I’m not sure I’ve ever read a book that combines so many of the disciplines I love into one work. If you are like me and enjoy any or all of the above—or simply love the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, then you need to pick up this book.
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War by Joseph Loconte has been on my to read list for a good while. I actually got the book for Christmas, even though it just now made it to the top of my stack.
And wow. I learned things I didn’t know about World War I. I learned things I didn’t know about Tolkien and Lewis. I learned things I didn’t know about The Lord of the Rings series and the Chronicles of Narnia. (So much so that I want to go back and re-read them all!) And all of these things were wrapped up in what Tolkien and Lewis were saying about the life of a Christian in a fallen world, one where evil seems to be overshadowing everything.
I love so many things the author points out about these two amazing writers, not the least of which is their friendship—and our need of friendship as we journey through such a world. Both do a great job of showing this in their books.
But perhaps the greatest feeling upon closing this book was gratitude to the Lord for sparing both of these young men in the horrific battles of the Great War. Either or both could have been physical killed. Either or both could have come away, as many of their comrades did, either battling shell shock or succumbing to disillusionment. Instead, Tolkien found solace in his God and telling his stories through the vehicle of fiction. And he was instrumental in bringing Lewis to meet Jesus, that he, too might be a voice of hope in an age disillusioned by war. Let down by the belief that mankind was steadily moving toward perfection and peace.
I highly recommend this book, not only for helping you to understand the First World War, which so many of us know so little about, but also for helping you to see more clearly how Tolkien and Lewis both portray our battle in life on earth through their fiction.
That sounds very interesting. I have looked at it in the past but you have convinced me to get a copy. Currently reading a history of Istanbul from approximately 1870. The end of the Ottoman Empire and the two wars are covered.
That sounds very interesting! Especially since I just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr and the past story (there are past, present and future storylines that all eventually connect) is set during the fall of Constantinople. I don’t know much about that period in that part of the world. But I think you’ll like the book I wrote about. It was a quick read because it was so interesting!
Thanks. I will look into that. Praying about the water leak🙏🏻
Thank you so much! At least we’ve found a place to settle for the duration. That has significantly reduced our stress.