A Well of Wonder: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and The Inklings (Volume 1)

by Clyde S. Kilby, Loren Wilkinson (Editor), Keith Call (Editor)

Clyde S. Kilby is rare among the best expositors of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and their circle of friends in that he became personally acquainted not only with Lewis and Tolkien, but also Lewis’s brother Major Warren Lewis, Owen Barfield, Lord David Cecil, and others of the Inklings. He particularly captured the soul of C.S. Lewis in his lectures, articles and books, which guided his vision in creating and curating the prestigious Wade Collection at Wheaton College, Illinois. This delightful book makes available Dr. Kilby’s wide-ranging and inspiring take on Lewis, Tolkien and the affinities they shared with their circle, the Inklings, in their enchantment with profound thought vibrant with imaginative wonder which took them beyond “the walls of the world”. (Colin Duriez Inklings scholar, author of  The Oxford Inklings )

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Essays, Christian, Christianity

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2016

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clyde Kilby (1902-1986) is remembered fondly by students he taught literature and writing to at Wheaton College. He is known more widely still for being an early evangelical champion of C.S. Lewis,  J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings. He founded Wheaton's  Marion Wade Collection which houses manuscripts and letters from Lewis, Tolkien, Owen Barfield, Charles Williams, Dorothy Sayers, G.K. Chesterton and George Macdonald.

In A Well of Wonder(Mount Tabor Books, 2016), editors Loren Wilkinson & Keith Call draw together various essays and chapters which Kilby wrote about this collection of writers. The chapters of this book come from published articles from Kilby (in Christianity Today, Intervarsity Magazine, journals, student publications, etc), book chapters and interviews. The book opens with a Poetic tribute to Kilby from Luci Shaw. Part one of the book contains Kilby's writings on Lewis, part two Tolkien,  and part three, the Inklings and the Christian imagination. Wilkinson writes an introduction and an afterward  which showcase both the influence that Lewis et al. had on Kilby and the sense of wonder Kilby imparted to Wilkinson in his student days.

Kilby met Lewis only once in 1953, but had a deep appreciation for Lewis' imagination and his ability to communicate difficult and deep theological truths in a accessible and winsome manner.  The essays in chapter one range from in-depth examinations of Lewis's writings, to discussions of Lewis' life and character. Kilby knew the Lewis corpus well. He focuses most of his comments on Lewis's literary works (e.g. his fiction, Children's literature, and biography, Surprised by Joy) but he appreciated the clarity of Mere Christianity, Miracles and others of Lewis's apologetic writings.

Kilby met Tolkien later, in 1964 while visiting Oxford. The two men struck up a friendship and began writing each other.  Kilby would return to Oxford in the summer 1966 to attempt to help Tolkien prepare The Silmarillion for publication (though it became clear that Tolkien would never finish it).  There is a good longish essay about Kilby and Tolkien's friendship and Kilby's observations (chapter 15). Kilby takes Tolkien at his word that there is no Christian allegory undergirding his Middle Earth myths, but he does probe The Silmarillion and LOTRs for the echoes of the biblical story (as well as the Hobbit and shorter tales like Leaf by Niggle).

In the final section, there is a couple of good essays on Williams and his influence on (and differences from) Lewis and Tolkien, a good essay on Dorothy Sayers, and a couple of chapters about the formation and growth of the Wade Collection and reflections on reading and writing fiction well from a Christian perspective. I particularly appreciated Kilby's discussion of Williams.

Kilby was an incisive reader of Lewis and Tolkien (and the others). I learned a great deal from his close readings and was charmed by his remembrances of Lewis, and especially Tolkien. These reflections are more appreciative than critical. He doesn't explore the ambiguities of Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Moore as later biographies would. He also has very little to say about the cooling off of Tolkien and Lewis's friendship when Williams joined the Inklings (or later when Lewis married Joy Davidman). Kilby showed little interest in the sordid and questionable details of his heroes lives, and focused instead on glimmer of light he saw in these men and their luminous prose.

