Remembering C.S. Lewis: Recollections of Those Who Knew Him

by James T. Como

To learn more about C.S. Lewis visit   In this intimate, candid, and sometimes surprising community biography of the celebrated author and Christian apologist, twenty-four men and women who knew C.S. Lewis—as teacher, colleague, friend—offer their reminiscences and impressions of the complex man behind the critical and academic acclaim.

Through their recollections, we see “Jack” Lewis dazzling Oxford as he takes on atheists, materialists, and a host of other challengers. Most poignantly, we see him in everyday striding up and down the platform at a railroad station, presiding over leisurely dinners with students, expounding on the virtues of the pub.
“The net effect of this collection,” said the Catholic Review, “is to make us feel that we know Lewis as well as [his] friends.” And to quote the New Yorker, “The heterogeneity of the contributors assures a variety of Lewises, but certain traits appear in all these intelligence, imagination, gusto, a sense of fun, and, most frequently, magnanimity.”

Genres: Biography, Cs Lewis

509 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jon Beadle]

Excellent. Pure joy. It is a delight to hear from those who actually knew him what sort of man he was like.

[Kris]

While I do think this book is valuable for Lewis studies generally, considering the voices included here and the original time of publication, it feels really uneven. Most of this is reflective thoughts from scattered men who saw parts of Lewis in bits and pieces during certain times (notice there's no women's voices). It's not comprehensive, not even thorough. You won't get full and accurate pictures of who Lewis was, what his environment was like, or what kind of work he did.

This is not something I'd recommend to the average Lewis layman, and it's not worth getting your hands on for the average Lewis scholar. I don't regret reading it, but there's so many other works on Lewis I'd point to first. See my Lewis shelf here on GR for ideas.

First published in 1979, with updated editions put out in 1992 and 2005. There are important and recognizable names (in the realm of Lewis studies) in here, for example: Alan Bede Griffiths, A. C. Harwood, John Wain, Walter Hooper, George Sayer, Roger Lancelyn Green, Robert E. Havard, and Austin Farrer.

[Jenny]

A wonderful set of essays by men and women who knew CS Lewis. They each give a little snapshot of a very complicated man. Some are contradictory, not all are entirely complimentary, and many of the authors acknowledge that they were only granted access to a small portion of his life. I loved getting these glimpses of him, of learning a little more of the man behind some of my favorite books.

Eugene McGovern, when challenged with the question of whether or not an interest in Lewis himself (as opposed to his works) is reasonable or if it is narrow, disquieting, or even cultish, replied:

"... most admirers of Lewis have found that their reading and their interests are widened and expanded, rather than narrowed and confined by reading Lewis. He is simply the wrong author for someone who wants an uneventful mental life... and an interest in Lewis the man seems to be a perfectly natural and normal outgrowth of an appreciation of Lewis the writer." I would agree. And I would recommend this book for those who are interested in diving in and learning more of Lewis's life and friendships.

[Sweetmelody]

It was a delight to read about C.S. Lewis from those who personally knew him. He was an extraordinary man!