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literary works :: secondary works

see also: fiction & poetry and nonfiction

Adey, Lionel
"C. S. Lewis's 'Great War' with Owen Barfield"
Univ. of Victoria, B.C.: ELS Monographs, 1978.
An assessment of a dispute about the imaginative faculty - whether it can bring new knowledge (Barfield's position) or not.

Baynes, Pauline and Riordan, James
"A Book of Narnians - The Lion, the Witch and the Others"
1994
An illustrated book showing many characters of Narnia from all seven books. Each character has a beautifully illustrated colour drawing (by Pauline Baynes, original illustrator of "The Chronicles...") and snippets of text from the novels (compiled by James Riordan) about the characters. Includes a map of Narnia and surrounding lands and Lewis' outline of Narnian history in both Narnian and English years.

Beversluis, John
"C. S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion"
1985
A critique of his religious thoughts and arguments.

Bramlette, Perry
"C. S. Lewis: Life at the Center"
1996, Peake Road. Macon GA.
This small book (87pp) is about his prayer life, his friends, etc. It is not a literary criticism type volume.

Carpenter, Humphrey
"The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, and Their Friends"
London: Allen & Unwin, 1978.
Although centered on Lewis, this "collective biography" is a study of all the men in that famous literary circle. Shows the Inklings against the backdrop of the literary culture of the 1920's and 1930's.

Christopher, Joe R., and Joan K. Ostling
"C. S. Lewis: An Annotated Checklist of Writings about Him and His Works"
Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1973.

Como, James T.
"C. S. Lewis at the Breakfast Table and Other Reminiscences"
New York: Macmillan, 1979.
24 essays of memoir, anecdote, assessment, and analysis, with an Introduction.

Derrick, Christopher, et. al.
"G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis: The Riddle of Joy"
Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989.

Downing, David
"Planets in Peril : A Critical Study of C. S. Lewis' Ransom Trilogy"
Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1992.

Duriez, Colin
"The C.S. Lewis Encyclopedia : A Complete Guide to His Life, Thought, and Writings"
Crossway Books, 2000

Edwards, Bruce L.
"Taste of the Pineapple: Essays on C. S. Lewis as Reader, Critic, and Imaginative Writer"
Bowling Green, OH:Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1988.
"A Rhetoric of Reading: C. S. Lewis's Defense of Western Literacy" BYU, 1987

Ford, Paul F.
"A Companion to Narnia"
San Francisco, CA:HarperCollins Publishing Company, 1994.
An encylopedia listing of characters, themes, and biblical allusions in "The Chronicles of Narnia."

Gibb, Jocelyn, ed.
"Light on C. S. Lewis"
London: Geoffrey Bles, 1965.
Nine writers reminisce about Lewis and study him as writer, teacher, scholar, and Christian apologist.

Gibson, Evan K. C. S.
"Lewis, Spinner of Tales: A Guide to His Fiction"
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1980.
A guide for the "ordinary reader" to the ethical and theological implications of Lewis' fiction.

Gilbert, Douglas, and Clyde S. Kilby
"C. S. Lewis: Images of His World"
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1973.
Photographs of Lewis' "world" - Oxford and Cambridge, his home, the English countryside, the sea, and Ireland. With a concise biography and study of his relgious development.

Goffar, Janine
"C. S. Lewis Index: A Comprehensive Guide to Lewis's Writings and Ideas"
Crossway Books, 1995.

Gormley, Beatrice
"C. S. Lewis: Christian and Storyteller"
Wm B Eerdmans Pub Co, Grand Rapids, MI, 1998
Meet the creator of the Chronicles of Narnia, the man who made this fantasy series a favorite for generations. Readers of all ages will enjoy stories of Lewis's boyhood in Ireland and the imaginary world he and his brother created. They will also gain an understanding of Lewis's quest for joy, his personal struggles, and the ways his stories reflect his deep and powerful experience of God.

Green, Roger Lancelyn
"Into Other Worlds: Space-Flight in Fiction, from Lucian to Lewis"
Grand Rapids, MI: Eermans, 1973.
Beautiful photographs of Lewis' "world" - Oxford and Cambridge, his home, the English countryside, the sea, Ireland. With a consise biography and study of his religious development.

Gresham, Douglas
"Lenten Lands"
Harper San Francisco, 1994

Griffin, William
"Clives Staples Lewis: A Dramatic Life"
Harper and Row, 1986
An imaginitive biography that seeks to recreate the events of Lewis's life, retelling them in short units of stories.

Hannay, Margaret Patterson
"C. S. Lewis"
New York: Ungar, 1981.
Contains a brief biography followed by summaries of Lewis' novels and critical analyses with a study of Lewis' literary criticism, Christian apologetics, and final works.

Holmer, Paul L.
"C. S. Lewis: The Shape of His Faith and Thought"
New York: Harper, 1976.
A brief study of Lewis' theology, impact, and critics. Emphasizes the quality of ordinary human knowledge, or "common" knowledge, which informs Lewis' work.

Hooper, Walter and Green, Roger
"C. S. Lewis: A Biography"
New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1974.
The "authorized" biography by two of his friends. Based on a thorough knowledge of Lewis' work and his friends as well as personal, even intimate, friendships.

"C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide"
Harper San Francisco, 1996

"Past Watchful Dragons: The Narnian Chronicles of C. S. Lewis"
New York: Collier Books, 1979.
A study of the development of the creation of Narnia from the life, thought, and temperment of Lewis, written by his biographer (and literary editor).



