C.S. Lewis is a name recognized by Christians and non-Christians the world over. To some he is known as the man who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia that have been loved for generations by children of all ages. Others may recognize the name for the association Clive Staples Lewis had with another famous author, J.R.R. Tolkien. And still others may know him for his writings on Christianity. Whatever association one makes when hearing the name C.S. Lewis, he most certainly must be discussed in a column dealing with Christian fiction.
The Chronicles of Narnia are written about children for children. The seven-book series has been translated into 41 languages and sold more than 120 million copies world-wide. It has been adapted for radio, television, stage and screen; most recently The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was produced by Walden Media and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures in 2005. A second film, Prince Caspian followed in 2008 and a third is said to be in the works.
The Screwtape Letters, according to Wikipedia.com, "is a Christian apologetics novel written in epistolary style." Apologetics is defined as: a branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity and epistolary is defined as: written in the form of a series of letters, according to Merriam-Webster.com. In other words, The Screwtape Letters is a book written as a series of letters that seeks to given an explanation about the origin and authority of Christianity.
The main characters of the book are a senior demon, Screwtape, his nephew, a demon in training, and the Patient. The goals of all those in opposition to God and His plans (demons) is to destroy humanity through sin.
In 1994, Thomas Nelson Publishing and Marvel Comics teamed up to produce a comic book adaptation of the novel. It has also been adapted for the stage and Focus on the Family recorded an audio version of the conversation between Screwtape and his nephew, Wormwood. Andy Serkis, Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, provided the voice for Screwtape. It was also announced in 2006 that Walden Media had purchased the rights to turn the novel into a film.
If you have only read C.S. Lewis' books on Christianity or The Screwtape Letters, give The Chronicles of Narnia a try. If you have already read Lewis' books for children, why not read The Screwtape Letters? Books by Lewis can be picked up new and used at many bookstores. Visit one of those listed here to add to your library.
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Comments
We homeschool, and we LOVE the Lewis and Tolkien books you mentioned. Haven't read this one though, or even heard of it, so I'm going to my library's site right now to request it. Looking forward to it. And possibly the movie. Thanks.
Read a lot of C.S. Lewis. Also like Mere Christianity.
I loved the Chronicles of Narnia as a kid and still have my hardcover collection. I've read the Screwtape Letters, but I had no idea it was made into a comic book. That's pretty cool!
C.S. Lewis was a childhood favourite of mine!
I enjoy his books. I did not know about the Screwtape Letters. I still have plenty of summer reading time left....
I re-read "The Chronicle"as an adult; can you believe I didn't particularly remember all the Christian ideology & imagery in the books. Apparently, as a kid, all I remembered was the fantastical world. Same with Tolkein. As an adult, of course, it's impossible to miss. There's a great book out there on the relationship between Lewis and Tolkein, too. If I remember the title, I'll pass it along.
I absolutely love the Chronicles of Narnia. I've read all the books and watched both films. I cannot wait for the next installment.
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