The Soul of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe [Hardcover]

Gene Veith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 19, 2005

When C. S. Lewis published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe he created one of Christendom's most cherished allegories. Viewers of the movie, as well as readers of the book will come away deeply moved by what they have encountered in Narnia.

They will have countless questions such as: How did the Witch take over Narnia? Why couldn't Edmund resist temptation? Why did the Lion have to die? And they will find the answers in this wonderful book written for Christians and non-Christians alike.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gene Veith, Ph.D., is the author of 15 books on Christianity and literature, the arts, and culture. Currently the culture editors of World Magazine, Veith is highly respected for his scholarship on Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. He has taught English literature for 25 years in both Christian and secular colleges. He is currently the director of the Cranach Institute for the study of Christianity and Culture at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

From AudioFile

Part I of this book provides a meticulous and loving defense of Lewis's great fantasy, explaining the biblical roots for many of its images. Stasi Eldridge matches the author's affection in this section, speaking of Lewis's faith with enthusiasm and reading selections from the novel with flair, as if for a group of listening fans. However, Part II moves more quickly and isn't as strong. Veith doesn't do justice to Lewis's political or literary views and seems not to understand some of them. Eldridge's delivery remains clear, but the emotional tone shifts accordingly, becoming less affectionate and more dismissive. G.T.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (August 19, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781442125
• ISBN-13: 978-0781442121
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,618,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gene Edward Veith Jr. is provost and professor of literature at Patrick Henry College and the author of several noted books on Christianity and culture, including God at Work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for Christians who love fantasies, November 1, 2005

By 

Erich Heidenreich "Caspar" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Soul of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Hardcover)

Whether you agree with him or not, Veith knows how to make a Christian think. I happen to agree with him, though. I've read most of Veith's books, and I was not disappointed by this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it, learned valuable things I didn't know, and highly recommend it to all Christians who love fantasy literature, and to all parents whose children love fantasy literature.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy overview., December 30, 2005

By 

Torkx2 (Knoxville, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Soul of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Hardcover)

This book was an easy and quick read. It is really only intended as an overview of LWW and Lewis and the debate between "good" fiction/fantasy and "bad". For the Christian who is interested in this issue or somone only casually familiar with C.S. Lewis or LWW it is a good read. If you are looking for more of an in-depth theological treatise...probably not for you.

2 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An Average Book on a Great Work, November 12, 2005

By 

K.H. - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Soul of The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Hardcover)

One reviewer commented that this book is preachy and didactic, of which I must agree. This is not always a "bad, but in this latest book by Gene Veith, it becomes at times, a rabbit, going into non-needed areas. This happens most when he is discussing the differences between C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling. I have never read a Potter novel, and didn't like the first movie that my teenage daughter dragged me to, but I must say, too much sensitive American Evangelicalism is apparent in his dealing with the subject (I must concur with Vieth in that he anticipates both a pro-con review of his position on Potter). While not as overly anti-Potter as other fundamentalists and evangelicals, I think he still misses the boat. I think children "get the books" like children get Narnia.

The opening of the book is pretty much average. It does work well as a study tool for a small book-group or study group. He does make some good points and while I think most of the points he raises are obvious to C.S. Lewis fans.

His critique of Pullman and "His Dark Materials" raises the bar on this book. What was a below average review on Potter is elevated here, but his average opening on Narnia itself, regulates this book to an average read on a great work by Lewis.