What do you think?
Rate this book
From the Library of C. S. Lewis: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey
Discover great truths from C. S. Lewis’s mentorsC. S. Lewis was perhaps the greatest Christian thinker of the twentieth century. He delighted us in The Chronicles of Narnia , intrigued us in The Screwtape Letters , mystified us in The Space Trilogy, and convinced us in Mere Christianity . His influence on generations of Christians has been immeasurable.But who influenced C. S. Lewis? What were the sources of his inspiration? Who were his spiritual mentors? Who were his teachers?Drawn from Lewis’s personal library, annotations, and references from his writings, the selections in this book bring us into contact with giants such as Dante, Augustine, and Chaucer, as well as introduce us to more contemporary writers such as G. K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, George MacDonald, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Over 250 selections provide a vast array of inspiration from those who have shone forth as messengers of light in Lewis’s own thinking, writing, and spiritual growth.A rare glimpse into the intellectual, spiritual, and creative life of one of literature’s great writers, From the Library of C. S. Lewis is a treasury of insight and wisdom.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published November 16, 2004
68 people are currently reading
436 people want to read
About the author
James Stuart Bell
124Ìýbooks21ÌýfollowersJames Stuart Bell is the owner of Whitestone Communications, a literary development agency. He consults with numerous publishers, represents various authors, and provides writing and editing services. He has previously served as executive editor at Moody Press, director of religious publishing at Doubleday, and publisher at Bridge Publishing. He also has more than one hundred books with cover credit. He coauthored the best-selling Complete Idiot's Guide to the Bible (more than 300,000 sold) and numerous other Christian guides in that series for the Penguin Group. He has also contributed numerous Christian volumes to the best-selling Cup of Comfort series by Adams Media.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
August 5, 2018
I'm siting in my living room with a glass of an exquisite red wine and have also just finished "From the Library of C.S-Lewis" by Bell and Dawson..
So, I asks you most humble and in a submissive mood: Can you bear with me for a short minute of your precious life???
Thanks very much, and most obliged, indeed!!!
If you have noticed, I've given it five stars--that's right, you have heard rightly I said F. I. V. E. five or 5 stars!!!--
And why would it be so???
Because I've enjoyed it to the uttermost this selection of Lewis favorites writers--like gold nuggets--
I feel like I was sitting with Lewis in his library at home..
I want to recommend you this extra good selection and excerpts of Lewis favorites writers ..
And not only because I'm now in a wine mood!!
So, if you love Lewis books and wants to know more about his spiritual journey, then GO FOR IT!!!
Thanks for giving me your attention and have all of you much fun..
Dean;)))
So, I asks you most humble and in a submissive mood: Can you bear with me for a short minute of your precious life???
Thanks very much, and most obliged, indeed!!!
If you have noticed, I've given it five stars--that's right, you have heard rightly I said F. I. V. E. five or 5 stars!!!--
And why would it be so???
Because I've enjoyed it to the uttermost this selection of Lewis favorites writers--like gold nuggets--
I feel like I was sitting with Lewis in his library at home..
I want to recommend you this extra good selection and excerpts of Lewis favorites writers ..
And not only because I'm now in a wine mood!!
So, if you love Lewis books and wants to know more about his spiritual journey, then GO FOR IT!!!
Thanks for giving me your attention and have all of you much fun..
Dean;)))
June 7, 2020
I really like the idea of this volume, but unfortunately I don't think I got as much out of it as I would've liked to due to how the book is organized and to how I read it.
Each selection is about a page long, and the selections are organized by topics such as God's Love; Our Love for God; The Life and Sacrifice of Christ; Knowing God; Community and Loving Others; Self and the Soul; Sin and Temptation; Grace and Redemption; Suffering; Prayer and Contemplation; Faith; Living a Devout Life; Obedience and Will; Humility; Truth, Apologetics, and Christianity; Fantasy and Imagination; Creation, Poetry, and Writers; and Heaven, Death, and Immortality.
Sounds really good, right? And it was good: there's a lot to think about here, and lots of authors that I want to read further. On the other hand, the selections were so short and out of their original context that it was sometimes hard for me to fully grasp what was being said, or to remember it once I moved on to the next author. I only exacerbated this problem by reading one selection a day for most of the book, when I probably should have read each topic in one sitting.
In my opinion, this would probably been better if the selections had been somewhat longer, and organized by author rather than topic as that would make them easier to remember. At any rate, I have discovered new authors to read (which was part of the point of picking this up in the first place), so it's worth reading this through for that.
Each selection is about a page long, and the selections are organized by topics such as God's Love; Our Love for God; The Life and Sacrifice of Christ; Knowing God; Community and Loving Others; Self and the Soul; Sin and Temptation; Grace and Redemption; Suffering; Prayer and Contemplation; Faith; Living a Devout Life; Obedience and Will; Humility; Truth, Apologetics, and Christianity; Fantasy and Imagination; Creation, Poetry, and Writers; and Heaven, Death, and Immortality.
