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The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis #2
The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume 2
C. S. Lewis was a prolific letter writer, and his personal correspondence reveals much of his private life, reflections, friendships, and the progress of his thought. This second of a three-volume collection contains the letters Lewis wrote after his conversion to Christianity, as he began a lifetime of serious writing. Lewis corresponded with many of the twentieth century's major literary figures, including J. R. R. Tolkien and Dorothy Sayers. Here we encounter a surge of letters in response to a new audience of laypeople who wrote to him after the great success of his BBC radio broadcasts during World War II -- talks that would ultimately become his masterwork, Mere Christianity.
Volume II begins with C. S. Lewis writing his first major work of literary history, The Allegory of Love, which established him as a scholar with imaginative power. These letters trace his creative journey and recount his new circle of friends, "The Inklings," who meet regularly to share their writing. Tolkien reads aloud chapters of his unfinished The Lord of the Rings, while Lewis shares portions of his first novel, Out of the Silent Planet. Lewis's weekly letters to his brother, Warnie, away serving in the army during World War II, lead him to begin writing his first spiritual work, The Problem of Pain.
After the serialization of The Screwtape Letters, the director of religious broadcasting at the BBC approached Lewis and the "Mere Christianity" talks were born. With his new broadcasting career, Lewis was inundated with letters from all over the world. His faithful, thoughtful responses to numerous questions reveal the clarity and wisdom of his theological and intellectual beliefs.
Volume II includes Lewis's correspondence with great writers such as Owen Barfield, Arthur C. Clarke, Sheldon Vanauken, and Dom Bede Griffiths. The letters address many of Lewis's interests -- theology, literary criticism, poetry, fantasy, and children's stories -- as well as reveal his relation ships with close friends and family. But what is apparent throughout this volume is how this quiet bachelor professor in England touched the lives of many through an amazing discipline of personal correspondence. Walter Hooper's insightful notes and compre hensive biographical appendix of the correspon dents make this an irreplaceable reference for those curious about the life and work of one of the most creative minds of the modern era.
Volume II begins with C. S. Lewis writing his first major work of literary history, The Allegory of Love, which established him as a scholar with imaginative power. These letters trace his creative journey and recount his new circle of friends, "The Inklings," who meet regularly to share their writing. Tolkien reads aloud chapters of his unfinished The Lord of the Rings, while Lewis shares portions of his first novel, Out of the Silent Planet. Lewis's weekly letters to his brother, Warnie, away serving in the army during World War II, lead him to begin writing his first spiritual work, The Problem of Pain.
After the serialization of The Screwtape Letters, the director of religious broadcasting at the BBC approached Lewis and the "Mere Christianity" talks were born. With his new broadcasting career, Lewis was inundated with letters from all over the world. His faithful, thoughtful responses to numerous questions reveal the clarity and wisdom of his theological and intellectual beliefs.
Volume II includes Lewis's correspondence with great writers such as Owen Barfield, Arthur C. Clarke, Sheldon Vanauken, and Dom Bede Griffiths. The letters address many of Lewis's interests -- theology, literary criticism, poetry, fantasy, and children's stories -- as well as reveal his relation ships with close friends and family. But what is apparent throughout this volume is how this quiet bachelor professor in England touched the lives of many through an amazing discipline of personal correspondence. Walter Hooper's insightful notes and compre hensive biographical appendix of the correspon dents make this an irreplaceable reference for those curious about the life and work of one of the most creative minds of the modern era.
1162 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2004
61 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Lewis
1,298 books46.7k followersLibrarian 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]
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]
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 20, 2020
This was a very pleasant read. I feel like I know something of the nuances of CS Lewis's character, and such knowledge was delivered in quick glimpses that helped me to not over-focus on the fact that I was reading a very long book.
The tone of his correspondence is friendly, but his thoughts come out fully formed.
The tone of his correspondence is friendly, but his thoughts come out fully formed.
January 8, 2022
My favorite book of 2021.
There is much to savor in this volume: details of his friendship with Tolkien, his unbelievable patience with Jane (a cantankerous woman who was Lewis’ houseguest until the end of her life), his gentle, wise responses to people who asked him questions about his faith, and the endless list of books he was reading.
In spite of his brilliance as a thinker and writer, his letters are infused with a guilelessness that is disarming. He wrote to a Catholic nun on August 9, 1939, “Though I’m forty years old as a man, I’m only about twelve as a Christian, so it would be a maternal act if you found time to sometimes mention me in your prayers.”
In another letter written in April of 1935, he is renewing an old acquaintance and sums up his life simply, “My father is dead and my brother has retired from the army and now lives with us…. I am going bald. I am a Christian. Professionally I am chiefly a medievalist.”
