I have just finished reading the second volume of C. S. Lewis's Letters. I can heartily recommend it to all those interested in Lewis's life.
Lewis in the thirties does not shine out as he does in the forties. There, one really does got a sense of his holiness. I think this is not necessarily because he became a better man in the forties, but that the opportunities for it to come out in his letters became more frequent: a result of his radio broadcasts, which lead to many people asking him for advise and counsel over problems in their lives.
If any latinists read the Letters, they will enjoy Lewis's correspondence with Don Giovanni Calabria as the original Latin text is given alongside the English translation. Don Calabria died in the early fifties and I believe is a candidate for canonisation by the Catholic Church.
The only letters which I ever tired of were the thank you ones to to various American friends (Dr. Firor Warfield and Vera Mathews, especially) for gifts of food in the post war period. It was not that these were boring letters as such, but as Lewis himself says in those letters, there are only so many ways one can say thank you! BTW: I never appreciated how much America helped Britain (and indeed, Europe) after World War II in this regard. Apparantly they sent millions of pounds worth of food over. Given how America can sometimes antagonise one, this was good to read (I know the problem: I am confusing the American Government with the people.)
A while ago, Arend Smilde posted a link to A N Wilson's review of the Letters in the Times Literary Suppliment. If I remember rightly, Wilson called Lewis a mysoginist. He may even have quoted from the book in support of this statement. The truth is that Wilson was talking nonsense. No mysoginist would have maintained such a correspondence with women such as Lewis did - regular and very friendly - nor, if he had, spoken to them like Lewis did: supportive, loving, humble.
Anyway, I am really pleased and grateful to have been given this opportunity to read Lewis' Letters. Once more: I heartily recommend it!
Well done to Walter Hooper and HarperCollins for editing and producing a super book. Here's to Vol. III!
Malcolm