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C.S. Lewis

By User:AllieCashel @timeAndDate(1278443038) C.S. Lewis, known to his family and friends by the name of Jack, was an Anglo-Irish novelist, literary critic, academic, and Christian apologist (he tried to present a rational basis for the Christian faith). Though he is most famous for his fiction, one of his most impressive talents was his ability to combine all of his interests into his fiction with enormous grace and skill. His religion had the most obvious impact on his work, as most of his fiction dealt with Christian themes and was packed with religious undertones. His writing has become some of the most beloved work in the world, especially his ''Chronicles of Narnia ''series, and will surely never be forgotten.

Popular Works

'''''The Pilgrim's Regress''''' - Published in 1933, this novel marked the first of Lewis' many published allegorical stories. It is Lewis' personal revision, or perhaps interpretation is a better word, of John Bunyan's 17th century novel, Pilgrim's Progress, but reworked with his own view of politics and region obviously impacted by 20th century thought. It's a charming yet loaded coming of age story, and seems to foreshadow a lot of the themes and images dealt with in his later work. '''''The Screwtape Letters''''' - This epistolary novel (a book written only in letters), published in 1942, fully embodies Lewis' Christian apologist beliefs. It is composed of a series of letters from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew, a junior tempter. Throughout the novel, the two characters are attempting to secure the damnation of a British man, known only to readers as "The Patient." When the book was originally published, it was very well received and continued to grow in popularity until after Lewis' death. It has been adapted for film, radio and for the stage and provides a thrilling and interesting look at a unique perspective and character, one that we all are (at least a little bit) scared of. '''''The Space Trilogy''''' Lewis'>That Hideous Strength'', takes place on a variety of planets and focuses on a variety of species and are full of everything a science fiction novel needs to be memorable. They read like fantasy adventures combined with classical cosmology and mythology, are very well researched, and are probably Lewis' most popular books, after the ''Narnia'' series of course. The interesting characters and plot twists loaded into each of these books are sure to keep you turning every page. '''''Surprised By Joy''''' - Published in 1955, this spiritual autobiography tells of Lewis' complex journey to his faith. Because his faith had such an intense impact on his fictional writing, many fans of his fiction have turned to his memoir to try to understand some of the inner workings of his mind and almost all were satisfied. Throughout the books, his thoughts are communicated clearly and eloquently while still keeping readers interested and entertained. This memoir not only provides interesting insight into Lewis' life, but also into Christianity. '''''The Chronicles of Narnia''''' Lewis'>''The Last Battle''. Each book, with the exception of ''The Horse and His Boy,'' features four children who are transported into the magical world of Narnia, a place where magic exists, the animals talk and they have to protect the kingdom from the evil forces that want to take it over. This is a powerful, epic series filled with Christian allegory, beautiful imagery and overwhelmingly memorable stories. Other popular C.S. Lewis work includes ''The Four Lovers''.

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