The creator of Narnia
Introduction: The Chronicles of Narnia show no sign of losing their magical hold on our imagination.
Source: Vijay Times, LIFE- Pg 3.
Copyright © 2006 Puja Goyal.
CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898-1963)was one of the biggest intellectual giants of the 20th century and the most influential Christian writer of his day. The Pilgrim's Regress, written by Lewis after converting to Christianity was his take on John Bunyanís The Pilgrimís Progress which depicted his own experience with Christianity. His Space Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy novels dealt with what Lewis saw as the then-current dehumanising trends in modern science fiction. The first book, Out of the Silent Planet, was apparently written after a conversation with his friend J R R Tolkien about these trends. Another short novel, The Screwtape Letters, consists of letters of advice from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood, on the best ways to tempt a particular human and secure his damnation.
Chronicles of Narnia was applauded as one of the best children's fiction. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was the first published and has now been adapted for both stage and screen. The book borrows from Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology as well as traditional English and Irish fairy tales. In addition to his career as an English professor and author of novels, Lewis also wrote a number of books about Christianity - Mere Christianity being one of them. Lewis is said to have stated that he wrote the novels when he wondered what it would be like if Jesus Christ was incarnated on another world or planet to save the souls of those inhabitants. Perhaps the lion king of Narnia, "Aslan" is inspired by this thought. The stories in the Narnia Series began as a series of pictures in the author's head.
"At first," wrote C S Lewis, "they were not a story, just pictures. The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe, began with a mental image of a snowy wood with a little goat-footed faun scurrying along carrying an umbrella and a pile of parcels. "This picture," he later recalled, "had been in my mind since I was about 16. Then, one day, when I was about 40, I said to myself: ëLetís try to make a story about it..."
Some of Lewis's imagination came from the books he had loved when he was young: the talking animals of Beatrix Potter; the Nesbit; the wicked queen from a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale; the dwarfs of the old German myths; Irish fairy tales, myths and legends; and the mythological creatures from the legends of ancient Greece. What Lewis did was mix them together with the elements of his Christian belief - into an entirely new and original recipe. Critics did not take to this very nicely.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published in 1950. In Prince Caspian (1951) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), Jack experimented with the differences in time between our world and Narnia - a device that meant that there was always something unusual and unexpected about each new story. As for the "magnificent lion," he plays an important role in every story: in The Magician's Nephew, he gives life to Narnia; in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he defeats the evil of the White Witch; and in the final volume of what is now known as the Chronicles of Narnia (The Last Battle), Aslan concludes the story of Narnia and leads its faithful friends to a new world.
C S Lewis once said, "People won't write the books I want, so I have to do it for myself." In doing so, he wrote the books that millions of other people also wanted to read. The Chronicles of Narnia have captivated several generations of reader - young and old - and, happily, show no sign of losing their magical hold over our imaginations. While he received a lot of criticism he combined imagination, fantasy, religion and real elements successfully in an unconventional way. Most readers wonder in what sequence the Chronicles of Narnia should be read. You can read them the way you like because all the books contain their own stories.
Source: Vijay Times, LIFE- Pg 3.
Copyright © 2006 Puja Goyal.
CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898-1963)was one of the biggest intellectual giants of the 20th century and the most influential Christian writer of his day. The Pilgrim's Regress, written by Lewis after converting to Christianity was his take on John Bunyanís The Pilgrimís Progress which depicted his own experience with Christianity. His Space Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy novels dealt with what Lewis saw as the then-current dehumanising trends in modern science fiction. The first book, Out of the Silent Planet, was apparently written after a conversation with his friend J R R Tolkien about these trends. Another short novel, The Screwtape Letters, consists of letters of advice from a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood, on the best ways to tempt a particular human and secure his damnation.
Chronicles of Narnia was applauded as one of the best children's fiction. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, was the first published and has now been adapted for both stage and screen. The book borrows from Greek, Roman, and Celtic mythology as well as traditional English and Irish fairy tales. In addition to his career as an English professor and author of novels, Lewis also wrote a number of books about Christianity - Mere Christianity being one of them. Lewis is said to have stated that he wrote the novels when he wondered what it would be like if Jesus Christ was incarnated on another world or planet to save the souls of those inhabitants. Perhaps the lion king of Narnia, "Aslan" is inspired by this thought. The stories in the Narnia Series began as a series of pictures in the author's head.
"At first," wrote C S Lewis, "they were not a story, just pictures. The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe, began with a mental image of a snowy wood with a little goat-footed faun scurrying along carrying an umbrella and a pile of parcels. "This picture," he later recalled, "had been in my mind since I was about 16. Then, one day, when I was about 40, I said to myself: ëLetís try to make a story about it..."
Some of Lewis's imagination came from the books he had loved when he was young: the talking animals of Beatrix Potter; the Nesbit; the wicked queen from a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale; the dwarfs of the old German myths; Irish fairy tales, myths and legends; and the mythological creatures from the legends of ancient Greece. What Lewis did was mix them together with the elements of his Christian belief - into an entirely new and original recipe. Critics did not take to this very nicely.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published in 1950. In Prince Caspian (1951) and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), Jack experimented with the differences in time between our world and Narnia - a device that meant that there was always something unusual and unexpected about each new story. As for the "magnificent lion," he plays an important role in every story: in The Magician's Nephew, he gives life to Narnia; in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, he defeats the evil of the White Witch; and in the final volume of what is now known as the Chronicles of Narnia (The Last Battle), Aslan concludes the story of Narnia and leads its faithful friends to a new world.
C S Lewis once said, "People won't write the books I want, so I have to do it for myself." In doing so, he wrote the books that millions of other people also wanted to read. The Chronicles of Narnia have captivated several generations of reader - young and old - and, happily, show no sign of losing their magical hold over our imaginations. While he received a lot of criticism he combined imagination, fantasy, religion and real elements successfully in an unconventional way. Most readers wonder in what sequence the Chronicles of Narnia should be read. You can read them the way you like because all the books contain their own stories.
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