The narnian alan jacobs

  • Alan Jacobs takes this imaginary world of Narnia and uses the themes and stories found within to explore the imaginative life of C.S. Lewis.
  • The White Witch, Aslan, fauns and talking beasts, centaurs and epic battles between good and evil -- all these have become a part of our collective imagination through the classic volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia.
  • In The Narnian, Alan Jacobs wanted to write a biography of CS Lewis, but not one that brought out a lot of extraneous details of his life.

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    The Narnian

    By Alan Jacobs

    Description

    A journey into the imagination of C.S. Lewis explores the themes and life events that contributed to The Chronicles of Narnia, the most enduring classics of children’s literature

    C.S. Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. Yet among his poetry, literary history and criticism, novels and Christian apologetics stands a unique, delightfully imaginative children’s series called The Chronicles of Narnia, which have become enduring classics. Alan Jacobs takes this imaginary world of Narnia and uses the themes and stories found within to explore the imaginative life of C.S. Lewis. Not just a conventional, straightforward biography of Lewis, Jacobs instead seeks a more elusive quarry: an understanding of the way Lewis’s experiences, both direct and literary, formed themselves into patterns—themes that then shaped his thought and writings, especially the stories of Narnia.

    Praises & Awards

    Praise

    Frederick Buechner, author of Beyond Words

    “It is hard to imagine a more insightful and even-handed treatment of the life and work of Lewis.”

    Edward Mendelson, author of Early Auden and Later Auden

    “A book about Lewis that will fascinate even t

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    Alan Jacobs private detective The Narnian

    Regular price

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  • the narnian alan jacobs

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    The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis

    The White Witch, Aslan, fauns and talking beasts, centaurs and epic battles between good and evil -- all these have become a part of our collective imagination through the classic volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia. Over the past half century, children everywhere have escaped into this world and delighted in its wonders and enchantments. Yet what we do know of the man who created Narnia? This biography sheds new light on the making of the original Narnian, C. S. Lewis himself.

    Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential religious writer of his day. An Oxford don and scholar of medieval literature, he loved to debate philosophy at his local pub, and his wartime broadcasts on the basics of Christian belief made him a celebrity in his native Britain. Yet one of the most intriguing aspects of Clive Staples Lewis remains a mystery. How did this middle-aged Irish bachelor turn to the writing of stories for children -- stories that would become among the most popular and beloved ever written?

    Alan Jacobs masterfully tells the story of the original Narnian. From Lewis's childhood days in Ireland playing with his brother, Warnie, to his horrific experiences in the