C. S. Lewis: Writer, Scholar, Seeker

De: Sørina Higgins, The Great Courses

Narrado por: Sørina Higgins

Although his career is much richer and more varied than a single series of tales for children, Clive Staples (C. S.) Lewis is perhaps best-known for his beloved fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia. Born in Belfast near the end of the 19th century, Lewis had a difficult childhood and lived through the devastation of two world wars. Yet, his work most often celebrates joy, optimism, and spiritual meaning, rather than dwelling on the darkness he had experienced.

In C. S. Lewis: Writer, Scholar, Seeker, Dr. Sørina Higgins will take you on a fascinating expedition through the life and work of this influential author, examining the crucial events and relationships that shaped his personal, literary, and spiritual journeys. As you’ll see, while Lewis holds a special place in the canon of modern fantasy literature—along with his friend and colleague J. R. R. Tolkien—the fantastic was not his only interest. His wide-ranging imagination and constant curiosity led him to write everything from religious essays to science fiction while also pursuing his career as an Oxford fellow and tutor and literary scholar. As you trace Lewis’ life from his unhappy days at boarding school to his final years, Dr. Higgins will spotlight the connections between his lived experience and the creation of his work, illuminating the ways his literary efforts reflected his personal pursuit of meaning and connection.

The story of Lewis’ life and literary achievements is one of both historical specificity and timeless, eternal themes. Though Lewis was certainly a man of his times and subject to many of the biases and restrictions of his era, as Dr. Higgins highlights, he never stopped growing and embracing new ways of thinking. And today, more than half a century after his death, his work lives on, entertaining and enlightening new generations of readers all over the world.

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A Lot of Insight into Lewis and His Works

I remember with great vividness, the excitement of watching the 1979 animated adaptation of Lewis' great, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, when it first came out. My friend was horrified by the adaptation feeling it came nowhere close to the novel, but it led me to read the entire series and lifted C.S. Lewis high in my esteem until the current day. The only other work I've read of his (and multiple times at that) is his brilliant Screwtape Letters. Other than that I knew he was friends with Tolkien and was part of a writing group with him, but that was it. This short Great Courses book by Sorina Higgins fills in a lot of the missing details of Lewis' life and gives insight into his many works of literature and theology. It's well worth reading and it's interested me in going back to the Chronicles of Narnia to read them again after four decades.

Fantastic background on C.S. Lewis

I can’t believe this was free with premium. Such a well done book! Great narration and summation of Lewis’ background and life as well as analysis of his works.

Didn’t make me sleepy

Good combination of information and presented by someone who made it interesting, because they were able to convey their enthusiasm and interest for the material 

Straight Forward Criticism and Love

The author points out the the items that blesses, and damns CS Lewis, making him human, but also pointing out his genius.

Fairhanded and fun

Sorina did a great job approaching Lewis and his work from several angles. Presentation was also solid.

Clear, Comprehensive, Concise Scholarship

Dr. Higgins’ well researched and insightful walk through the life and literary contributions of C.S. Lewis is masterful. I highly recommend these lectures to all levels of Lewis readers. For those new to Lewis, they are an outstanding introduction. For those more familiar with his writing (as I was), they are an ongoing dinner (or pub!) conversation with Lewis and Dr. Higgins as consummate host.

Masterful Presentation About Lewis!

I knew the narration by Sørina Higgins would be excellent, as I've heard her speak in-person several times. She does not disappoint in this department, nor in the realm of her content ("story"). In six lectures of 28 minutes or less, she manages to cover all the main points about Lewis's life and give concise (and meaningful) information about his works.
The first two lectures (don't be turned off by the word "lecture," as Sørina has a conversational tone, making it seem like she is talking to just you) provides the key details about Lewis's life and shines the spotlight on Narnia (as this is the most familiar work by Lewis). The remaining four talks primarily addresses his other writings as follows: 1. Christian-themed, 2. Theological Fiction, 3. The Ransom Cycle, and 4. Literary Criticism. Bits of biographical elements are also provided in each of these sections.
Only two very minor criticisms: If it could be longer, then I wish she would cover more of Lewis's shorter works (essays) and having a PDF of the various authors and works she mentioned would have also been nice.

Definitely worth a listen!

Very well written from all parts of his life and career, gave me a view of the man, his time and his writings. Very interesting and enjoyable.

The logical sequence.

I couldn’t believe 2+ hours passed so quickly. I never for a moment felt that this review of Lewis’s work was a chore or job. I was also surprised by how delicately yet unapologetically Lewis’s more controversial and dated ideas and opinions were presented to a potentially very sensitive and polarised audience.

Scholarly yet understandable

This was a very good listen. I enjoyed the reader (I think it was the author) and she really put her heart into it. The lectures were good, not too long but easy to listen to even when driving. I already knew quite a bit about Lewis. A lot of it was review for me, but it would be a great intro for somebody just starting to read his works. Well, worth listening!