The Art of Writing and the Gifts of Writers

by C.S. Lewis

This volume of short essays and other pieces by C. S. Lewis is part of a larger collection, C. S. Lewis: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces. In addition to his many books, letters, and poems, C. S. Lewis wrote a great number of essays and shorter pieces on various subjects. He wrote extensively on Christian theology and the defense of faith but also on ethical issues and the nature of literature and storytelling. Within these pages is a treasure trove of Lewis' reflections on diverse topics. It is read by Ralph Cosham.

This volume includes:

1. "The Hobbit"
2. "Period Criticism"
3. "On Stories"
4. "On Three Ways of Writing for Children"
5. "Prudery and Philology"
6. "Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings"
7. "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to Be Said"
8. "It All Began with a Picture…"
9. "Unreal Estates"
10. "On Criticism"
11. "Cross-Examination"
12. "A Tribute to E. R. Eddison"
13. "The Mythopoeic Gift of Rider Haggard"
14. "George Orwell"
15. "A Panegyric for Dorothy L. Sayers"
16. "The Novels of Charles Williams"

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Christian, Classics, Philosophy, Literature

Audiobook

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.

Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]

Reviews

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sure I’ve read most of these essays in other works but they are all worth a revisit. Lewis believed he didn’t know a work until he read at least 2-3 times.

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought-provoking read. It is very intellectual in style, so I had to make sure I was paying close attention while listening to the audiobook or I'd miss stuff and need to rewind. I overall liked it, but there some parts I had less interest in than others. I'm giving it four stars instead of five because it was interesting, but it hasn't become my favorite book on writing ever.

[Joseph Brink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love pretty much everything Lewis writes. :)

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of essays about writing and writers. As with most collections, some of the essays were great and others were just okay. Overall, a good read.

[Željko Filipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short essays on various topics, including reviews of Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

[Ellen-Arwen Tristram · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've actually listened to this about three times, the last time in one basically one go. This is such an inspiring and beautiful listen. It helps that I love CS Lewis, but it also helps having done an English literature degree and being moderately well-read. I say 'moderately' because I haven't read all the books that Lewis talks about (to my shame, I haven't read any Dorothy L Sayers, or Ryder Haggard), but being familiar with 'the canon' (mentions of Spenser's 'The Fairie Queene, some specific Chaucer poems (eg. Chanticleer from 'The Wife of Bath's Story') was a massive help.

Maybe half of the interviews/essays are about writing in general, and the other half are specific reviews or criticisms (and at least a third of those are of Tolkien! Let it be officially known that the apocryphal 'bad feeling' between them has been debunked here; his effusive praise of both The Hobbit and LotR is lovely to read - and it's clear that they knew each other well, in a POSITIVE way.). Obviously, it's hard if you haven't read the work in question, but Lewis' writing in itself is a balm to listen to - the narration is also excellent. It's certainly not something I would recommend to a lot of people; it's very specific, pretty dated, pretty Christian (by the way, I'm not religious, but I find Lewis' writing on Christianity very interesting and moving)... so there's a lot to not like! I loved it though. Each listen improved for me. (Although it sometimes made me feel like 'less' of a writer myself... a bunch of introspective stuff that I won't go into here).

If you're a fan of CS Lewis, and literary criticism, this is for you - a niche gem!

[Kenneth Ching · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lewis is probably the best writer and thinker of the 20th Century. Here, he analyzes Tolkien, Chesterton, Fairy Tales, Narnia, and what makes good (and bad) writing and stories. Laughs, profound insights about writing, stories, and philosophy. It's a must-read if you like books about writing or books.

Also, like a huge library of Lewis content, this is free on Audible with a monthly membership.

[Vicki Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate reading anything Lewis.

[Ken Burkhalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

My only nitpick is that it is too short. Wisdom like this should come in larger doses.