Sounds really good, right? And it was good: there's a lot to think about here, and lots of authors that I want to read further. On the other hand, the selections were so short and out of their original context that it was sometimes hard for me to fully grasp what was being said, or to remember it once I moved on to the next author. I only exacerbated this problem by reading one selection a day for most of the book, when I probably should have read each topic in one sitting.
In my opinion, this would probably been better if the selections had been somewhat longer, and organized by author rather than topic as that would make them easier to remember. At any rate, I have discovered new authors to read (which was part of the point of picking this up in the first place), so it's worth reading this through for that.
October 14, 2008
A friend and I were going to read this book together. Indeed this is an excellent book for that purpose! It is an anthology of authors and writings which most profoundly influenced the great Christian apologist, C. S. Lewis and as such is doubly rich. First, each of the selections can be read and appreciated for and on its own merit and secondly, it can be viewed from the perspective of the influence it had on Lewis and his works.
From the Library of C. S. Lewis consists of almost 200 selections from among the greatest of the great: St. Augustine, Boethius, G. K. Chesterton, Pascal, Brother Lawrence, Samuel Johnson, Thomas Aquinas, and Simone Weil just to name a few. The writers cross all denominations and generations. Lewis was primarily a medieval scholar but his interests and influences were vast. And of course no book about him would be complete without reference to/from the immortal George MacDonald, of which FtLoCSL is replete.
The book is organized into eighteen sections or groupings including the following thought-provoking categories: knowing God; community and loving others; suffering; prayer and contemplation; living the devout life, the life and sacrifice of Christ, etc. It's a perfect book for meditation which is how I've used it but it would also be an excellent primer for any fledgling Lewis scholar.
A fine resource!
From the Library of C. S. Lewis consists of almost 200 selections from among the greatest of the great: St. Augustine, Boethius, G. K. Chesterton, Pascal, Brother Lawrence, Samuel Johnson, Thomas Aquinas, and Simone Weil just to name a few. The writers cross all denominations and generations. Lewis was primarily a medieval scholar but his interests and influences were vast. And of course no book about him would be complete without reference to/from the immortal George MacDonald, of which FtLoCSL is replete.
The book is organized into eighteen sections or groupings including the following thought-provoking categories: knowing God; community and loving others; suffering; prayer and contemplation; living the devout life, the life and sacrifice of Christ, etc. It's a perfect book for meditation which is how I've used it but it would also be an excellent primer for any fledgling Lewis scholar.
A fine resource!
May 23, 2019
Reading this was a very powerful literary experience. Jack Lewis was such a voracious reader, and had such a brilliant understanding of literature and language. What an incredible writer, thinker, and Irish literary scholar!
August 28, 2012
From the Library of C.S. Lewis is a reference book filled with selections from C.S. Lewis� personal library. This book, compiled by James Stuart Bell and Anthony Dawson, is broken into eighteen sections. The primary focus of the book is to highlight works (and writers) who influenced Lewis� spiritual journey, as Lewis is regarded as one of the finest Christian thinkers of the 20th Century. There are a few other sections that are not dedicated to religion (such as a section on fantasy & imagination), but these are definitely the minority of page takers.
I found the concept interesting and so I requested a review copy from the publisher. I like Lewis (especially Mere Christianity), but I’m not fanatic about him by no means. I’m also finding myself getting a bit more interested in biographical works as I’m getting older, and I’m a believer that you can tell a lot about a person by the types of things they read.
Unfortunately, my initial excitement quickly faded. Page after page I read through archaic texts and dated sermon notes. The material was interesting, but my daily dose of deep theology and introspective meditation could not handle deluge. As such, I took to skimming things, and that’s not what I wanted to do. So then I decided to read devotionally, just picking a page a day or something and seeing what was said. I noticed a lot of repeated writers and works, and I suppose these were more influential on Lewis than others, but that’s pure speculation on my part.
Each selection is presented with a title, its source, the text, and then a mini author biography (Twitter-esque). This format is perfect, and each selection spans at most three pages. Much of the text is heavy and deep, as I’ve said, and I recommend it in small chunks to avoid duress. This format inevitably leads to bias, as quoting out of context is wont, but I believe the intent of Bell & Dawson is to tease the Reader to dig deeper into the cited works.
From the Library of C.S. Lewis is an interesting little reference book. It is dry and sometimes complicated, but that will fluctuate based on the Reader and the day. There are many pearls of wisdom in this book, and it was a pleasure to think about how they affected Lewis� works (and life). I would have liked more descriptive correlations between works and Lewis� life, but that was outside the scope of the book. To a casual Lewis fan this may not be the book for you, but if you would like to find out what kind of things C.S. Lewis liked to read, then by all means check out From the Library of C.S. Lewis.
