C.S. Lewis: A Life

So many biographies of C.S. Lewis are available that one might wonder whether this latest is needed. However, McGrath's (theology & ministry, King's Coll. London; The Dawkins Delusion) C.S. Lewis is unique in a few ways. First, it is written by a major theologian who can provide excellent insights into Lewis's thought. Second, it utilizes the revised and enlarged edition of Lewis's collected letters, an expansive edition available only in the past decade. Third, it contains new thoughts on Lewis's life, such as a different date for his conversion to Christianity, based on a careful reading of primary sources, and discussion of how Lewis's letters show that he could compartmentalize some experiences, while others tormented him; he stated that his difficult school years were worse than serving as a frontline infantryman in World War I. McGrath furthermore writes an accessible biography, with a chronological narrative followed by discussion of Lewis's "afterlife," addressing how interest in Lewis has heightened from the 1970s or 1980s to the present.