To me, the introduction and afterward are part of the fun of this book. I was a student at Regent when Wilkinson taught full time and have seen how he brings people to the well of wonder, as Kilby had done for him (and Lewis and the Inklings did for Kilby). It is the grand-daddy of Christian fantasy writing, George Macdonald, who gets the final word in Wilkinson's afterward:

The water itself, that dances and sings, and slakes the wonderful thirst—symbol and picture of that draught for which the woman of Samaria made her prayer to Jesus . . .this water is its own self, its own truth, and is therein a truth of God. Let him who would know the truth of the Maker, become sorely athirst and drink the brook by the way—then lift up his heart—not at the moment to the maker of oxygen and hydrogen, but to the Inventor and mediator of thirst and water, that man might foresee a little of what his soul may find in God. (337).

Kilby loved this group of British Christian writers because they slaked his thirst and he saw through them to the Source. I recommend this book for anyone who shares Kilby's appreciation for Lewis and Tolkien (and those who just don't get it). I give it five stars. ★★★★★

I received a copy of this book from Paraclete Books in exchange for my honest review. Mount Tabor Books is an imprint of Paraclete.

[Christine Barth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting and thought provoking but I don't usually read literary criticism so I'm not sure if it was good...if that makes any sense. just trying something new.

[Elliott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I first read the Narnia and Middle Earth series by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R, Tolkien, I have been fascinated by the lives and faith of both men. Over the years I have continued to read more of not only their own writing, but books on both Lewis and Tolkien, as well as their group The Inklings. Needless to say, I am excited every time a new book comes out in the hopes of learning more. The latest offering is Clyde S. Kilby's A Well of Wonder: Essays on C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings. Like most books on the subject, it's heavier on Lewis and Tolkien. Kilby, who was a professor at Wheaton, founded Marion E. Wade Center, which became the center for studying the Inklings, Dorothy L. Sayers, and their influences (including George MacDonald).

The book begins with a wonderful poem by Luci Shaw that's a tribute to her late professor, Clyde S. Kilby that not only encapsulates the man she knew, but those about which this book is written, and the world of imagination and faith they all brought to the world. She writes how he "swung open for all of us the wardrobe door" and caused us to ""re-explore" the worlds these men created (Middle Earth, Narnia, Utter East, Prelandra) and ends the poem with:

There in that room
we smell the past, untainted by decay or death
but fragrant, for in there
the mallorns bloom
and all the blessed air
is warm with Aslan's breath.

It's library as eternity. The wonder is Eternal Wonder. Shaw encapsulates what all of these men were doing in their own work: imagination and mythology pointing heavenward.

Kilby's A Well of Wonder is a collection of essays, discussions, talks and interviews that are broken up into three sections:

1. C.S. Lewis
2. J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Inklings

Each of the sections have small portraits of the men they are covering, but most of the essays focus on topics of theology, mythology and the shape all of these men have had on imagination. While Kilby only met Lewis once, he did strike up a friendship with Tolkien whereby the two men began writing to each other. Kilby would return to Oxford to help his friend with the publication of The Silmarillion.

One of my favorite essays in this collection is the one on Dorothy L. Sayers, best known for her mystery novels (with her sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey), but who, like Lewis and Tolkien, knew a great deal about classical and modern languages. Like Lewis, Sayers was also a Christian apologist, with her best known book being The Mind of the Maker.

Throughout the book, Clyde S. Kilby takes up the subject that Lewis, Tolkien and the Inklings held: that at the heart of all myth is symbol and truth and that all mythology is meant to point one to the reality of the Truth that is found in Christianity (the True Myth). It was the argument that Tolkien used to convert Lewis to the faith.

Like the authors he is writing about, Kilby brings a sense of wonder about his subject, which is not really the men he's writing about, but about the Source that inspired all of their writings. For those who might be intimidated by reading a collection of essays by a noted scholar, Kilgy's writing style is more conversational and easily approachable to anyone interested in the subject.