---
FTC Thingy: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Nothing more was required. I was not coerced or bribed to review positively or negatively, nor was I offered any extra incentives for a positive review (i.e., baked goods, especially cookies). As such, this review is reflective of my inner self's inner self.
I found the concept interesting and so I requested a review copy from the publisher. I like Lewis (especially Mere Christianity), but I’m not fanatic about him by no means. I’m also finding myself getting a bit more interested in biographical works as I’m getting older, and I’m a believer that you can tell a lot about a person by the types of things they read.
Unfortunately, my initial excitement quickly faded. Page after page I read through archaic texts and dated sermon notes. The material was interesting, but my daily dose of deep theology and introspective meditation could not handle deluge. As such, I took to skimming things, and that’s not what I wanted to do. So then I decided to read devotionally, just picking a page a day or something and seeing what was said. I noticed a lot of repeated writers and works, and I suppose these were more influential on Lewis than others, but that’s pure speculation on my part.
Each selection is presented with a title, its source, the text, and then a mini author biography (Twitter-esque). This format is perfect, and each selection spans at most three pages. Much of the text is heavy and deep, as I’ve said, and I recommend it in small chunks to avoid duress. This format inevitably leads to bias, as quoting out of context is wont, but I believe the intent of Bell & Dawson is to tease the Reader to dig deeper into the cited works.
From the Library of C.S. Lewis is an interesting little reference book. It is dry and sometimes complicated, but that will fluctuate based on the Reader and the day. There are many pearls of wisdom in this book, and it was a pleasure to think about how they affected Lewis� works (and life). I would have liked more descriptive correlations between works and Lewis� life, but that was outside the scope of the book. To a casual Lewis fan this may not be the book for you, but if you would like to find out what kind of things C.S. Lewis liked to read, then by all means check out From the Library of C.S. Lewis.
---
FTC Thingy: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. Nothing more was required. I was not coerced or bribed to review positively or negatively, nor was I offered any extra incentives for a positive review (i.e., baked goods, especially cookies). As such, this review is reflective of my inner self's inner self.
July 24, 2012
C.S. Lewis didn’t become famous and influential in isolation. His writing was fuelled not just by his thoughts, but also by his reading and the thoughts of others. James Stuart Bell’s compilation gives readers access to those volumes and authors beloved and well-read by Lewis. It’s an interesting collection covering centuries of writing and a fascinating breadth of philosophies and belief.
The excerpts are all short, few covering more than a page, and each is tagged with the name of the writer and why or how they influenced Lewis. Mystics, saints, Catholics, Protestants, poets, politicians and more, they date from Greece’s Aristotle to Europe’s present day. From Wordsworth’s “lonely as a cloud� to Coleridge’s “In Zanadu di Kubla Khan,� from Chaucer to Donne, from Augustine of Hippo to Calvin, the excerpts are endlessly fascinating, each page offering something new.
Not a book to be read in one sitting, this volume’s perfect for reference and sampling, nicely organized into sections as diverse as Fantasy and Imagination, or Living a Devout Life. I started dog-earing pages with favorite quotes but had to give up or the whole book would fall apart. Each piece has something to commend it, and the whole is like standing in a garden of flowers, hesitating in that moment before choosing which bud to inspect.
Of particular interest to me is seeing how little our Christian beliefs have really changed over the centuries, and I loved the excerpts from church fathers such as Athanaseus (296-373 AD), mystics like Julian of Norwich (1342-?), and early academics from various traditions. A comprehensive bibliography lists all the volumes excerpted, and a wonderful index allows readers to find pieces by author instead of by topic.
All in all, a beautiful reference book, a fascinating introduction to a glorious wealth of writers, and a seriously thought-provoking collection of short essays, this is a beautiful book and I’m delighted to have had the chance to review it.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.
The excerpts are all short, few covering more than a page, and each is tagged with the name of the writer and why or how they influenced Lewis. Mystics, saints, Catholics, Protestants, poets, politicians and more, they date from Greece’s Aristotle to Europe’s present day. From Wordsworth’s “lonely as a cloud� to Coleridge’s “In Zanadu di Kubla Khan,� from Chaucer to Donne, from Augustine of Hippo to Calvin, the excerpts are endlessly fascinating, each page offering something new.
Not a book to be read in one sitting, this volume’s perfect for reference and sampling, nicely organized into sections as diverse as Fantasy and Imagination, or Living a Devout Life. I started dog-earing pages with favorite quotes but had to give up or the whole book would fall apart. Each piece has something to commend it, and the whole is like standing in a garden of flowers, hesitating in that moment before choosing which bud to inspect.
