Customer Reviews

Jack's Life: The Life Story of C.S. Lewis

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Like many Christians, I have read and admired many of C.S. Lewis' works. But I have never known much about the man and the life he lived. The Chronicles of Narnia has provided many young young people with a beautiful allegory of a redemption story in Scripture and his classic, Mere Christianity, has brought many skeptics from disbelief to faith.

Jack's Life is an intimate look at the man, C.S. Lewis by this adoring stepson, who has clearly modeled his life after his stepfather. Not an exhaustive overview of Lewis works, not a volumnous fact-by-fact retelling of Lewis' childhood, Jacks Life is a breezy, conversational book. The reader feels as though he is sitting by a fireplace with a favorite uncle, hearing the old stories retold again and again.

A book like Jack's life could not have been written by anyone other than someone like Douglas Gresham, who not only knew about Jack, but about the many colorful characters that dotted his life, including the flawed, but loyal older brother Warnie, the gradually dowdy Mrs. Moore, Joy Davidson, the intellectual equal and only love of Jack's life, and the band of brothers known as the Inklings.

Those who don't want to make Lewis a life study, but are curious as to the man and his character, who would like to lift their understanding of him slightly past the marble and bronze figure we have created out of him, will enjoy Jack's Life.

Douglas Greshman, author of this outstanding book, is the step-son of the late great author, C.S. Lewis "Jack's Life," an intimate, tender writing on the life of C.S.Lewis.
In my opinion, he is the one man that certainly has the qualifications to write a book such as this, having shared in this man's personal life for twelve years.
I was entranced as Mr. Greshman released the true essence of the heart of a great man in his writing; revealing to us intimate moments, victories and defeats, tears and laughter of a great Christian whose life and works have touched millions. He shares stories of C.S. Lewis's early life and travels to his death, giving the reader deep insight into a man that has made his mark in history.
I particularly loved the DVD that is included with this book. On this DVD we are privileged to hear an interview with Mr.Greshman who shares in a wonderful tender way his life with his famous step-father. You could feel his love, respect and even his sadness at the loss of such a great man.
All in all this is a wonderful read and one that every serious C.S.Lewis fan does not want to miss. Thank you Mr. Greshman for opening your heart and sharing the precious memories of one exceptional man that were safely tucked deep inside. We, the readers, will certainly be enriched by sharing them with you. Highest Recommendation.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

As others have said, the author is the step-son of C.S. Lewis. He also seems to be an interesting man in is own right, and the combination of his unique position vis-a-vis Lewis and his own character has led to an unusual biography. Before saying what it is, let me describe what it is not. It is not a lengthy, exhaustive , scholarly study. It is not a literary biography.
However, what it is, is unique. Mr. Gresham has written an intimate telling of the life of C.S. Lewis, with plenty of personal insights and plenty of events where he was actually present. It seems to be written with younger readers in mind, and there are many asides that give readers a sense of what the author feels about important issues ( in this respect it is actually reminiscent of the Narnia tales where Lewis wittily interjects an opinion or two). So, in telling us about C.S. Lewis, Mr. Gresham also instills in the reader his own view of important issues, as they relate to points in the life of Lewis.
The Narnia movie will soon be released and, I expect, will be quite successful. I hope that readers, particularly younger ones, will turn to this book to learn about Lewis after they experience the movie. Two final thoughts: For those wanting more of a traditional biography, my absolute favorite is " Jack: A Life of C.S. Lewis" , written by Lewis's friend, George Sayer, who, alas, just recently passed away. For those wanting an in-depth look at all of Lewis's work, there is the magisterial "C.S. Lewis : A Complete Guide to His Life & Works" by long time Lewis scholar Walter Hooper.

Douglas Greshem's latest book, Jack's Life, is a biography of his step-father C.S. Lewis. I have not read any other biographies of Lewis, but enjoyed the simple telling of his life. From Lewis' early childhood in Northern Ireland, to his service in WWI to his life at Oxford, Greshem shares stories of honour, duty, and perseverence. The book is a quick read and would be suitable for children and adults looking to learn more about a beloved author. It is obvious how much Jack meant to Douglas Greshem and the book is a tribute to Jack's life and prolific body of work.

For those interested in a light yet informative biography of famous Irish author C.S Lewis, this may well be the perfect book. Written by Lewis' stepson, this is a piece of work that will delight not only young adults, but adults as well.

Gresham recounts Lewis' life from birth to death with obvious love, care and admiration, creating a touching portrayal of the gifted man who invented such unforgettable children's fantasy works such as The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.

Lewis was a highly intelligent, funny, compassionate and courageous man who suffered all throughout his life and whose mind and health were deeply influenced by major painful episodes, especially by World War I, when, like many other English young men of his time, he fought in the trenches and saw many of his friends get killed. He keenly pondered the reason for so much pain in the world, and this showed in his writing.

The book is full of interesting information--how Lewis used walking for inspiration, his full transformation from Atheism to Christianity, his friendship with Tolkien and other famous authors, his education at Oxford, the "club" he created, called The Inklings, which came to be an elite group of gifted literary and philosophical minds. There are several other biographies about Lewis, but while those others concentrate mostly on Lewis' work, this one concentrates on the man himself.

This particular edition comes with an exclusive author interview on DVD, the perfect complement to the book.

