[ONR]⋙ Read That Hideous Strength C S Lewis 9780007157174 Books

That Hideous Strength C S Lewis 9780007157174 Books

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That Hideous Strength C S Lewis 9780007157174 Books

I just finished reading all three of CS Lewis' Space Trilogy back-to-back (published in 1938, 1943, and 1945) over the past few weeks. First caution, don't start with the 3rd book in the trilogy. The trilogy is a masterpiece, but jumping into the 3rd book will seriously shortchange what you will understand if you read all three in order. Second caution, don't start with the 2nd book in the trilogy. The series geometrically builds the cast, plot, and stakes book-by-book. A shortcut only shortchanges you. That said, this magnificent trilogy builds a fictional setting of interlocking stories that That Hideous Strength: (Space Trilogy, Book Three) (The Space Trilogy 3)culminate, in the third, by illustrating that hideous strength which Lewis later describes in the tiny prose book: The Abolition of Man (1947). My interest in reading the trilogy after reading The Abolition of Man was piqued by the first of the seven (highest-quality HD) video lecture series on C. S. Lewis, all of which are presented free and streaming: just google "Hillsdale College C. S. Lewis lecture one" and enjoy this incredibly generous series. For the purpose of this book review, and for your greatest enjoyment, don't go past video lecture one and its Q&A session, but go from there to read The Abolition of Man (one-hour read), then the space trilogy in order. After you're done, return to the free lecture series 2 through 7. In this order, you'll maximize enjoyment of this banquet, without any spoilers.


Tags : That Hideous Strength [C S Lewis] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The third novel in the science-fiction trilogy by C.S. Lewis. This final story is set on Earth, and tells of a terrifying conspiracy against humanity. The story surrounds Mark and Jane Studdock,C S Lewis,That Hideous Strength,Gardners Books,0007157177,Classic fiction,Science fiction

That Hideous Strength C S Lewis 9780007157174 Books Reviews

I recently picked up and re-read C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. Perelanda, the second book in the series, is one of my favorite Lewis works - and so I picked up Out of the Silent Planet (the first book in the series) and That Hideous Strength to refresh my experience of the whole story.

That Hideous Strength is the longest of the three and is, I think, the most difficult to connect with on a personal level. It doesn't have the simplicity and wonder that Perelandra has - nor does it have the wonder of the fantastic that carries Out of the Silent Planet. The story is darker, the imagery harder to engage, and the plot a bit less adventuresome. The field of characters is much broader as the plot is more complex. It feels a little more like a psychological drama than a fantasy.

Now, having said that, I still enjoy it. It is a powerful conclusion to the themes introduced in the first two novels and brings the character of Ransom full circle. The mystical creatures of the first two books are still present, but they are invisible influencers - much more like what we would call demonic forces (which is the point). The novel is very much an exploration of the clash of humanistic materialism with a Christian philosophy or moral absolutes. In fact, Lewis compares the novel to his non-fiction work, The Abolition of Man - and will reward the non-casual reader who will do some critical reading along with the source material.

The series is excellent and should be read by any fan of Lewis - if for no other reason, than it will put Perelandra in its proper focus... and it is a true gem of what makes Lewis so loved - complex emotional and spiritual tensions explored in wonderfully enticing fantasy worlds.
This is the third and best book of C.S. Lewis' trilogy about Dr. Ransom. Though aspects of the other two stories are mentioned, it isn't necessary to have read them to enjoy this book, which holds its own. In this one Dr. Ransom has returned from his space travels, but he is a minor character this time, though his character does influence key events. The main characters are Mark and Jane Studdock, a young married couple with typical modern ideas. Mark craves to be part of the "inner circle" at his university, and Jane is already tired of her marriage, especially since it's clear Mark's professional goals have top priority by a long margin.

The story startled me with its very clear portrayal of how an evil organization manipulates its members and, through them, public support of its goals. This part of the story in particular is extremely relevant today. In one chapter, Mark is persuaded to submit several articles to different newspapers that intentionally mislead, manipulate and divide the local population. Several chapters later, Mark is astonished at the results --- as larger and larger numbers of people are forced out of their homes or summarily imprisoned, either for not supporting the organization's increasingly militaristic strategies for control or just because they are in the way, their former friends and neighbors are apathetic, saying they "obviously deserved it" because they were "in the way of progress".

This alone makes the book well worth reading. I believe similar strategies are being used in the media today.

C.S. Lewis was a prolific Christian writer. This and the two other books of the trilogy have a strong Christian theme underlying the science fiction stories. For readers looking for books similar to the Chronicles of Narnia, this may be a little too different and adult-themed to satisfy (as one who has re-read the Narnia books until they fell apart, I could never really love this trilogy). Also, the science fiction is interesting, but I'm not really a science fiction fan and the whole interplanetary backstory for Elwin Ransom as well as the bizarre interpretation of the character of Merlin from Arthurian Legend didn't grab me.

However, the examination of how intelligent propaganda deliberately turns neighbors against each other and clears the way for an evil group of people to replace government was fascinating and very well done. C.S. Lewis was certainly paying attention to propaganda strategies during WWII. I think that's how this part of the story so clearly emerged.
I just finished reading all three of CS Lewis' Space Trilogy back-to-back (published in 1938, 1943, and 1945) over the past few weeks. First caution, don't start with the 3rd book in the trilogy. The trilogy is a masterpiece, but jumping into the 3rd book will seriously shortchange what you will understand if you read all three in order. Second caution, don't start with the 2nd book in the trilogy. The series geometrically builds the cast, plot, and stakes book-by-book. A shortcut only shortchanges you. That said, this magnificent trilogy builds a fictional setting of interlocking stories that That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy, Book Three) (The Space Trilogy 3)culminate, in the third, by illustrating that hideous strength which Lewis later describes in the tiny prose book The Abolition of Man (1947). My interest in reading the trilogy after reading The Abolition of Man was piqued by the first of the seven (highest-quality HD) video lecture series on C. S. Lewis, all of which are presented free and streaming just google "Hillsdale College C. S. Lewis lecture one" and enjoy this incredibly generous series. For the purpose of this book review, and for your greatest enjoyment, don't go past video lecture one and its Q&A session, but go from there to read The Abolition of Man (one-hour read), then the space trilogy in order. After you're done, return to the free lecture series 2 through 7. In this order, you'll maximize enjoyment of this banquet, without any spoilers.