[DW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positives first, then some negatives. This book is very enjoyable for any reader of Lewis and Tolkien and others in their circle. Kilby accurately captures the spirit of their writings and lives and delightfully expands on key points in their thinking. Readers who are new to these authors will grow, and readers who are familiar with them will enjoy revisiting much loved passages.

Negatives: This book isn't that deep. Only in a a couple of chapters does Kilby rise above an intermediate level summary. This isn't actually all that much of a criticism since what is being summarized is pure gold. In the same vein, the book is also very redundant, some chapters seem like they are just shortened versions of the longer ones. At times whole paragraphs are repeated word for word. Also fine, since they are so good, and also since this is a collection of articles and transcripts published at various times. Understandable.

I suppose my harshest criticism is that there is virtually no criticism in this book. At times it borders on hagiography. Take for instance Kilby's ardent defense of Lewis's terrible metaphor of the cube to describe the Trinity (which is repeated 4 or 5 times in the book). Kilby defends Lewis by saying Jesus also readily used metaphors and images drawn from everyday life to illustrate deep spiritual truths. True enough. But the problem with Lewis's metaphor is not that it is a metaphor, but that it is a bad one (and a bad one it truly is). But even this only annoyed me a little, and having recently read "The Fellowship" by the Zaleskis it was even a little refreshing since that book errs in the opposite direction.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christians can be literalists. I think it's a disease engendered by the Enlightenment. I have nothing against the Enlightenment, but at times the rationalism it engendered has diminished the power of imagination. Fortunately, from time to time, figures have emerged who have broken the barriers and invited us to broaden our hearts and minds to embrace the fruit of our imagination. Among those who have done so is a collection of figures who came to be known as the Inklings. Best known amongst this group of writers and thinkers, most of whom were connected to Oxford University are C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Among those who engaged these figures, both in person and in terms of their writings, was Clyde S. Kilby, the now deceased Professor of English at Wheaton College. This book, "A Well of Wonder" is the first of two volumes of essays written by Kilby over the years. This particular collection focuses on Lewis, Tolkien, and others who were connected in some way with the Inklings, a literary group that met regularly in Oxford (often but not only at one of the pubs in Oxford -- the best known being the Eagle and the Child).

The book is divided into three sections. The first section deals with Lewis, the second with Tolkien, and the third with the Inklings and the Wade Collection at Wheaton College. Among those encountered in part three are Dorothy Sayers, Charles Williams, and George McDonald, with McDonald being precursor of the Inklings.

The lengthiest section is focused on the work of Lewis, including his apologetics and his fiction. As one might expect from a collection of essays, many of which had been published earlier, there is much overlap, especially when Kilby discusses the message of the works of each author. What is interesting about Lewis is that he combined a strong commitment to logic, a discipline in which he was trained early in life, with an appreciation for myth. It was the commitment to logic that led to his atheism, but also provided a means toward conversion. Readers of Lewis may be drawn to his apologetics or his fiction. Kilby was attracted to both. As for me, while I enjoyed his apologetics when I was young, it is his work of fantasy (The Chronicles of Narnia that have stayed with me. Of his one visit with Lewis, Kilby noted the humility he found in the man, along with "an incipient good humor and genuineness that makes a conversation with him a real pleasure" (p. 19).

In section two, we engage with Tolkien. I must admit that I've never gotten into Tolkien. I watched the movies with my son, but I've not read Tolkien. That said, this section is a helpful introduction to Tolkien, including the deep Christian spirituality that underlies it. Whereas Lewis converted to the Church of England, Tolkien was a staunch Roman Catholic. While he resisted the idea that his works were allegory, there is religious foundations to these books, even though he engaged his spirituality making use of mythology. While Kilby only met Lewis on one occasion, he became fast friends with Tolkien, providing support to Tolkien in his effort to bring into a publishable form the The Silmarillion, a book that was designed to provide a foundation for later stories. But the manuscript was in disarray, and wasn't completed during Tolkien's lifetime, despite Kilby's efforts. Readers of Tolkien will find Kilby's analysis of the theological dimensions helpful. Using the definition of myth developed by Mircea Eliade, he believes that Tolkien's work expemplified the yearning for the Golden Age that is true reality, but has since disappeared. He writes that "Mythic man is concerned with being rather than with mere living" (p. 155-156).