Of particular interest to me is seeing how little our Christian beliefs have really changed over the centuries, and I loved the excerpts from church fathers such as Athanaseus (296-373 AD), mystics like Julian of Norwich (1342-?), and early academics from various traditions. A comprehensive bibliography lists all the volumes excerpted, and a wonderful index allows readers to find pieces by author instead of by topic.
All in all, a beautiful reference book, a fascinating introduction to a glorious wealth of writers, and a seriously thought-provoking collection of short essays, this is a beautiful book and I’m delighted to have had the chance to review it.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for my honest review.
January 1, 2013
I am in love with the concept behind the books compiled by . Wouldn't you love to enjoy the same works of authors that influenced C.S. Lewis?! Well with this one book you can save a lot of shelf space and still enjoy inspiration writing that may indeed have inspired the ultimate inspirer in C.S. Lewis. Whether you use this as a daily devotion or just research, it is interesting and enjoyable to read in bitesize pieces. I cannot imagine the time that went into research to find these passages from the personal library, annotations and references of the writing of C.S. Lewis, but I'm sure it is a labor of love and deserves a place on every library shelf. Divided into 18 sections there is enough here to keep you busy and amazed at God for a while to come.
Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing a copy for review.
posted:
Thanks to Blogging for Books for providing a copy for review.
posted:
January 21, 2013
So... this book took me a lot longer to get through that it probably should have (sorry publishers and Blogging for Books!), though in my defense this book is long (402 pages) and a bit of a slog.
From the Library of C.S. LewisÌýis a collection of quotations and passages from the books that were on C.S. Lewis's shelves or mentioned in his works. In runs the whole spectrum, ranging from ancient to modern and Protestant to Catholic to Orthodox (I don't remember there being any major non-Christian sources, but don't hold me to that since it's been a while since I started the thing). The editors have organized the citations by category ("God's Love", "Knowing God", etc) and provided translations and editions that are for the most part easy to read and fairly compact.
That said, I'm not entirely convinced this is a book that really needs to exist.
Don't get me wrong- I understand the appeal of a book titled From the Library of C.S. Lewis. Despite my occasional theological differences with him, I love Lewis's writings very much and would certainly rank him among the top spiritual influences in my life. I in fact wouldÌýlike both to know more about what C.S. Lewis read/how it influenced him, and read more of the books that influenced him myself. Having a list of what was on his bookshelf is certainly a step in the right direction.
And yet, I'm still not sold on the value of thisÌýcollection. For one, we're not told if the passages selected are ones that were particularly influential on Lewis, or just happen to be good passages from a spiritual book that Lewis owned. Were they ones that he himself marked off? Or just ones that the compilers picked because they are short and complete passages? If the former, then we are probably indeed getting a better picture of Lewis and being shaped in a Lewis-ian way ourselves; but if the latter, then however good and useful the quotations might be, they're not particularly living up to the promise of the title.
For that matter, the book itself is a bit unclear on its own goals. It seems to be a catalog of spiritual readings drawn from the spiritual books that Lewis owned/read. But to what end? Are these selections supposed to whet my appetite for reading the whole of the books they're culled from? If so, then why did this need to be 400 pages long? Wouldn't a shorter book have done the same thing? Or is the point just my own spiritual growth? If that is the case, then why does it matter that the readings were chosen from Lewis's library?
Again, the book is well done, the selections areÌýinteresting and seem to be (for the most part) solid enough theologically. I'm just not sold on it either as a devotional (presumably the main point) or as a more academic work (probably at least a lesser point).
I received this book for free from the publisher on the condition that I write a review. I was not required to write a positive review.
From the Library of C.S. LewisÌýis a collection of quotations and passages from the books that were on C.S. Lewis's shelves or mentioned in his works. In runs the whole spectrum, ranging from ancient to modern and Protestant to Catholic to Orthodox (I don't remember there being any major non-Christian sources, but don't hold me to that since it's been a while since I started the thing). The editors have organized the citations by category ("God's Love", "Knowing God", etc) and provided translations and editions that are for the most part easy to read and fairly compact.
That said, I'm not entirely convinced this is a book that really needs to exist.
Don't get me wrong- I understand the appeal of a book titled From the Library of C.S. Lewis. Despite my occasional theological differences with him, I love Lewis's writings very much and would certainly rank him among the top spiritual influences in my life. I in fact wouldÌýlike both to know more about what C.S. Lewis read/how it influenced him, and read more of the books that influenced him myself. Having a list of what was on his bookshelf is certainly a step in the right direction.
