A very helpful update; thank you. I have just read most of Lewis's religious works (having consumed Narnia as a child more times than I recall). I very much recommend A.N. Wilson's biography, which is beautifully written, fair minded, and not fawning. Had it not been for Tolkien, it is very likely that Lewis would not have become a Christian - or perhaps the conversion would have been much later and quite different. Lewis and Tolkien actually met late in life once more - the Venn diagram did recompose itself for a brief afternoon - though it was evidently a difficult coming together. One thing that baffles me is that the pub where the Inklings often met - The Eagle and Child, in the middle of Oxford - has been closed since COVID. Given the vast amount of money sloshing around, courtesy of their works, and given that tourists would happily queue up to sit and have a beer there, I cannot understand why the premises haven't been snapped up. It would be a licence to print money...
I’m glad to hear of their reunion. It really is astonishing to contemplate how much impact a friend can have on us. I have read and enjoyed Wilson’s biography. I also recommend Alan Jacobs’s biography. I hope the Bird and the Baby reopens soon. Per your notes below that possibility sounds promising.
What an absolutely awesome and inspiring read. Thank you SO much. It caught my attention because I had randomly mentioned Lewis and Tolkien in a conversation yesterday. I told my husband I needed less of “The Diplomat” (a show he loves) and more of the fairy fantasies of George MacDonald as I work on my own novel. 😃
Thank you for pulling together so many interesting reviews and insights here! I've been seeing The Mythmakers all over the place and am so curious about it. Looking forward to reading it!
Just finished The Mythmakers over a long weekend in the Smokies…really enjoyed the medium of a graphic novel (my first!) It offered more than I expected it would. The device of the lion and wizard brings the story to life and I found myself a bit teary at the end…it’s worth taking an afternoon to really soak it in!
The sheer volume of work they each completed is mind boggling. They did not have the distractions of social media but had plenty of social life and work life as well as study and writing. What a gift they have been to all of us! Thank you for writing such an informative piece. Plenty of information to read further.
It’s really true. From Alan Jacobs in The Narnian: “By my unscientific estimate, during the period from 1949 to 1955 Lewis wrote, and published, about 600,000 words of prose.” This estimate excludes Lewis’s volume in the Oxford History of English Literature HELL, says Jacobs, “because it is hard to know how much of it he had already written before 1949 rolled around, but given that he took a leave from his academic duties in 1951 and 1952 to finish the book, it is possible that we should add another 100,000 words or so to the stack.” That’s nearly three quarters of a million words! And of course, that’s not all. There was more before this period and more after, plus material that was only published after his death.
I had no idea that Lewis had such a full calendar of intellectual and social events. It sounds like a phenomenal milieu (I'm jealous!). I love being a teacher/mentor to those behind me, and I appreciate the mentors who go before me, but it's the peers who can pull shoulder to shoulder with me that I truly treasure. What a gift Tolkien and Lewis must have been to each other.
The literary output of the Inklings is miraculous. Such a small group of men produced such classic and influential books. By the way, I discovered Charles Williams via this Substack, and I am enjoying his novels very much!
They’re wild fun, unlike anything else I’ve ever read. There’s a bit of John Wyndham in them (or the other way around if you look at the publication dates), but Williams stands alone.
Ephie, you’ve always got a great podcast! I bet this is fantastic. I’ll plan to listen this weekend. I wouldn’t say Lewis was a genius; he was bright, curious, and intellectually adventurous. But Tolkien was a genius.
I really enjoyed this. Reading your account of all of the things Lewis was involved in made me wonder—or rather think—that I bet the amount of time he just spent talking with people about his ideas is a lot of what made him such a great writer.
I don’t think my experience is unique, and I spend 7 hours a day in an office by myself, two hours driving, and another few dealing with family and decompressing. The time I devote to ideas is usually less than 2 hours a day, and I have to fight for all of it. The life of an Oxford don seems pretty appealing.
A very helpful update; thank you. I have just read most of Lewis's religious works (having consumed Narnia as a child more times than I recall). I very much recommend A.N. Wilson's biography, which is beautifully written, fair minded, and not fawning. Had it not been for Tolkien, it is very likely that Lewis would not have become a Christian - or perhaps the conversion would have been much later and quite different. Lewis and Tolkien actually met late in life once more - the Venn diagram did recompose itself for a brief afternoon - though it was evidently a difficult coming together. One thing that baffles me is that the pub where the Inklings often met - The Eagle and Child, in the middle of Oxford - has been closed since COVID. Given the vast amount of money sloshing around, courtesy of their works, and given that tourists would happily queue up to sit and have a beer there, I cannot understand why the premises haven't been snapped up. It would be a licence to print money...
