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C. S. Lewis Biographical Trilogy #3
The Completion of C. S. Lewis: From War to Joy (1945–1963)
Loss and Love in the Final Years of C. S. Lewis's Life
The Completion of C. S. Lewis: From War to Joy is the final volume in a trilogy on C. S. Lewis's life. In this third book, scholar Harry Lee Poe examines the years during World War II until Lewis's death in 1963.
This period of his life was wrought with disappointments and tragedy, including the deaths of close friends and family, the decline of his health, and professional failings. Despite these disappointments, this time was also marked by deep and meaningful relationships with those around him, including his friendship with and marriage to Joy Davidman Gresham. Lewis used these trials and joys to write some of his bestselling books, such as The Chronicles of Narnia; Till We Have Faces; and Surprised by Joy.
Final Book in a Trilogy: Trilogy also includes Becoming C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Young Jack Lewis (1898-1918) and The Making of C. S. Lewis: From Atheist to Apologist (1918-1945) Examines Lewis's Adult Life from 1945 to 1963: This period of his life greatly influenced some of his most famous books Appeals to Fans and Scholars of Lewis: Filled with details about the ins and outs of Lewis's life
The Completion of C. S. Lewis: From War to Joy is the final volume in a trilogy on C. S. Lewis's life. In this third book, scholar Harry Lee Poe examines the years during World War II until Lewis's death in 1963.
This period of his life was wrought with disappointments and tragedy, including the deaths of close friends and family, the decline of his health, and professional failings. Despite these disappointments, this time was also marked by deep and meaningful relationships with those around him, including his friendship with and marriage to Joy Davidman Gresham. Lewis used these trials and joys to write some of his bestselling books, such as The Chronicles of Narnia; Till We Have Faces; and Surprised by Joy.
Final Book in a Trilogy: Trilogy also includes Becoming C. S. Lewis: A Biography of Young Jack Lewis (1898-1918) and The Making of C. S. Lewis: From Atheist to Apologist (1918-1945) Examines Lewis's Adult Life from 1945 to 1963: This period of his life greatly influenced some of his most famous books Appeals to Fans and Scholars of Lewis: Filled with details about the ins and outs of Lewis's life
416 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2022
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219 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 3, 2025
Finished the biographical trilogy this morning. This trio of books is significantly under appreciated. After finishing all three volumes, I am convinced this is a monumental accomplishment. The light Poe sheds on Lewis' life is astonishing. There are a few decisions Poe made throughout the three volumes that I was not a fan of but those are the vast, vast minority. Overall, this is such an impressive project and publication. Poe and Crossway deserve major congratulations.
February 3, 2024
The Completion of C.S. Lewis: From War to Joy (1945-1963) ends the biographical trilogy of C.S. Lewis by Harry Lee Poe. The evolution of Lewis's worldview is the main focus of the work, and the third volume shows how gradually Lewis changed his perspective on Christian literature, Americans (even marrying one), grief, prayers, etc. While most modern readers remember him as the author of the books on Narnia, in his time, he was known as a lay theologian who saw his mission in explaining the problematic Christian concepts in simple language for believers. He also wrote poems, participated in several literary circles, and taught at Cambridge and Oxford universities.
Harry Lee Poe presents C.S. Lewis as a breathing, complicated individual with constantly evolving ideas. While paying tribute to C.S. Lewis's talent, the author doesn't stoop to the meaningless adoration. There are pages in the book devoted to the ham shortages in the UK or the problem of treating an enlarged prostate. This forensic detail to attention brings to life not just Lewis but the whole first half of the 20th century, with its two world wars and rich literary traditions. The book can also guide further reading since it contains many names of other poets and writers connected with C.S. Lewis.
I received a free copy through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Harry Lee Poe presents C.S. Lewis as a breathing, complicated individual with constantly evolving ideas. While paying tribute to C.S. Lewis's talent, the author doesn't stoop to the meaningless adoration. There are pages in the book devoted to the ham shortages in the UK or the problem of treating an enlarged prostate. This forensic detail to attention brings to life not just Lewis but the whole first half of the 20th century, with its two world wars and rich literary traditions. The book can also guide further reading since it contains many names of other poets and writers connected with C.S. Lewis.
I received a free copy through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 2, 2025
I started this three-volume biography reluctantly, but I’m so glad I did! My appreciation for Lewis has certainly been reawakened. Looking this closely at his life has also created a genuine sense of awe at the power of God to transform his people. The young Lewis was honestly very distasteful to read about, but I do think that Poe’s completely honest portrayal of young Jack Lewis allowed me to think about his conversion and life as a believer continually undergoing sanctification in a completely new way. Lewis worked tirelessly, patiently loved difficult people (for many, many, many years), remained humble despite his accomplishments, stayed cheerful despite a life sprinkled with his share of difficulties, and he seemed to just unabashedly enjoy the good things of life (long walks, nature, friendships, food and drinks—to name a few). What a life well-lived!
Though I didn’t at first like Poe’s writing style, I think it grew on me. He can be a bit repetitive, and it felt at times that his criticisms of other biographers of Lewis were harsh. His biography, however, was incredibly well-researched and well-organized, and it’s reignited my desire to read and study Lewis. I’ve decided to make this summer my Lewis deep-dive. So thank you, Mr. Harry Lee Poe (I think I can forgive your Sandra Bullock analogy and constant references to Harry Potter in the first book).
Though I didn’t at first like Poe’s writing style, I think it grew on me. He can be a bit repetitive, and it felt at times that his criticisms of other biographers of Lewis were harsh. His biography, however, was incredibly well-researched and well-organized, and it’s reignited my desire to read and study Lewis. I’ve decided to make this summer my Lewis deep-dive. So thank you, Mr. Harry Lee Poe (I think I can forgive your Sandra Bullock analogy and constant references to Harry Potter in the first book).
May 22, 2025
Amazing. Fantastic biography.
