Jack

C. S. Lewis and His Times

By: George Sayer

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Numerous biographies have been written about this great theologian, literary critic, and novelist, but we have found this to be the best.

Sayer describes Lewis’ early years, hinting at childhood evidence of the brilliance and eccentricity that would later become Lewis’ hallmarks. He discusses Lewis’ academic career, his life-transforming conversion to Christianity, and the role of religion in his life. With honesty and compassion, he covers Lewis’ controversial relationship with Mrs. Moore and his passionate marriage to Joy Davidman.

©1988 George Sayer (P)2000 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“A cheerful look back on the life of [Sayer’s] cherished friend and mentor…Frederick Davidson…maintains the flow of the work. His presentation of English and Irish dialects is excellent.” ( AudioFile)

A Must-Listen for All CS Lewis Devotees!

Excellent book for learning about CS Lewis, the man.
As for the narration, initially I did not like the voice, but I grew to appreciate it as particularly fitting for the subject matter.

Classic book, Easy listen

The story of the book is presented with enough details to be interesting, without at the same time bogging the storyline down.

Occasionally, the recording would have a background noise, very slight, and really not effecting the overall experience, except that it could be heard ever so quietly.

Appropriate biography of Lewis, poorly read

The content and story have long been considered one of the greatest biographies of CS Lewis. Unfortunately, the reading of it was subpar and not entirely enjoyable to listen to. It is well worth the time, but one hopes a new reading may be put together the may be a little easier on the ears in coming years.

Phenomenal

The desire I have had my whole like to know this man was fulfilled in this work. Sayer is an ingenious author and worked hard to combine Lewis' literary career, his personal life, and the workings of his radiant mind into one book. The result is a holistic introduction to C.S. Lewis.

The story of a life told by his friend

Other biographies of C.S. Lewis (and I think that I have all of them from Audible) are told from the perspective of the scholar, but George Sayer tells the story of his friend. Because he can share personal details of Lewis' life, this biography is much more intimate. For example, Sayer deals with the matter of Lewis' relationship with Mrs. Moore. Was it based on his sense of duty to her deceased son, Patty, and to her appeal to him as a surrogate mother, or was there some 'purient' motivation that he was ashamed to admit? There is no doubt that Jack was extremely protective of the details of their relationship, but Sayer's insight helps to dispel the confusion around the subject with good, sound reason and facts. The only quibble that I have with this audiobook is that it shows EACH half as being 13 hours whereas the total of BOTH halves is approximently 13 hours. I read an earlier review that pointed out this error and so I called Audible to find out and was assured that it really is 26 hours long -- it's not. But the 13 hours that it is, is worth listening even if you are a Lewis fan like me and think you've heard it all.

Best biography on Lewis

The reader for this book was difficult to adjust to but if you’ve ever heard recordings of Lewis speaking, it’s understandable why he was chosen to read it. I did adjust and plan to re-listen to this again even though the book is delightfully long. As a companion to the writings of Lewis and by comparison to other biographers, this has been extremely interesting, moving and helpful. I originally decided on this title because Walter Hooper said it was the best and after hearing negatives about other biographies which wrongly or poorly criticize Lewis (over things they don’t understand about him) I found this worth every minute. Thank you for a great biographical work. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the best friend’s perspective.

nice bio of lewis

First note,this audiobook is listed as 26 hours long,IT IS ACTUALY 13 hrs.long..also the narator is one i never liked..however,his usual horror of tone and attitude is quite tame in this book..in short I found it listenable..now the book itself is very good..I always prefer what I call "old school' styles of writers..[less modernistic...non sceptical,relativistic,super psycological ect.] and this fits that nice style..it is also simply very interesting and personal with its object,the great C.S. Lewis...if you can stand the narrator on the sample clip,i think you will love this biography of Lewis..

Enjoyed this story of C.S. Lewis' life.

Would you listen to Jack again? Why?

I will re-listen to this book. Found it very informative. I enjoyed Lyle Dorsett's bio on Lewis more but this one was very good.

What about Frederick Davidson’s performance did you like?

Frederick would not be my first choice but not as bad as other reviewer had mentioned. He is very tolerable and does well portraying different accents.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I listened to it in my car over several days.

Any additional comments?

Would recommend to others!

Another Slice of the Story

There are little slivers of new information gleaned from this account of Lewis's life. Most of the facts can be run across in other places, but there is something special about hearing the story from someone who was there. My only negative for this recording is a slight bit of background sound that seems to trail or proceed some of the audio. Regardless, this title is full of genuine accounts with Jack. I enjoyed feeling like I was sitting with him at the Kilns for a cup of tea or talking of old Norse by the fire in his rooms at Magdalen College. I may never get to be an Inkling, but taking this trip with George Sayer has definitely given me the feeling of sitting in the room at a table nearby.

Detailed biography of C. S. Lewis

This is considered by many to be the definitive biography of C. S. Lewis. The author Sayer was once a student of Jack's and later became a close friend. This biography helps one to better understand Lewis' books, writings and lectures.
The reading of the book could be improved by a more animated narrator.