I’m glad to hear of their reunion. It really is astonishing to contemplate how much impact a friend can have on us. I have read and enjoyed Wilson’s biography. I also recommend Alan Jacobs’s biography. I hope the Bird and the Baby reopens soon. Per your notes below that possibility sounds promising.
Is this true, closed since Covid?!
Yes. Though I just read it is owned by Larry Ellison. So it's not derelict.
Looks like there may be hope …
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24653699.oxford-american-owners-update-plans-eagle-child/
Wonderful!
What an absolutely awesome and inspiring read. Thank you SO much. It caught my attention because I had randomly mentioned Lewis and Tolkien in a conversation yesterday. I told my husband I needed less of “The Diplomat” (a show he loves) and more of the fairy fantasies of George MacDonald as I work on my own novel. 😃
Our olde Priest Loved MacDonald ✍🏼 🏴 ☦️🕯️📿 🏰 👸🏼
My pleasure! I’m completely in the dark on MacDonald, though people have been telling me to read him for years.
Thank you for pulling together so many interesting reviews and insights here! I've been seeing The Mythmakers all over the place and am so curious about it. Looking forward to reading it!
My pleasure. It’s a gem of a book!
Just finished The Mythmakers over a long weekend in the Smokies…really enjoyed the medium of a graphic novel (my first!) It offered more than I expected it would. The device of the lion and wizard brings the story to life and I found myself a bit teary at the end…it’s worth taking an afternoon to really soak it in!
I’ve been dabbling in it, but haven’t sat down to really read through it yet. I’m planning to this weekend.
And so much thanks for letting us know about that new book The Mythmakers. That put me on a wonderful discovery journey after reading…
My pleasure!
The sheer volume of work they each completed is mind boggling. They did not have the distractions of social media but had plenty of social life and work life as well as study and writing. What a gift they have been to all of us! Thank you for writing such an informative piece. Plenty of information to read further.
It’s really true. From Alan Jacobs in The Narnian: “By my unscientific estimate, during the period from 1949 to 1955 Lewis wrote, and published, about 600,000 words of prose.” This estimate excludes Lewis’s volume in the Oxford History of English Literature HELL, says Jacobs, “because it is hard to know how much of it he had already written before 1949 rolled around, but given that he took a leave from his academic duties in 1951 and 1952 to finish the book, it is possible that we should add another 100,000 words or so to the stack.” That’s nearly three quarters of a million words! And of course, that’s not all. There was more before this period and more after, plus material that was only published after his death.
I had no idea that Lewis had such a full calendar of intellectual and social events. It sounds like a phenomenal milieu (I'm jealous!). I love being a teacher/mentor to those behind me, and I appreciate the mentors who go before me, but it's the peers who can pull shoulder to shoulder with me that I truly treasure. What a gift Tolkien and Lewis must have been to each other.
True. I struggle to fathom how he kept up!
The literary output of the Inklings is miraculous. Such a small group of men produced such classic and influential books. By the way, I discovered Charles Williams via this Substack, and I am enjoying his novels very much!
They’re wild fun, unlike anything else I’ve ever read. There’s a bit of John Wyndham in them (or the other way around if you look at the publication dates), but Williams stands alone.
So kind of you ✍🏼to bring all of these links and reviews together! Thanx Amigo, grace🔥 and peace🕊️ to you...
My pleasure. It was fun to work on!
I have never read any Tolkien but I found the two part series The Rest is History did on him a couple of years ago to be very interesting.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rest-is-history/id1537788786?i=1000577613968
Ephie, you’ve always got a great podcast! I bet this is fantastic. I’ll plan to listen this weekend. I wouldn’t say Lewis was a genius; he was bright, curious, and intellectually adventurous. But Tolkien was a genius.
I really enjoyed this. Reading your account of all of the things Lewis was involved in made me wonder—or rather think—that I bet the amount of time he just spent talking with people about his ideas is a lot of what made him such a great writer.
I don’t think my experience is unique, and I spend 7 hours a day in an office by myself, two hours driving, and another few dealing with family and decompressing. The time I devote to ideas is usually less than 2 hours a day, and I have to fight for all of it. The life of an Oxford don seems pretty appealing.