March 23, 2023
The third book in this biography is an outstanding telling of how Lewis finished the race set before him. The way Lewis submitted to God’s providence, primarily his weakening body is telling of how much God had done in him. The last two lines of the book tell it all:
“Some will say that it was a tragedy for Lewis to have died so young. I think it remarkable that he became complete so young.”
“Some will say that it was a tragedy for Lewis to have died so young. I think it remarkable that he became complete so young.”
September 30, 2022
I received a free copy of, The Completion of C. S. Lewis, by Harry Lee Poe. from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have enjoyed reading book by C. S. Lewis, his books are so deep and leave you thinking and wanting more. I enjoyed this book, I learned plenty of new things about C. S. Lewis.
June 6, 2025
I don't think there is any other way to put it...this 3 volume biography is a monumental achievement in C.S. Lewis scholarship. It would be hard to overstate the challenge that Lewis presents to a biographer given the intimate and also incredibly enigmatic nature of so many of his formative relationships, breadth and volume of his publications, engrossing personal history, and the fame (and fable) that has grown up around him. Through all of this the question "who was the man?" can be incredibly difficult to answer in a responsible way. Added to this challenge are the numerous biographies of Lewis that have been written whose characterizations and conclusions have been hotly disputed by those who knew Lewis best.
I have long loved the works of C.S. Lewis, but after reading Harry Lee Poe's excellent and provoking biography, I've realized that Lewis the man was largely unknown to me. To borrow one of his own phrases, Jack was "no tame" figure in the sense that many of the various groups would like to claim him as their own. You have to wrestle with the man in his various complexities and at times perplexing relationships, and marvel at the gift of his prodigious intellect and facility with writing. I remain incredibly grateful for the work of Jack Lewis, and therefore, for this masterful biography.
I have long loved the works of C.S. Lewis, but after reading Harry Lee Poe's excellent and provoking biography, I've realized that Lewis the man was largely unknown to me. To borrow one of his own phrases, Jack was "no tame" figure in the sense that many of the various groups would like to claim him as their own. You have to wrestle with the man in his various complexities and at times perplexing relationships, and marvel at the gift of his prodigious intellect and facility with writing. I remain incredibly grateful for the work of Jack Lewis, and therefore, for this masterful biography.
March 17, 2024
Volume 3 of C.S. Lewis’s three part biography. I loved this whole series. I was shocked how enjoyable and well written a bio this lengthy could be. Mostly, it made me marvel at God’s kindness in the life of Lewis and made me more deeply appreciate Lewis’s genius, remarkable story, and many magnificent writings.
September 19, 2022
This three-part biography concludes with a look at the last two decades of C. S. Lewis' life. We get his marriage, her illness, and then his, not to mention his move to Cambridge and the publication of many of his most famous works (Narnia, The Four Loves, Mere Christianity, etc.). At times the narrative seemed very rushed, such as in the discussion of Lewis' finances or some of the differences between Lewis' time at Oxford and at Cambridge. But Poe's pursuit of the truth at the bottom of the "Joy question" (was she a gold digger or the genuine article?) was excellent. All in all a worthwhile read, and I'm glad I tackled all three volumes.
November 14, 2025
Having reviewed the first two volumes of this trilogy, I won't repeat too much here.
Once again, we have a biography that beats all others in terms of sheer volume, which uses a wide range of sources, and therefore will have a place on the shelf of everyone seriously interested in Lewis.
But... it's just disappointing. Not only does Poe's inability to really understand Lewis or to make plausible judgements continue, but he doubles down. For instance, an earlier volume reiterated, and relied heavily on, the old chestnut about Tolkien not reading modern books. This volume came out after Holly Ordway's work, which thoroughly debunked that. Yet Poe doubles down, somehow rationalising away his earlier error, implying that she's debunked the work of others. He doesn't have the grace to admit his own error.
The biggest issue in the book is the treatment of Ward's very significant work demonstrating the link between Medieval cosmology and the Narnia series, Planet Narnia. Though surprising, Ward's work is meticulous, careful, finely argued, and engages with all the obvious criticisms. Poe just gives a straw-man version, asserts it is wrong without any discernible engagement with the argument, and then trots out a bunch of simplistic critiques. He doesn't acknowledge that Ward has actually responded to all of critiques he raises. And Ward's thesis really is important - it does tell us a lot about Lewis, his personality, his way of working, and so on.
It is this refusal to actually engage with serious scholars of Lewis that disappoints throughout. It feels as if Poe thinks he knows Lewis so well he need not engage with the views of others.
There are plenty other more errors, big and small, which undermines his credibility. On the small but telling side, he asserts that Lewis' decision to use Coverdale's Psalms translation in Reflections on the Psalms is an an idiosyncratic choice to depart from the KJV version which had been the 'standard' for 300 years. Apparently he is not aware that Coverdale is the standard in CofE churches that use the book of Common Prayer, and therefore the version used every day in a college chapel or on Sundays in the parish church.
In a similar way, in summarising Anselm's view of the atonement, he gives an offhand caricature about Jesus as a king's champion fighting for his king; he really doesn't engage with the reality of what Anslem says.
On the more serious side, he tells us that Joy clearly didn't marry Lewis for money, because she was doing jobs at the time and therefore had money - seemingly unaware of the difficulty of getting actual proper paying employment as an immigrant and single mother (was it even legally possible at the time? it isn't now!), as opposed to the fragmentary bits of piecework she did get. This is a big thing! The motive for the marriage is one of the big questions about Lewis' later years.
I will resist the temptation to catalogue more errors. It's disappointing that Crossway (a marvellous publisher!) didn't edit this more thoroughly. Once again, this is probably necessary for everyone studying Lewis seriously... but it really isn't the definitive biography that it should be. It has the spadework, the thorough use of sources, but not the credible judgement and solid argument that's really needed.
Once again, we have a biography that beats all others in terms of sheer volume, which uses a wide range of sources, and therefore will have a place on the shelf of everyone seriously interested in Lewis.
