The Magician's Book Conjures the Magic of Narnia
A review by Mary Ann Gwinn
For a fellow who wrote fairy tales, C.S. Lewis stirred up a lot of fuss and bother. Millions of readers who devoured The Chronicles of Narnia as children or saw their film adaptations (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian) in the multiplexes know Lewis as the Oxford scholar who gave them a great imaginative gift -- seven books about the alternate world of Narnia and the children who navigate its wonders and terrors. Like his great old friend J.R.R. Tolkien, Lewis, once described as "the best-read man of his generation," had another side -- he was a committed Christian. Tolkien didn't write much about his faith, but Lewis not only used the Narnia tales as a metaphor for Christ and his redemptive role, he authored many other books expounding on his faith. Ever since, Christian scholars have revered Lewis for his brainy combination of faith and intellect. But children who loved the powerful old lion Aslan but were allergic to Christian dogma have felt betrayed...
|
 |
Previously Reviewed by Seattle Times
Sort: by date | by title | by author
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
 Here's a question a newspaper book editor fields at parties and PTA meetings: What's the best book you've read recently? Which is another way of saying: Who's an author who has knocked one out of the park?
I think long and hard about the answer -- it needs to be a one-size-fits-all good read...
Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America by Rick Perlstein
 Rick Perlstein's new book, Nixonland, is the "It" history book of this publishing season. The Chicago historian's 800-plus-page account of how Richard Nixon stoked and exploited the political divisions of the '60s has struck a nerve, as analysts argue over whether Nixonland -- a country at war with ...
Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre
 Who can account for the popularity of the spy thriller? I can't, and I've read dozens of them, fiction and nonfiction. But I've never read a better true spy tale than Agent Zigzag, the story of Eddie Chapman, a charming British criminal who metamorphosed into one of the most brilliant double agents ...
Three Decades of Quality Writing and Criticism
The National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974, is a non-profit organization consisting of more than 850 active book reviewers who are interested in honoring quality writing and communicating with one another about common concerns. To learn about how to join, click here.
| 
Don't Miss
