A Guy Named Clive

Nope, not Clive Owens of that Closer chick movie; I'm referring to Clive Staples "Jack" Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia and Her Hotness, Delia Gallagher's fellow Oxonian.

I must admit I am a CS Lewis 'ho - I've read all the 7 books in the Narnia series. Ironically, I actually didn't start with Narnia, I started with something more serious - a former HS teacher gave me my first CS Lewis - "Problem of Pain" - for Christmas (!!!??). Needless to say, reading it was painful enough that up to this very day, I have not finished the book (despite several attempts). But I did read other CS Lewis work - among them, "A Grief Observed", "Screwtape Letters", "Surprised by Joy", "Mere Christianity", "Four Loves", "Great Divorce", "Till We Have Faces", the Space Trilogy. Yes, Uncle Jack was a very prolific writer.

I love CS Lewis a lot. The right side of my brain dreamt of attending Magdalen College. I impulsively stopped by Oxford (on my way to London from Scotland one adventurous New Year's eve) just to go to The Eagle and Child, Jack's (and Tolkien's) favorite pub. In yesterday's "Live From..." appearance, Delia alluded to having been there herself... hhmmm... I wonder if I actually inadvertently picked up some of her molecules from my pub pilgimage? I have a DVD of PBS' "The Question of God", I saw BBC's low budget production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, even tried some Turkish delight from the corner Mediterranean store. When the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies started filming, I knew it was just a matter of time before the studios snap up the Narnia franchise. Yes, I am a proud, card-carrying CS Lewis 'Ho.

Other than to impress Delia (which I am trying to) by suggesting that I am smart (which I am actually not) because I read CS Lewis, I really encourage you to pick up his books. They're not a bad bunch, really. You can go through the 7 Narnia titles in probably a month as they are short and exciting and utterly poetic. His philosophical books are equally entertaining and lyrical and provocative, but not in a "my-brain-hurts" kind of way. Uncle Jack's writings remain as relevant to me today as the first time I read them: "A Grief Observed" was comforting when my mom died, "The Screwtape Letters" helped me made some sense of 9/11, "Till We Have Faces" is always a good, I've-been-dumped-must-move-on-now book (not that I've been dumped that often! Really, I haven't...).

Given that I actually know what Narnia is all about... I wish CNN and Delia had not reported on its religious marketing because doing so just sort of validated Disney's and the evangelical's gimmick. Just like any movie, Narnia is plain entertainment, it is not supposed to grant you any plenary indulgences. If you came out a better Christian after seeing it, then good for you. At the very least, just hope your $8 will be worth it. I've seen some movies, that, even without the whole Christian marketing bullshit hoopla, made me think of God: among them "Ghost", "Brother Sun, Sister Moon", LOTR, and of course, the Starwars series.

I just hate how the Jesus Freaks have hi-jacked even the simple joy of going to the movies that some people run away as fast they can with the slightest FAV ad (in defiance) while others lap it up like --- (insert your favorite crude analogy here).

I cringe when I think of how Uncle Jack must be feeling right now, from his perch atop the Great Divorce...


Added: Delia said in her package that "The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe" (LWW) movie "is based on the first book of the Chronicles of Narnia, a beloved seven volume series by the late British author C.S. Lewis." Dutifully, I took out my old boxed set and checked... and actually, Delia is incorrect: LWW is the second book. Book 1 is "The Magician's Nephew" which tells the story of how Polly Plummer and Digory Kirke brought back the apple from Narnia that cured Digory's mom and from which came the apple tree that was eventually chopped down and made into that wardrobe in book 2.

Unlike the Harry Potter series which chronicles his every year at Hogswarth, the Narnia books are not as chronologically defined. There are probably at least 25 Shadowland years between the 1st and 2nd books (i.e., Digory by the 2nd book is now an elderly professor), and by the time the great battle in the 7th book takes place, hundreds of Narnia years have gone by and the Pevensie children (except for Susan) are now ensconsed in the pantheon of Narnia's kings. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you might as well read the books. I promise you, they're worth your time.

Key words: Delia Gallagher, CNN, Lewis