The Library (non-Narnian Literature) - The Lion's Call Forum

Screwtape Letters (CS Lewis)

Ajnos Gamgee — Sun, 28 Jan 2024 22:00:42 +0000

Here's a place to discuss all things Screwtape (related to CS Lewis' The Screwtape Letters and Screwtape Proposes a Toast). This could include your favourite quotes or concepts, thoughts on the premise or anything else that interests you about the topic.

I was a little surprised we don't have this topic already, though there are some mentions of Screwtape elsewhere. Yesterday, I was reminded about the quote given below which I shared on FB twelve years ago when I first read it. (It's kind of ironic, as it gives a pretty good description of what Facebook is like, even more so these days). I have already shared it in the Bird&Baby chat thread, but then thought The Letters deserved their own topic.

If you are not familiar with the premise, they are a series of satirical fictional letters from a demon called Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood instructing him how to best guide/tempt a man away from God. The "he" in the quote refers to the man ("patient") Wormwood has been assigned to be tempted. (I'll add in the reference to the chapter it's from once I can get to my copy).

As this condition becomes more fully established, you will be gradually freed from the tiresome business of providing Pleasures as temptations....You no longer need a good book, which he really likes, to keep him from his prayers or his work or his sleep; a column of advertisements in yesterday's paper will do. You can make him waste his time not only in conversation he enjoys with people whom he likes, but in conversations with those he cares nothing about on subjects that bore him. You can make him do nothing at all for long periods...As one of my own patients said on his arrival down here, "I now see that I spent most of my life in doing neither what I ought nor what I liked".

All Time Favorite Shakespeare Plays

jasmine_tarkheena — Wed, 11 May 2022 13:54:50 +0000

There's no doubt that William Shakespeare was a great play writer of the 15th or 16th century. I'm sure we've read them or at least seen a live performance. I thought we would have a discussion about our favorite Shakespeare plays.

Hamlet is perhaps the best known. Prince Caspian in the Narnia series has often been viewed as re-telling of Hamlet. The difference, well, there isn't a ghost of Caspian IX appearing before Caspian X and Prince Caspian doesn't have the tragic ending like Hamlet does. Even Disney's The Lion King has often been view as retelling of Hamlet. Though Nala doesn't drown herself like Ophelia does, and there's not the tragic ending once again. I mean, Disney wouldn't do that.

Romeo and Juliet is another well-known Shakespeare play. It's the story of star-crossed lovers. Every year on Valentine's Day, people in Verona, Italy, leave notes at where it says to be Juliet's balcony. You can almost imagine Romeo and Juliet being an opera, since most operas are tragic love stories.

Measure For Measure is an unique play because it's both a tragedy and comedy. It's really rare because they're usually one or the other. Some could argue it's Shakespeare's most religious play, though we are not certain of his religious beliefs. While the play isn't necessarily going after the church, it does tackle on issues like good and evil, oppression, abuse of power, lust. Angelo claims to be a religious person and but as time went on, he turns out to be a hypocrite.

My favorite is perhaps Othello. Much like the Calormenes in Narnia, there's been debate about if the portrayal of Othello was racist. Othello is a moor in Venice, and his right hand man Iago (not the parrot), has become increasingly jealous and manipulative. The phrase "green eyed monster" actually all came from Othello.

What are your all-time favorite Shakespeare plays?

What Do You Look For?

Kristi — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 14:36:58 +0000

This almost belongs in the writing thread, but I'll put it here anyway.

As I look into starting another novel, I've been thinking about what it is that makes me want to read a certain book, or, conversely, turns me off of one.

Things that attract me to a story:

Interesting characters: Not necessarily the main character. For example, the Pevensies are a little light on personality traits. They are more portrayed as Everyman characters, and it works. We live vicariously through them. I think even Frodo is a little more like this than other members of the Fellowship, but he works as the hero anyway. Mind you, surrounding characters make up for the relative blandness of the POV character: Puddleglum, Reepicheep, Aslan, Jadis, Gimli, Boromir, Sam...

An interesting premise: Jurassic Park the book gets by on the strength of its concept, because honestly, none of the characters are pleasant enough that we much care if they survive, though we are nominally rooting for Grant (And wish Rexie would eat Lex).

Those two features of a story are probably universally recognized, but I'd add another few that I've been missing lately:

Honor: What happened to this? What happened to characters like Aragorn and Faramir who do something because it's the right thing to do, without making a great fuss about it? I don't see this in the latest crop of dystopian, humanistic fiction. (But I'd love some recommendations of contemporary stories where it can be found.) What happened to Jim Hawkins giving his word to Long John not to run away and KEEPING it when Dr. Livesay encouraged him to flee? (Let's be honest, we'd all run, and we'd probably tell our kids to run, but...it's just so refreshing.)

