PRAISE FOR The Neglected C.S. Lewis
“In 1952 Lewis disclosed that writing his magnum opus on the literature of the sixteenth century had been his ‘top tune’ for fifteen years and all the other books he wrote during that period were ‘only its little twiddly bits.’ It may surprise some readers to hear Lewis describe The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Screwtape Letters and The Abolition of Man—to mention just three—as mere twiddly bits in comparison with the main melody of his output. But that was how he saw it. Neal and Root are to be commended for rehabilitating that ‘top tune’ and other similarly neglected works in this clear, useful, and informative survey.”
—Michael Ward, University of Oxford, co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to C. S. Lewis
“Neal and Root have done us a great service. At a time when we are in danger of being surfeited by the endless rehashing of the well-known C. S. Lewis, they have opened up the treasures of the less known but invaluable Lewis. I found this book delightful and stimulating.”
—Os Guinness, author of Carpe Diem Redeemed
“Reading The Neglected C. S. Lewis reminded me, a professor at a very secular Russian university, of what Lewis said about Charles Williams’ lecture on Milton’s Comus: ‘I have at last, if only for once, seen a university doing what it was founded to do: teaching wisdom.’”
—Olga B. Lukmanova, Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistics University, Russia
“I remember my surprise and delight when I discovered, as a literature student, that the author whose Narnia stories I had enjoyed as a child was also a brilliant literary critic, in fact the most lucid and helpful of all the scholars whose works I read at Cambridge. I am delighted, therefore, to see that Neal and Root are sharing so much of this treasure in this new volume. They are ideal guides. I heartily recommend this volume.”
—Malcolm Guite, author, poet, and Chaplain at Girton College, Cambridge
“Neal and Root do not want C. S. Lewis’ neglected works to remain neglected. The reasons they spell out in this book are compelling, as is the authoritative guidance they provide for those works. Beyond Screwtape, Narnia, Mere Christianity, and the space trilogy, there turns out to be a vast terrain of underappreciated insight (from Lewis and these authors both).”
—Mark Noll, author of Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity
“Lewis’s most popular books are rich in wisdom and wonder, but many of his most important insights are buried in the pages of his lesser-known works. Now, at last, Mark Neal and Jerry Root have provided us with a map that leads us straight to the heart of these treasures.”
—Diana Pavlac Glyer, Professor in The Honors College at Azusa Pacific University and author of The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community
“Neal and Root are reliable guides to the professional writings of C. S. Lewis, demonstrating how his insights on past literature help us navigate the turbulent waters of today’s words and rhetoric.”
—Bruce R. Johnson, General Editor, Sehnsucht: The C. S. Lewis Journal
“C. S. Lewis has two sets of readers who almost never talk to each other. Finally, Neal and Root have arisen to help introduce them to each other. It’s about time!”
—Donald T. Williams, R. A. Forrest Scholar & Professor of English, Toccoa Falls College
“Even though the subject matter may seem obscure and academic, I believe that you will find your horizons broadened. The best outcome for this book will be an impetus to go back and read Lewis’s ‘neglected’ books and the works that inspired them.”
—Art Lindsley, Vice-President of Theological Initiatives at The Institute for Faith Work and Economics
Mark Neal and Jerry Root
Foreword by
Dr. David C. Downing
Co-Director, Marion E. Wade Center
To Reba and Isla with all my love. —Mark
To Tim and Marcia Tremblay, cherished friends. —Jerry
2020 First Printing
The Neglected C. S. Lewis: Exploring the Riches of His Most Overlooked Books
Copyright © 2020 by Mark Edward Neal and Gerald Richard Root
ISBN 978-1-64060-294-6
The Mount Tabor Books name and logo (mountain with rays of light) are trademarks of Paraclete Press, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Neal, Mark, 1973- author. | Root, Jerry, author. | Downing, David C., writer of foreword.
Title: The neglected C.S. Lewis : exploring the riches of his most overlooked books / Mark Neal and Jerry Root ; foreword by Dr. David C. Downing, co-director, Marion E. Wade Center.
Description: Brewster, Massachusetts : Paraclete Press, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: “The authors trace the signature ideas in Lewis’s works of literary criticism and show their relevance to Lewis’s more familiar books”-- Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019057349 (print) | LCCN 2019057350 (ebook) | ISBN 9781640602946 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781640602953 (mobi) | ISBN 9781640602960 (epub) | ISBN 9781640602977 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963--Criticism and interpretation. | Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963--Knowledge--Literature.
Classification: LCC PR6023.E926 Z7987 2020 (print) | LCC PR6023.E926 (ebook) | DDC 828/.91209--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057349
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057350
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Published by Paraclete Press
Brewster, Massachusetts
