Mere Jack

I’m about to finish reading a great book by Alan Jacobs: The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis. I’m not going to blog through this book, but it is an incredible biographical work on one of the great modern Christian authors. Jacobs interweaves Lewis’ life and work into a seamless exposition of the imaginative world of this amazingly interesting man. There are several surprises for a relative Lewis newbie like myself. Although I have read several of his works, I knew less about his life than I had imagined. For instance, I had no idea about the older woman he lived with for much of his adult life. There are aspects of Lewis’ life that I would love to recreate in my own. The section on the Inklings (a literary group that met at the local pub and included greats such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, etc.) is most fascinating. I can see myself now: gathered around a rustic wodden pub table with a small group of brilliant men and women discussing theology and the church. I think my English blood runs deep. Now, I would like to get my hands on a similar biography of Tolkien. Perhaps Jacobs will do us the favor of writing this as well! He would be excellent considering his lucid writing style, which is perfectly paced and describes the thought-world of Lewis perfectly.