But... it's just disappointing. Not only does Poe's inability to really understand Lewis or to make plausible judgements continue, but he doubles down. For instance, an earlier volume reiterated, and relied heavily on, the old chestnut about Tolkien not reading modern books. This volume came out after Holly Ordway's work, which thoroughly debunked that. Yet Poe doubles down, somehow rationalising away his earlier error, implying that she's debunked the work of others. He doesn't have the grace to admit his own error.
The biggest issue in the book is the treatment of Ward's very significant work demonstrating the link between Medieval cosmology and the Narnia series, Planet Narnia. Though surprising, Ward's work is meticulous, careful, finely argued, and engages with all the obvious criticisms. Poe just gives a straw-man version, asserts it is wrong without any discernible engagement with the argument, and then trots out a bunch of simplistic critiques. He doesn't acknowledge that Ward has actually responded to all of critiques he raises. And Ward's thesis really is important - it does tell us a lot about Lewis, his personality, his way of working, and so on.
It is this refusal to actually engage with serious scholars of Lewis that disappoints throughout. It feels as if Poe thinks he knows Lewis so well he need not engage with the views of others.
There are plenty other more errors, big and small, which undermines his credibility. On the small but telling side, he asserts that Lewis' decision to use Coverdale's Psalms translation in Reflections on the Psalms is an an idiosyncratic choice to depart from the KJV version which had been the 'standard' for 300 years. Apparently he is not aware that Coverdale is the standard in CofE churches that use the book of Common Prayer, and therefore the version used every day in a college chapel or on Sundays in the parish church.
In a similar way, in summarising Anselm's view of the atonement, he gives an offhand caricature about Jesus as a king's champion fighting for his king; he really doesn't engage with the reality of what Anslem says.
On the more serious side, he tells us that Joy clearly didn't marry Lewis for money, because she was doing jobs at the time and therefore had money - seemingly unaware of the difficulty of getting actual proper paying employment as an immigrant and single mother (was it even legally possible at the time? it isn't now!), as opposed to the fragmentary bits of piecework she did get. This is a big thing! The motive for the marriage is one of the big questions about Lewis' later years.
I will resist the temptation to catalogue more errors. It's disappointing that Crossway (a marvellous publisher!) didn't edit this more thoroughly. Once again, this is probably necessary for everyone studying Lewis seriously... but it really isn't the definitive biography that it should be. It has the spadework, the thorough use of sources, but not the credible judgement and solid argument that's really needed.
December 11, 2022
This is the third book in the biographical trilogy. It covers the years 1945 to his death in 1963. The other two books cover 1898 to 1918 and 1919 to 1945. The author, Harry Lee Poe, is an authority on the life and times of C. S. Lewis. Poe has spent years researching, writing and teaching/lecturing about him. There are stories included in this series that have not been published anywhere else. It is conversational in some respects and felt at times like I was reading a personal diary. The books are very detailed. It is rare to find a biography this intriguing and engaging. I loved the flow of the stories moving from one right into the next. I did not find that it dragged at all. Lewis life is utterly fascinating and his conversion to Christianity inspires me deeply. Lewis met and knew the most intriguing people and spent time with other amazing writers throughout his life. I love the idea of a thinkerly group like the Inklings. I might have to find Poe’s book on this group, too. I loved my time with this third book and hope to read the other two soon.
January 20, 2023
Perhaps the most riveting of the three volumes comprising this biography, and that’s quite an accomplishment. This was a period of frequent, significant losses for Lewis, and I honestly felt like I was experiencing them firsthand right alongside him…and the really wonderful thing about that is that I felt myself encouraged and inspired by Lewis’s faith in ways I’ve never appreciated before. The seriousness of his faith and conviction is something I’ve never questioned, but the sheer depth and solidity of abiding joy and cheerful, patient hope that he faithfully exhibited through some pretty gut-wrenching experiences stirs my soul. I’m sorely tempted to begin re-reading the whole thing beginning anew with Volume 1. This biography has truly been a delight!
August 7, 2024
Harry Lee Poes trilogy is one of the best narrated biographies...
I've enjoyed it so much!!!
Great job done!!!
Even the speaker from the audio-book was a real pleasure to listen!!!
Well researched, and beautifully elaborated. Loved it!!!
If you are looking for an excellent biography from Lewis, then here we are!!!
You don't need to continue searching...
Dean;)
I've enjoyed it so much!!!
Great job done!!!
Even the speaker from the audio-book was a real pleasure to listen!!!
Well researched, and beautifully elaborated. Loved it!!!
If you are looking for an excellent biography from Lewis, then here we are!!!
You don't need to continue searching...
Dean;)
December 11, 2025
A good biography series as a whole, but thought this volume was the weakest of the three.
Poe succeeds in translating Lewis’s context to a present day American audience.
However, he makes some claims that border on hot-takes. Plus, he inserts himself more into this volume than the others (something I do not prefer in biographies).
Still an enjoyable read.
Poe succeeds in translating Lewis’s context to a present day American audience.
However, he makes some claims that border on hot-takes. Plus, he inserts himself more into this volume than the others (something I do not prefer in biographies).
Still an enjoyable read.
January 10, 2024
I don’t think I’ve loved a biography more. Each book was so so great.
October 14, 2024
Highly detailed. Dr. Poe has written an excellent and extensive biography (3 volumes) over C.S. Lewis.
November 11, 2024
“Some will say that it was a tragedy for Lewis to have died so young. I think it remarkable that he became complete so young.”
Poe’s third volume was an incredible read.
Poe’s third volume was an incredible read.
May 6, 2026
Volume 3 of the life of C. S. Lewis (1945-1963)
Favorite Quotes/Ideas/Themes:
Power of Discouragement: "In addition to the stress of Minto and Warnie, his large workload, and his correspondence, Lewis received a letter from Owen and Maud Barfield complaining about the children's book that he wanted to dedicate to their daughter, Lucy. It was called "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." They objected to fur coats. Lewis seemed to be endorsing the fur trade based on the killing of innocent animals. They also objected to children being trapped inside a wardrobe. It was all too horrible. Tolkien had also objected to the story in the strongest and bitterest terms. Under the weight of so much stress, Lewis collapsed" (47).
