What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadows of Imagination: The Fantasies of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Charles Williams
Now in its fourth printing, this standard critical anthology dealing with the big three among fantasy writers has been brought up to date through the addition of an Afterword discussing the book Tolkien considered his greatest work, the posthumously published The Silmarillion.
Shadows of Imagination consists of essays by thirteen scholars who treat seriously the fantasies of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams have made the writing of fantasy a legitimate art. These writers, according to Mark Hillegas, editor of and contributor to this collection, have revived the ancient arts of epic and romance, have returned to the tradition created by the Odyssey, the Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, and Faust.
Hillegas points out that although they often are compared with science-fiction writers, Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams do not write about science, never glorify the machine; instead, they fill a void, satisfy a human longing for a “ myth to bring meaning again to the universe and human existence.”
Shadows of Imagination consists of essays by thirteen scholars who treat seriously the fantasies of C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Charles Williams. Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams have made the writing of fantasy a legitimate art. These writers, according to Mark Hillegas, editor of and contributor to this collection, have revived the ancient arts of epic and romance, have returned to the tradition created by the Odyssey, the Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost, and Faust.
Hillegas points out that although they often are compared with science-fiction writers, Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams do not write about science, never glorify the machine; instead, they fill a void, satisfy a human longing for a “ myth to bring meaning again to the universe and human existence.”
216 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1969
41 people want to read
About the author
Peter Kreeft
197 books1,070 followersPeter Kreeft is an American philosopher and prolific author of over eighty books on Christian theology, philosophy, and apologetics. A convert from Protestantism to Catholicism, his journey was shaped by his study of Church history, Gothic architecture, and Thomistic thought. He earned his BA from Calvin College, an MA and PhD from Fordham University, and pursued further studies at Yale. Since 1965, he has taught philosophy at Boston College and also at The King’s College. Kreeft is known for formulating “Twenty Arguments for the Existence of God” with Ronald K. Tacelli, featured in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics. A strong advocate for unity among Christians, he emphasizes shared belief in Christ over denominational differences.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 14, 2019
A mixed bag. Some essays are dumber than dirt, written by minds shallower than a wet streak on the pavement.
J.B.S. Haldane is shrill and so offended by C.S. Lewis's Christianity; Robert Plank understands Lewis as well as a haystack understands a stallion; and a naked mole rat has more hair than Charles Moorman has logic as he tries to analyze Lewis's and Tolkien's various styles and ambitions.
But W.R. Irwin's analysis on Charles Williams's abilities and choice themes is fantastic. Makes me want to reread the few Williams novels I've read—and to read more.
The real crown, however, is Peter Kreeft's afterward, "The Wonder of The Silmarillion." Kreeft calls “Wonder” what Lewis called Joy or Sehnsucht. It is the same Joy stirred up by Tolkien’s eucatastrophe; it is stirred by all the great tales, because all the great tales are actually the same tale—the best story ever told—and we are still in it: the Story spoken by and born into and bled for by the Author.
J.B.S. Haldane is shrill and so offended by C.S. Lewis's Christianity; Robert Plank understands Lewis as well as a haystack understands a stallion; and a naked mole rat has more hair than Charles Moorman has logic as he tries to analyze Lewis's and Tolkien's various styles and ambitions.
But W.R. Irwin's analysis on Charles Williams's abilities and choice themes is fantastic. Makes me want to reread the few Williams novels I've read—and to read more.
The real crown, however, is Peter Kreeft's afterward, "The Wonder of The Silmarillion." Kreeft calls “Wonder” what Lewis called Joy or Sehnsucht. It is the same Joy stirred up by Tolkien’s eucatastrophe; it is stirred by all the great tales, because all the great tales are actually the same tale—the best story ever told—and we are still in it: the Story spoken by and born into and bled for by the Author.
August 1, 2016
Literary criticism was so readable in the 60s! My God!
Though I guess it helps that this was a book devoted to literary criticism of genre fiction that was written in the 1960s, which probably causes some selective pressure in terms of what the contributors would be like.
Of course my favorite paper is the one by the Romantic poetry expert, but I did feel as though most of them, even the ones about Williams, whom I've never read, had something inspiring in them. Even the Epilogue was good where it quoted from Lewis on Joy.
The rest of the Epilogue. . .
I mean, I have reason to believe that the 70s was when literary criticism stopped being so readable, anyway, even if that wasn't quite the way I was expecting it to become less readable.
Though I guess it helps that this was a book devoted to literary criticism of genre fiction that was written in the 1960s, which probably causes some selective pressure in terms of what the contributors would be like.
Of course my favorite paper is the one by the Romantic poetry expert, but I did feel as though most of them, even the ones about Williams, whom I've never read, had something inspiring in them. Even the Epilogue was good where it quoted from Lewis on Joy.
The rest of the Epilogue. . .
I mean, I have reason to believe that the 70s was when literary criticism stopped being so readable, anyway, even if that wasn't quite the way I was expecting it to become less readable.
January 9, 2016
This is one of the earliest collections of papers ever published about the works of these three major mythopoeic writers. It still has great value for anyone interested in looking more deeply into these works.
December 26, 2019
Ehh... skip it
September 13, 2021
A mixed bag of academic essays that explore the fantasy writings of the Inklings. Since l love these authors l enjoyed reading the academic essays. I particularly liked the fact that Charles Williams is included with his more famous friends Lewis and Tolkien. Sadly his books are hard to find. I have read his novels and love the combination of fantasy, horror and underlying theology they contain. We need to read more about Williams- and l wish his books were more easy to find.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews