Reading CS Lewis

Reading CS Lewis

A month or more ago I asked my 17 year-old daughter, who has read a great deal in her lifetime (although there is a lot more that I would like her to read, as I wish for myself at age 47), who was her favorite author of all writers?

Her answer surprised me. "C.S. Lewis." she replied.

This response, I believe due in most part, was based on her having read only the Chronicles of Narnia.

I agree in part that he is a personal favorite for me; he is an extremely powerful writer; his books are impactful; his writings are great.

The Chronicles of Narnia-- books one through seven-- are my favorite of all time from my childhood. Beyond that, his non-fiction and Christian writing is some of the best literature in existence, especially for Christians and believers in faith unseen. For those who believe there is a deeper love in the realm of God and eternal love through Him.

I need to read more of him. So does my daughter. And my wife. And everyone else.

My dad introduced my sisters and I to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and the rest of the series as we were children. He read them, and he read and owned the science fiction trilogy, and much of the non-fiction. I read and re-read the seven part series. I loved it.

And as my eldest child grew up, she gravitated towards science fiction and fantasy as many youth do, and she ate up the Chronicles of Narnia and other classic tales, like the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, A Wrinkle in Time, and other more modern fantasy tales.

I felt it was natural to read the Chronicles of Narnia, and healthy as a believer of what I believed. A deeper magic, as Lewis might call it.

To my chagrin, the next children did not take to it, or reading as much in general, as my eldest. And, I also did not realize that after all this time after she had read the Chronicles that CS Lewis' work meant so much to her, five or six grades later. I knew it meant a lot to me, and I am pretty confident that the next children knew as well that I had revered the books. They certainly enjoyed the first three film versions.  So, I urged them and tried to motivate them to read them. On snow days the past year or so I would say, "Read a chapter of Prince Caspian or the Silver Chair," or whichever one that they were in. And I would come home from work and they had not!

They would not read the books! They said they did not enjoy them!

INCOMPREHENSIBLE!

It's like saying you do not like ice cream.

WHAAAAAATT??

Later the second oldest daughter, who reads a lot of books, mostly fiction, said it was the obligation by me that would turn her and perhaps the boys from reading them.

Me, on the other hand, am of the opinion that if you simply read these books, the magic takes over and you love them. Right? 

Like ice cream. But better.

Now one is about to start high school and has still not finished the series!

Preposterous! Blasphemy! Poppycock! Balderdash!

How sad.

My child has not read and thoroughly enjoyed, yea, even been enthralled by the Chronicles of Narnia as a youth? Is this my flesh and blood?

Is the sky, in fact, blue?

Maybe not. 

Maybe ice cream is not that great after all. Especially if you are forced, as it seems, to like it.

Recently I have resolved to read it--the entire series of Narnia-- out loud to my children after I finish another series that it has taken a few years to read to them. But, I still hold out hope that we can do it individually. That CS Lewis can be read by each one of us, and cherished as they should be, by children young and old.

Aslan awaits.

And you will know the deeper magic of the eternal realms; you will not be able to help but like it. A lot. It is CS Lewis, and it is love eternal, a higher understanding.