“We want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as with our own.”  – C. S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis was said to be the best-read man of his generation, one who read everything and remembered everything he read. So begins David Downing and Michael Maudlin’s preface to The Reading Life: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others’ Eyes. This short collection of excerpts from C.S. Lewis’ lifetime of writings focuses on the joy and importance and need to develop the reading life. Extracted from books, essays and personal letters, these collected excerpts will take you into the mind of Lewis and his deep love of reading. 

Lewis was a man of academia, a professor of English literature who published academic papers and books but also wrote popular Christian non-fiction works like Mere Christianity alongside classic children’s literature like The Chronicles of Narnia. He read widely and saw reading as an integral part of his life, setting aside hours each day for reading and often reading for pleasure in the evenings. Reading was no mere hobby but an important tenet of his life and work.

This collection then is a wonderful introduction to Lewis in general and into his thoughts about reading specifically. His writing has often been praised for its clarity and beauty and you’ll find both in The Reading Life. More than that,  as you read you’ll find you are being pulled  into his love of reading, his insights into its importance and the journey of joy that is to be found in good books. The wardrobe will open into the deep, radiant thoughts of this man of genius and if you’re already a reader, your habit will be confirmed. If you’re an aspiring reader, those aspirations will be kindled. With each short chapter you’ll be imbued with a growing desire to turn off the television, put down your phone and sit for an hour or two with a good book.

by Aaron G Myers

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