This will be of interest to any fan of Narnia or C.S. Lewis

[tree_and_leaf]

Harper Collins have published a whole swathe of juvenilia. Specifically, Lewis' fantasy writings on the land of Boxen (and I had no idea he was still playing about with it in 1928, when he'd been a fellow of Magdalen College for three years).

Will be fascinating to look at, especially as one never normally thinks of Lewis as a world-builder, exactly.

Random sidenote: If wikipedia is to believed, then while Betjeman disliked Lewis, who was his tutor (I knew this; probably has something to do with the fact that Lewis thought he was idle and rather silly), Kenneth Tynan, who he also taught, retained a lifelong admiration for him, which piece of trivia rather surprised me. It just goes to show one should never make assumptions about how people will get on based on their beliefs.

Comments

[legionseagle.livejournal.com]

Have you read the Betjeman comment on Lewis's reaction to Betjman being sent down, in Summoned By Bells? It does strike me as a bit on the callous side.

[tree_and_leaf]

Yes, it was a bit, though I've read Lewis' side of it as well, and he mostly comes over as being very frustrated by Betjeman's unwillingness to do the work. I suppose it's a classic example of the shortcomings in the tutorial system; it's wonderful if you find your tutor's approach congenial, but sometimes you just get a tutor (or indeed a student) who rubs you up the wrong way, and the whole thing becomes very difficult and unproductive for both parties. Yes, one ought to be able to put that aside, but it's very difficult to do so entirely in a one-on-one.

[overconvergent.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent piece of writing; all of the fun and gaiety of being a student, followed by the bucket of icy water as he realizes he's failed.

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

HC have wanted to publish new Lewis titles for years - this is far preferable to their rumoured commissioning of a new author to continue the Narnia saga.

[tree_and_leaf]

this is far preferable to their rumoured commissioning of a new author to continue the Narnia saga.

*headdesk*

Harper Collins have always struck me as remarkably rapacious, but this is definitely the more tolerable option (I recall reading Surprised by Joy as a teenager and thinking that I'd like to read Lewis' Boxoniana, so I'm quite excited, really).

[parrot-knight.livejournal.com]

A Google ad is urging me to buy the DVD of something called 'Prince Casbian' - perhaps the new author has already been at work?

I was greatly intrigued by the Brontes' Angrian juvenilia, though what I've read of it isn't particularly accessible, so I'd be interested to see how Boxen reads.

[tree_and_leaf]

*g*

Yes, the bits of Angria I have read were very tantalising (at the risk of sounding lowbrow, I'd rather read that than "Villette"...)

[overconvergent.livejournal.com]

Lewis thought he was idle and rather silly

To be honest, I think this was quite an accurate assessment of Betjeman at the time.

[tree_and_leaf]

From what I know of JB as an undergraduate, I think I'd have wanted to slap him, so I must admit that while 'You'd have got a third, anyway', may not have been the most pastorally sensitive of comments when sending down an undergrad (though it may have been meant in the sense of 'no point wasting your time as well as ours further!'), my sympathies are mostly with Lewis.

[harriet-wimsey.livejournal.com]

Oh, fun! I've always enjoyed Boxen--we have an old edition of it that I read in elementary school.

[tree_and_leaf]

I have to admit I didn't realise it had been published before *is out of touch*