Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis

So far, 100 page, I like the book a lot because it's awakening some rusty brain cells and bringing some new ideas to a somewhat jaded mind.

luv this book

Dr. Ward has unlocked the underlying metaphor in the Chronicles of Narnia. His theory make complete sense, given Lewis' other works and his passion for medieval cosmology. Tolkien blew it by pooh-poohing the Narniad. If he had cared to look deeper with knowledge of his friend's scholarly metier, he would have found what he thought was lacking.

Very interesting but very, very dense.

Very interesting analysis, but slow reading. It is truly a Doctoral dissertation. I'm discovering much that I didn't know about Spenser, Dante and medieval thought.

A brilliantly clever analysis of the Narnia books. Ward's argument is airtight, comprehensive, and highly readable. Thoroughly academic and thoroughly enjoyable--I was impressed.

Planet Narnia is, in a word, brilliant. His use of Lewis' poety, of The Discarded Image, the Ransom trilogy, and Lewis' own literary criticism to illuminate the Narniad was beautifully done. He even found some external evidence in the letters and earlier drafts which is important. It had the feel of a very competent source-critical scholar of the quest for the historical Jesus school....more

Planet Narnia is, in a word, brilliant. His use of Lewis' poety, of The Discarded Image, the Ransom trilogy, and Lewis' own literary criticism to illuminate the Narniad was beautifully done. He even found some external evidence in the letters and earlier drafts which is important. It had the feel of a very competent source-critical scholar of the quest for the historical Jesus school. He even had to make up his own word (though not in German) to describe his theory. He anticipated and answered all of my initial objections. I think I'd call myself almost convinced. Lewis' own cautionary advice in his address to the divinity students ("Modern Theology and Biblical Criticism") makes me still reticent to wholeheartedly buy in. Given his space limitations, Ward understandably does not give much time to considering possible counter-examples in the texts. I'd like to see a competent scholarly attempt at refuting his thesis. But I would be rooting for Ward to prevail. That said, I don't think that this book should be given to undergraduates generally speaking. They should be given The Discarded Image, the Ransom trilogy, the poetry, to be sure. But this book should wait until they have lived with the Narniad as part of their mental landscape for some time. If given too early, it could stunt rather than enrich their reading. Instead of allowing the "Donegality" to work on them (as Lewis intended if Ward is correct), they would be distracted by looking for instances of it. The Narniad should first be Enjoyed, preferably starting in early childhood, before it is Contemplated in this way. Similarly, the Narnia movies should most definitely be forbidden to children lest the special effects of the moviemakers art quite replace the richer but necessarily less detailed images that Lewis himself invokes. Incidentally, this book also had a pleasant and entirely non-literary effect on me. The effort when reading it to mentally inhabit the medieval cosmos that Lewis loved so much made me much more aware of the planets in the night sky. From earth they are just as lovely now as they were when men believed them to be gods or angels dancing through the heavens rather than dead rocks hurtling through the frozen emptiness of space.   hide

i have not yet finished this book. It is EXTREMELY academic hardcore reading. It's not just meat, it's pure protein. It takes a lot of energy to really concentrate on what you are reading and you have to re-read a lot, but man oh man, you will be blown away by what you find here. I always knew there was more to C.S.Lewis than what I had seen and heard, I just never knew the true scope...more

i have not yet finished this book. It is EXTREMELY academic hardcore reading. It's not just meat, it's pure protein. It takes a lot of energy to really concentrate on what you are reading and you have to re-read a lot, but man oh man, you will be blown away by what you find here. I always knew there was more to C.S.Lewis than what I had seen and heard, I just never knew the true scope and breadth of his wisdom and skill!   hide

If it were at all possible, this book made me fall in love with the Chronicles even more than I had previously. I would recommend this work highly to anyone who has read through the entirety of the seven Chronicles (and will). The archetypes that Lewis uses to communicate God's character are something beautiful to have uncovered. I hope others can appreciate this work as well in its...more

If it were at all possible, this book made me fall in love with the Chronicles even more than I had previously. I would recommend this work highly to anyone who has read through the entirety of the seven Chronicles (and will). The archetypes that Lewis uses to communicate God's character are something beautiful to have uncovered. I hope others can appreciate this work as well in its donegality.   hide