Book description
This collection brings together the best of C. S. Lewis's letters, many
published for the first time. Arranged in chronological order, this
final volume covers the years 1950 - the year 'The Lion, the Witch and
the Wardrobe' was published - through to Lewis's untimely death in 1963.
C. S. Lewis was a most prolific letter-writer and his personal
correspondence reveals much of his private life, reflections,
friendships and feelings. This collection, carefully chosen and arranged
by Walter Hooper, is the most extensive ever published.
In this great and important collection are the letters Lewis wrote to
J. R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, Owen Barfield, Arthur C. Clarke,
Sheldon Vanauken and Dom Bede Griffiths. To some particular friends,
such as Dorothy L. Sayers, Lewis wrote over fifty letters alone. The
letters deal with all of Lewis's interests: theology, literary
criticism, poetry, fantasy, children's stories as well as revealing his
relationships with family members and friends.
The third and final volume begins with Lewis, already a household name
from his BBC radio broadcasts and popular spiritual books, on the cusp
of publishing his most famous and enduring book, 'The Lion, the Witch
and the Wardrobe', which would ensure his immortality in the literary
world. It covers his relationship with Joy Davidman, subject of the film
'Shadowlands', and includes letters right up to his death on 22 November
1963, the day that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. 'This magisterial
collection of letters of his last 14 years reveal a further growth of
Lewis's imagination.'
The Observer C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) is one of the greatest writers of
the 20th century and his works of children's fiction, fantasy and
popular theology are enduringly appealing. The biographical film
'Shadowlands' has brought Lewis to a wider audience, as has the
celebration of his centenary, including the RSC production of 'The Lion,
The Witch and the Wardrobe.'
