Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis [Paperback]

George Sayer (Author), Lyle W. Dorsett (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2005

As I walked away from New Buildings, I found the man that Lewis had called "Tollers" sitting on one of the stone steps in front of the arcade.

"How did you get on?" he asked.

"I think rather well. I think he will be a most interesting tutor to have."

"Interesting? Yes, he's certainly that," said the man, who I later learned was J. R. R. Tolkien. "You'll never get to the bottom of him."

Over the next twenty-nine years, author George Sayer's first impression about C. S. Lewis proved true. He was interesting; but he was more than just that. He was a devout Christian, gifted literary scholar, best-selling author, and brilliant apologist. Sayer draws from a variety of sources, including his close friendship with Lewis and the million-word diary of Lewis's brother, to paint a portrait of the man whose friends knew him as Jack.

Offering glimpses into Lewis's extraordinary relationships and experiences, Jack details the great scholar's life at the Kilns; days at Magdalen College; meetings with the Inklings; marriage to Joy Davidman Gresham; and the creative process that produced such world-famous works as the classic Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, and The Screwtape Letters.

This book is an intimate account of the man who helped-and through his works, continues to help-generations hear and understand the heart of Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Crossway Books (June 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581347391
• ISBN-13: 978-1581347395
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #257,981 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

GEORGE SAYER (1914-2005) was head of the English department at Malvern College in Worcestershire until his retirement in 1974. While there, he and Lewis held long literary discussions on their frequent walks in the countryside. Sayer and Lewis maintained a long friendship.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In Defense of Sayer, October 26, 2000

By 

Christopher B. Stratton (Huntington Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis (Hardcover)

This is a worthwhile read for anyone interested in Lewis. It's from the viewpoint of one of his friends, who somewhat reluctantly agreed to write the book. It is a bit unfair to characterize Mr. Sayer as a sychophant that glosses over Lewis' more difficult attributes. He was a friend, and to that extent he deserves to be listened to, just as much, or more than, someone like A.N. Wilson who is clearly not a friend, and more than once misquotes Lewis to make a negative point in his biography. Check the letters. . .trust me.

Sayer includes/lets you into a part of Lewis' private world, as does Douglas Gresham in his wonderful book, and to me these are valuable things. Sure it is good to learn about the negative elements, and to bring your idols back down to earth, but it's equally as important to hear what is good about them, for this is why they are to be admired in the first place. To that extent, this is a great book, and perhaps the first you should read, if you intend to read books about Lewis. It's not perfect, but it doesn't have an agenda either, and when it comes to Lewis scholarship, that is a rare thing.

The most interesting part for me: the anecdote about Joy Davidman having a penchant for using the "F" word. I could do nothing but smile.. . . just like Lewis to marry such a salty woman.

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the definitive biography., February 13, 2001

By 

Cipriano "www.bookpuddle.blogspot.com" (Planet Claire) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis (Hardcover)

I am truly astounded at some of the less than 5-star reviews... have these reviewers read any OTHER biographies of Lewis? This one is definitely the best by far for many reasons, not the least of which is the personal touch that comes from Sayers twenty-nine year friendship with Lewis. It's one thing to know via secondary research that "with his meal Jack liked to drink a couple of glasses of red wine"... but Sayers clinked glasses with him! With Sayers, Lewis spoke frankly about his personal temptations, spiritual difficulties, creative processes, sundry preferences and worries.

This biography can be read with novel-like enthusiasm by even peripheral Lewisites... and those of us already up to our necks will not mind holding our breath as this book rolls over us. Rather than use this forum to berate another popular Lewis biography whose author has the initials A.N.W., I'll just say that this one is a clear note that rings true.

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid, reliable portrait of an old friend, November 3, 2002

By 

Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis (Hardcover)

As large as C. S. Lewis looms in today's intellectual landscape, and for all the different ways he manages to find a readership, whether as a literary critic, a Christian apologist, or fantasy novelist, it is somewhat surprising that we do not yet have a truly first rate biography. Until that volume comes along, this affectionate biography/memoir by Lewis's student/friend George Sayer is the best that we have.

The great problem in C. S. Lewis scholarship at the moment is that the bulk of the books dealing with his life tend to be overwhelmingly pious and respectful (the St. Jack bios) or intent on tearing holes in that portrait (A. N. Wilson). What we really need is a first rate biography that manages to capture the magic and appeal of Lewis's personality, explains his ongoing intellectual and imaginative appeal, and yet does not willfully overlook the man's flaws. Sayer captures the personality marvelously, gives some hints as to his intellectual appeal, but presents a fairly sanitized version of Lewis's life. No doubt this is out of respect and affection, but Lewis doesn't emerge as a warm flesh and blood human being. For instance, while alluding to his relationship with Mrs. Moore, Sayer assumes a position of agnosticism as to its nature. It is an important if disturbing chapter in Lewis's life, because it potentially reveals a great deal about his personality.

One thing that does emerge in Sayer's biography is the closed reserve that Lewis seems to have carried with him all his life. On the one hand, Lewis seems to have been a very accomodating, kind, and helpful soul, and yet, he is hard to get to know. One gets to know his thoughts, and yet never gets to know the man who thinks them. One can read both SURPRISED BY JOY and A GRIEF OBSERVED, and come away from them not having a strong sense of how Lewis felt about things, about the predomenant emotions in his life. Sayer doesn't completely dispell this emotional reserve that Lewis projects, but he probably gets as close as anyone has.

Still, I don't believe this is the biography we are waiting for. It will do until the definitive one comes along. My recommendation for those wanting to know about Lewis's life is to read this one in conjunction with A. N. Wilson's. In the latter Wilson far too gleefully deconstructs the carefully constructed portrait of Lewis that some of his more somber admirers have constructed. I value the Wilson as a corrective, but one will not get much of a sense of why Lewis was such an attractive individual for so many, both in his books and in real life. For that, you will need to look to this excellent book.