Further Up & Further in: Understanding C. S. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [Hardcover]

Bruce Edwards (Author)

Book Description

This new popular-level book from renowned C. S. Lewis scholar Bruce Edwards will enable C. S. Lewis buffs, new and old, to gain immense access and understanding into the mind of the author of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the creator of the world of Narnia. Further Up and Further In examines the message and theme of the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia. This book is a perfect companion for those who intend to see the forthcoming movie based on this story and wish to know about what Lewis was trying to communicate to his readers.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 108 pages
• Publisher: B&H Publishing Group (October 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805440704
• ISBN-13: 978-0805440706
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,036,960 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bruce L. Edwards is Professor of English and Africana Studies, and Associate Vice President for Academic Technology at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, where has he been a faculty member and administrator since 1981. He has served as a C. S. Lewis Foundation Fellow at the Kilns in Oxford, England; a Fulbright Fellow in Nairobi, Kenya (1999-2000); a Bradley Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC (1989-90); and as the S. W. Brooks Memorial Professor of Literature at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (1988). Bruce and his wife, Joan, live in the mighty metropolis of Bowling Green, Ohio, and have four grown children, ranging in age from 24 to 33.

Bruce was born in Akron, OH, attending the Akron City Public Schools. He graduated with a B.A. in English from the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1977, and received his Masters Degree in English from Kansas State University in 1979. He earned his Ph.D. in Literature and Rhetoric from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981, writing his dissertation on the literary criticism of C. S. Lewis.

His C. S. Lewis: Life, Works, and Legacy (4 volumes) was published by Praeger Press in 2007. Bruce's other books on Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia include: Not a Tame Lion (2005) and Further Up and Further In: Understanding C. S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), A Rhetoric of Reading: C. S. Lewis's Defense of Western Literacy (1988) and The Taste of the Pineapple: Essays on C. S. Lewis as Reader, Critic, and Imaginative Writer (1988).

He is also a contributor to many collections of essays about Lewis and the Inklings, and has since 1995 maintained this popular web site on the life and works of C. S. Lewis (http://www.pseudobook.com/cslewis) and a popular Twitter site (www.twitter.com/cslewisnews). He has also published several successful textbooks for college audiences, including, Roughdrafts (Houghton-Mifflin, 1987), Processing Words (Prentice-Hall, 1988), and Searching for Great Ideas (1st and 2nd editions; Harcourt, 1989; 1992).

He was the recipient of a 2005 Fulbright-Hays Grant that allowed him to take a contingent of public and private educators to Tanzania for six weeks in the summer of 2005 to establish internet-based educational opportunities for both Midwestern U.S. and Tanzanian students.

He is an ordained minister. He tries to practice what he preaches, but he only makes it as far as he does with the help of his friends; One in Particular.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Walkthrough to the Wardrobe, October 21, 2005

By 

Roger N. Overton (La Mirada, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Further Up & Further in: Understanding C. S. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Hardcover)

"An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books once only." Said C.S. Lewis in his essay, "On Stories." Not every book is worth reading more than once, and some aren't worth even the first read. But when it comes to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of those classics is found that begs us to return on many occasions. How is it possible to read the same story countless times and not grow weary of it? One way is to broaden our understanding of it by approaching it from different perspectives.

In Further Up & Further In, Bruce Edwards gives a walkthrough to this enchanting story. He begins by introducing the reader to C.S. Lewis raising the question, "Who was Clive Staples Lewis that we should be mindful of him?" (2)

The bulk of this short book is dedicated to the story in which many have fallen in love with the great lion, Aslan. The seventeen chapters of Lewis' tale are grouped into 5 chapters in Dr. Edwards's book. First, the story is narrated with attention drawn to the emotions of the characters and reader as it progresses. After the story as been explained some background information is offered on various subjects relevant to the material covered, such as "The Wardrobe," "The Beavers," and "Deep Magic." At the end of the book are a series of study questions for each chapter and a suggested bibliography for going even further up and further in.

The greatest strength of Bruce Edwards's book is that he never lectures the reader. He is more of a guide, or a fellow reader, pointing things out as the story progresses. Rather than analyze isolated aspects of the story, he takes us into the story itself with witty and whimsical comments along the way.

There are always things of which more could be said in any book, but at times it felt like more should have been said. And so, the greatest weakness is the book's brevity. The best example is on the final page of the book where points are made of the story in light of Grace, Redemption, Resurrection, and Restoration. Only two to five sentences were written under each heading, though this would have made for a powerful conclusion had it been expanded upon.

Aside from its brevity, the book is a welcome companion to reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; whether it's for the first time or the tenth time. Bruce Edwards succeeds in showing us another way to view the story, to find our selves in it, and leave us wanting more.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good book on Narnia, October 12, 2005

By 

Jedi Batman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Further Up & Further in: Understanding C. S. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Hardcover)

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My only complaint is the retelling of the story in each chapter. In some cases it was insightful but most of the time it felt overbearing to reread the basic storyline when I already knew it.

It isn't the best book on Narnia that I have read but it is definetly worth your time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!, October 21, 2005

By 

Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer -... (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Further Up & Further in: Understanding C. S. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Hardcover)

All C.S. Lewis fans are excited about the forthcoming movie soon to be released based on the work by C.S. Lewis, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Understanding the symbols and hidden meanings in this writing enhances the read and certainly will enhance the enjoyment of movie viewing. This book is your key to both.
In this work by Bruce Edwards you will find an extremely in-depth overall of the different messages and their meaning. He takes his time, carefully going over the work in chapters, giving much insight and helping the reader to connect with the inward working of this read. I found it extremely interesting and entertaining at the same time, easy to digest and enjoyable.
He gives study questions that will cause you to rethink much of what you have mentally stored and cause some thought provoking questions within you as you realize that you didn't understand as much as you thought you did. I really enjoyed reading this book; it was insightful, informative and enlightening. I recommend it and encourage you to pick up your copy and keep it handy for continual reference or just pure reading enjoyment.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review