And yet, I'm still not sold on the value of thisÌýcollection. For one, we're not told if the passages selected are ones that were particularly influential on Lewis, or just happen to be good passages from a spiritual book that Lewis owned. Were they ones that he himself marked off? Or just ones that the compilers picked because they are short and complete passages? If the former, then we are probably indeed getting a better picture of Lewis and being shaped in a Lewis-ian way ourselves; but if the latter, then however good and useful the quotations might be, they're not particularly living up to the promise of the title.
For that matter, the book itself is a bit unclear on its own goals. It seems to be a catalog of spiritual readings drawn from the spiritual books that Lewis owned/read. But to what end? Are these selections supposed to whet my appetite for reading the whole of the books they're culled from? If so, then why did this need to be 400 pages long? Wouldn't a shorter book have done the same thing? Or is the point just my own spiritual growth? If that is the case, then why does it matter that the readings were chosen from Lewis's library?
Again, the book is well done, the selections areÌýinteresting and seem to be (for the most part) solid enough theologically. I'm just not sold on it either as a devotional (presumably the main point) or as a more academic work (probably at least a lesser point).
I received this book for free from the publisher on the condition that I write a review. I was not required to write a positive review.
December 28, 2018
More books like this should exist! I did not know what I was getting into when I picked this book up and to be honest the first twenty to thirty pages seemed lost on me because it seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once. A hodgepodge of information with little to tie the authors or subjects together but then I begin to see the pattern a lot clearer and boy did I find gold! Three things that stood out as I read the book were..
William Law. I did not know of William before I picked up this book but almost every excerpt of his is pure gold. The kind of stuff that has you looking at your sinful heart and repenting of your inability to trust the God who has done so much for you. I just loved how he articulated the thoughts he had on the different issues and I am walking away from this book looking for anything I can by William Law to know more of this man that influence C S Lewis.
The section on suffering really spoke to me. Not just from the perspective of trusting God but all round. It showed me or should I say brought me face to face with the words of Fanny Crosby '.. can I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide..' How easy I forget God's mercy to me and how far he has brought me. This is a lesson I will keep learning till the Lord calls me home.
The value of such books. This book was a great insight into the literary influences on the life and thinking of C S Lewis and seeing the calibre of people on display it was no wonder the man became the philosophical powerhouse he became. It also unlocks a whole new world of authors, topics and ways of thinking on certain matters that we could not access before. I would love to see similar works on other great men and women of the faith!
William Law. I did not know of William before I picked up this book but almost every excerpt of his is pure gold. The kind of stuff that has you looking at your sinful heart and repenting of your inability to trust the God who has done so much for you. I just loved how he articulated the thoughts he had on the different issues and I am walking away from this book looking for anything I can by William Law to know more of this man that influence C S Lewis.
The section on suffering really spoke to me. Not just from the perspective of trusting God but all round. It showed me or should I say brought me face to face with the words of Fanny Crosby '.. can I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide..' How easy I forget God's mercy to me and how far he has brought me. This is a lesson I will keep learning till the Lord calls me home.
The value of such books. This book was a great insight into the literary influences on the life and thinking of C S Lewis and seeing the calibre of people on display it was no wonder the man became the philosophical powerhouse he became. It also unlocks a whole new world of authors, topics and ways of thinking on certain matters that we could not access before. I would love to see similar works on other great men and women of the faith!
September 1, 2019
‘From the Library of C.S. Lewis� is a fantastic look into the truth that ideas are transferred to each new generation. From the 300s up until his own time, Lewis collected the works of men and women that came before him, expanding his knowledge of his own faith. And this is a simple look in his library, which contained rich treasures into thinking and apologetics from Aristotle to Samuel Johnson.
This book contains selections favored by author C.S, Lewis, and the chosen readings are certainly timeless in their wisdom. From common Christian topics like obedience, Jesus� sacrifice, grace, and suffering, all the way to creativity, writers, and fantasy. Each topic was considered important to Lewis, and it is really fascinating to see the ideas of men and women that influenced his life and philosophy.
If you are interested in knowing more about C.S. Lewis, or even if you just want to expand your reading to other authors of the faith and you’re not sure where to look, this is the book for you. With a great variety of authors from all time periods, this book will hold something for nearly everybody.
This book contains selections favored by author C.S, Lewis, and the chosen readings are certainly timeless in their wisdom. From common Christian topics like obedience, Jesus� sacrifice, grace, and suffering, all the way to creativity, writers, and fantasy. Each topic was considered important to Lewis, and it is really fascinating to see the ideas of men and women that influenced his life and philosophy.
If you are interested in knowing more about C.S. Lewis, or even if you just want to expand your reading to other authors of the faith and you’re not sure where to look, this is the book for you. With a great variety of authors from all time periods, this book will hold something for nearly everybody.
