Customer Reviews

The C.S. Lewis Chronicles: The Indispensable Biography of the Creator of Narnia Full of Little-Known Facts, Events and Miscellany

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The shape of this biography is certainly distinctive. I found the combination of chronological entries with "sidebars" about different aspects of Lewis's life awkward. I did learn more about Warren Lewis, Jack's brother, than I had ever known before, especially regarding his abilities as an author. Other bios had concentrated on Warren's alcoholism without showing his assets.
I think that this biography falls more into the category of a reference item. The arrangement makes it easy to look up events in particular years, but there is no subject index, which, in my opinion, is detrimental.
I have read "Surprised by Joy", Lewis's own account of his early life, as well as the A. N. Wilson and Alan Jacobs biographies, and I read the Chad Walsh, "C.S. Lewis, Apostle to the Skeptics" when I was first devouring Lewis's works. Each one has its good and bad points, and this one is certainly worth reading

The latest biography from C.S. Lewis scholar Colin Duriez impresses me as a blog-style work. It does not have a flowing narrative which attempts to tell the story of Lewis' life or, worse, attempts to reveal "the secret" of his success. It has the feel of third-person diary.

Duriez offers many details from Lewis' life in the chronological order they occurred with few contextual notes from the past or present. Each chapter is labeled with the years it covers, and after several paragraphs introducing those years, the biography flows according to the date. He includes plenty of historical context in each section, noting the deaths and births of pertinent individuals and events of that year, which may be valuable to literature students who need to be reminded no author writes in a vacuum.

The CSL Chronicles has other context too, lists mostly. For example, the January 31, 1919, entry notes: "This evening, upon invitation, Lewis joins a literary and debating society of the college, the Martlets, as secretary. Membership is limited to twelve." For context, an explanation of the Martlets with a list of papers delivered by Lewis to the group is on the following page, including this note: "There was another but short-lived undergraduate society, called the `Inklings'; in the 1930s its name was transferred to the later famous circle of friends around Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Lewis and Tolkien did attend the original undergraduate `Inklings,' but only as invited dons."

Duriez leaves many details unwritten, perhaps an irritation to readers who already know a good bit about Lewis; but I think this biography is respectably complete. I know I've learned some things (but this is also my first Lewis biography to read). For instance, I was disturbed when I learned earlier this year about sadism in Lewis' letters before 1918, but a note in The C.S. Lewis Chronicles suggests it is evidence of the impact of the abuse Lewis suffered while in boarding school under the care of madman. Such perversion was a part of his imagination as it were.

I recommend this small, fragmented biography to readers interested in Lewis or his Oxford friends. I think it would be especially useful to trivia fans.

Duriez's book lives up what the subtitle claims, giving "little known facts, events and miscellany about the life of C. S. Lewis. Not only does he cover Lewis' life year by year with details about as many days as possible, but the book also has "sidebars" that gives summaries about various aspect of his life and/or writings along the way.

While the format is somewhat like a diary, most entries are short and to the point and help you see how Lewis grew as a person and in his faith once he became a Christian.

When I encountered this biography by Duriez written in a to me unique diary-like format, I found it thoroughly delightful. And, of course, informative. I loved discovering all the little obscure tidbits about Lewis that I had not known before, or had possibly glossed over in a more formal presentation. This unusual and easy-to-read composit was pleasurable for having what struck me as a lot more energy and sparkle than the usual biographical narrative and so the information was more easily accessed by my brain. I enjoyed reading this Duriez book as much as I've always enjoyed reading Lewis, I guess for the simplicity of style. Without going into any more descriptive detail, which is available from other, more articulate reviewers, I'll just say that I loved this book. I think it's terrific! I hope you'll be surprised, too, by joyousness in reading it.