"For five hours a day, Lewis had to focus his attention on listening to a pupil read a paper that was probably dashed off the night before, if not the morning of, the tutorial" (56).
Reading essays aloud "forced the undergraduate to write to be heard... Unspoken ideas can have a half-baked quality to them" (56).
"[The tutorial system] is markedly different from the lecture method of the United States, in which the student is the passive receptacle of what the teacher has to say. Better teachers will punctuate their lectures with questions aimed at the students, but this approach lacks the focus on the development of the individual student. Students in the United States may write a term paper for a course, or maybe even several short papers, but they rarely receive more than a grade and a few odd comments in the margins. The American system on the whole involves the retention, if not the mastery, of information as determined by doing well on a test. Lewis's tutorials were as far from the lecture method as one might get" (57).
"At the end of the formal critique of his tutorials, [Alan] Griffiths continued to stay and talk with Lewis..." (57).
"Lewis's pupils had to give oral defense of their papers every week... [and] the gown is always worn to tutorials" (58-59).
"Lewis regularly corrected pupils who used the wrong words or used them in the wrong ways" (58).
Avoiding Jargon: "Lewis avoided the technical language that literary criticism developed as it sought a respectable place in the academy alongside the old disciplines. When Sayer used the current and quickly changing jargon, Lewis would say: 'I am not quite sure what you mean by this term. Perhaps you would be so good as to translate it for me into plain English" (59).
"Brewer recalled that Lewis treated him not like a schoolboy but like a man who had come to read with him" (60).
Primary Texts: "Lewis had no interest in secondary sources and discouraged his pupils from consulting them... Lewis wanted his pupils to grapple with the great texts and draw their own conclusions. He wanted them to develop confidence enough to draw reasoned conclusions that could stand up to debate. In order to do this, he asked questions. He prodded. He exposed weakness in logic or in evidence. In his early years, he did it ruthlessly, but by the postwar period... [he] grew more gentle in his treatment of his pupils while never relaxing the relentless battery of questions" (61).
"Good lecturing demands self-confidence, but also a desire that students will come to love the subject and not merely acquire information about it" (62).
"Lewis wrote out the quotations in full that he recited in his lectures" (64).
"His style was conversational but with a heightened degree of drama. His dramatic performance was so well executed that he seemed to be exploring thoughts with the undergraduates for the first time instead of delivering the conclusions from decades of study" (65).
"In contrast to [Antony] Flew's experience, Lewis told Dom Bede Griffiths that the design argument is 'the weakest possible ground for Theism.' In Mere Christianity, Lewis acknowledged that the universe shows evidence of an artist, but it gives us no clue to the character of the artist" (83).
Meditation in a Toolshed explanation: "From the outside, we may see and understand something in one way that makes perfect sense to us, but if we experience something from the inside, we may have an entirely different understanding of it. So it is with faith in Christ" (89).
"A story affects a reader in a way that a lecture or rational argument does not" (103).
Power of Encouragement: "Lewis deeply appreciated [Roger Lancelyn] Green's support, and George Sayer reported that Lewis doubted he would have finished [The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe] without Green's encouragement" (120).
"The Magician's Nephew tells the creation and how evil entered Narnia. The Lion, W, and W tells about the crucifixion and resurrection. Prince Caspian is the restoration of the true religion after a corruption. The Horse and His Boy is the calling and conversion of a heathen. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader represents the spiritual life (especially in Reepicheep). The Silver Chair is the continued war against the powers of darkness. The Last Battle is the coming of Antichrist... the end of the world, and the Last Judgment" (144).
"He had grown concerned about the movement to ordain women to the Episcopal priesthood, and he held a small, informal colloquium on the topic in his rooms as Magdalen, which Pitter attended on the Friday and Saturday after Christmas, 1949" (165).
Puns: The author, Poe, referred to Tolkien as "Lord of the Strings," claiming that he had leverage to endorse candidates for a specific professorial position :)
His Lecture De Descriptione Temporum: "In a world in which literary scholars could not understand the meaning of a short poem, Lewis envisioned a world in which a great nation of over three hundred million people might not be able to discern news from fake news and in which truth would become a casualty of technological progress" (197).
Slowing Down: "The train with direct service to Cambridge from Oxford was known as the Cantab Crawler, because it took three hours to make the trip, stopping at every crossroad. Lewis... loved it because it was so slow that few people took it, and he could usually have the whole compartment to himself. He would read and even say his prayers" (202).
"John Walsh, a historian at Magdalene, said that conversation with Lewis was part ordeal, part delight, and always education. He seemed unconsciously to pay his friends the compliment of assuming they had all read what he had read" (204).
"'You should never condemn any genuine countryside in that way,' he said almost severely to me. 'In every landscape you should try to feel for its real nature and quality and let it grasp hold of you. The day is coming when, beyond this life, we shall recognize that quality in the ternal fulfillment in which it will have its true place'" (208).
Eschatological Platonism - "All of creation is connected to that new creation to which it points" (208).
Lewis was terrible at math :)
"The Arts are the best Time Machine we have" (214).
"He had decided not to write any more books that were directly theological. Instead, following his idea of apologetics based on latent Christianity within books on any subject, he wanted to 'catch the reader unawares--thro' fiction and symbol" (220).
Austin Farrer is described as a "theological polymath" (232). I love this idea.
"You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me" (239).
On his motivation to write Reflections on the Psalms: "Apologetics is not necessarily the construction of philosophical arguments for the existence of God; it is the effort to answer questions by people who struggle with faith" (264).