Part three of the book is the briefest section, but it is an important one. In this section titled "The Inklings as Shapers of a New Christian Imagination," we read essays that describe the work of Charles Williams, an older contemporary of Lewis and Tolkien, who became a key figure in the group. His own writings, though less known, were greatly influential on the two giants. He also engages with Dorothy Sayer, a writer of detective novels and theology. There is a chapter on the emerging friendship of Tolkien, Lewis, and Williams, from this friendship came the Inklings, a rather informal group rooted in the relationships of the three men.

In the final chapter we're offered an interview with Kilby published in the Christian literary journal Arkenstone titled "Myth: The Nostalgia for Eternity." In this interview he notes that according to Eliade, myth was "a nostalgia for eternity." He notes that the word myth is used in three ways. In our modern age, it denotes a big lie. Secondly, it is used to describe ancient stories -- Greek, Roman, and Norse myths (all of which are part of the background for Lewis, Tolkien, and others in their circle). The third meaning of the word, is "one that is so deep and endless that you can't even fathom it" (p. 329). At the heart of myth is symbol.

I've not read Kilby before. I've encountered the name, but not the man's writings till now. This volume was sent to my by Paraclete to review, and I'm doing so. Even though I'm not an officianado of these writers (mostly having read Lewis), what I gain from reading it is not only the descriptions of these important British authors of the twentieth century, but a sense of Kilby's evangelicalism. It's a much more thoughtful and broad version that we often encounter today. This is the evangelicalism I often met during my years at Fuller. Kilby influenced evangelical scholars and writers including Mark Noll and Luci Shaw. I appreciate the note in the afterword by Loren Wilkenson, himself a student of Kilby's, that Kilby shared with the authors he invoked a sense of creation being a "source of wonder" (p. 336). Kilby was indeed a Christian scholar, an evangelical in his convictions, but his vision was influenced by a breadth of writers who understood the importance of metaphor and myth to convey deep spiritual insight. It's unfortunate that this vision is often absent, but here is a voice crying out for a broader vision of the Christian mind.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We have allies in these writers. They are our friends and we ought to claim them."

The essays in the Tolkien section were worth the price of the book, I though, along with the essay "The Forming of a New Friendship." They (and others in the later two sections) were deeply interesting and had some penetrating insight, and, I thought, also revealed more of Kilby himself as the titular "well of wonder."

The Lewis essays in the first section were cursory and very repetitive book reviews, although a couple of them do offer up fresh personal insights as well. The essay on Lewis and holiness stood out to me.

Now for a pilgrimage to the Marion E. Wade center!

[Lillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was worthwhile to become familiar with the work Clyde Kilby did to promote C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and their colleagues to an American audience (particularly to Evangelical Christians). Kilby's essays skillfully conveyed Lewis and Tolkien's genius and reminded readers of the function of myth in our world. I had hoped to gain more insight into the authors' relationships with each other and their influences.

[Brian Nebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Well is deep.

A wonderful group of essays that mainly focus on Tolkien and Lewis, but also provides some introduction to Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, George MacDonald and Dorothy Sayers. Of special interest are Kilby's recollections of the summer spent with Tolkien assisting the Professor on the unrealized publication of The Silmarillion. A must for any fan of these authors.

[Catherine L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good insights, but very repetitive.

[El]

Still want to read this, but I have not received the copy I won through Goodreads giveaway. I'm sure it's a lovely book. One day I hope to read it.