Narnia and Beyond: A Guide to the Fiction of C. S. Lewis [Paperback]

Thomas Howard (Author), Peter J. Kreeft (Foreword)

Book Description

Regarded as one of the best authorities on the fiction of C.S. Lewis, Thomas Howard presents in this work brilliant new insights into Lewis' fiction and helps us to see things we may not have seen nor appreciated before. Focusing on Narnia, the space trilogy and Til We Have Faces, Howard explores with remarkable clarity the moral vision in the imaginary world of the master storyteller Lewis.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A SPLENDID BOOK, one of the very best critical works on Lewis's fiction." -- —George Sayer, Author, Jack: The Life of C.S. Lewis

"Howard reads Lewis carefully and brings to his reading a special excitement that is uniquely his own." -- —Paul Ford, Author, Companion to Narnia

"Without question the best book yet written about the works of C.S. Lewis." -- —Peter Kreeft, Author, C.S. Lewis for the Third Millennium

From the Publisher

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Responds to the huge renewed interest in Lewis and his fiction from the major theatrical film series on The Chronicles of Narnia

• Howard is considered one of the foremost experts and teachers on Lewis

• This work is unparalleled for its combination of clarity, originality and depth of insights on the fiction of C.S. Lewis.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 237 pages
• Publisher: Ignatius Press (February 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586171488
• ISBN-13: 978-1586171483
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,456,478 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Further Up and Further In, March 21, 2006

By 

Gord Wilson "alivingdog.com" (Bellingham, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Narnia and Beyond: A Guide to the Fiction of C. S. Lewis (Paperback)

With the buzz generated by the new Narnia movie it makes absolute sense that Ignatius would title this book as a Narnia tie-in. As one of those who dislikes buying the same book under two different titles, however, I feel constrained to note that it's actually a reprint of Howard's C.S. Lewis: Man of Letters. It may also be related to an earlier Howard book entitled The Achievement of C.S. Lewis. I have no idea if this new edition has been edited or updated, but there's only one chapter on Narnia. The rest of the essays focus on what is generally termed Lewis' "space trilogy" (one essay for each of the three books) and his last fiction work, 'Till We Have Faces."

Readers may have seen Howard on a recent Narnia-related special on the Hallmark Channel, of which this book is a natural follow-up. I had the opportunity to hear some of this material given in lectures by Howard at Seattle Pacific University in connection with a C.S. Lewis conference. In Howard's book, The Novels of Charles Williams, he suggests reading the chapter for the relevant Williams novel as a sort of companion. He further developed this "reader's" approach in Dove Descending, a recently published guide to T.S. Eliot's poetry cycle, The Four Quartets. That advice especially applies here for readers of Lewis' three volume space trilogy, the Narnian Chronicles and 'Till We Have Faces. Readers new to Howard might find his discursive, ruminating style somewhat off-putting; when will he get to the point? But longtime Howardphiles (of which I am one) find his thoughtful rambles absolutely addicting. Regardless, Lewis fans will find here a literate and sympathetic reader who loves the books as much as they do, one uniquely qualified to take them further up and further in.