When Kay Farrer said that she and her husband would not bother him so that he could get rest after Joy's death, he said: "Come up any day that suits. Not seeing you two would never be a 'rest.' Nor am I sure that rest is what I need. I'm learning a good many things about grief which the novelists and poets never told me. It has as many different facets as love or anger or any other passion. In the lulls--between the peaks--there is something in it very like fidgety boredom: like just 'hanging about waiting'--tho' what the deuce one things he is waiting for I don't know" (296).
Lewis published "A Grief Observed" under the pen name N. W. Clerk. N. W. "stood for Nat Whilk, the Old English for 'I know not whom...' Clerk... represented his medieval status as one who wrote" (299).
"As a teenager, Lewis had developed the lifelong habit of reading the books he like over and over again" (303).
"Literary people look for opportunities to read. When they are kept from reading by the vicissitudes of life, they feel denied" (305). I feel very seen.
"When Lewis thought of something clever to say with just the right turn of phrase, he would repeat it in his letters to many people" (315).
"He did not have to do any research for this monumental classic, [The Discarded Image]... because he had been doing the research and adding to his lectures for thirty years" (319).
The Problem with Public Extemporaneous Prayer: "We don't know whether we can mentally join in it until we've heard it--it might be phoney or heretical. We are therefore called upon to carry on a critical and devotional activity at the same moment: two things hardly compatible" (329).
Shortly before he died, Lewis "gave Walter Hooper seven pages of instructions about what to do with all the books in his study. It took them three days to complete their work. When they finally finished, they loaded several thousand books onto a truck and hauled them to the Kilns..." (339).
Shortly before he died, he said to his brother Warnie: "I have done all I wanted to do, and I'm ready to go" (343).
Questions:
Lewis cared deeply for church unity, but I'm curious about his understanding of the Russian orthodox position, in his friendship with Nicholas Zernov. I found this quote interesting: "My model here is the behavior of the congregation at a 'Russian Orthodox' service, where some sit, some stand, some kneel, some lie on their faces, some walk about, and no one takes the slightest notice of what anyone else is doing. That is good sense, good manners, and good Christianity. 'Mind one's own business' is a good rule in religion as in other things'" (117). Does this align with "decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14)?
Favorite Quotes/Ideas/Themes:
Power of Discouragement: "In addition to the stress of Minto and Warnie, his large workload, and his correspondence, Lewis received a letter from Owen and Maud Barfield complaining about the children's book that he wanted to dedicate to their daughter, Lucy. It was called "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe." They objected to fur coats. Lewis seemed to be endorsing the fur trade based on the killing of innocent animals. They also objected to children being trapped inside a wardrobe. It was all too horrible. Tolkien had also objected to the story in the strongest and bitterest terms. Under the weight of so much stress, Lewis collapsed" (47).
"For five hours a day, Lewis had to focus his attention on listening to a pupil read a paper that was probably dashed off the night before, if not the morning of, the tutorial" (56).
Reading essays aloud "forced the undergraduate to write to be heard... Unspoken ideas can have a half-baked quality to them" (56).
"[The tutorial system] is markedly different from the lecture method of the United States, in which the student is the passive receptacle of what the teacher has to say. Better teachers will punctuate their lectures with questions aimed at the students, but this approach lacks the focus on the development of the individual student. Students in the United States may write a term paper for a course, or maybe even several short papers, but they rarely receive more than a grade and a few odd comments in the margins. The American system on the whole involves the retention, if not the mastery, of information as determined by doing well on a test. Lewis's tutorials were as far from the lecture method as one might get" (57).
"At the end of the formal critique of his tutorials, [Alan] Griffiths continued to stay and talk with Lewis..." (57).
"Lewis's pupils had to give oral defense of their papers every week... [and] the gown is always worn to tutorials" (58-59).
"Lewis regularly corrected pupils who used the wrong words or used them in the wrong ways" (58).
Avoiding Jargon: "Lewis avoided the technical language that literary criticism developed as it sought a respectable place in the academy alongside the old disciplines. When Sayer used the current and quickly changing jargon, Lewis would say: 'I am not quite sure what you mean by this term. Perhaps you would be so good as to translate it for me into plain English" (59).
"Brewer recalled that Lewis treated him not like a schoolboy but like a man who had come to read with him" (60).
Primary Texts: "Lewis had no interest in secondary sources and discouraged his pupils from consulting them... Lewis wanted his pupils to grapple with the great texts and draw their own conclusions. He wanted them to develop confidence enough to draw reasoned conclusions that could stand up to debate. In order to do this, he asked questions. He prodded. He exposed weakness in logic or in evidence. In his early years, he did it ruthlessly, but by the postwar period... [he] grew more gentle in his treatment of his pupils while never relaxing the relentless battery of questions" (61).
"Good lecturing demands self-confidence, but also a desire that students will come to love the subject and not merely acquire information about it" (62).
"Lewis wrote out the quotations in full that he recited in his lectures" (64).
"His style was conversational but with a heightened degree of drama. His dramatic performance was so well executed that he seemed to be exploring thoughts with the undergraduates for the first time instead of delivering the conclusions from decades of study" (65).
"In contrast to [Antony] Flew's experience, Lewis told Dom Bede Griffiths that the design argument is 'the weakest possible ground for Theism.' In Mere Christianity, Lewis acknowledged that the universe shows evidence of an artist, but it gives us no clue to the character of the artist" (83).
Meditation in a Toolshed explanation: "From the outside, we may see and understand something in one way that makes perfect sense to us, but if we experience something from the inside, we may have an entirely different understanding of it. So it is with faith in Christ" (89).
"A story affects a reader in a way that a lecture or rational argument does not" (103).
Power of Encouragement: "Lewis deeply appreciated [Roger Lancelyn] Green's support, and George Sayer reported that Lewis doubted he would have finished [The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe] without Green's encouragement" (120).
"The Magician's Nephew tells the creation and how evil entered Narnia. The Lion, W, and W tells about the crucifixion and resurrection. Prince Caspian is the restoration of the true religion after a corruption. The Horse and His Boy is the calling and conversion of a heathen. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader represents the spiritual life (especially in Reepicheep). The Silver Chair is the continued war against the powers of darkness. The Last Battle is the coming of Antichrist... the end of the world, and the Last Judgment" (144).