Howard, Thomas
"The Achievement of C. S. Lewis: A Reading of His Fiction"
Wheaton, Illinois: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1980.
A personal and well-received "reading" of the Space Trilogy, "Till We Have Faces," and the Narnia Chronicles.

"C. S. Lewis: Man of Letters: A Reading of His Fiction"
Ignatius Pr, 1990



Keefe, Carolyn, ed.
"C. S. Lewis: Speaker and Teacher"
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1971.
Reminiscences by seven people who discuss Lewis the lecturer. Anecdotes and analyses.

Kilby, Clyde S.
"The Christian World of C. S. Lewis"
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964.
A pioneering study of Lewis' Christian thought. Emphasis on the fiction and religious writings. Contains a summary of the Chronicles of Narnia.

King, Don
"C. S. Lewis, Poet: The Legacy of His Poetic Impulsequot;
Kent, Ohio: Kent State UP, 2001.


Kreeft, Peter
"C. S. Lewis: A Critical Essay"
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1969.
A pamphlet which emphasizes Lewis' attack on modernism.

"C. S. Lewis for the Third Millenium: Six Essays on the Abolition of Man."
San Fransisco, CA: Ignatius, 1994

"The Shadow-Lands of C. S. Lewis: The Man Behind the Movie"
Ignatius Pr, 1994



Lindskoog, Kathryn Ann
"C. S. Lewis: Mere Christian"
Glendale, CA: Regal Books, 1973.
A detailed summary of Lewis' Christian teachings. Contains many cross references to the novels and Narnia Chronicles, as well as to his works of apologetics.

"Finding the Landlord: A Guidebook to C. S. Lewis's Pilgrim's Regress"
Cornerstone Pr Chicago, 1995



Lindvall, Terry
"Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C. S. Lewis"
Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.
One of the few books on C. S. Lewis devoted entirely to an examination of this great author, teacher and Christian apologist's life and works in light of his humor. According to Dr. Lindvall, "One bright and compelling feature we can see, sparkling in his [Lewis'] sunlight and sparkling in his moonlight, is laughter. Yet it is too large to see at once because it inhabited all Lewis was and did."

Martindale, Wayne and Root, Jerry, editors
"The Quotable Lewis"
Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 1989.

Meilaender, Gilbert
"The Social and Ethical Thought of C. S. Lewis"
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1978.
Incorporates all of Lewis' writings into a sustained argument about Lewis' vision of life.

Menuge, Angus, editor
"C. S. Lewis: Lightbearer in the Shadowlands"
Crossway, 1997.
Consists of 16 scholarly yet highly accessible essays which explore various aspects of C. S. Lewis's contributions to evangelism.

Myers, Doris T.
"C. S. Lewis in Context"
Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1994.
Criticism and interpretation.

Payne, Leanne
"Real Presence - The Christian Worldview of C. S. Lewis as Incarnational Reality"
Crossway Books, 1988
(originally published in 1979 as "Real Presence: the Holy Spirit in the Works of C. S. Lewis")

Reilly, R. J.
"Romantic Religion: A Study of Barfield, Lewis, Williams, and Tolkien."
Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1971
Thesis is that Lewis (and the others) defended romanticism by showing it to be religious, and defended religion by "traditionally romantic means." Separate chapters on each writer. The chapter on Lewis emphasizes the fiction, especially "Till We Have Faces."

Sammons, Martha C.
"A Guide Through Narnia"
Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1979.
Biographical sketch, plot outlines of the Chronicles, a study of the geography and history of Narnia, an analysis of the Christian implications, with a glossary.

Sayer, George
"Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis"
Crossway Books, 1994

Schakel, Peter J., ed.
"The Longing for a Form: Essays on the Fiction of C. S. Lewis"
Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1977.
Three general essays on Lewis' fiction, followed by several essays on the Space Trilogy, Chronicles of Narnia, and "Till We Have Faces."

Schofield, Stephen
"In Search of C. S. Lewis"
Bridge Publishing, Inc. 1983
A collection of memoirs and interviews by about two dozen people who knew C. S. Lewis.

Sibley, Brian
"The Land of Narnia: Brian Sibley Explores the World of C. S. Lewis"
Harpercollins Juvenile Books, 1990

"C. S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands"
Fleming H Revell Co, 1994

"Shadowlands: the Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman"
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1985.



Smith, Robert Houston
"Patches of Godlight: The Patterns of Thought of C. S. Lewis"
Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1981.
A study of the underpinnings of Lewis' thought, "his underlying philosophy of religion, as it may be distinguished from his traditional Christian orientation on the one hand and his literary affinities on the other."

Walsh, Chad
"C. S. Lewis: Apostle to the Skeptics"
New York: Macmillan, 1949.
A Pioneering study of Lewis' importance, his biography, and his work. Surveys the fiction, apologetics, and scholarly work.

"The Literary Legacy of C. S. Lewis"
New York: Harcourt, 1979.
With reservations about Lewis' apologetics, the author offers an enthusiastic but balanced evaluation of Lewis' fiction.

"The Visionary Christian"
Touchstone Books, 1996



White, William Luther
"The Image of Man in C. S. Lewis"
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1969.
Originally a seminary doctoral dissertation, this emphasizes Lewis' importance in twentieth-century Christian culture. Summarizes Lewis' theology; analyzes and refutes Lewis' critics.

Wilson, A. N.
"C. S. Lewis: A Biography"
1991