August 9, 2021
C.S. Lewis fans will like reading these excerpts from writers Lewis liked. The excerpts are not necessarily portions he read but give a flavor of the kinds of literature and authors he enjoyed. The clippings are brief and suitable for daily readings. The Inklings are well represented in the pages.
November 15, 2024
This was a delightful read, has the book brought out such a wide variety of interests that C. S. Lewis had in literature over all and how much all those different authors influenced him. One of the reasons I so enjoy Lewis is because he encouraged reading and was a voracious reader himself. An excellent book to add to one's library for sure.
July 11, 2019
What we read shapes our thoughts-- How intriguing to read what a great mind like C.S. Lewis read. I loved the selections chosen to sample his library. Favorites were articles that no one really reads or talks about anymore. I love the antiquity of this collection--
November 20, 2019
Great anthology of excerpts. Now there are several more works I want to go read in their entirety.
July 19, 2022
Through this book, I discovered some writers and great thinkers I wasn't aware of. It's been a fantastic way to expand my reading horizons.
June 7, 2013
C. S. Lewis is one of the greatest and most popular Christian thinkers and writers of the 20th century. He is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia series, but he also wrote such great works as The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity.
James Stuart Bell along with Anthony P. Dawson put together a collection of work from the library of C.S. Lewis. These are the writers, the thinkers, the people, the works that inspire Lewis. Bell writes in the introduction, "Yet, except for the scholars doing the research, most of us are probably not familiar with these sources of inspiration."
I'm sure many of you all have heard of people like Martin Luther and maybe G.K. Chesterton (maybe not). But, have you actually read their work? Before opening this book I had not. I was not familiar with the works that inspired a great thinker like Lewis. Bell's compilation includes short essays, poems, and other pieces from such writers as Martin Luther, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, Saint Augustine, Andrew Murray, Samuel Johnson, and Lewis's close friend J.R.R. Tolkien.
It's a good compilation. It's good to read what inspired Lewis. It felt a little dry. Some of the writing is from early decades. It's scholarly work and scholarly work I have to admit is not always fun work. It was interesting to read. I don't know how much I will read it again, though.
I read this book for pure pleasure and won it in a WaterBroook Multnomah giveaway. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.
James Stuart Bell along with Anthony P. Dawson put together a collection of work from the library of C.S. Lewis. These are the writers, the thinkers, the people, the works that inspire Lewis. Bell writes in the introduction, "Yet, except for the scholars doing the research, most of us are probably not familiar with these sources of inspiration."
I'm sure many of you all have heard of people like Martin Luther and maybe G.K. Chesterton (maybe not). But, have you actually read their work? Before opening this book I had not. I was not familiar with the works that inspired a great thinker like Lewis. Bell's compilation includes short essays, poems, and other pieces from such writers as Martin Luther, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, Saint Augustine, Andrew Murray, Samuel Johnson, and Lewis's close friend J.R.R. Tolkien.
It's a good compilation. It's good to read what inspired Lewis. It felt a little dry. Some of the writing is from early decades. It's scholarly work and scholarly work I have to admit is not always fun work. It was interesting to read. I don't know how much I will read it again, though.
I read this book for pure pleasure and won it in a WaterBroook Multnomah giveaway. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review in any way.
January 12, 2017
Your God is Too Small. J B Phillips
If you are a C.S. Lewis reader, you don't want to miss this book on Lewis' influential authors and mentors. Most of us have been influenced by people who we hold in high regard. When we quote a book, author, poem etc. it is because these authors have contributed to our life's journey and have helped us on our way.
I can't begin to quote all the authors, there are so many to be contemplated. Many are simple, other's need more attention but you will gain wisdom from those who have gone before us.
I begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis from his book "Grief Observed". "No soul is expected to be "a jack of all trades" but only to fully develop it's own special gifts."
Toward the end of the book, you will find an essay by T.S. Eliot which is very relevant for today. "The Idea of a Christian Society"
All quotes are from essays by each author ending with a brief description of the author.
GEORGE FOX "All life is a sacrament"
JOHN CALVIN "Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God"
JULIAN OF NORWICH "If sin had not been, we should all have been clean like our Lord, just as he originally made us"
RICHARD BAXTER "Meditation turns the truths received and remembered into warm affection, firm resolution and holy conversation:
DOROTHY SAYERS "To feel sacrifice consciously as self-sacrifice argues a failure of love"
CLOUD OF THE UNKNOWING "Humility is nothing else but a true knowledge and awareness of oneself as one really is"
If you are a C.S. Lewis reader, you don't want to miss this book on Lewis' influential authors and mentors. Most of us have been influenced by people who we hold in high regard. When we quote a book, author, poem etc. it is because these authors have contributed to our life's journey and have helped us on our way.
I can't begin to quote all the authors, there are so many to be contemplated. Many are simple, other's need more attention but you will gain wisdom from those who have gone before us.
