[.ca] Tolkien and C. S. Lewis: The Story of a Friendship (ISBN 1587680262)

Pen pals:
Just about everyone who knows things about the life of "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien knows that he was pals with fellow fantasy writer C.S. Lewis (author of the "Narnia" series). But where that's usually a sidenote in Tolkien biographies, Colin Duriez makes it the center of double-biography "Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship." Duriez focuses on Lewis and Tolkien's early lives, the differences in their religious progressions, their wartime experiences, their fantasy works and their involvement in Christian literary club The Inklings. In 1926, the quiet Tolkien ("Tollers") and ebullient Lewis met and became friends over a shared love of Christianity, language myth and imagination. Duriez's main idea in "Gift of Friendship" is that this friendship created some of the most influential fantasy and science fiction ever, by mutual support. Religious beliefs and "the horns of elfland" were important for them both. For example, it was partly through Lewis's encouragement that Tolkien managed to finish his stories of Middle-Earth, and Tolkien in turn helped with Lewis's more serious works. Duriez doesn't reveal anything new about the friendship or the men in it, and he focuses quite a bit on the Inklings at large at one point. (Since he wrote a book on them, it isn't surprising) However, he clearly is a big fan of both men and his enthusiasm is obvious. He briskly clears away some misconceptions (for example, Tolkien did not hate the Narnia books, he merely "disliked" them) and throws in some literary analysis of Middle-Earth, the Ransom books and Narnia that doesn't stray too far from the authors' intents. "Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship" doesn't offer more than a few tidbits that are new, but it's a good focus on Tolkien and Lewis's friendship and how it affected their epic books.

Pure genius - simply the best:
This is pure genius - simply the best book around on these two brilliant guys. Buy your pastor and all the deacons/elders in your church this great book - and don't forget one for all your friends. They will all LOVE this book.

Numinousity reflected:
I may be the only person in North America never to have read either J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth books or C.S. Lewis' Narnia series (though I have read some of Lewis' theological works). Nevertheless, I find both these men fascinating. The vision of them seated by a fire in an Oxford college in the 1930s, enjoying wide-ranging and casual discussion, is almost iconic. If other readers share this vision, Colin Duriez's "The Gift of Friendship" will be a warmly rewarding read. Duriez is an expert on Tolkien, Lewis, and the Inklings. And although, so far as I could tell, he breaks no new ground in this parallel biography, that's not to sell short the value of what he does give us -- especially for non-specialists. Duriez takes the image and makes it real. Both men come through as distinct individuals -- personalities, creators, and friends, with similarities, differences, tensions, estrangements, and reconciliations. Part biography, part literary criticism, "The Gift of Friendship" goes a lot more deeply into the lives and work of both men than I expected it to. As an introduction to them, their influence on each other, their amazing productivity, and (to an extent) their influence on the wider world, this very interesting and worthwhile book is proof of the Biblical admonition that "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

I agree - this book is the business!:
I agree - this book is the business! Colin Duriez was cool when he was on the Lord of the Rings DVD. Now we can read him too!

Duriez is a genius - buy this book!:
Colin Duriez is a genius and it is very exciting to see how well this wonderful and beautifully written book is doing in the USA. Colin was by far the best person on the Lord of the Rings Two Towers DVD on the friendship of these two uniquely successful and inspiring authors and this book easily matches the indepth insight that Colin gives us. My mother was taught by both these people in the 1940s and Colin has got their relationship exactly right. Be inspired, buy this book and then enjoy their writings in a way you had not before. Evangelical Christians will especially enjoy this great book, as will Christians of all kinds. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHRISTIANS MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE and WHOSE SIDE IS GOD ON?