C.S. Lewis: an author review

By Reuben Aquino

Clive Staples Lewis is known to be one of the greatest Christian authors of the past century.  His conversion story from atheism to Christianity due to his friend J.R.R. Tolkien is also well known. What is his secret? The literary aces in hands are his ability to use flexibility, open-mindedness and uniqueness.

A show of his flexibility in writing can be seen in two of his works, Mere Christianity and The Chronicles of Narnia. Mere Christianity, one of Lewis’ more serious books, focused on the meaning of Christianity itself. Having read the book, I would say that it is very deep and difficult to make sense of. Lewis explains Christianity on such a sophisticated level that not everyone would find it easy to follow. Still, the book is enriching, leaving little gold nuggets for those willing to look through it again.  Yet in another of his works, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lewis illustrated the focal point of Christianity so simply that even a child could comprehend in just one reading. Two books, two audiences, two expressions of the same message.

C.S. Lewis had an open mind about things. In his famous series, The Chronicles of Narnia, Lewis had made his world rich with plenty of interesting characters. He seemed to have drawn influences from all around the world to bring Narnia to life. The dwarves and giants of the Norse legends and the fauns and centaurs of Greek myths & English folklore have all become the proud inhabitants of Lewis’ world. Many in the Christendom have criticized Lewis for using elements of pagan origin but technically, he didn’t cross any lines. His open mind saw past the difference of roots in these elements; he saw them all as colorful characters that would make a great story. He didn’t write them into the story to glorify them, but wrote the story to glorify God.

His works are testaments to his uniqueness. In Lewis’ provocative book Screwtape Letters, he made use of demons as main characters and reversed the whole order of the world as we know it. Reading the book for the first time, I was lost in the dialogue because it was very different. The unwary might find themselves with twisted philosophies with such notions of the evil one being ‘up above’ and the good father being ‘down below’. Why did he write such a seemingly misleading book? He simply wanted to convey an awareness of how the “demons” work. Although his style seems so daring, it is all in a day’s work for a writer who wants to creatively put his point across. I guess you just really have to read the synopsis at the back first.

All in all, C.S. Lewis possesses many traits that have made him a memorable writer and inspiration. His flexibility, open-mindedness and uniqueness have helped him attain recognition as a writer. As a writer that was his strength but as a writer in the name of Christ, he needed to utilize more than his own resources; he had made the most of God’s assistance. A regular writer would find it simple enough to write about religion, especially one so familiar as Christianity. A Christian writer will not find the task so easy; there will always be someone out there waiting for him to write the wrong words. Such pressure seems unmanageable but when God is involved, nothing is impossible. That’s why his books and philosophies live on till today, because he lifted them to God and made them serve God’s greater purpose.

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What's your favorite book by CS Lewis?  Share your thoughts and recommendations below.