San Francisco, Calif., Dec 6, 2005 / 22:00 pm
With the film debut of the highly anticipated Chronicles of Narnia just days away for most cities, California-based Ignatius Press has announced the re-release of a unique book chronicling the life of author C.S. Lewis.
Originally released in 1979, Remembering C.S. Lewis; Recollections of those who knew him, is made up of essays from Lewis’ friends, students and acquaintances--all of whom were specially commissioned by editor James T. Como for the book.
Como is one of the founding members of the New York C.S. Lewis Society, and an expert on Lewis’ life and writings.
Christine Valentine-Owsik, spokesperson for Ignatius Press explained that “through [the] recollections…we see Lewis as he takes on atheism, materialism, and a host of other contemporary challenges and issues.”
She said that the reader also gets a chance to see him “in everyday settings--from pacing on a railroad station platform to presiding over leisurely dinners with students…expounding on the virtues of the pub.”
In his preface for the new 2005 edition, Como recalls that “over these last thirteen years [since the book’s last edition], we will have seen what I thought most unlikely twenty-six years ago…” namely, what he called “fine scholarship” and even filmmaking, which casts light on who Lewis truly was.
He encourages readers to take an amplified look at his thought and writings, lest he regress to the status of a celebrity--”famous for being known,” particularly in light of the upcoming film.
According to Valentine-Owsik, “readers of this book and fans of Narnia will quickly see how the man who was Clive S. Lewis--’Jack’ to his friends--was a generous, imaginative, yet razor-sharp moralist and philosopher whose world view is translated into a world that rivets, charms, and disarms.”
The book sells for $16.95 and can be obtained through Ignatius Press at www.ignatius.com