The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. Yet among his poetry, literary history and criticism, novels, and Christian apologetics stands a unique, delightfully imaginative children's series called The Chronicles of Narnia, which has become an enduring classic. Alan Jacobs takes this imaginary world of Narnia that has captivated children and adults alike for years, and uses the themes and stories found within to explore the imaginative life of C. S. Lewis. Few things are more interesting to human beings than trying to figure out how another human being (especially a profoundly gifted one) works. Not just a conventional, straightforward biographer of Lewis, Jacobs instead seeks a more elusive quarry: an understanding of the way Lewis's experiences, both direct and literary, formed themselves into patterns--themes that then shaped his thought and writings, especially the stories of Narnia. It is in the Narnia stories that we see the most of Lewis, and this illuminating biography delivers a true picture of the life and imagination of the Narnian.