Comments on: Have you ever read a book…

By: Jody

Jody — Sat, 03 May 2014 00:38:31 +0000

I found his books ‘Mere Christianity” and ‘A Grief Observed’ in the garage (synchronicity actually…I surely don’t remember buying them, either.)

After glancing at a few pages, I think my initial post is wrong.

By: podrock

podrock — Fri, 02 May 2014 22:20:25 +0000

The movie “Shadowlands” is based on his love story.

By: Jody

Jody — Fri, 02 May 2014 21:10:03 +0000

That is a point well taken!

By: podrock

podrock — Fri, 02 May 2014 18:47:14 +0000

Try “The Screwtape Letters”.

By: mcfly

mcfly — Fri, 02 May 2014 17:32:33 +0000

If you find yourself asking “what’s he/she driving at?” imho that can be a sign of masterful writing, because at that point you are most definitely *involved.* There are always at least two voices at play…the author’s and yours. Great works may have you dangling for the rest of your life.

By: Jody

Jody — Fri, 02 May 2014 02:47:13 +0000

Lewis lost his beloved wife to cancer, and it was his pain of that loss that I read in the store when I bought the book, thinking that his passion was based on that.

I crave the vulnerability of writers who have suffered battles of silent despair but won the war on their dignity and love deep, love hard, in spite of their deep emotional wounds. THAT is what is real…Our own personal stories of hell and triumph against all odds is not an illusion.

By: FrankC

FrankC — Fri, 02 May 2014 01:36:53 +0000

Maybe more like not catching his drift rather than not understanding, or maybe I just got up on the wrong side of the bed that day.

Usually I feel like the onus is on me when it comes to works as well received as this one, but an hour after I started Neuromancer, I laid it down and never looked back.

As for C. S. Lewis, I am a big fan of Phillip Pullman, (His Dark Materials), as such I probably should try to read some C. S. Lewis for counterpoint, (I liked the Narnia movies), but I haven’t found time or sufficient inclination to wade into his Christian philosophy.

By: TB

TB — Thu, 01 May 2014 21:40:28 +0000

Excerpts often require more context.

Particularly in a book that combines Lewis’ more basic ideas with concepts from some of his more complex books, and skips around at that.

Maybe try some of the books themselves?

By: ER

ER — Thu, 01 May 2014 20:58:12 +0000

I’ve never read CS Lewis, but I understand he was a Christian philosopher.

But you have to keep in mind, even though he may have been a wise man, and have much of value to contribute, he has exactly the same knowledge of the universe that you do. No more, no less. Only his interpretation and perspective is different.

I was really impressed with Alan Watts when I read him as a young man. Watts was a leading authority on Zen Buddhism, although he was also an Episcopal priest.

Remember, we all see different universes around us, but they are really all the same universe. We simply see them through different filters, and interpret them in different ways, using different metaphors.

And remember, there is no Truth, except for trivial things like mathematical expressions of physical law. None of those things make any real emotional or spiritual difference to us, unless we’re designing circuits or undertaking some other purely mechanical operation. When it comes to what’s going on in our heads, or the heads of those around us, or our communities, or history, we’re all on our own. Mr Lewis or Mr Watts may have something to teach is, but we can’t really count on it.

By: Jody

Jody — Thu, 01 May 2014 19:12:14 +0000

…or I don’t *get* it.

I am getting pretty ornery in my old age. I have my own thoughts on spirituality. I wish I could sit down and confabulate with him.