"He had grown concerned about the movement to ordain women to the Episcopal priesthood, and he held a small, informal colloquium on the topic in his rooms as Magdalen, which Pitter attended on the Friday and Saturday after Christmas, 1949" (165).
Puns: The author, Poe, referred to Tolkien as "Lord of the Strings," claiming that he had leverage to endorse candidates for a specific professorial position :)
His Lecture De Descriptione Temporum: "In a world in which literary scholars could not understand the meaning of a short poem, Lewis envisioned a world in which a great nation of over three hundred million people might not be able to discern news from fake news and in which truth would become a casualty of technological progress" (197).
Slowing Down: "The train with direct service to Cambridge from Oxford was known as the Cantab Crawler, because it took three hours to make the trip, stopping at every crossroad. Lewis... loved it because it was so slow that few people took it, and he could usually have the whole compartment to himself. He would read and even say his prayers" (202).
"John Walsh, a historian at Magdalene, said that conversation with Lewis was part ordeal, part delight, and always education. He seemed unconsciously to pay his friends the compliment of assuming they had all read what he had read" (204).
"'You should never condemn any genuine countryside in that way,' he said almost severely to me. 'In every landscape you should try to feel for its real nature and quality and let it grasp hold of you. The day is coming when, beyond this life, we shall recognize that quality in the ternal fulfillment in which it will have its true place'" (208).
Eschatological Platonism - "All of creation is connected to that new creation to which it points" (208).
Lewis was terrible at math :)
"The Arts are the best Time Machine we have" (214).
"He had decided not to write any more books that were directly theological. Instead, following his idea of apologetics based on latent Christianity within books on any subject, he wanted to 'catch the reader unawares--thro' fiction and symbol" (220).
Austin Farrer is described as a "theological polymath" (232). I love this idea.
"You can't get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me" (239).
On his motivation to write Reflections on the Psalms: "Apologetics is not necessarily the construction of philosophical arguments for the existence of God; it is the effort to answer questions by people who struggle with faith" (264).
When Kay Farrer said that she and her husband would not bother him so that he could get rest after Joy's death, he said: "Come up any day that suits. Not seeing you two would never be a 'rest.' Nor am I sure that rest is what I need. I'm learning a good many things about grief which the novelists and poets never told me. It has as many different facets as love or anger or any other passion. In the lulls--between the peaks--there is something in it very like fidgety boredom: like just 'hanging about waiting'--tho' what the deuce one things he is waiting for I don't know" (296).
Lewis published "A Grief Observed" under the pen name N. W. Clerk. N. W. "stood for Nat Whilk, the Old English for 'I know not whom...' Clerk... represented his medieval status as one who wrote" (299).
"As a teenager, Lewis had developed the lifelong habit of reading the books he like over and over again" (303).
"Literary people look for opportunities to read. When they are kept from reading by the vicissitudes of life, they feel denied" (305). I feel very seen.
"When Lewis thought of something clever to say with just the right turn of phrase, he would repeat it in his letters to many people" (315).
"He did not have to do any research for this monumental classic, [The Discarded Image]... because he had been doing the research and adding to his lectures for thirty years" (319).
The Problem with Public Extemporaneous Prayer: "We don't know whether we can mentally join in it until we've heard it--it might be phoney or heretical. We are therefore called upon to carry on a critical and devotional activity at the same moment: two things hardly compatible" (329).
Shortly before he died, Lewis "gave Walter Hooper seven pages of instructions about what to do with all the books in his study. It took them three days to complete their work. When they finally finished, they loaded several thousand books onto a truck and hauled them to the Kilns..." (339).
Shortly before he died, he said to his brother Warnie: "I have done all I wanted to do, and I'm ready to go" (343).
Questions:
Lewis cared deeply for church unity, but I'm curious about his understanding of the Russian orthodox position, in his friendship with Nicholas Zernov. I found this quote interesting: "My model here is the behavior of the congregation at a 'Russian Orthodox' service, where some sit, some stand, some kneel, some lie on their faces, some walk about, and no one takes the slightest notice of what anyone else is doing. That is good sense, good manners, and good Christianity. 'Mind one's own business' is a good rule in religion as in other things'" (117). Does this align with "decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14)?
October 23, 2022
Great final volume to the trilogy by Poe. This one suffers from being a bit too convoluted for it's own good–there are times where Poe's attempt to mix up the narrative by taking a theme, exploring it chronologically, then going back and exploring another theme chronologically–is strained when it is so sudden that you lose all sense of time. For example, he mentions his vacation to Greece with Joy, then backs up several years to talk about a book being published, then several pages later returns to the vacation–I end up losing my sense of direction.
Poe handles the controversies in "lewis Biography" nerddom well by evaluating prior works and seeking to either correct them or offer his own interpretation–one learns some good historiographical skills in the process. His chief whipping boy is A.N. Wilson, and if Poe is to be believed (I haven't read that one) it's justified.
Poe focuses on aspects of Lewis biography that hasn't been explored as much in earlier biographies. One such aspect is how Lewis's day-to-day life was, which was very interesting. A second was to weigh-in a summarizes the issues with some controversial aspects of his life that have often been exacerbated by speculative biographical forerunners (such as the Elizabeth Anscombe "debate" [it wasn't], relationship with Joy, views on theology, views on women, etc.)
Overall, though less important or groundbreaking than the first volume (which filled a sorely missing gap of his early life) still a good update to the state of Lewis-biography.
Poe handles the controversies in "lewis Biography" nerddom well by evaluating prior works and seeking to either correct them or offer his own interpretation–one learns some good historiographical skills in the process. His chief whipping boy is A.N. Wilson, and if Poe is to be believed (I haven't read that one) it's justified.