[M.G. Bianco · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.S. Lewis is, well, C.S. Lewis. The essays in this little collection are great. Some better than others, but only because they were more relevant to me as I read them. Lewis makes the same great arguments in the same great way that his readers will know and probably love. The essays cover everything from how to write, why write, how he wrote, and why certain writers were his favorite writers and why certain other writers were not his favorite writers.

In this collection is where you can hear the story about Lewis having add a picture of Mr. Tumnus in his head for over 20 years before he envision the lion that would bring the whole story together and demand to be written.

In this collection is where you can hear Lewis and his friends discussing how best to define science fiction and whether his Space Trilogy qualifies or not.

In this collection is where you can hear him predict that Tolkien's books would someday be classics.

A wonderful listen I downloaded cheaply from Audible.com.

[Jo Berry ☀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This only seems available as an audiobook, but it’s included with Audible. There are 16 short pieces on writing (some very short), and as you can imagine, they vary in how engaging they are. How interesting you find them will probably depend on what you are interested in, although the style throughout is quite dry and earnest, which made it difficult to enjoy. Only the conversation in ‘Unreal Estates’ has more life and humour in it. That for me was the most entertaining piece, but there were useful points in ‘On Three Way of Writing for Children’ as well. Worth a listen if you are interested in writing and literature.

Contents:

1. "The Hobbit"
2. "Period Criticism"
3. "On Stories"
4. "On Three Ways of Writing for Children"
5. "Prudery and Philology"
6. "Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings"
7. "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to Be Said"
8. "It All Began with a Picture…"
9. "Unreal Estates"
10. "On Criticism"
11. "Cross-Examination"
12. "A Tribute to E. R. Eddison"
13. "The Mythopoeic Gift of Rider Haggard"
14. "George Orwell"
15. "A Panegyric for Dorothy L. Sayers"
16. "The Novels of Charles Williams"

[Kyle Bartsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool little audiobook. As someone who likes writing, hearing CS Lewis (who is one of the most prolific Christian writers) talk about it is super interesting. He mounts a pretty awesome defence of people reading “children’s” books at any age and that a book that is only worth reading as a kid isn’t worth reading at all. Now while I like this take, it also might have something to do with the fact that CS Lewis has a bunch of children’s books that he’s written…. He also talks a lot about the relationship between philosophy and writing, often talking about Jungian archetypes and their role in works of fiction ranging from Tolkien to Chesterton. He also has a full chapter glazing up Tolkien and his works which is apt because Tolkien is a genius. I also really liked his chapter on comparing and contrasting Orwell’s Animal farm and 1984. He speaks about how Animal Farm is a significantly better book and laments the fact that 1984 is far more popular than the farm. As someone who thoroughly enjoys Animal Farm, it was nice to hear someone of Lewis’ calibre give it the praise it’s worthy of.

Yeah great little audiobook. Lots of wisdom packed in here.

[Cosmic Arcata · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading C.S. Lewis thoughts about reading. What makes a good reader. Why read a book more than once. How reading a book over and over becomes a type of poetry for the person. He explains that familiarity with the action, as in a fairytale for instance helps you to see the quality of the text in the repeated reading.

Also he mentioned something about Waverley that I want to remember. "Solitude and abandonment to the imagination in youth will render a man easy prey to those who wish to exploit him.". A true case against television!

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half review: I tried reading this several times but it was so boring and the reading was just so clinical and dry I couldn’t continue the book. These are academic analysis of a literary works and plot devices. I just couldn’t stick with it. I ended up skipping several that were just too dry.

Second half review: I skipped ahead to the 50% mark and read the writings on faith, the Narnia series, George Orwell, and Tolkien. These were very good. First half is a 2, second half a 4. Some of the books he reviewed I hadn't read before, but the writings were interesting enough to keep me going. He brought up interesting points regarding those works that were general enough to apply broadly to all books.

