Book Review: From the Library of C.S. Lewis by James Stuart Bell

C. S. Lewis is one of the greatest and most popular Christian thinkers and writers of the 20th century.  He is best known for The Chronicles of Narnia series, but he also wrote such great works as The Screwtape Letters and Mere Christianity.

James Stuart Bell along with Anthony P. Dawson put together a collection of work from the library of C.S. Lewis.  These are the writers, the thinkers, the people, the works that inspire Lewis.  Bell writes in the introduction, "Yet, except for the scholars doing the research, most of us are probably not familiar with these sources of inspiration."

I'm sure many of you all have heard of people like Martin Luther and maybe G.K. Chesterton (maybe not).  But, have you actually read their work?  Before opening this book I had not.  I was not familiar with the works that inspired a great thinker like Lewis.  Bell's compilation includes short essays, poems, and other pieces from such writers as Martin Luther, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, Saint Augustine, Andrew Murray, Samuel Johnson, and Lewis's close friend J.R.R. Tolkien.

It's a good compilation.  It's good to read what inspired Lewis.  It felt a little dry.  Some of the writing is from early decades.  It's scholarly work and scholarly work I have to admit is not always fun work.  It was interesting to read.  I don't know how much I will read it again, though.

I read this book for pure pleasure and won it in a WaterBroook Multnomah giveaway.  All opinions are my own.  I was not compensated for this review in any way.