Word and Story in C. S. Lewis : Language and Narrative in Theory and Practice

Word and Story has broken new ground by enlisting well-known scholars in the examination of Lewis's ideas about language and narrative, both as stated in theory and as exemplified in practice. Never before has such clear, significant, and thorough work in these areas been brought together in one place. This compilation of sixteen essays demonstrates how an awareness of Lewis's ideas about language and narrative is essential to a full understanding and appreciation of his thought and works. The contributors examine Lewis's poetry, The Dark Woods, Studies in Words, and other works that have so far received little attention, in addition to more familiar parts of the Lewis canon. By approaching Lewis primarily as an artist and theorist, not just a Christian apologist, these essays offer new insights into his creative imagination, critical acumen, and his craftsmanship as a writer. One comes away from this book with a fresh vision and with heightened expectation, eager to return to Lewis's works. ""[Word and Story is] superior . . . to any other collection that has so far appeared [on C. S. Lewis]. . . . One comes across many observations in this book that evoke the response, not just of an acquiescent nod, but also of further reflection."" --Owen Barfield, from the afterword Peter J. Schakel is the Peter C. and Emajean Cook Professor of English at Hope College. He is the author of five books on C. S. Lewis: Reading with the Heart, Reason and Imagination in C. S. Lewis: A Study of ""Till We Have Faces"", Imagination and the Arts in C.S. Lewis, The Way into Narnia: A Reader's Guide, and Is Your Lord Large Enough? He has also coedited several literature textbooks with Jack Ridl. Charles A. Huttar is Emeritus Professor of English at Hope College. He is the editor of Imagination and the Spirit: Essays in Literature and the Christian Faith presented to Clyde S. Kilby, coeditor of The Rhetoric of Vision: Essays on Charles Williams and Scandalous Truths: Essays by and about Susan Howatch, and author of many essays on Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams.