Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship Book

I must say this has been one of my favorite recent reads. And I picked it up for a dollar in the book sale room of my local library! Other reviewers can cite the organizational concept of the book. I'm just going to tell you what I loved about it.

I loved that it gave me a living, breathing view into the relationship that existed between these two literary giants.

I loved that it didn't sugarcoat either their personalities or their stories.

I loved that it explained to me in a way I could understand the important distinctions between creating myth and simply using allegory to tell a story.

I loved that by the time I got to the part when Lewis died, I was so immersed in the story that I cried. And I knew this story, their story, the story of their friendship, prior to reading this book, but this book made them somehow more "touchable."

My favorite *picture* of Tolkien from the book was the picture the author painted of a scholarly Tolkien on his way to classes on his bicycle complete in collar and gown, as was the custom for all who taught at Oxford in the 30's.

And my favorite picture of Lewis (if I MUST confine myself to one favorite) is that of the portly, jolly, joy-loving, philosopher-smoker, half-a-pint guy, sitting with friends, extending hospitality, enjoying life and love and the people he called "friend."

May we be ever so blessed!

Thank you, Colin Duriez, for a delightful foray into the Oxford of The Inklings. I suppose I must, for duty calls, return to 2012. But only long enough to catch my breath before dipping into yet another story from the world of faerie....