy and Till We Have Faces — and evaluates Lewis's own reflection on the concept of Sehnsucht and its relation to the human quest for joy.
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About the Author
Corbin Scott Carnell, the author of numerous articles and essays on C. S. Lewis and his work, is professor of English at the University of Florida — Gainesville.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
this is THE textbook on sehnsucht.,
By Cipriano "www.bookpuddle.blogspot.com" (Planet Claire) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bright Shadow of Reality: Spiritual Longing in C. S. Lewis (Paperback)
This is a truly fascinating book, and I can't imagine how it could be improved upon. If you consider the work of C.S. Lewis to be worthy of further investigation, Carnell's book should be essential reading for you. He argues correctly that spiritual longing or "sehnsucht" is, and has been a basic concept in literature through the ages, sometimes being referred to as Romanticism, or at least the "common denominator" in Romanticism. He shows us how it is prevelant in Wordsworth, Blake, Juvenal, Voltaire, Auden, Dylan Thomas, Whitman, Wallace Stevens, and in less likely places, such as Saul Bellow, Theodore Dreiser, and even Beatrix Potter. Carnell is convinced however, that the clearest place we can learn about sehnsucht is by reading what Lewis said about it, both didactically and in his fiction. I thoroughly agree.Sehnsucht is hard to define. It is the compulsive quest, which brings with it both fleeting joy and the sad realization that one is yet separated from what is desired. Yet, it is more than this... it is ceaseless longing, it is causeless melancholy, it is ecstatic wonder. It is nostalgia. The hush of the deep mystery of man's finitude and creatureliness coupled with a sense of the numinous. My own definition: it is the incomprehensible momentarily made known, with the proviso that one cannot carry it away, prolong it, or even reproduce it. "Effort, and expectation, and desire / And something evermore about to be." <Wordsworth> By recounting Lewis's personal experiences of sehnsucht, and by an examination of his writings on the topic, Carnell creates a flawless sehnsuchtopedia that has the page-turning quality of a good novel. Do not hesitate to get this new re-issue of a tremendous book.
4 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worthwhile,
This review is from: Bright Shadow of Reality: Spiritual Longing in C. S. Lewis (Paperback)
One thing I will definitely say is that, contrary to the opinions of many educated readers and amazon.com patrons, this book was not in fact written by C. S. Lewis.
0 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Buy...But Not The Best,
This review is from: Bright Shadow of Reality: Spiritual Longing in C. S. Lewis (Paperback)
This is probably one of C. S. Lewis's unpopular books. He has written many other famous works of literature. C. S. Lewis is also the author of the classic, the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
This is a study of an attitude which has been responsible for some of the most powerful, and some of the most controversial, works of literature. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
This is a study of an attitude which has been responsible for some of the most powerful, and some of the most controversial, works of literature. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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