C.S. Lewis and The Reading Life

ByD'Ann Mateer
9 Comments

I am a big C.S. Lewis fan. It started with the Narnia books in my childhood. Later in life I found books such as Till We Have Faces and The Screwtape Letters. Then I discovered his truly non-fiction works. This is the not to say I understand all his writing. I don’t. But I try. For me, my pleasure in his work often comes down to the connections he makes between spiritual truth and literature. That I can usually get, although my reading list if no where near on par with his!

With that background, you will now understand why I have enjoyed a leisurely read through The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes. This book, published last year, compiles some of C.S. Lewis’s thoughts on reading from his books and his letters. So I thought I would share with you a few of the quotes I most enjoyed.

I think my reading life most identified with the final quote. That is exactly how I feel when I don’t get unadulterated reading time–impoverished! In fact, my husband and I have a couple of get-aways planned this month and what are we most looking forward to? Uninterrupted reading time–and talking to each other about what we’ve read!

Is there one of these quotes that most resonates with you and your reading life?

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Inspired by novelist Eugenia Price, D’Ann’s dream of writing historical fiction with an element of faith began in middle school, though her serious drive toward publication took a bit longer. D’Ann is the author of four historical novels and one novella, as well as a contemporary short stories in a compilation volume. D’Ann and her husband of 30 years can be found in Austin, TX when they aren’t touring historic sites or visiting their grown children.

9 Comments

  1. I like the last quote too. It just seems quite right – quite fitting at least for me. I often hope for reading for a few hours without stopping.

  2. “No reader trots along in obedience to a timetable.” As the author of dozens of children’s books, I absolutely love this quote! I know there are subject/content areas that must be considered, but many of my sales come from adults who love reading children’s books for entertainment, education, and pure pleasure! Thanks for sharing these great insights from Lewis.

  3. Thoroughly agree. I will be sharing your article with my fellow bibliophiles who are also C. S. Lewis fans.

  4. The first one about discussing books. I always share my books with a friend so we can discuss them!

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