ESSENTIAL C. S. LEWIS (C.S. Lewis Classics)

Rating:
Summary: A great overview
Review: A few months ago I was browsing the CS Lewis books at Barnes and Nobles. A woman approached me, said her brother wanted to know more about CS Lewis, and asked which book she should get. I recommended Mere Christianity, but the Essential C.S. Lewis was not available. This book, with its wide range of works including two complete novels, a selection of essays, and others is certainly the choice. C.S. Lewis is for the thinking Christian and you find yourself, especially with his essays, looking for a piece of paper to write down the ideas.

The binding of this book and the paper make it very attractive. The size and type of font are easy on the eyes. The price of this book makes it a bargain.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Anthology
Review: This volume is a good selection of Lewis's complete works, even tho it is not quite the book I would have made. However, it does lay a fair claim to presenting the essential CSL both in terms of what he was best known for and what his devoted readers would agree is most important. Included are two of his indispensable essays, Abolition of Man and De Descriptione Temporum. Two novels are included, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe; and Perelandra. Poetry, writings on literature, autobiography, letters and apologetics are all represented. The only glaring omission in my opinion is his introduction to George MacDonald: An Anthology, but it could be argued that that essay was about someone else and did not really belong here. And my only real complaint about the book is that it is printed on what appears to be rather cheap paper: books like this one are meant to be kept for a long time.

Rating:
Summary: very good introduction to CS Lewis
Review: This volume is a good selection of Lewis's complete works. This book gives an excellent, balanced introduction to the ideas found in C.S. Lewis' works. It includes some complete works of differing genres, and many selections from an even wider range of his works including letters and essays. Many of the most quoted passages from a large number of works are included.