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Classic Authors: C.S. Lewis

© Susan Jensen

Narnia exists in my imagination today, even though it has been some time since I travelled there with Peter, Susan and Edmund. I can vividly recall the magic of stepping through the wardrobe with them and discovering the magic of Aslan's realm. I, like many others, discovered C.S. Lewis by reading The Chronicles of Narnia. Because I loved his books for children, I picked up other volumes by Lewis and soon discovered the brilliance and faith of this classic author.

Clive Staples Lewis entered the world on November 29, 1898, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was reared in a "bookish" home, where he dwelt in a world of books and ideas. He kept himself and his brother entertained by creating elaborate imaginary worlds. When he was only 10, his mother passed away and he became absorbed in composing stories and excelling in academics.

He was tutored privately until the year he spent at Malvern College. In 1916, he entered the University College. His studies were interrupted by his service in the British Army from 1918 to 1919. Afterward, he returned to Oxford and resumed his studies. Later, he became a fellow and a tutor at the University of Oxford, where he stayed from 1925 to 1954. Lewis then became a professor of medieval and Renaissance English Literature at Cambridge University.

In 1936, C.S. Lewis published "The Allegory of Love," an essay which described the function of allegory in medieval literature. The piece established him as a scholar and launched his career as a writer. He soon turned to a different genre, however, and published the first book in a science fiction trilogy in 1936. Although the novels received some criticism, they were generally popular. J.R.R. Tolkien exclaimed that the first novel's only fault was that it was too short. From 1950 to 1956, Lewis published the seven Chronicles of Narnia books. The books have been cited for their Christian symbolism, which Lewis said came about naturally as he worked.

Lewis has long been hailed as a "defender of the faith." He earned the title because of his theological writings, of which "The Screwtape Letters" is perhaps the most popular. In the book, Uncle Screwtape, a senior devil, writes letters to his nephew Wormwood, who is trying to persuade a man to turn away from Christianity. It is a brilliant work, at once entertaining and thought-provoking. Lewis also wrote a spiritual autobiography, detailing his conversion to Christianity, called "Surprised by Joy" (1955).

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