C.S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis (http://narnia.wikia.com/wiki/C._S._Lewis)

“Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” -A well-known quote by the profound novelist, poet, and theologian C. S. Lewis. In the sixty-five years of Lewis’s life, he opened the hearts and minds of many by putting forth books, essays, and literature compositions. Oxford graduate and close friend to J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis lived a life of world acclaim. Having written and composed numerous works, he has successfully written his fame across the pages of countless novels. The quality and form of Lewis’s writings gave him the ability to stand out among other writers. C. S. Lewis has a long lasting impact on all who encounter his works.

Born November 29, 1989, in Belfast, Ireland, C. S. Lewis grew up in a house filled with books by famous authors, all of whom inspired him. With a passion for creating stories, young Lewis started writing some of his own. At the age of four, Lewis requested he be called Jack, and the name stuck. As a boy he enjoyed stories from Beatrix Potter a famous children’s author. When Jack’s brother and common companion, Warren, went off to a boarding school in England, young Lewis buried himself in his books. He preferred imagining he was a knight in shining armor or a rabbit with a trench coat than work on his schoolwork. Jack’s father A. J. Lewis supported his family as a lawyer. Flora Lewis, mother of C. S. Lewis, tutored her son for the beginning of his education. At the age of 10, Lewis’s mother lost her life to cancer. Jack continued his education by private tutors, and then in 1917, he entered Oxford. The professors of young Clive saw much potential. Ever since 1917, when Lewis entered Oxford, though he left to fight in World War 1 and, through his teachings at Cambridge, most say he never really left the school. On the weekends, Lewis would travel back to Oxford where he would enjoy the company of close friends and his peers. Throughout Lewis’s youth and schooling, he strove to maintain high-grades and close friendships.

Chronicles of Narnia

Clive Staples Lewis led a life quite indifferent to the norm. He describes himself saying, "I'm tall, fat, rather bald, red-faced, double-chinned, black-haired, have a deep voice, and wear glasses for reading." Lewis was also known for having wrinkled trousers and food stained jackets. However, regardless of how he looked, Lewis held a friendly disposition and thus made friends quickly. Therefore it does not come as a surprise that J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis struck up an inseparable bond. The two studied together, walked together, and encouraged each other. Initially an atheist, Lewis’s friendships with his peers encouraged him to rethink his beliefs. At the age of thirty-one, Lewis became a pronounced Christian. His fame grew as he went on to speak in lecture halls. His audience continued to grow as his voice projected over radio broadcastings. In the next fifteen years, Lewis’s fame would become worldwide.

Mere Christianity

In 1919, Lewis’s published his first book Spirits in Bondage. He used the pseudonym Clive Hamilton. His next published work, a book of poems called Dymer, received much praise but the acclamation only lasted a short period of time. Lewis went on to publish books including: The Screwtape Letters (1942), the Abolition of Man (1943), The Great Divorce (1946), Mere Christianity (1952), and the Chronicles of Narnia (1950-56). These books gave Lewis world-renowned fame and furthered his reputation. The books Lewis wrote targeted a variety of audiences, each with specific underlying meanings. From the series The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and Prince Caspian now sixty years later, have captured the attention of the media world. Along with the hard-back collection and audio version, audiences can now own the thrilling digital edition of the marvelous adventures in Narnia.

C. S. Lewis (iws.collin.edu)

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” ~C. S. Lewis. This quote provides just a glimpse into the mind of Clive Staples Lewis. Lewis died November 24, 1963, just five days short of his sixty-fifth birthday. However Clive’s death never received the proclamation that such a great man deserved. On that same day, well-acclaimed and loved J. F. K was shot and killed. As a nation mourned the loss of a great leader, the press spent time covering the actions following the death of such an important and influential person. C. S. Lewis died of kidney failure or heart attack, possibly a combination of both. Noted as one of the most influential authors in history, C. S. Lewis’s legacy carries on.