As his fame grew, he was answering seven letters a day year-round and his brother, Warnie, began helping. Thank goodness hundreds and hundreds of those letters have been preserved for posterity. This book was a thousand pages and I loved every one of them.
There is much to savor in this volume: details of his friendship with Tolkien, his unbelievable patience with Jane (a cantankerous woman who was Lewis’ houseguest until the end of her life), his gentle, wise responses to people who asked him questions about his faith, and the endless list of books he was reading.
In spite of his brilliance as a thinker and writer, his letters are infused with a guilelessness that is disarming. He wrote to a Catholic nun on August 9, 1939, “Though I’m forty years old as a man, I’m only about twelve as a Christian, so it would be a maternal act if you found time to sometimes mention me in your prayers.”
In another letter written in April of 1935, he is renewing an old acquaintance and sums up his life simply, “My father is dead and my brother has retired from the army and now lives with us…. I am going bald. I am a Christian. Professionally I am chiefly a medievalist.”
As his fame grew, he was answering seven letters a day year-round and his brother, Warnie, began helping. Thank goodness hundreds and hundreds of those letters have been preserved for posterity. This book was a thousand pages and I loved every one of them.
January 1, 2011
CS Lewis' Letters 1931-1949 are what you're looking for if you'd like an intimate look at Lewis' state of mind in the days when he first became a Christian, until those days when he was becaming a popular Christian apologist.
Obviously, this volume is not for the casual Lewis reader, and it is good to have a Lewis biography or two handy whenever reading a letter. Nor is it a book one would read from cover to cover unless for some special project. But if you're big on CS Lewis quotes and want to see the full context for some of them, or perhaps you'd like the occasional insight into CS Lewis' day to day activities, or you simply can't get enough of Lewis' unique writing style, you can't beat this definitive volume.
One note on "definitive", though. The picture of Lewis that we get from reading his letters and diaries is not complete. For one thing, there's always the possibility of a new letter turning up in someone's attic with a new detail, a new insight, into Lewis. For another, there is the fact that quite a number of Lewis' letters were destroyed before he died, probably in an effort to preserve the privacy both of Lewis and those close to him who might have disclosed sensitive personal information to him. That, and two more things: first, a written record of one's life is not necessarily a definitive record of what actually happened, as the task of writing definitively skews one's perspective; and second, this is only one half of the record - letters FROM Lewis, not TO him.
In spite of all those caveats, I suppose these volumes are necessary parts of any collector's library. If only for bragging rights. Although I'm quite certain Lewis would have adamantly objected to that idea.
One last note: my edition is a paperbound one, bundled with Volume 1 (1905-1931) and placed in a box. The box is too tight. And holding on to the box means one chooses not to have the volumes covered in a protective plastic sheet. I would definitely recommend a hardcover edition if you could find one.
RE de Leon
8:26 PM January 1, 2011
Agoo, La Union
Obviously, this volume is not for the casual Lewis reader, and it is good to have a Lewis biography or two handy whenever reading a letter. Nor is it a book one would read from cover to cover unless for some special project. But if you're big on CS Lewis quotes and want to see the full context for some of them, or perhaps you'd like the occasional insight into CS Lewis' day to day activities, or you simply can't get enough of Lewis' unique writing style, you can't beat this definitive volume.
One note on "definitive", though. The picture of Lewis that we get from reading his letters and diaries is not complete. For one thing, there's always the possibility of a new letter turning up in someone's attic with a new detail, a new insight, into Lewis. For another, there is the fact that quite a number of Lewis' letters were destroyed before he died, probably in an effort to preserve the privacy both of Lewis and those close to him who might have disclosed sensitive personal information to him. That, and two more things: first, a written record of one's life is not necessarily a definitive record of what actually happened, as the task of writing definitively skews one's perspective; and second, this is only one half of the record - letters FROM Lewis, not TO him.
In spite of all those caveats, I suppose these volumes are necessary parts of any collector's library. If only for bragging rights. Although I'm quite certain Lewis would have adamantly objected to that idea.
One last note: my edition is a paperbound one, bundled with Volume 1 (1905-1931) and placed in a box. The box is too tight. And holding on to the box means one chooses not to have the volumes covered in a protective plastic sheet. I would definitely recommend a hardcover edition if you could find one.
RE de Leon
8:26 PM January 1, 2011
Agoo, La Union
September 14, 2017
Like Volume I before it, I found this an engrossing read. The focus has shifted naturally, Lewis himself having changed from a child and adolescent and young adult to a settled man with a settled life (settled house, settled job, settled faith). The reasons for his writing letters have shifted, as have the content thereof. As a result, the joys of the first volume, which tended to be literary or artistic, have shifted to become more analytical and religious.
This is not a complaint (though if I were to complain, it would about the abundance of thank-you letters to American benefactors in the late 1940s--not that you could omit these in a collection that aspires to completeness). Indeed, Lewis's patient transparency and helpfulness in living, day to day, the Christian life are a welcome rejoinder to the needs of my own life.
