C. S. Lewis's List: The Ten Books That Influenced Him Most

by David Werther (Editor), Holly Ordway (Contributor)

In 1962, The Christian Century published C. S. Lewis's answer to the question, “What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?” Lewis responded with ten titles, ranging from Virgil's Aeneid to James Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson and from George Herbert's The Temple to Boethius's The Consolation of Philosophy.

C. S. Lewis's List brings together experts on each of the ten books to discuss their significance for Lewis's life and work, illuminating his own writing through those he most admired.

Genres: Christian, Biography, Nonfiction, Essays

248 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2015

Reviews

[Jeremy]

The List:
George MacDonald's Phantastes (by David L. Neuhouser)
G.K. Chesterton's The Everlasting Man (by Donald T. Williams)
Virgil's The Aeneid (by Louis Markos)
George Herbert's The Temple (by Don W. King)
William Wordsworth's The Prelude (by Mary Ritter)
Rudolf Otto's The Idea of the Holy (by Adam Barkman)
Boethius's The Consolation of Philosophy (by Chris Armstrong)
James Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson (by Paul Tankard)
Charles Williams's Descent into Hell (by Holly Ordway)
Arthur James Balfour's Theism and Humanism (by Charles Taliaferro)

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

First 5-star book of the year. I guess that didn’t take long. It’s at least a solid 4.5 stars, but 5 if you’re a big CSL fan like I am.

In 1962 The Christian Century asked CS Lewis to list the ten books that most shaped his vocational attitude and philosophy of life. He diligently responded with the following list. Many will come as no surprise to CSL fans, while others seem more puzzling. This book examines each of his choices and attempts to explain how they may have influenced his thinking. Each chapter was written by an expert on the work in question, and all are knowledgeable scholars on Lewis as well. Every chapter here is worthwhile.

Here is the table of contents:

1. George MacDonald, Phantastes
- David L. Neuhouser

2. G. K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man
- Donald T. Williams

3. Virgil, The Aeneid
- Louis Markos

4. George Herbert, The Temple
- Don W. King

5. William Wordsworth, The Prelude
- Mary Ritter

6. Rudolf Otto, The Idea of the Holy
- Adam Barkman

7. Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy
- Chris Armstrong

8. James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson
- Paul Tankard

9. Charles Williams, Descent into Hell
- Holly Ordway

10. Arthur James Balfour, Theism and Humanism 
- Charles Taliaferro

I have only read half of the books on this list, but I now feel inspired to dig into the rest, especially Otto, Boswell, and Balfour.


Not that this is necessarily one of the highlights of the book, but I’m just going to save this story about CSL’s prodigious memory here so I don’t forget. Apparently, Samuel Johnson had a similarly remarkable gift:

‘Some years ago I collected similar tales about C. S. Lewis, drawn from over a dozen writers who observed him at first hand, one of which I shall limit myself to retelling here. This story was related by Canadian professor John Leyerle, at the time a student of Lewis's, who dated the occasion to November 1954:

Lewis was asked about his current writing and grumbled a bit about having found that he was concluding many of his paragraphs with iambic pentameter.

Seated near him was an American Rhodes scholar, Richard Selig, a poet of energetic mind and considerable spirit. He responded in [a] pressing manner to the remark.

Selig asked, "If you will end your paragraphs in iambic pentameter, why do you grumble about it, sir?"

Lewis replied, "As usual, Selig, you missed the point. The difficulty is that I remember everything I've ever read and bits pop up uninvited."

"Surely not everything you've ever read, Mr. Lewis?"

"Yes everything, Selig, even the most boring texts."

Selig got to his feet and went to the College library, which was open late in term, and took out a volume of the long and little-read poem. He returned and opened the volume. He read a few lines.

"Stop!" said Lewis who lifted his eyes toward the ceiling and recited the poem in his rich and modulated public voice. He stopped after ten lines or so and looked at Selig, now very silent. Conversation was slow to resume at that end of the table.

’

[According the footnote the book was the fifteenth-century poem in Middle English, “The Fall of Princes,” by John Lydgate and that Lewis had said he had last looked at it 40 years earlier]

[Blaine Welgraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1962, the editors of Chicago-based publication The Christian Century approached 108 theologians, authors, editors, and cultural figures with a question:

“What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?"

The recipient list was as impressive as it was diverse, with invitees including Karl Barth, the Niebuhr brothers, Norman Mailer, John Updike, Charles Schultz, Robert Oppenheimer, Martin Luther King Jr., and Federico Fellini.

Among these names was that of Christian apologist C.S. Lewis, who obligingly returned a list of exactly 10 authors and their associated work. Some of the names and works were expected (George MacDonald, Phantastes). Others were more of a surprise--at least to the general public (James Boswell, The Life of Samuel Johnson). However, as one editor dryly noted, "Lewis didn't offer any rationale for his choices," and little more than a year later Lewis had left these shadowlands, passing away the same day as President Kennedy and Aldous Huxley. His list remained just that--a list--waiting for more elucidation.

Five decades later, at a C.S. Lewis conference in Madison, Wisconsin, the idea was conceived for a work examining "Lewis's List," an idea that ultimately birthed this concise-yet-rigorous treatise. Edited by David Werther, Lewis's List is not for the faint of heart; despite its modest length of (approximately) 200 pages, the work is written in an in-depth, academic style, with not-a-few pages more footnotes than text. Still, that cautionary note aside, I cannot emphasize how profoundly helpful this little work was for me in better understanding the (varied) sources of Lewis's intellectual and spiritual inspiration, and I'll humbly offer two endorsements as summary:

1. Every person chosen to write on one of Lewis’s "10" is not only a Lewis scholar--they’re also an expert in the title and author they’ve been requested to review (e.g., David Newhouser, who reviews George MacDonald's Phantastes, has written multiple books examining MacDonald's life and works). The insights gained from this marriage--not to mention the suggested reading material--are rich indeed.

2. While certainly academic in tonality, the authors behind List provide clear, usually unpretentious essays that allow the layperson ready access to the ancient, medieval, and (for many) unfamiliar sources behind Lewis's insights. Haven't had your Virgil fix lately? That's okay--the author will introduce him gradually. Somewhat unfamiliar with 17th century English poetry? Again, it's all right--you'll understand Herbert without too much trouble. The editor of List, quoting from Lewis's "An Experiment in Criticism," notes: "The first demand any work of art makes upon us is surrender...Get yourself out of the way." I'm thankful to say that Lewis's message was embraced by each of these authors, making Lewis's List a truly enriching, educational experience--one I intend to revisit soon.

[Johns · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential IF you wish to conduct a study of Professor Lewis deeper than "just" reading his works.

The most compelling chapters for me were the several authors' informative explanations of books by Rudolf Otto, Boethius and James Boswell. (I'm currently re-reading chapter 6 about Otto's fine work.)

The book will help you obtain a much fuller appreciation of C. S. Lewis once you know what books were important to him.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

useful reference

Helpful to understand where Lewis owes some of his thinking, and how he saw value in some of these works. Written by different authors, some chapters are more useful than others. The one on the Aeneid I found most interesting - highlighting Lewis’s ideas of pagan spirituality as holding important if early seeds of Truth.

[Justin Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading it was a great literary experience. My favorite two particular chapters were the one's about Rudoph Otto's The Idea of the Holy and George MacDonald's Phantastes.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This set of 10 essays , one for each of Lewis's own top ten books, are thoughtfully written. Each relates Lewis's own work to the book under review.