Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday: Five Reasons I Love C.S. Lewis


1. The Chronicles of Narnia

I picked up The Lion. The Witch, and The Wardrobe when I was about 8. I remember mentioning it to my dad who told me it was one of his favorite books. This confused me. Why was an adult so interested in a book clearly written for children? Now I get it. Narnia teaches you about courage, benevolence, integrity coupled with Christian beliefs and values. Narnia is fun and magical, yet real and serious at the same time. C.S. Lewis, thank you for sharing your world with us. 

2. Clive Staples

One of my favorite things about Lewis is his life story. He struggled with his faith, love life, depression and was wounded during war time. Just as Narnia mirrors his faith, many of his other books mirror his struggles and triumphs. When I was in high school, a friend of mine committed suicide. I struggled with this for some time. I found consolation in Lewis's A Grief Observed. He understood that grief and sorrow are necessary and helped the reader revel in their pain and then find the strength to pull themselves out of it. 

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in your stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing." 

3. His Kindness

During his time in the army, Lewis and a friend made a pact that if either were to die, the other would take care of both families. Lewis's friend "Paddy" Moore died in 1918. Lewis cared for his mother, Jane Moore, until she became quite ill and passed away. 

4. His Humor

"Someday, you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again."

If you didn't laugh during The Horse and His Boy, your funny bone is most definitely broken. Lewis does an excellent job embodying the mind of a child and oh what fun it is to laugh at childish things! 


5. His Choice in Friends

Many fans know that Tolkien and Lewis were friends and rivals. This fact warms me to my very soul. No two men in existence had a stronger impact on my imagination and love for literature than these two. Sometimes I wonder if they knew how important their works would be to lonely little girls who would rather read than play kickball during recess.  

Find more Top Ten lists at www.brokeandbookish.com

4 comments:

  1. I absolutely grew up on C.S. Lewis! :)

    Check out my TTT.

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  2. I have relistened to my audio copies of the Narnia books and The Screwtape Letters too many times to count. He was a hugely inspirational man.

    My TTT list

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    Replies
    1. Chronicles of Narnia audio books are perfect for road trips!!

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  3. There are endless ways that Lewis demonstrated his kindness. One that I find baffling is just his correspondence. I personally own 3 volumes of his personal letters, many of which are addressed to children that love The Chronicles. This corpus represents only a small fraction of the letters that he wrote. He was so generous with his time and words.

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