C.S.Lewis Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces [Hardcover]

C S Lewis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2000

This is an extensive collection of short essays and other pieces by C.S. Lewis brought together in one volume for the first time. As well as his many books, letters and poems, C.S. Lewis also wrote a great number of essays and shorter pieces on various subjects. He wrote extensively on Christian theology and the defence of faith, but also on various ethical issues and on the nature of literature and story-telling. In the ESSAY COLLECTION we find a treasure trove of Lewis's reflections on diverse topics.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C S Lewis was a Fellow and Tutor at Magdalen College, Oxford from 1925 to 1954 when he became Professor of Mediaeval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge. For many years an atheist, his conversion to Christianity in 1929 was a catalyst for his development as a Christian writer.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1024 pages
• Publisher: Fount; First Edition edition (March 6, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006281575
• ISBN-13: 978-0006281573
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #941,067 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

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is The One, January 22, 2006

By 

Ray Schneider "Ray Schneider" (Harrisonburg, VA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: C.S.Lewis Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces (Hardcover)

C. S. Lewis's essays have been published in various combinations for years now. What is absolutely terrific about this volume is that it packages 135 of Lewis's essays and other short writings. Some of those here are hard to find anywhere else such as Christian Reunion. If you are interested in C.S. Lewis's essays -- and functioning neurons ought to be -- then this is the volume to get.

I have a huge library of C.S. Lewis's work -- just about everything and I bought this to flesh out my collection since it contained some essays I didn't have. When I got it I took one look and now it is the first volume I take down when I'm looking for something. The essays are nicely arranged by overall topic -- just the sixteen essays collected as part 6: The Art of Writing and the Gifts of Writers -- are worth the price of admission. Even some of Lewis's fiction is included. The fragment "The Dark Tower" for example -- it's authenticity has been questioned -- read it and decide for yourself. First though I think you should read "Voyage to Arcturus" which taught Lewis what planets are good for. Then when you read the Dark Tower you can meaningfully ask the question "Is this a plausible result given Lewis's expressed views of VTA?" As an exercise in overlap I looked at God In The Dock and so far have found all but two of the essays there (48 of them) are included in the 135 here -- the two missing as far as I can tell are "Rejoinder to Dr. Pittenger" and "Is Progress Possible?" -- so that's an example. If you're just starting out reading Lewis's Essays then this is the book to get.

I simply love this collection. If you don't buy this one you can get most of the essays by buying about five other volumes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Most Prized Book, March 10, 2011

By 

James Mckinnon - See all my reviews
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This review is from: C.S.Lewis Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces (Hardcover)

I'm still hyperventilating over the out-of-print price I paid for this, but this is a great, great get. Another reviewer has elsewhere pointed out that the most efficient way to grab up Lewis's essays is to get these:

Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces
Selected Literary Essays
Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature

Unfortunately the top two are out of print. But if you can swing the dough, you will have very nearly every essay published by Lewis, and I believe only a single essay is repeated between the three collections. (I could be wrong, but the number of repeats is tiny. I don't have SLE in front of me to check the math.) To me, they are well worth it.

If you have worked your way through the staples (ha! no pun intended!) of Lewis's canon and want to branch out, this is a gold mine for you. This one, the other two mentioned, and the third volume of his collected letters would be an even better set.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very comprehensive collection, June 16, 2011

By 

Chui Kiam Ming (Singapore) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: C.S.Lewis Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces (Hardcover)

Like what other reviews have said, the book contains most of C.S. Lewis' short works. Although the book looks plain (like an old hymno) without its dust cover, the contents speak louder and do the book very much more justice.