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Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman
by
Brian Sibley
At first glance, they were an unlikely couple: C. S. Lewis, a distinguished author and Oxford scholar, and Joy Davidman, a Jewish-American divorc??e, converted Christian, mother of two, and former Communist Party member. But together they walked through life's challenges, persevering despite having their faith tested in the face of suffering and death. This amazing true st...more
Paperback, 205 pages
Published
July 1st 2005
by Fleming H. Revell Company
(first published January 1st 1985)
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The love of C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidson was controlled by the Church of England. In the Church's eyes, a divorced woman sinned if she remarried. This allowed no room for flexibility in an American woman's struggle to survive on her own while raising two young boys. As a wife of domestic violence (by modern law), Joy fled to England and created a new life with her children. Many of Jack's judgmental literary friends judged Joy for being a gold digger. Jack paid the expensive tuition for Joy's son...more
I enjoyed reading about C.S.Lewis, an author who is well-known for his children's Narnia books as well as many books and articles on the Christian faith. This book concentrated on the years he knew Joy Davidman, first in correspondence and later as a friend and eventually his wife.
There was much about "Jack" Lewis that I had never known before, though I have read several of his works. The fact that Joy had been born Jewish, was for a long time an agnostic and Communist, and a divorce' made the...more
There was much about "Jack" Lewis that I had never known before, though I have read several of his works. The fact that Joy had been born Jewish, was for a long time an agnostic and Communist, and a divorce' made the...more
I give this 5 stars, yet am not sure it's a book that would appeal to many. It is mainly a book about loss. It also gives a really great biography on C.S. Lewis. I was surprised to realize he didn't grow up a Christian. He became a believer later in life. Because of his excellent theological books (most of which are too deep for me to understand) and his awesome good vs. evil in Narnia, I thought he was one of those folks that grew up in the church. And I also thought he was married most of his...more
This was SUCH a weird book. If you love all things C.S. Lewis-ian and you are the kind of person who loved reading The Encyclopaedia Britannica for fun when you were a kid, you will like this book. I liked reading about all of his books in their historical context, especially their relationship to what was occurring in Lewis' life. I also like how the book is telling a story primarily through passages from Lewis', Joy Davidman's, and their contemporaries' writings. There were SO many interesting...more
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I read this when I was 12 as a time passer in a foreign country where no one spoke english and it was the only literature that could be found in the house that was in English. I wasnt expecting much being young and silly, but I was pleasantly surprised. I couldnt put the book down. C.S. Lewis' Life was so interesting and amazing, and Sad. I read through the night till I was finished. Amazing Man, one of my favourite author's. Reading this gave me such insights into his life, helped me understand...more
Still so inspired every time I read about this amazing author and his life of discovery.
It comes through so clearly how, even though he was a gigantically gifted person, he was very much a human.
The way he grapples with his faith after losing his wife is an encouragement to anyone who walks through "deep waters".
A quote that struck me from this book: "He always knew my temple was a house of cards. The only way he could get me to recognise this fact was to knock it down".
Also made me excited agai...more
It comes through so clearly how, even though he was a gigantically gifted person, he was very much a human.
The way he grapples with his faith after losing his wife is an encouragement to anyone who walks through "deep waters".
A quote that struck me from this book: "He always knew my temple was a house of cards. The only way he could get me to recognise this fact was to knock it down".
Also made me excited agai...more
This book was very reflective. It is a story of C.S. Lewis life. His life is in one aspect how he started as an agnostic and through time and spiritual experiences, begins to realize there is a God and Jesus Christ. I found myself putting the book down and contemplating on my testimony and thoughts of family and friends. How dear they are. I would recommend this book. I had always wondered why the church leaders would refererence his writings, and now I know.
Loved this book...would reccomend to anyone. A ture and lovely love story and more!
At first glance, they were an unlikely couple: C. S. Lewis, a distinguished author and Oxford scholar, and Joy Davidman, a Jewish-American divorce, converted Christian, mother of two, and former Communist Party member. But together they walked through life's challenges, persevering despite having their faith tested in the face of suffering and death. This amazing true story reveals the many events that occurred i...more
I'm not really sure why this book was written but I'm glad to have come across it anyway. Short and seat but no words were wasted. The best decision Sibley made in writing this book was mostly quoting Lewis and Davidman themselves. Reading Lewis passages, even in complete isolation, is quite simply breathtaking. There's a lot of Lewis' work I still need to read and this reminded me that I need to move some of those up the queue.
Great quick read! Although I read C.S. Lewis' Narnia books as a child, I knew very little about the man himself! This is an unlikely and touching romance, told mostly through the words of Joy Davidman, C.S. Lewis, and the other individuals who figured prominently into their lives together. Brian Sibley did a fantastic job of compiling so many different sources into one definitive tale of the couple's love. Definitely recommend!