Poe focuses on aspects of Lewis biography that hasn't been explored as much in earlier biographies. One such aspect is how Lewis's day-to-day life was, which was very interesting. A second was to weigh-in a summarizes the issues with some controversial aspects of his life that have often been exacerbated by speculative biographical forerunners (such as the Elizabeth Anscombe "debate" [it wasn't], relationship with Joy, views on theology, views on women, etc.)
Overall, though less important or groundbreaking than the first volume (which filled a sorely missing gap of his early life) still a good update to the state of Lewis-biography.
December 30, 2022
While I wish that Hal Poe's detailed biographical trilogy had more of the energy and creative storytelling the author exudes when speaking, and the books are disappointing in terms of engaging with the key proposals in research of the last decade or so, the three-pack of C.S. Lewis biographies are a useful resource in providing details of Lewis' daily life in conversation with major biographers.
February 16, 2023
This in-depth look into C.S. Lewis's later years is the final volume in a biographical trilogy, and it covers many of the themes and topics that Lewis fans find the most interesting, such as his experiences writing the Narnia books and his controversial marriage to Joy. Harry Lee Poe writes about multiple different threads and themes of Lewis's life, giving a thorough sense of his home life, friendships, work in academia, popular-level writings, and other topics. The book is somewhat dry in places because of the author's focus on minutiae, but the writing also sparkles with wry and amusing wit at times, and there are many amusing anecdotes about Lewis in addition to more typical biographical information.
I particularly enjoyed Poe's treatment of Lewis's frustrations with Britain's political situation after the war, and how he overcame his longtime prejudice against Americans as he saw how incredibly generous they were to provide care packages and food parcels when he and his countrymen were subject to extreme rationing and a government that didn't seem to care about people's suffering. I laughed out loud at the letter that Lewis sent to one American benefactor, saying that he and the undersigned had thoroughly enjoyed the ham that he had sent. There are a variety of signatures beneath, including Tolkien's, and I appreciated this biography's attention to daily life and domestic challenges, not just Lewis's public persona and work. Poe includes many lesser-known and details such as this, and they greatly enrich the book.
The Completion of C. S. Lewis will appeal to both popular-level fans and and academics. The book includes many little-known details from Lewis's correspondence, and the details recorded in letters to and from Lewis and his associates answer common questions and provide rich details. The book will be dry in parts for popular-level fans, and may not be as exceedingly rigorous as some academics would like, but it strikes a solid balance to appeal to both groups. Poe gives a very balanced view overall of various controversies, presenting documentary evidence in favor of his conclusions and explaining why some previous assumptions fall short.
His take on Lewis's relationship with Joy is very nuanced, clearing her of unjust accusations in some cases while also showing that she did behave in some opportunistic ways. He deals with this in a fair and balanced way, but I wish that he had included a direct mention of Lewis's and Joy's marital sexual intimacy. It doesn't need to be a major focus, but since Poe never specifically mentions this, he could leave a less-informed reader still believing Lewis's original assessment to Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he believed that "certain problems" would not be relevant for a man of his age and a woman dying of cancer. Lewis and Joy consummated their marriage and enjoyed that part of their relationship once her medical problems improved for a time, and Poe should have included biographically relevant information about this instead of glossing over it.
The Completion of C. S. Lewis is a great book for fans of Lewis who are interested in a well-researched, carefully argued biography about him that relies on primary sources and doesn't delve into the types of speculation that plague many biographies. The book isn't perfect, but it is very thorough, nuanced, and filled with interesting anecdotes and little-known details that even I, as someone who has read a great deal about Lewis, did not know at all. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to other people who are interested in the details of C.S. Lewis's life, work, and relationships.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I particularly enjoyed Poe's treatment of Lewis's frustrations with Britain's political situation after the war, and how he overcame his longtime prejudice against Americans as he saw how incredibly generous they were to provide care packages and food parcels when he and his countrymen were subject to extreme rationing and a government that didn't seem to care about people's suffering. I laughed out loud at the letter that Lewis sent to one American benefactor, saying that he and the undersigned had thoroughly enjoyed the ham that he had sent. There are a variety of signatures beneath, including Tolkien's, and I appreciated this biography's attention to daily life and domestic challenges, not just Lewis's public persona and work. Poe includes many lesser-known and details such as this, and they greatly enrich the book.
The Completion of C. S. Lewis will appeal to both popular-level fans and and academics. The book includes many little-known details from Lewis's correspondence, and the details recorded in letters to and from Lewis and his associates answer common questions and provide rich details. The book will be dry in parts for popular-level fans, and may not be as exceedingly rigorous as some academics would like, but it strikes a solid balance to appeal to both groups. Poe gives a very balanced view overall of various controversies, presenting documentary evidence in favor of his conclusions and explaining why some previous assumptions fall short.
His take on Lewis's relationship with Joy is very nuanced, clearing her of unjust accusations in some cases while also showing that she did behave in some opportunistic ways. He deals with this in a fair and balanced way, but I wish that he had included a direct mention of Lewis's and Joy's marital sexual intimacy. It doesn't need to be a major focus, but since Poe never specifically mentions this, he could leave a less-informed reader still believing Lewis's original assessment to Dorothy L. Sayers, in which he believed that "certain problems" would not be relevant for a man of his age and a woman dying of cancer. Lewis and Joy consummated their marriage and enjoyed that part of their relationship once her medical problems improved for a time, and Poe should have included biographically relevant information about this instead of glossing over it.
The Completion of C. S. Lewis is a great book for fans of Lewis who are interested in a well-researched, carefully argued biography about him that relies on primary sources and doesn't delve into the types of speculation that plague many biographies. The book isn't perfect, but it is very thorough, nuanced, and filled with interesting anecdotes and little-known details that even I, as someone who has read a great deal about Lewis, did not know at all. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to other people who are interested in the details of C.S. Lewis's life, work, and relationships.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2022
Lewis was a complicated figure, and extremely difficult to understand in some ways. For example, his agreeing to look after his friend's mother, Mrs Moore, seems fairly masochistic. This book helped me understand the seemingly jolly, unhealthy and complex man much more, but it is extremely detailed. Poe discusses Lewis's personal and professional lives comprehensively, and includes brilliant analyses of his books. I am a big fan of C.S. Lewis, but I haven't read all of his books, and I thought that this biography would be especially interesting for those interested in researching Lewis thoroughly, although it is written in an engaging, friendly way, and not in an academic manner.