This is not a complaint (though if I were to complain, it would about the abundance of thank-you letters to American benefactors in the late 1940s--not that you could omit these in a collection that aspires to completeness). Indeed, Lewis's patient transparency and helpfulness in living, day to day, the Christian life are a welcome rejoinder to the needs of my own life.
June 3, 2018
Hard not to give this collection 5 stars, but that final volume really was the best. This one is still CSL required reading, though.
November 11, 2017
It is wonderful to see the arrogance of his youth melt away to such a kind and caring man.
May 27, 2021
This is such a mixture of pithy, earthy wisdom, kind, pastoral care of hurting people, robust friendship and wit, and devotional warmth, that I at times couldn't put it down. There are so many gems in here, and one sees further thoughts from earlier works or early thoughts which spurred later works being formulated in this body of correspondence. Its also just a very interesting window into a period of history from someone eminently capable to speaking to the motivations and ideas behind the daily headlines of the times (Lewis repeatedly says that, in general, nothing the media reports can be trusted - I guess fake news isn't new). This feels like semi-devotional reading to me.
December 27, 2023
If you don't enjoy reading the letters of the past, this book probably isn't for you. But it might be. Lewis's was one of the richest souls of the 20th century, and his letters spill thise riches out randomly and frequently. You'll be reading a letter of his gratitude to some American who sent a parcel of food, then some rich quite will drop in as though an afterthought.
This is staying on my shelf. I may read all three volumes again when I'm.... er... even older.
This is staying on my shelf. I may read all three volumes again when I'm.... er... even older.
September 4, 2023
Great letters from a great mind.
July 1, 2024
Just need to find an affordable copy of volume 3 now. Anyone?
February 21, 2017
Fascinating. And thank you, Mr. Hooper.
November 17, 2015
"The Collected Letters of" generally means, or at least so I assumed, drudgery and boredom. Lewis's are instead bursting with fun and humanity: thoughts on books with friends, points of theology with strangers, multitudinous thanks for Americans who donated food to the English after the second World War (actually, this last part is by far the least interesting of anything Lewis ever wrote). But the letters between Lewis and his brother or Arthur Greeves, or Dorothy Sayers or Tolkien, or the Italian priest who started a correspondence in Latin, or even the goofiness of the mock-Middle English letters with ER Eddison make excellent reading. It reminds me of reading Boswell (not least because Lewis is continuously quoting Johnson) in that it's like being up close and personal with a great intellect and a great man in his off hours. You see all kinds of new things to like and admire.
This is a great cooling-off book as well. There's no argument to follow, no symbolism to be on the look out for--(I think I read most of when I couldn't sleep and during the commercials of football games)-- it's just an immersion into wartime Oxford, and it makes for fascinating stuff.
This is a great cooling-off book as well. There's no argument to follow, no symbolism to be on the look out for--(I think I read most of when I couldn't sleep and during the commercials of football games)-- it's just an immersion into wartime Oxford, and it makes for fascinating stuff.
January 14, 2017
I enjoy getting to listen in on some of Lewis' conversations with different people. Not only do I get some idea who Lewis was, but there's lots of little tidbits or maybe even larger tidbits of the history of the period in the letters as well. A large portion of this volume included Lewis' response to those that sent foodstuffs and other products to him from the US after WW2 ended. That period covered more time than I would have expected. Ham was a particularly wonderful item to receive. And yes, he did share his gifts generously. Apparently England was in dire straits for a long time after the close of the war. There's all sorts of points of interest throughout this volume as the reader sees Lewis in his middle years of life. Comments on manuscripts ne critiqued, encouragement to those new in the faith, explanations of points in some of his books or broadcasts, just loads of stuff.
I was surprised as i flipped the page and discovered I had finished the letters themselves. A major portion of this volume is in index type information. No, I hadn't looked ahead. That's how much I enjoyed this volume. I do intend to read the third volume in the near future.
I was surprised as i flipped the page and discovered I had finished the letters themselves. A major portion of this volume is in index type information. No, I hadn't looked ahead. That's how much I enjoyed this volume. I do intend to read the third volume in the near future.
February 6, 2014
Again, much credit and laus and doxa to Hooper and co. for their simply wonderful work. Having read most of Lewis's books, this volume didn't have as much surprise. Indeed, the pleasure of reading it is often looking up whatever Lewis thought about this or that author.
The best thing about the book that is coming through to me recently is just the realization that Lewis was a saint--a human, fallible saint--but a saint just the same. In fact, I would say Lewis is fairly important in that sense, because usually our role models (for all the Evangelical rhetoric) is that of missionaries and martyrs. Lewis provides someone domestic who faced daily struggles and pinpricks and sheer cumulative exhaustion, while managing to enjoy friendship and domestic comfort. The Letters do help us see much of what he struggled with day to day.
