Book Review: A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War

I'm grateful for D'Ann Mateer's recommendation of Joseph Loconte's A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War. This book combines my two favorite subjects, history and literature. While at Wheaton College, I spent hours working in The Wade Center, a museum dedicated to the writings of seven Christian British writers. What a privilege to transcribe C. S. Lewis' personal letters! Then I was fortunate enough to travel with the director in Scotland for an oral history interview with Lewis' first cousin. Indeed, that cemented my desire to pursue a Master's degree in history. So I was eager to get my hands on this book devoted to the influences that shaped the writings of two Wade Center writers.

The fires of adversity forge influential writers and form lasting friendships. J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis have both written books that have touched many. Yet we might not have books from either author without the other. Tolkien prodded Lewis' faith. Lewis propelled Tolkien's persistence. 

Loconte shows how God used war's devastation to shape the faith and writings of these two outstanding authors. Their lives and perspectives changed forever. They both sought to embody their stories with small, average people tackling intense battles of good against evil. Tolkien's hobbits became heroes. Lewis' children became kings and queens.

That Tolkien and Lewis found each other in Oxford is a testament to God's grace and purpose in their lives. I loved reading about the power of friendship in the Inklings, a group of like-minded Christian writers. As Lewis remarked, "What I owe them is incalculable. Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?" That truly sounds heavenly. I would love an opportunity to sit with a circle of Christian friends by a good fire! Loconte observes, "Their experience reminds us that great friendship is a gift born of adversity: it is made possible by the common struggle against the world's darkness."

I only recently encountered Tolkien's term "eucatastrophe" in another book. It is "a decisive act of Grace that promises to overcome our guilt, restore what has been lost, and set things right." Then, I heard it again on the When There Are No Words podcast. This concept is intriguing. It is what we see at the end of their books and what we can expect at the end of our world. Come, Lord Jesus, come! Both Tolkien and Lewis teach us we are part of a great story playing out in time. It is an "epic story of sacrifice and courage and clashing armies: the Return of the King... a day when every heart will be laid bare. We will know, with inexpressible joy or unspeakable sorrow, whether we have chosen Light or Darkness." 

What have you chosen? Do you deny the King? Or do you belong to the King? Will the horrors of this battle between good and evil leave you disillusioned? Or will you cling to the hope of our Savior who promises the ultimate eucatastrophe?

If you find this topic appealing yet lack time to read, stay tuned for Thursday's Mid-Month Mention.