Thought-provoking: Not always required. Sometimes it's enough to just sit back and enjoy an adventure. the Ranger's Apprentice books and the YA Jedi Apprentice books weren't gonna make you think, but sometimes it's nice when a book does. (Conversely, sometimes a book can make you think almost too hard. Lawhead is great, be he demands a lot.) I felt the Wingfeather Saga really missed the opportunity to explore the nature of its four or five sibling relationships, which would have added depth to the story.

What do you guys think? What makes or breaks a story for you?

Little Lord Fauntleroy

hansgeorg — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 11:03:06 +0000

Anyone read it? I never read the book version, only a Classics Illustrated version.

I never read Anne of Green Gables, but somehow it made me think of LLF.

Disappointing Series Endings

Kristi — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:20:14 +0000

So I've been taking time recently to wrap up the final book or two of several series I started five to ten years ago and sort of stalled on. With some I realized I'd really lost interest and didn't care much about the characters anymore (Artemis Fowl). With others, I was pleasantly surprised to pick up a series and find old friends (finishing Ranger's Apprentice has started me rereading the series, started me reading the companion series Brotherband, and eagerly looking forward to the two prequel books). And then there are the books that just make me mad...like the last book of Sisters Grimm. I was furious with it. And the final book of the Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica is infuriating me too (He has 71 pages to fix the mess he's made of a really good series concept...I don't foresee him doing it. I should have stopped at book one.) There's book four of the Ender Quartet, which I find a rather unpleasant series overall, though the first book has an impressive premise. Gotta get to that soon...

And then there's the series I willfully abandoned after a sound investment of six or seven books: The Bloody Jack Adventures. I used to say it was the series I wanted to write when I was a kid, but the fact that the heroine didn't mature at all between the ages of 13 and 17 and was still making the most abominable moral decisions finally had me rooting that the British government would, indeed, catch and hang her (No such luck. I read the final book summary.) I refuse to finish this one. I'm 38 years old and I'm allowed.

What about you? Have you read any series you wish you'd abandoned sooner? Or that made you want to burn the lot when you reached the final page?

Anne of Green Gables

Quill Jill — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:35:40 +0000

Ok, who has read/seen Anne of Green Gables? I made it a little through the 3rd book and then kind of...lost interest. :P But I really do LOVE Anne of Green Gables A LOT. I think the movies are amazing. Do ya'll have a favorite character and what not?

whispers Shakespeare

Shield Maiden — Thu, 05 Feb 2015 21:39:26 +0000

So. Thoughts. Theories. Characters that you really like. And whatnot.

I read Macbeth this year for school and REALLY enjoyed it - and I think part of that was because Lewis and Tolkien both used elements from the play in their writing, and it was interesting to note those parts in the play itself. For my final exam I wrote an essay on Macbeth's character development (which I might post here later, depending) - and gosh I just really love analyzing Shakespeare and seeing how he weaved puns and commentary and plot and character development and STILL KEPT IT IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER which is crazy insane and I want to see what you guys think about his stuff too.

Space Trilogy

jesusgirl4ever — Mon, 02 Feb 2015 16:35:12 +0000

I figured that if I keep asking questions about the trilogy in the "What readest thou?" thread, I'll just bog it down. So I'm starting a new thread for it. Hope that's all right!

So, what do you think Ransom's bleeding heel supposed to symbolize? Genesis 3:15 and the "You will bruise His heel"?

Also, I'm on That Hideous Strength, and I find I'd enjoy it more if Devine/Feverstone (and his cohorts) didn't have such dirty mouths! That drives me crazy! Anyone else?

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Benisse — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 23:58:17 +0000

I don't know how I missed them, but I never read any of the Little House series when I was growing up. Now my daughter and I are sharing them as we drive around, working our way through the Little House audiobooks and I don't know who enjoys them more between the two of us. I love the way Laura Ingalls Wilder can use such simple words to create such vivid descriptions. I love Ma's gentle and quiet spirit, but when there is crisis she springs into action and can fight off an attack of flaming tumbleweed with the best of them!

Are there any other Little House fans out there? Favorite scenes, books or characters? What do you wish Wilder had covered that is not included in the book series?

Technology and Stories

HermitoftheNorthernMarch — Thu, 07 Nov 2013 17:38:35 +0000

I have been wondering if the addition of cell phones and the internet into stories themselves have made stories better or worse.

In older stories like the original The Hardy Boys, I sometimes think when reading them that since detective methods have changed so much, that the stories would feel different if modern technology were available in them, but maybe this is the book purist in me.

What do you think about stories, adaptions, and the addition of technology?