Oct 16, 2011
Leslie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
C.S.Lewis fans
There are already enough good reviews for anyone to know what this book is about. What makes it stand out from the others out there about my dear C S Lewis is that this one really covers her life in great detail. The boys are important in this book as well. There is much more info here than in either movie too. The true story especially as far as the order of events and the ages of the people are vastly different than in either of the movies. Having mentioned the two movies, both called Shadowla...more
An excellent read, which was heartwarming and poignant, where you felt you really got to know C.S. Lewis and Joy Davidman and a bit about their journey through life and perhaps some of the inspirations for their work. The extracts from their work which peppered the pages were delightful, entertaining and so insightful. If left one with a desire to hunt out their work immediately.
Well written book that helps explain a bit about the life of CS Lewis (Jack) and his wife that I actually knew nothing about. His books are so good and written so full of spiritual faith that it was interesting to read that he struggled with life too just like all of us. Sad in many parts but yet he continued to Praise the Lord throughout his life until the very end, prayerfully we can all be so faithful!
Feb 11, 2012
Hilarie Oliver
added it
C.S. Lewis and his brother Warnie really come alive throughout his books about his life. This book gives more of the setting and back story of Joy Davidman. I was touched that a man who had decided love and marriage wouldn't happen for him, found the joy and pain of loss in having a marriage of love and support, and being needed.
I liked learning more of the life of C.S. Lewis and his wife Joy. He was a very interesting man. I had just finished reading surprised by joy so I did get a little bit bored at the beginning rereading the same stuff I had just read about C.S. Lewis's life growing up, but then once I got to new material I really enjoyed it.
A story of CS Lewis's relationship with Joy Davidman. I found it more 'commercial' and maybe even, more about Joy than about 'Jack'. Having read this book, after reading 'Jack' by George Sayer, I found that they complemented each other. However I much preferred 'Jack' for its style of writing, content and presentation.
This was on my shelf for over 10 years. I bought it at a used book sale after the movie came out (with Anthony Hopkins & Debra Winger). This book is more factual than the film, and is a very readable no-nonsense biography. It inspires me to read more of C.S. Lewis's works.
I was saddened by the short time this unlikely couple had together before Joy died of cancer. I liked the research of the author, the many quotes from the letters the couple had written to each other, parts of letters from other people, portions of their own poetry, etc.
A short and simple book, I did offer some insight into the man who gave us so many essential Christian reads. The most interesting events of the book surrounded his marriage to Joy, and the social consequences of the union. I just wish it was longer and showed more of some of the aspects of his life.
I was really interested in learning more of the story of this most unusual and unlikely couple: C. S. Lewis, a distinguished author and Oxford scholar, and Joy Davidman, a divorced Jewish-American, converted Christian, mother of two, and former Communist Party member...
The part of the book that told of their life together was a 4-5 star read, but unfortunately it encompassed only the last third of the book. The first 2/3rds told of Lewis' early years and briefly about Joy's background. Though I...more
The part of the book that told of their life together was a 4-5 star read, but unfortunately it encompassed only the last third of the book. The first 2/3rds told of Lewis' early years and briefly about Joy's background. Though I...more
Viewing the newer film version of Shadowlands, back in 1993, inspired me to find out the whole romantic story. What intrigued me was how someone who lived through his mind could have his heart opened to its deepest capacities.
I appreciated this book as much for it's insight into C.S. Lewis' early life and his writing as for the unique story of Lewis'and Davidman's relationship. It was touching and uplifting.
C.S. Lewis fascinates me. This is the story of how meeting and marrying Joy Davidson affected his life, and how her death affected his faith. It's a quick read and I highly recommend it.
A great book about Lewis' progress from Jew to atheist to Christian and his relationship with Joy Davidman. Also enjoyed the reading by David Suchet (Poirot).
The story of CS Lewis, and Joy Davidman whom he met and married late in life. Well-researched - although re-reading, I found the early section about CS Lewis a little dull since I had read about his life so many times - but the brief biography of Joy Davidman and the story of their unexpected romance was moving. The opening chapter tells of Joy's funeral; she was very ill when they married, and their time together was brief but very special. I expected to spend a week or two reading this, but fo...more
Grabbed this one as we were weeding the biography section. I am a huge C.S. Lewis fan but had never read this one. What a moving story of love!
I really like this book. I think poeple need to read this, put not just to read about there lives. But to read there back ground and how they found each other, and how they got throuth the hurt and pian, they whent throuth. So read it for that!
Excellent book. It was interesting to know more about his transformation in beliefs toward religion as well as love. Definitely worth reading.
The book that served as the basis for the movie Shadowlands (on the life of C.S. Lewis). A true story that made me laugh and cry.
Anything written by C.S.Lewis is excellent, but the addition of Joy and the totally personal story make this one of my favorites.
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Brian Sibley is an English author who has written over 100 hours of radio drama and has written and presented hundreds of radio documentaries, features and weekly programmes.
In 1981, he co-wrote BBC Radio 4's adaptation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings with Michael Bakewell, and has also adapted C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast for Radio 4, for which he rece...more
More about Brian Sibley...
In 1981, he co-wrote BBC Radio 4's adaptation of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings with Michael Bakewell, and has also adapted C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast for Radio 4, for which he rece...more
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