On Stories: And Other Essays on LiteratureA repackaged edition of the revered author’s collection of essays on writing fiction. C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—was a professor of literature at Oxford University, where he was known for his insightful and often witty presentations on the nature of stories. This collection assembles nine essays that encapsulate his ideas about fiction, including "On Stories," "The Death of Words," and "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," as well as eleven pieces that were unpublished during his lifetime. |
Contents
THE NOVELS OF CHARLES WILLIAMS | ii |
A TRIBUTE TO E R EDDISON | iii |
ON THREE WAYS OF WRITING FOR CHILDREN | iv |
SOMETIMES FAIRY STORIES MAY SAY BEST WHATS TO BE SAID | v |
ONJUVENILE TASTES | vi |
IT ALL BEGAN WITH A PICTURE | vii |
GEORGE ORWELL | xiv |
THE DEATH OF WORDS | xv |
THE PARTHENON AND THE OPTATIVE | xvi |
PERIOD CRITICISM | xvii |
DIFFERENT TASTES IN LITERATURE | xviii |
ON CRITICISM | xix |
UNREAL ESTATES | xx |
ABOUT THE AUTHOR | xxvi |
ON SCIENCE FICTION | viii |
A REPLY TO PROFESSOR HALDANE | ix |
THE HOBBIT | x |
TOLKIENS THE LORD OF THE RINGS | xi |
A PANEGYRIC FOR DOROTHY L SAYERS | xii |
THE MYTHOPOEIC GIFT OF RIDER HAGGARD | xiii |
ALSO BY C S LEWIS | xxvii |
CREDITS | xxix |
BACK | xxx |
COPYRIGHT | xxxii |
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER | xxxiii |
Common terms and phrases
actual adults ALDISS AMIS appeared become began begin believe better called certainly character child Christian comes course criticism danger deal desire distinction doubt enjoyed equally essay examination example excitement experience fact fairy tale fantasy fear feel give happened hope human idea imagination interest kind later learned least less Lewis Lewis’s literary literature live look matter mean merely mind moral myth nature never novel once particular perhaps period person pleasure possible present probably produced Professor published question readers reason reviewers Ring romance science fiction seems sense serious side simply sometimes sort story suppose sure talking taste tell theme thing thought told true turn whole write written wrong wrote