Light: C.S. Lewis's First and Final Short Story

by Charlie W. Starr

That an unknown manuscript by C. S. Lewis should suddenly appear two decades after his death is remarkable. That it turns out to be a version of a previously published Lewis short story which some have accused of being a forgery, makes it a mystery. C. S. Lewis's "Light" manuscript appeared out of nowhere in 1985 after a different version of the story was published in 1977. Could "Light" be the final version of that story, the missing polished text which should have been published all along? And does it disprove or inflame the accusations of forgery? Charlie W. Starr explores the questions and reveals the truth that what Lewis scholars have previously believed about the story's origins is largely inaccurate, and that the insights into Lewis's thinking which "Light" reveals provide a new key to understanding some of Lewis's most profound ideas. "As literary journalism, both investigative and critical, it is top shelf." James Como, author of Remembering C. S. Lewis "Starr's book explores a vitally important theme in Lewis's work - light." Will Vaus, author of Speaking of A C. S. Lewis Discussion Guide "Starr has done us all a great service ... I can't recommend this book highly enough." Adam Barkman, author of C. S. Lewis and Philosophy as a Way of Life "Starr shines a new and illuminating light on one of Lewis's most intriguing stories." Michael Ward, author of Planet The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis Charlie W. Starr is professor of English and Humanities at Kentucky Christian University.

Genres: Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published May 17, 2012

Reviews

[J. Wootton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part literary criticism, part original manuscript study, Starr's exemplary work sheds thorough illumination on what may have been Lewis' first-composed, then last-revised, short story - "Light," better known to readers of Walter Hooper's collection The Dark Tower and Other Stories as "The Man Born Blind."

For those who enjoy this story and are intrigued by its possible meanings, or who are simply interested in tracing the philosophic evolution of one of the twentieth century's most brilliant authors and scholars within the crucible of a single short-fiction piece's intermittent development, Light is a book not to be overlooked. Starr's analysis is exhaustive, ranging from handwriting and ink analysis on original manuscripts to connections of thoughts and phrases at various possible stages of composition with Lewis' other, contemporaneously published writing.

Starr's style is lucid and accessible. He takes the trouble to explain relevant outside material and doesn't expect the reader to be familiar with such difficult and complex arguments as (for example) the "Great War" between Lewis and Owen Barfield. For all that, Light is short, ~150 pages, profitable reading for budding Lewis scholars and experienced critics alike.

My only complaint concerns Light's formatting: numerous comments and asides are relegated to footnotes that ought to be incorporated into the primary flow of the text. When Starr releases the next edition I hope that makes the list of revisions; it would strengthen the book overall. But that is a minor point.

[Brennen Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read for anyone who has an interest in literary investigation. While I can’t deny the intense and researched methods used to verify and complete the story of “Light” by C.S Lewis, it was also not the reason I bought the book (which is my fault, not the authors). I just simply wanted to own the short story, and made do with the added investigation into the deeper story of the writing. Still fascinating, and will be very satisfying for anyone looking for it. But my main desire was to read the story itself, and for that I was rewarded with a truly beautiful and dee story by C.S Lewis.

[Timothy Morrison]

⚡Then where is the light itself? You see, you won't say. Nobody will say. You tell me the light is here and the light is there, and this is in the light and that is in the light and yesterday you told me that I was in your light, and now you say that light is a bit of yellow wire in a glass bulb hanging from teh ceiling. Call that light? Is that what Milton was talking about? What are you crying about? If you don't know what light is, why can't you say so? If the operation has been a failure and I can't see properly after all, tell me. If there's no such thing -- if it was all a fairy tale from the beginning -- tell me. But for God's sake

[Stan Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sheds great light on Light. Light is a short story by CS Lewis. There is a lot we have not known about the story. The manuscript appeared two decades after Lewis's death but it was much like a story published earlier and there is evidence Lewis had worked on it decades earlier.
Starr takes all of this on as a mystery and does a marvelous job of detecting. Also in the book is a presentation of parallel manuscripts. I don't think anyone could have done a better job of digging into this interesting Lewis story.

[Rob O'Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you take seriously the study of C.S. Lewis, his literary work and his impact of human thought, then you need to seriously consider adding this volume from my friend Charlie Starr, a serious C.S. Lewis scholar. His quest is to analyze and interpret "Light," Lewis' final short story. In doing so, however, Starr takes the reader on a sweeping analysis of the concept of "light" (reason, truth and imagination) in Lewis' larger corpus (most notably the Narnia tales, The Great Divorce, Mere Christianity, Letters to Malcolm and the sermonic essay "Transposition"). In all, it is both an excellent analysis and interpretation of this perplexing essay while also serving as a solid introduction to Lewis' literary and theological legacy.

In terms of critique, I offer only this: Starr is better at hermeneutics than history. What I mean by that is that his sections where he interpreted and analyzes Lewis' works are strong and riveting. His section where he narrates the process he went through to put this together is a little clunky and does not flow as well as the rest of the volume does. All writers have their strengths, and Starr's is definitely in shedding "light" on Lewis' thoughts and intentions, which makes this volume well worth the price of purchase.