[Jon Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of things I learned in this book. The number one thing, is to read a book more than once. He has a great analogy of entering a garden for a first time, you see it, appreciate it, but you go back to it time and time again. You notice new things everytime you return. The garden takes on new meaning and brings a depth that cannot be apprecited on just one visit.

I rarely go back and read a book again. This will change.

Also, I just got a few more books to read based on this. King Soloman's Mines, and more R.L. Stevensons books, as well as HG Wells.

Very good book!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays were good and thought provoking. I stopped listening because he reviewed many authors and books I haven't read and this was not interesting to me... I enjoy his Christian theology and his high morals. Not sure what I expected of this book of essays but of course it makes sense that it would be extremely academic and analytical. He values the art of story. The deeper meanings and the build up. Which is expected from the author of the Chronicles of Narnia. He values the works of his friend JRR Tolkien which makes sense and if he were still alive, I assume he would enjoy Harry Potter. He implies that if you don't enjoy rereading books that you are a lover of surprises not literature. At first, I was somewhat offended. But then again, he might be right. I enjoy reading the stories but I move on because I know what happened. In his mind, quality books are enjoyed over and over again. Because you love the story not because you don't know what happens.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to go with 4 stars here because half of the essays were 5 stars and half were 3. I loved his talk of children's literature and fantasy. "If it's worth reading at 10, it's worth reading at 50."

And his rebuttal to the argument that fantasy literature distracts from real life was perfect.

The audiobook was so-so. The narrator was sometimes hard to understand.

[Bon Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old goodie that still manages to be relevant after all these years. It's a collection of essays, some of o which I find more interesting than others. But those about Tolkien, Hobbit and LOTR, those are something else...

[Andrew Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of essays from Lewis on the writing process, reviews of Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring, and much more.

It’s a fun read for Lewis lovers because it feels like a peek behind the curtains into his mind.

[Daniella van Vliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

“the fairy tale stirs and troubles him (to his life-long enrichment) with the dim sense of something beyond his reach and, far from dulling or emptying the actual world, gives it a new dimension of depth. He does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods: The reading makes all real woods a little enchanted.”

[Patience · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read again!

[Adam Bloch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too scattered and too short of sections to truly review, but if you enjoy Lewis’ thinking then you’ll enjoy this book as well. It also gives you several great book recommendations.

[Tammy Mannarino · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is hard to rate because I felt very differently about each individual essay and/or review. They were really very different. My favorite pieces were ones where he explored genres (children's literature and its purpose, what constitutes science fiction v. fantasy). There was a transcription of a group discussion with a couple of authors that I would read/listen to again. It was sprinkled with asides like "should we have another drink?" and "would you loan me that book?" It was very humorous. I liked the book reviews more than I thought I would. I've never really wanted to spend much time reading literary criticism, but this collection may have changed my mind.

[Jay Phipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost like having a conversation with CS Lewis. Recommended just to get his opinion on the literature of his time.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very interesting thoughts about writing — enjoyable quick listen

[John Mace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hearing Lewis’ thoughts on Tolkien and himself is just awesome.

[Angela Blount · Rating 5 out of 5]

"No book is really worth reading at the age of 10 that is not equally, and often far more worth reading at the age of 50. Except, of course, books of information. The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would probably have been better not to have read at all."

Less of a writing craft book and more a defense of writing expression and creativity. This short book is a collection of Lewis' thoughts on writing, the writing process itself, and the mysteries of the subconscious parts of the skill. And as ever, his perspective carries with it his probing thoughtfulness, wit, and whimsy.

"When I became a man, I put away childish things. Including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up."

I appreciated how Lewis encourages readers not to take themselves too seriously. And perhaps just as importantly, not to discard or devalue things of myth--including, but not limited to, children's literature. (He's probably a touch biased, but he has every right to it.)

"The child enjoys his cold meat, otherwise dull to him, by pretending it is buffalo--just killed with his own bow and arrow. And the child is wise. The real meat comes back to him more savory for having been dipped in a story."