I begin with a quote from C.S. Lewis from his book "Grief Observed". "No soul is expected to be "a jack of all trades" but only to fully develop it's own special gifts."
Toward the end of the book, you will find an essay by T.S. Eliot which is very relevant for today. "The Idea of a Christian Society"
All quotes are from essays by each author ending with a brief description of the author.
GEORGE FOX "All life is a sacrament"
JOHN CALVIN "Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God"
JULIAN OF NORWICH "If sin had not been, we should all have been clean like our Lord, just as he originally made us"
RICHARD BAXTER "Meditation turns the truths received and remembered into warm affection, firm resolution and holy conversation:
DOROTHY SAYERS "To feel sacrifice consciously as self-sacrifice argues a failure of love"
CLOUD OF THE UNKNOWING "Humility is nothing else but a true knowledge and awareness of oneself as one really is"
August 4, 2012
Understanding theology and philosophy of religion is a daunting task. Thankfully this compilation of prolific writers, saints, and theologians is tactfully cut up into bite size portions that the average person can digest and understand. James Stuart Bell takes the most significant passages from Christian writers and thinkers that influenced the masterpieces of C. S. Lewis and puts them all together in this great work. Bell even goes so far as to write a short biography of each individual quoted/referenced in the book and why C. S. Lewis was impacted by their work.
The amount of time that must have gone into compiling this truly magnificent work is staggering, there are hundreds of beautiful inspiring passages artfully grouped into categories so that they can better be understood as a whole. This book is great not only for C. S. Lewis fans who want to see where he gathered his inspiration from, but for people trying to get a deeper grasp on the complexities and beauty of the Christian faith. Unlike other philosophical religious works, this gathers many different thinkers and doesn't try to overwhelm you with the magnitude of their great work. It's an enlightening and inspiring read.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Press in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
The amount of time that must have gone into compiling this truly magnificent work is staggering, there are hundreds of beautiful inspiring passages artfully grouped into categories so that they can better be understood as a whole. This book is great not only for C. S. Lewis fans who want to see where he gathered his inspiration from, but for people trying to get a deeper grasp on the complexities and beauty of the Christian faith. Unlike other philosophical religious works, this gathers many different thinkers and doesn't try to overwhelm you with the magnitude of their great work. It's an enlightening and inspiring read.
I received this book for free from Waterbrook Press in return for my honest, unbiased opinion.
July 3, 2012
C.S. Lewis was a masterful writer. Who were the people who influenced his life? What books and authors would you find in his library if he were alive today? In his new book, James S. Bell, with Anthony Dawson, answers these questions and more.
C.S. Lewis was a prolific writer of such classics as the "Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters." His Christian beliefs ran deep and he used writing as a way to express himself. But, givers must also find resources for their own strength, and C.S. Lewis had many resources. He drew strength and renewal from people like Aristotle, Chaucer, Dorothy Sayers, and J.R.R. Tolkein. Inside the pages of this book are more than 200 wonderful excerpts, giving the reader an insight into not only Lewis, but so many others as well.
This is a really interesting book. James S. Bell and Anthony Dawson, took a great deal of time to study and select the information here. This book is one I will read again, taking more time to savor the individual passages presented. I recommend this book to all readers, especially C.S. Lewis lovers. It is a great tool in discovering the types of influences we all should have in our lives. I received my free review copy from the Blogging for Books program for an honest review.
C.S. Lewis was a prolific writer of such classics as the "Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Screwtape Letters." His Christian beliefs ran deep and he used writing as a way to express himself. But, givers must also find resources for their own strength, and C.S. Lewis had many resources. He drew strength and renewal from people like Aristotle, Chaucer, Dorothy Sayers, and J.R.R. Tolkein. Inside the pages of this book are more than 200 wonderful excerpts, giving the reader an insight into not only Lewis, but so many others as well.
This is a really interesting book. James S. Bell and Anthony Dawson, took a great deal of time to study and select the information here. This book is one I will read again, taking more time to savor the individual passages presented. I recommend this book to all readers, especially C.S. Lewis lovers. It is a great tool in discovering the types of influences we all should have in our lives. I received my free review copy from the Blogging for Books program for an honest review.
February 17, 2010
There is one way to get behind the genius and the character of a man: look at this library. Granted, you assume that he's read everything that's there. But even if half of the library is half-read, you've got something to go on. I have profited spiritually and intellectually from this book. There are tidbits upon tidbits from the authors that Lewis read and marked/remarked about. I chose to read it "devotionally," that is, just a page or two at a time. I'm glad I did. It took me longer but I profited much. The bonus is you get to the place when you say of a new author/source you haven't heard of, "If it was good enough for Lewis, it'll be good enough for me!" Read it. I'm sure you'll enjoy the grazing as I did. You get the sense of vicariously reading over the shoulder of Lewis...
