The more I learn about him and the more I read his work, the more I like him. He was way cool. I love the combination of incredible intellect and down-to-earth humility. I was apprehensive about doing a research paper on his works of adult fiction, I thought, what if it's too sophisticated for me? What if I can't figure out what he's getting at? Instead, I was pleasantly surprised - not that his writing is by any means elementary, no, it is full of deep truths and subtleties so that each reading brings with it a new insight. But it is accessible! Yippee!!
He used his talents to spread his beliefs - despite the tongue-lashing he would receive from his colleagues, who thought he should focus his energies on more "scholarly" writings. Was he without flaw? No way - and he was the first to admit it. He didn't like to be around small children (who would have thought - the author of Narnia!), he had odd habits, and his lifestyle was far from conventional. He was a late convert - I think he was 31 when he became a Christian. The Screwtape Letters has 31 letters... hmm, I must check and see EXACTLY when he was converted... *pauses to consult sources* Nope, he was 33, but it was in the YEAR 1931, that's why it was stuck in my head. But still - 1931 was the year he was converted, and there are 31 letters... maybe there is supposed to be one letter per day for a month... but no, the events take much longer than a month... interesting.
Anyhow, he was cool. I would have liked to have met him. But the neat thing about writers is that even when they're gone, they leave behind a legacy, a way of getting to know them.
1 comment:
I love The Screwtape Letters too! I try to write in the same literary style on my blog, but it isn't easy...
I also recommend Peter Kreeft's Snakebite Letters. He's a philosophy professor at Boston College, a prolific author on morality and a big fan of CS Lewis.
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