If you're looking for some sort of step-by-step instruction, you've come to the wrong place. But if you're looking for inspiration and encouragement from a brilliant and upbeat mind... this collection of thoughts is not to be missed.

Favorite Quote:

"It is certainly the case that if you are often reviewed, you will find yourself repeatedly blamed and praised for saying what you never said, and for not saying what you have said."

[Tim Kurtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to this 🔥— “A children’s story that is only enjoyed by children is a bad children’s story. The good ones last. . . . This [principle] seems to me most obviously true of that particular type of children’s story which is dearest to my own taste: the fantasy or fairytale. Now, the modern critical world uses ‘adult’ as a term of approval. It is hostile to what it calls ‘nostalgia,’ and contemptuous of what it calls ‘Peter Panthiesm.’ Hence, a man who admits dwarves and giants and talking beasts and witches are still dear to him in his fifty-third year is now less likely to be praised for his perennial youth than scorned and pitied for arrested development. If I spend some little time defending myself against these charges, this is not so much because it matters greatly whether I am scorned or pitied as because the defense is germane to my whole view of the fairytale and even of literature in general. . . . Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval instead of as a merely descriptive term cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being ‘grown up,’ to admire the ‘grown up’ because it is ‘grown up,’ to blush at the suspicion of being ‘childish,’ these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence; and in childhood and adolescence are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even early manhood, this concern about being ‘adult’ is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairytales in secret and would have been ashamed to be found doing so. Now that I am fifty, I read them openly. ‘When I became a man I put away childish things,’ including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

[Jason Arbuckle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 145 - CS Lewis - The Art of Writing and the gifts of Writers

A wonderful short series of book reviews, interviews and articles that have been gathered in one place.

It is a fabulous read but difficult to review.

Instead here are a couple of things I learned that have stuck with me.

1. Lewis writes and is asked often about his opinions on JRR Tolkien’s body of work. He mentions that ‘The Hobbit’ feels like a page ripped from a rich tapestry that is only seen when looking at the whole picture. It doesn’t quite hit the mark because of others…not Tolkien.
2. He didn’t write children’s books. He wrote fantasy books that children enjoyed but they should also enjoy 20 years later. Good stories are good stories…always.
3. He comments on some of the details that can be easily missed on a first read of ‘The Lord of the Rings’…one he highlights is the Ents… ‘a hill is to simple a word for something with so much history.’
4. He is asked about his least favourite book he has written and answers ‘The Screwtape Letters’ - unless someone sees the irony…the book can be viewed as very dark.
5. Why were the Narnia books written out of order ? Loved this one…he sees pictures in his head before figuring out a story to go with it…when he was 16 he kept thinking about a fawn carrying parcels in the snow. Such an incredible image….and it stayed in his head until he was 52. Brilliant.

There are times that Lewis’ writings are almost impenetrable and there are others that are joyful and personal. His own words show his love for books and those who espouse those words.

[Haoyan Do · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to listen to this book because I like the "The Screwtape Letters" by C. S. Lewis very much. I like to know what he has to say about writing and writers. However I haven't got any useful tips for my own problems in writing. I guess everybody has his own problem and he is only addressing what he knows. It also describes a lot about children's books, his own science fiction books, and Tolkien, all of which I haven't read or even have a remote idea what they are. My own problem with writing is difficult to define and difficult to express. I think the main problem is that when I imagine something great, but once typed up, it is far from the desired effect. Like a film director with a lot of ideas, but once the scenes are shot and everything is complete, she reviews the tape and finds it far worse than she expected it to be. Also how to have a great plot without making it feel like contrived? How to incorporate those little flash of ideas in my mind and in my notebooks to the stories I am working on?

There is a part in the book, in which the author talks about reading a book several times before it can sink in. That is very true. The problem is I read really slow and if I read fast, I will lost my pleasure in reading. I guess I'm a sloth kind of person and can only enjoy the pace of a sloth.