March 14, 2013
It is difficult to appreciate these types of anthologies for what they were created for. Well, now that I think about it, I guess they were--primarily--created for money-making endeavors not necessarily to offer words of wisdom.
Anyway, while the selections included herein are pertinent and, at times, powerful they lack the build-up that the original authors created. It's like reading the punch-line of a joke without the context; it just doesn't work.
However, with included authors like Barfield, Chesterton, Sayers, and other great (and typically under-appreciated) writers I would recommend this book as a starting point rather than a terminal towards sampling and discovering new literary resources.
Anyway, while the selections included herein are pertinent and, at times, powerful they lack the build-up that the original authors created. It's like reading the punch-line of a joke without the context; it just doesn't work.
However, with included authors like Barfield, Chesterton, Sayers, and other great (and typically under-appreciated) writers I would recommend this book as a starting point rather than a terminal towards sampling and discovering new literary resources.
July 6, 2019
This book is just that-- a gold mine. I've been obsessed with Lewis and his books for years, but this was all "selections from writers who influenced his spiritual journey" and it was fascinating. I think one of the best ways to get to know somebody is to read the books they love, and this was like doing that with Lewis. Not a page went without underlines or sticky notes or big fat stars from me, and I have a whole new wealth of information from writers I never read before or knew about. These selections span many centuries and are deep and brilliant and categorized by theme to break it up-- it's an excellent book and resource that I loved every word of.
November 14, 2016
From the Library of C.S. Lewis is a wonderfully accessible collection of passages from great thinkers who influenced Lewis, arranged thematically. It was fun to see some of the germs of Lewis' thought extant here. The format is perfect: though the ideas are at times lofty and esoteric, the bite-size nature allows them to be puzzled out as necessary. The brief biographical notes also helped put into context why the authors were influential to Lewis, though one wishes there were a bit more detail in this regard; I would have loved more particulars about Lewis' enthusiasm or annotations. It can be read as a devotional and invites the reader to dig deeper into the various sources.
January 25, 2014
I bought this book to get a better idea of the authors who influenced C.S. Lewis and to find some new authors to explore beyond this book. I still think that is the best way to use this book. I am always afraid that by reading just a small excerpt from a work that I am going to take things out of context or not understand the author's true intent. That being said, the book contained some very interesting excerpts from books, essays and poems of various authors. But it is just a jumping off point.
January 18, 2010
Since I love C.S. Lewis in all forms, I thought this would be an interesting book. It has one-two page excerpts from writers he admired and who (presumably) played a role in his literary and philosophical development. For the most part, the pieces and writers are well chosen, although much of this is not light reading. It is a good book to dip into a few pages at a time, which leaves time to reflect on the writer's comments before moving on.
March 6, 2012
I was able to read the first quarter or so of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. I've taken it off my shelf simply because I don't see myself being able to come back to it within the next year or so.
It's a collection of page-long quotes from a plethora of amazing people who gave us great examples of how to serve God in the name of Christ. I loved it, and if you get the chance I'd recommend taking a look through.
It's a collection of page-long quotes from a plethora of amazing people who gave us great examples of how to serve God in the name of Christ. I loved it, and if you get the chance I'd recommend taking a look through.
June 7, 2011
I thought the book was incredible. the only objection i have is that now i have a long list of other authors i need to read extensively to even begin to grasp some really intense theology that was touched upon in these excerpts. so its not actually an objection at all, just going to be tough on my pocket book. regardless, this book make me feel excited and humbled. thank you for compiling, james bell!
August 15, 2011
This is nice enough. It is very scatterbrained and seems just different people quoted slightly at random. CS Lewis was a prolific writer, so the people he read had to have been very prolific as well...and they were. Their is a variety of quotes, in this book, of great theologians and scholars. Its not a book to read straight thru. It would be very heavy if one did that. But it is nice from time to time to look into it.
June 27, 2008
I gave it four stars because I couldn't give it five since a good portion of this book took a lot of brain power for busy shelley! It was well worth the energy I put out! If I could comprehend the brilliant things some of the authors were writing it would most surely get a five star!! I totally loved running into the writings of the wife of C.S. Lewis...we could've talked over a cup of tea!
November 25, 2008
I was reminded of how brilliant Lewis is at taking difficult concepts and making them accessible and intuitive. Many of these excerpts were difficult for one reason or another - but I could see the gem that Lewis pulled out of each, polished, and presented to his lucky readers.
Perhaps I'm lazy, but I think I'll continue to rely on Lewis, rather than spending a lot more time on his sources!
Perhaps I'm lazy, but I think I'll continue to rely on Lewis, rather than spending a lot more time on his sources!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get help and learn more about the design.