I especially enjoyed reading about the rivalry between C.S. Lewis and F.R. Leavis - F.R. Leavis was the 'in thing' in my day. Now he is practically forgotten, and C.S. Lewis, the Christian, is still studied! I was pleased to read this, although quite surprised. I haven't gone into it, but I wonder if Poe was exaggerating here.
Any fan of C.S. Lewis will enjoy this book, and I will be looking for the first two volumes.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I especially enjoyed reading about the rivalry between C.S. Lewis and F.R. Leavis - F.R. Leavis was the 'in thing' in my day. Now he is practically forgotten, and C.S. Lewis, the Christian, is still studied! I was pleased to read this, although quite surprised. I haven't gone into it, but I wonder if Poe was exaggerating here.
Any fan of C.S. Lewis will enjoy this book, and I will be looking for the first two volumes.
I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 5, 2023
Such a thorough and well researched series of biographies. I really enjoyed getting to know Lewis and the many individuals that were influential in his life. Warnie, Arthur Greeves, J. R. R. Tolkien, Joy and so many other people really stand out in these books through the countless letters and meetings between them and Lewis. Reading about their interactions was my favorite part of the 3 volumes. Poe does spend a decent amount of time going into detail about each of Lewis’s writings and his various beliefs on different topics. Given Lewis’s intelligence and the complexity of his work, I frequently felt lost in these areas but I appreciate the depth that Poe went through to give such a comprehensive review of Lewis’s life and work. I think if he left out such detail in a 3 volume biography, it would end up missing the mark. Overall, these books were excellent and I recommend all 3 volumes to anyone who has been influenced in any way by C.S. Lewis.
September 5, 2023
I’ve read more biographies of C.S. Lewis than any other figure. That’s not saying much, I don’t think I’ve read more than one of any other figure. My favorite is the Narnian by Alan Jacobs. I have the audible version of that book and I enjoy listening to it repeatedly the way someone might stream a favorite TV show. But this trilogy by Harry Lee Poe has fascinated me. I have only read parts 2 and 3 and I read from physical copies. They contain much more detail than anything else that I have read about Lewis. I don’t know what my reaction would have been if this had been my first look at Lewis’s life. But now that I’m more familiar with his story, hearing these extra details was like hearing a good friend tell stories you’ve never heard them share before.
October 30, 2023
The third and final volume of Poe’s biography of Lewis is the best written and most reflective of the trilogy. The title is profoundly accurate as Lewis ends his earthly sojourn completely ready for the next. The often poorly reported relationship with Joy is carefully and respectfully constructed with a generosity born out of a deep knowledge of Lewis. This book is a satisfying conclusion of the life of a most interesting man of God, who in so many ways was simply a professor who loved tea, tobacco, beer, long walks, cold swims and stimulating conversation with dear friends and yet was uniquely gifted with an extraordinary talent to think and write so clearly about the most important matters of life and death.
October 30, 2024
The third and final volume in Harry Lee Poe’s monumental study of C S Lewis and his work. This volume covers the years from 1945 and the end of WWII to Lewis’s death in 1963. It’s not necessary, but undoubtedly helpful, to have some knowledge of Lewis’s earlier life, but in fact, thanks to the author’s expert narration, the book successfully stands alone and is both informative and consistently fascinating. I haven’t read the earlier volumes but this didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. Clearly and accessibly written, meticulously researched, insightful and non-judgmental, this book is all that a good biography should be and I very much enjoyed it.
January 21, 2023
This was a brilliant book. It is the third in a series of biographies about c.s Lewis. I haven't read the other two, but this was the perfect book for me to read and was so close to getting 5 stars. It covered the narnia chronicles all the way up to his death and beyond. I actually read this book straight after reading all the narnia novels. It was the perfect complement as it really makes you appreciate his work even more. This book was very through and included his days working as a lecturer. Which was fascinating reading. You could tell that this book was very well researched and it flowed so well. There was never a dull moment. I loved reading about his friendship with Tolken as it was definitely a roller coaster ride. I really couldn't put this book down and finished it in one day, which definitely had me up very late trying to finish it. I definitely recommend reading it if you want to learn more about C.S. Lewis.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this very fascinating book. I just loved looking at the pictures included in this book. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this brilliant author.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this very fascinating book. I just loved looking at the pictures included in this book. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this brilliant author.
January 19, 2023
C.S. Lewis has been my favorite author for years, since I first read Mere Christianity and the Chronicles of Narnia. I've heard snippets of his life story and read many summary biographies, but never one so comprehensive as this three-volume work. Poe confronts the good and bad of C.S. Lewis and provides insight to his works by showing his development from early boyhood to the time of his death. My only criticism of the three books is that it has endnotes rather than footnotes. Some of those endnotes are interesting, and for ease of access I would prefer them as footnotes!
December 31, 2022
All 3 volumes of Poe's biography are excellent, well-documented and thorough. He intersperses commentary on Lewis' writings as they are written. These books were a fun ride for this Lewis fan. Poe challenges some conclusions from other Lewis biographers and demonstrates his broad knowledge of works about Lewis. I enjoyed all three volumes immensely. In the interest of full disclosure, Poe was a professor of mine at Southern Baptist Seminary.
January 21, 2024
This whole trilogy was a delight—a rich account of Lewis’s life, faith, character, and genius. Despite a couple spots where the organization felt slightly odd, Poe has constructed a very careful and moving account that attends well to detail and captures the larger scope of a great man’s life. An excellent companion to read alongside Lewis’s own works. This was a joyous reading experience, highly recommended.
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