Word and Story has broken new ground by enlisting well-known scholars in
the examination of Lewis's ideas about language and narrative, both as
stated in theory and as exemplified in practice. Never before has such
clear, significant, and thorough work in these areas been brought
together in one place. This compilation of sixteen essays demonstrates
how an awareness of Lewis's ideas about language and narrative is
essential to a full understanding and appreciation of his thought and
works. The contributors examine Lewis's poetry, The Dark Woods, Studies
in Words, and other works that have so far received little attention, in
addition to more familiar parts of the Lewis canon. By approaching Lewis
primarily as an artist and theorist, not just a Christian apologist,
these essays offer new insights into his creative imagination, critical
acumen, and his craftsmanship as a writer. One comes away from this book
with a fresh vision and with heightened expectation, eager to return to
Lewis's works. ""[Word and Story is] superior . . . to any other
collection that has so far appeared [on C. S. Lewis]. . . . One comes
across many observations in this book that evoke the response, not just
of an acquiescent nod, but also of further reflection."" --Owen
Barfield, from the afterword Peter J. Schakel is the Peter C. and
Emajean Cook Professor of English at Hope College. He is the author of
five books on C. S. Lewis: Reading with the Heart, Reason and
Imagination in C. S. Lewis: A Study of ""Till We Have Faces"",
Imagination and the Arts in C.S. Lewis, The Way into Narnia: A Reader's
Guide, and Is Your Lord Large Enough? He has also coedited several
literature textbooks with Jack Ridl. Charles A. Huttar is Emeritus
Professor of English at Hope College. He is the editor of Imagination
and the Spirit: Essays in Literature and the Christian Faith presented
to Clyde S. Kilby, coeditor of The Rhetoric of Vision: Essays on Charles
Williams and Scandalous Truths: Essays by and about Susan Howatch, and
author of many essays on Lewis, Tolkien, and Williams.
