The Inklings

C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends

De: Humphrey Carpenter

Narrado por: Bernard Mayes

During the 1930s at Oxford, C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams - remarkable friends, writers, and scholars - met regularly to discuss philosophy and literature and to read aloud from their own works in progress. Calling themselves the Inklings, their circle grew. It was in this company that such classics as The Lord of the Rings, The Screwtape Letters, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe first found an audience.

Author Humphrey Carpenter was born in Oxford and was acquainted with Tolkien, Hugo Dyson, and several other Inklings. In this remarkable reconstruction of their meetings and momentous friendships, Carpenter brings to life those warm and enchanting evenings in Lewis' rooms at Magdalen College, when their imaginations ran wild. His account offers exciting insights into the influence these brilliant individuals had on each other's developing ideas and writing.

©1990 Humphrey Carpenter (P)1990 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Best bio of Lewis and friends. A wonderful story. Showing God’s goodness.

Thank you for this wonderful work. So well researched and written. Warm. Engaging. Enlightening. And inspiring.

Perspective of biographer unsympathetic

I did not enjoy the way the author had a slant against CS Lewis as being brash, a poser, impressionable, unoriginal, closed-minded, etc. Let’s see if that author can write anything that holds a candle to Lewis’ brilliance and impact. Come on! It felt like he was trying to cut him down with 80% of his comments. He seemed to “like” Tolkien and Williams much more, and it was obvious and I hate that. Other than that, I enjoyed hearing about this set and their lives.

Just wonderful!

So much I had never known before about this group of men, their friendships, and their writing. I appreciate the books I have read by these writers so much more deeply having listened to The Inklings. If you are a fan of Lewis and Tolkien, this is a wonderful listen!

Mostly about CS Lewis, the common link

This biographical sketch begins and ends with Lewis and gives revealing insight to the man and the men that surrounded him.

A great find for any Inkling fan

Good narrator (he sounded very much like Michael Caine to me), and I was willing to overlook his mispronunciation of some of Toklien's words. It was a thorough and well rounded accounting of the Inklings, albeit with a heavy focus on C.S. Lewis.

Informative Book

C.S. Lewis, J. R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams formed the ultimate book club called the Inklings. They discussed the ancient literature, had readings of each other’s books and intellectual conversations about literature. Other literary minds also move in and out of this circle. This book was based on the life and literary careers of these three main authors and how they influenced each other both in life and the written word. It is written as a history book but the content is good.

**The narrator has strong pronunciation of whistling “S.” It can be overwhelming at times.

Well worth the time if you at all enjoy Inklings writers.

Already a big Lewis and Tolkien nerd, this book makes me feel like I actually know them. It also introduced me to Charles Williams, whose works I’m now going to investigate. It spends the most time, appropriately, with Lewis, as he was certainly the nucleus of the Inklings, but all are given a fair treatment.

The recent past

It was fun to travel back and be a fly on the wall to some of the greatest writers.

Takes the reader into the lives, thoughts, and relationships of the Inklings

A deep dive into the world of the men who constituted this unique circle of writers and friends! Beautifully written, well-documented, insightful and clearly and convincingly read, this book takes the reader into the lives and times of the Inklings: their beliefs, writings, and complex relationships with one another. A must read for lovers of Narnia, Screwtape and Middle Earth, and robust introduction to the lives and writings of the lesser- known Inklings such as Williams, Banfield, and Warnie Lewis. Highest recommendation.

An older book worth listening to

I found the recording old—it took me some time to get used to, which I did—but the older content was worth listening to. I learned some things but also am thankful for other accounts of the Inklings. It was a 3.75 for me.