Sheldon Vanauken: The Man Who Received "A Severe Mercy"

by Will Vaus

Book by Vaus, Will

Genres: Biography, Christianity

292 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2013

Reviews

[Jeanette Grant-Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheldon Vanauken is the author of A Severe Mercy (title is coined by C.S. Lewis in a letter to Sheldon or 'Van' as he is known). ASM (first published 1977) won about seven awards and a following almost of cultic intensity. It is a simply written book, a little dated in style now, but with a great awareness of beauty. It is the story of the love between Van and his wife, Davy, interrupted by their becoming Christians with the help of their friend C.S. Lewis, and cut short by Davy's mysterious illness and death in their thirties. During the late 1900s it was very popular with many Christian and secular readers.
As a young person, I loved this book. I now find it idealistic and at times obsessive, but still very moving.
I found Vanauken's biography more interesting in the parts dealing with ASM and his relationship with Davy, while I found the latter part a little boring at times.

Well written - but with a hint of the all-but-worship of this couple and their Lewis friendship.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Severe Mercy is a memoir everyone ought to read at least once. Yet it does not tell the whole story. Van never intended it as an autobiography, but rather an account of love, loss, and life. Will Vaus, a friend of Van’s and an author of several books on C.S. Lewis, fills in the details. He begins by sharing an account of meeting Van at his modest Virginia home, which alone is worth the price of this biography. He then gives a thorough, fascinating account of the grace-crossed lovers. We learn more about Van’s upbringing and schooling, how he and Davy met, his WWII service at Pearl Harbor, their love of sailing, and especially their deep love for each other. And then, their move to Oxford, where they met C.S. Lewis and came to faith in Christ. We learn the details of how another “most reluctant convert” was drawn to the Cross. We are taken through Davy’s illness and passing. It’s a familiar story to many, yet Vaus elaborates on it, which I found very satisfying. Vaus tells of Van’s struggles and faults, his move from the Church of England to Roman Catholicism, along with his controversial positions, especially regarding the Confederacy, inspired by his love of the “Old South.” Vaus describes Van’s teaching style, making literature, poetry and history come alive for Lynchburg College students, along with his liberal activism in the turbulent Sixties. He details the writing and reception of A Severe Mercy along with Van’s other books and articles. He explains the “nudges” that led Van to cross the Tiber and become Catholic. Since Reading A Severe Mercy and Under the Mercy I have wanted to know more about Van and Davy, especially Van’s discovery of Marion, Davy’s daughter (Van’s book about this is out-of-print). The ending brought tears to my eyes. Through this biography I was able to revisit an achingly beautiful story. It is one I hope you also will cherish.

[Jenna Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only biography/major scholarship on Vanauken, and an interesting study of his life. The first 2/3 of the book seemed to be a paraphrase of A Severe Mercy/Under the Mercy - but still enjoyable to read.

[David Mauldin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the 1980s I read, "A Severe Mercy" by Sheldon Vanauken. I was struck by the characters. Sheldon and his soul-partner/wife have an enduring relationship that the majority of us never experience. It is a story of two people who find all that they need within each others arms, lips, and minds. Not only are Sheldon and "Davy" perfect for each other, the story is set in complimentary times and places. Add to this, CS Lewis, Oxford University, and the drama of Davy's death with her return in Sheldon's dream, the book borders on the unreal. This is why Sheldon Vanauken: The Man Who Received "A Severe Mercy" by Will Vaus, is the perfect follow up book. Will Vaus's book reintroduces us to Sheldon, gives us a much broader view of the story and we discover he-Sheldon and it-the story is really real.

[Jeff Crosby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers of "A Severe Mercy" (HarperSanFrancisco Publishers) will find much to savor in this biography of its author, Sheldon Vanauken. Will Vaus uncovers a number of mysterious elements in Vanauken's story, both prior to his marriage to "Davy" and in the years after her sudden death, which was the primary story told in "A Severe Mercy." Vaus struck up a personal friendship and correspondence with Vanuaken in his latter years, and that informs the text, as does a connection to Marion, who Davy (as a unwed teenager in the 1950s) gave up for adoption and never knew. Recommended reading to all who were touched by "A Severe Mercy" and "Under the Mercy."