Now that the motion picture of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is soon to be released for Christmas, this timely work will make a worthy, beautiful gift for Lewis' fans. Highly recommended.

This is easily worth five stars! It is superb, "from- the -heart" memoirs of this famous Christian intellect and writer, here revealed not so much for his literary or academia accomplishments, which are many, but for the man.

The wonderful DVD addition spells this out, in a personal, warm interview with Mr. Gresham. It poignantly drew all that I've read about Jack, including this easy reading, well thought out memoir to his mentor and step-father.

What one grasps from this (if one is like this reviewer who has read most all of Lewis' books, but not biographies,) is what the man was like. One discovers much here of that. His past away from home and comfort, and for a spit, even education. His love of walks and woods and animals and fantasy. The war period, with dear Paddy, and subsequently Mrs. Moore. One discovers character, compassion, perseverance, faith.

Lewis here depicted is what Gresham said of him at their first meeting face to face, not what one would expect in a literary professiorial giant.

The Inklings, the Kilns, Oxford to Cambridge, the punt, the way out of aethism into The Way---it's all here in remarkable style and fashion. A true informative joy to savor! One would have thought at the outset that more might have been devoted to marriage with his mom, but this doesn't really enter in until only twenty pages left. Witness that this man's life influenced this man. He lived his faith, and Gresham can only echo what he saw and heard about this remarkable individual's life's path.

With all the current interest springing from the "Lion, Witch and Wardrobe" amny will want to explore more about this unique individual which God crafted, tempered and molded to be His outstanding apologist for the confession.

A must read for all Lewis' fans and potentials.

This book provides an interesting perspective on C.S. Lewis that you won't get in other books.

However, I was disappointed by the writing style and the content of the book. It seems to be targeted towards a juvenile audience. Much of the book is simply a retelling of other Lewis biographies. There are many typographical errors. I was also surprised at the way Gresham constantly maligned others in Lewis' life.

Another disappointing thing about the book is that only the last few chapters are dedicated to the time period that Gresham actually knew Lewis. He speaks with great authority on Lewis' entire life, interpreting events before he was born as if he was there.

If you are expecting a well-written and enjoyable book about C.S. Lewis, this book is not for you. I found the book tiresome and hard to follow.

Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis (C.S.L.) and Son of Joy Davidman, has written an intimate porrayal on the life of C.S.L (Jack). While some may say that a five star rating is a little excessive because the book fails to critically examine C.S.L. life and work and their are not a littinay of citations, is exactly the reason, why I think this book soars.

Unlike others, Douglas just protrays the man from the perspective of those who knew him. He functions best as a narrator, just telling Jack's (C.S.L.) story. He debunks the often asserted notion that C.S.L. must hAve had a long standing affair with Mrs. Moore and shows that C.S.L. was an honorable man in everything he did. This honor, included intellectual honesty, which is why C.S.L became a Christian (this is infered, never explicitly stated, but I assert Mr. Gresham would agree).

Douglas also debunks this "lonesome bachelor" myth who didn't get out much and secluded himself. C.S.L. enjoyed life and was active with his friends. He speaks briefly about his mother and C.S.L. love for each other and other characters are introduced to provide an entire life of C.S.L. in an intimate way.

The DVD is about 25 minutes long and is a nice touch to this book. Worth the read.

I just finished reading the book and was not the least disappointed, as were some of the readers who provided reviews here. I had read Gresham's earlier book about Lewis, and I did discover some new things about Lewis in his latest effort. As one who treasures the great writings of C.S. Lewis, I found that new information about his life welcome. The money I spent on the book was a good investment for me, and I just ordered another copy as a gift for a friend. I have no quibble, as some do, about Gresham's writing, but I have a big problem with the copy editing. I encountered at least a half dozen typographical errors, and someone at the publishing house should be fired.

Douglas Gresham's earlier work, "Lenten Lands," was a fine exploration of his life with C.S. Lewis and his mother Joy Davidman Gresham, and well worth the read for the insights it provided into Lewis' life and relationships. So it was with positive anticipation that I recently purchased this his second book, and it was with dismay that I found little to no interesting new information about Lewis within its pages.

What's more, the book is written in an overly pedantic tone, almost as if it was written for children. I can only assume that this was intentional on the part of the author because of the recent release of the Narnia film and Lewis' popularity with children. But it's highly distracting, for example, to be told that during the second world war Germany was "overcome by an evil man" or that a prosecuting attourney is known as a "DA". Over and over again Gresham explains the obvious and the effect on the reader is jarring, not to mention needlessly stultifying.

Still there are a handful of personal recollections of Lewis that will be of interest to Lewis scholars, particularly his discussion of what Lewis thought of his time in the army during WWI, the charitable aspects of his personality and a brief blurb about a novel that was never published.

That being said, this book is not a good place to start if you're coming at Lewis for the first time. George Sayer's biography "Jack" is probably the best, and Gresham's own "Lenten Lands" would be a good follow-up, especially if you enjoyed Shadowlands (the movie or play).

In the final analysis, this book appears to be a half-hearted attempt to tie into the recent popularity of the film, which is unfortunate because clearly Gresham has a wealth of personal information and anecdotes at his disposal, and the requisite skill to write a book worthy of his subject, but he misses the mark here.