C. S. Lewis, James Como
C. S. Lewis, James Como
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C. S. Lewis
A Very Short Introduction

Author: James Como

Narrator: Roger Clark

Unabridged: 4 hr 26 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 02/26/2019


Synopsis

Beloved by children and adults worldwide, the writings of C. S. Lewis have a broad and enduring appeal. Although he is best known for the iconic Chronicles of Narnia series, C. S. Lewis was actually a man of many literary parts. Already well-known as a scholar in the 1930s, he became a famous broadcaster during World War Two and wrote in many genres, including satire (The Screwtape Letters), science fiction (Perelandra), a novel (Till We Have Faces), and many other books on Christian belief, such as Mere Christianity and Miracles. His few sermons remain touchstones of their type. In addition to these, Lewis wrote hundreds of poems and articles on social and cultural issues, many books and articles in his field of literary criticism and history, and thousands of letters.

At Oxford University he became a charismatic lecturer and conversationalist. Taken together, his writings have engaged and influenced, often very deeply, millions of readers. Now Lewis societies, television documentaries, movies, radio plays, and theatrical treatments of his work and life have become common, and he is frequently quoted by journalists, critics, and public thinkers.

About James Como

James Como holds a PhD in Language, Literature, and Rhetoric from Columbia University and is now Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric and Public Communication at York College (CUNY). A founding member of the New York C. S. Lewis Society, Dr. Como's books include Branches to Heaven: The Geniuses of C. S. Lewis, a study of Lewis as a rhetorician, and Remembering C. S. Lewis. These, along with his many articles on Lewis in journals including The Wilson Quarterly and The New Criterion, and on-air commentary for five biographical documentaries, have established Dr. Como as one of the most highly-regarded Lewis scholars in the world.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brenton on May 15, 2019

Honestly, I was surprised this little volume was as good as it is. Not because of James Como, who has invested 50 years into reading C.S. Lewis well. But I have read about 20 of these Very Short introductions, and have looked at another dozen or so. Though it typically balances brevity and thoroughn......more

Goodreads review by Jordan on June 06, 2019

Really excellent short intro. Como jams an astonishing amount of biographical information, summary, and commentary into a brisk and winsomely written 116 pages. Como does a good job relating Lewis’s life; explaining the origins, context, purpose, and content of his many works; and capturing somethin......more

Goodreads review by Rohan on September 28, 2024

Fun fact: Lewis published "a grief observed" under a pseudonym. Some of his friends sent him a copy thinking it would be great for him. I describe this as "all the blurbs for cs Lewis's books in one spot, with some biography thrown in" But he kept flitting from book to book and didn't really connect......more

Goodreads review by David on October 03, 2019

Very concise, comprehensive, excellent guide.......more

Goodreads review by Laura on April 10, 2024

Great introduction to C. S. Lewis!......more