(By the way, I have been thinking about Biographies of Lewis's life and have always enjoyed dipping into George Sayer's Jack; the spirit of charity and the addition of personal anecdotes seems the best formula.)
The best thing about the book that is coming through to me recently is just the realization that Lewis was a saint--a human, fallible saint--but a saint just the same. In fact, I would say Lewis is fairly important in that sense, because usually our role models (for all the Evangelical rhetoric) is that of missionaries and martyrs. Lewis provides someone domestic who faced daily struggles and pinpricks and sheer cumulative exhaustion, while managing to enjoy friendship and domestic comfort. The Letters do help us see much of what he struggled with day to day.
(By the way, I have been thinking about Biographies of Lewis's life and have always enjoyed dipping into George Sayer's Jack; the spirit of charity and the addition of personal anecdotes seems the best formula.)
Want to read
July 11, 2025May 2025. Continuing the summer of Lewis. After 20 pages -- like the first volume, a tremendous work of scholarship. UPDATE: Quitting at the beginning, no time.
December 24, 2017
It took a while to get through this one; it's even longer than the last! Also, since it's a collection of letters and there's not exactly a plot to follow, it doesn't hold one's attention so easily. But I'm very happy to have read it.
C.S. Lewis is a Christian at this point in his letter-writing, so Christianity is one of the topics he discusses in various letters and that was interesting for me to read. He also wrote my name again, which is super exciting! He even skipped the accent mark this time, so it's actually my name.
It is kind of awkward when, in one letter, he talks about what he would do if he came across personal writings of an author and he says that he would burn them rather than share them with the world. Am I wrong to be reading his personal letters? I mean, his best friend and his brother contributed to this collection. Also, he's dead, so I feel like he's beyond caring...
C.S. Lewis is a Christian at this point in his letter-writing, so Christianity is one of the topics he discusses in various letters and that was interesting for me to read. He also wrote my name again, which is super exciting! He even skipped the accent mark this time, so it's actually my name.
It is kind of awkward when, in one letter, he talks about what he would do if he came across personal writings of an author and he says that he would burn them rather than share them with the world. Am I wrong to be reading his personal letters? I mean, his best friend and his brother contributed to this collection. Also, he's dead, so I feel like he's beyond caring...
March 18, 2020
I had a memory pushed to me this week on FB. I stated in a post that I was enjoying reading the 1st volume of CS Lewis’ Collected Letters. That was 10 years ago. Yesterday I finally completed Volume 2 (both volumes are over 1000 pages). I’m not in a hurry - it’s felt like several years of conversing with a friend - someone who happens to be one of the most influential Christians in my life (and the life of uncountable others). Volume 3 is next - over 1500 pages (the book weighs almost 5 lbs.)! Looking forward to another several years of conversation!
June 13, 2016
This is without a doubt one of the most enriching books I've ever read. It took me 10 years to complete (2/3rds of which was this year), but worth it, all 1132 pages of it. Hard to imagine a collection of someone's letters being so rich, but these stand in a class of their own. Only two more volumes in the series (each also comes in around 1000 pages). If I finish all three, it would be one of my proudest reading accomplishments.
November 13, 2016
This volume of C.S. Lewis' letters covers the period which begins with his conversion to Christianity and his burgeoning as a popular Christian apologist and which ends on the cusp of the world's introduction to Narnia. Lewis' warm, considerate correspondence (often to perfect strangers) hits its stride in this volume, and lifelong epistolary relationships are established. The reasons for the profound spiritual impact he had on so many are readily apparent.
July 16, 2013
Of the three volumes, this is my favorite. It includes what is surely a candidate for his funniest letter (a Johnsonian rebuke to a dear friend) and some of his wisest interaction with other scholars. Interest fades a lot toward the end, however, as routine thank-you notes take over. Five stars for the best letters.
February 15, 2017
Fantastic. Much more interesting than Volume 1, although less emotional in some ways because you don't feel him "growing up".
He is a humbling and inspiring person to get to know and his ability and desire to be bowled
over by beauty in all its forms is a valuable lesson that I am trying to learn: learning to be a
Creature and ceasing to try to be God.
He is a humbling and inspiring person to get to know and his ability and desire to be bowled
over by beauty in all its forms is a valuable lesson that I am trying to learn: learning to be a
Creature and ceasing to try to be God.
September 16, 2013
This volume had aspects I loved more than the first. One can sense a maturity in Lewis' writing and thought. However, I miss the discussion concerning books that was so prevalent in the first volume. It is sparse in this volume.
part-read-on-hold
October 3, 2009Most books are on hold until I'm through school. But these are great letters. I hope no one ever collects my emails.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews