My having spent a few days in Oxford really helps to picture and appreciate these letters.
The letters continue to be to Jack's "Papy" and Arthur, alias "Galahad." He's struggling with a poetic work on Medea's early life; he scraps it. Hooper's note (p. 286) says he picks it back up but only fragments remain. 6 Mar. he says that Catullus is one of his poetic "gods," along with Morris and Keats. Interesting.
He is reading The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth C. Gaskell, and really likes it; he keeps talking about it. Sadly, he sees God as torturing Charlotte in it; "cruelty after cruelty without escape," "he's just in his element." He takes a moral lesson from it, however, to appreciate ones circumstances.
"I have finished "Paradise Lost" again." p. 290. 20 May, he writes that he is glad to hear from Arthur that he too likes Milton. In the same letter, he expresses delight in the artwork of Albrecht Durer.
He keeps having petty problems with his father (8 Mar.). It seems Albert was just too sensitive to the inevitable misunderstandings that take place when business is conducted via post. It has to be really hurtful to Jack.
14 Mar., Jack talks about how he likes to "keep to his bed" when he is ill and all the different comforts he enjoys when he has to do it. He just likes to be cozy and read good books, that's all!
Per Hooper, Jack was 5 feet 10 3/4 inches tall and 182 pounds when he entered the Officer Training Corp at Oxford. Hm. Sounds like me!
"How I love kettles!" (p. 298)
While residing at Oxford at this time, he had a roommate named Edgell that he hated. The fellow was a Christian and a mechanic-type. They had nothing in common. The fellow also seemed to lack social grace in dealing with Lewis; too bad. It could have been a great opportunity for helping Jack toward Christ. He was very interested in religion at this time and enjoyed talking about it with non-Christian, inquiring types. See Hooper note, 72, p. 303, where one of Jack's fellows describes him; mentions his interest in religion and how challenging he was in his scepticism. But beside Edgell, Lewis is finding himself happier than he has ever been (p. 304, 13 May).
27 May - mentions The World's Desire by both H. Rider Haggard and Andrew Lang as something he's enjoying. Got to read that. In the same letter, p. 310, he has a paragraph describing how his days are spent. The OTC is asking very little of him at this time. Lewis comes across lots of his Malvern acquaintances at Oxford but he really likes writing about those who are Irish and especially patriotic. It stands out in these letters that whenever Lewis writes favourably about England, he always says something like, "but not to be compared with our old hills, etc." He himself is very patriotic; he prefers the Irish above all others.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Hooper's Doctorate - Bravo! Well Deserved!
From the Wade Center site:
Walter Hooper receives Honorary Doctorate from Concordia University
On Monday evening, March 26, 2007, in Austin, Texas, Concordia University at Austin presented Oxford resident Walter Hooper with an honorary doctorate in recognition of more than four decades of work in finding, collecting, and editing the letters, essays, and other works of C. S. Lewis. The degree was presented by Provost Alan Runge, Regent Daniel Schaeffer, and Dr. Joel Heck, Vice President of Academic Services. Concordia University is a four-year Christian liberal arts institution.
Walter Hooper receives Honorary Doctorate from Concordia University
On Monday evening, March 26, 2007, in Austin, Texas, Concordia University at Austin presented Oxford resident Walter Hooper with an honorary doctorate in recognition of more than four decades of work in finding, collecting, and editing the letters, essays, and other works of C. S. Lewis. The degree was presented by Provost Alan Runge, Regent Daniel Schaeffer, and Dr. Joel Heck, Vice President of Academic Services. Concordia University is a four-year Christian liberal arts institution.
7 Dec. 1916 - 20 Feb. 1917
Lewis' first impression of Oxford, written to his father: "The place has surpassed my wildest dreams: I never saw anything so beautiful, especially on these frosty moonlight nights...." In 7 Feb. he describes his love for "real winter." All the water in the house is frozen, the snow covers everything, and he loves ice skating.
Jack has visited Oxford to take his initial exams. Hooper has included another Kirk letter about Lewis; K. never expected to have another student like Lewis. K. speaks here of Lewis' perseverance and hard work.
28 Jan., he mentions his copy of Cupid and Psyche, so he's read that by now. He's also begun work on the prose Dymer. In 15 Feb., he mentions starting the poetry version.
His letters to Arthur are full of the latest books and editions they are reading. Sadly, it also has the first, and a good deal, about his interest in sadism and masochism. He signs his letters - in Greek - "Philomastix" - lover of the whip. I don't understand this stuff and simply do not want to. I'm comforted to know this passed away out of his life in time.
Jack has visited Oxford to take his initial exams. Hooper has included another Kirk letter about Lewis; K. never expected to have another student like Lewis. K. speaks here of Lewis' perseverance and hard work.
28 Jan., he mentions his copy of Cupid and Psyche, so he's read that by now. He's also begun work on the prose Dymer. In 15 Feb., he mentions starting the poetry version.
His letters to Arthur are full of the latest books and editions they are reading. Sadly, it also has the first, and a good deal, about his interest in sadism and masochism. He signs his letters - in Greek - "Philomastix" - lover of the whip. I don't understand this stuff and simply do not want to. I'm comforted to know this passed away out of his life in time.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
18 July, 1916 - 25 Oct. 1916
This set starts out with the amusing complaint of Lewis about dating letters; "a date is a meaningless thing." A bit silly, really.
Before commenting on his reading, two things keep standing out: 1) his priggishness, which he later admits, and 2) his enjoyment of the grammaphone. He's constantly writing about the records he and Arthur are listening to.
Through these letters, Lewis keeps looking forward to getting "Letters from Hell" (Thisted, transl. by Sutter); when he finally gets it, he didn't like it and put it away in a drawer. Seems that it was something Arthur liked. Hooper's footnote, p. 215, asks the obvious question about influence on Screwtape.
We have here the first really extensive comments upon Christianity by Lewis. He thinks it is pure myth. Educated people have always distanced themselves from such things (the priggish note). He is an agnostic about any thing outside the material world or life after death. He speaks of the Christian God as a bogey that wants to torture him forever if he should fail to come up to his impossible moral ideals - a spirit "more cruel and barbarous than any man". Such Christian ideas had "always considerably lessened" his happiness. (12 Oct., 18 Oct.)
He's dipping into Boswell's Johnson and loves Milton's Comus; he's increasingly devoted to Scott (p. 236).
Another student is joining them for Spanish study (6 Oct). Lewis also reveals that he's been stealing pages from that "thrice accursed felow pupil of his" to write his letters. Ha!
Before commenting on his reading, two things keep standing out: 1) his priggishness, which he later admits, and 2) his enjoyment of the grammaphone. He's constantly writing about the records he and Arthur are listening to.
Through these letters, Lewis keeps looking forward to getting "Letters from Hell" (Thisted, transl. by Sutter); when he finally gets it, he didn't like it and put it away in a drawer. Seems that it was something Arthur liked. Hooper's footnote, p. 215, asks the obvious question about influence on Screwtape.
We have here the first really extensive comments upon Christianity by Lewis. He thinks it is pure myth. Educated people have always distanced themselves from such things (the priggish note). He is an agnostic about any thing outside the material world or life after death. He speaks of the Christian God as a bogey that wants to torture him forever if he should fail to come up to his impossible moral ideals - a spirit "more cruel and barbarous than any man". Such Christian ideas had "always considerably lessened" his happiness. (12 Oct., 18 Oct.)
He's dipping into Boswell's Johnson and loves Milton's Comus; he's increasingly devoted to Scott (p. 236).
Another student is joining them for Spanish study (6 Oct). Lewis also reveals that he's been stealing pages from that "thrice accursed felow pupil of his" to write his letters. Ha!
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
14 June 1916 - 11 July, 1916
Little profound here. Besides other things, (like Tristan) Lewis is reading Archadia and loving it. He, his father, and Mr. K. are working on which colleges to apply to at Oxford. Jack is insisting on joining the army. He persuades Arthur to send him a story he is working on and Jack loves it. Arthur is also supposed to be illustrating Lewis' Bleheris. Lewis is sending him chapters as they are done. He manages to get Arthur to read some Christina Rosetti; he wants Arthur to appreciate poetry more.
Lewis is already quoting Milton's Paradise Lost in the body of his letters. Mercy.
Lewis shares his advice with Arthur about how a budding author needs to keep writing, even if he throw it away. The experience is good for him. As the letters proceed, he keeps offering advice on writing (11 July), such as not doing things in a hurry, allowing any rapid burst of writing energy to tame down. He also says he likes to put stories together in his head when he is out walking, which is the "only" time his imagination "works". It is interesting to read Lewis' opinions on writing at this age. The things he says are helpful.
Lewis thinks marriage is unlikely for the present; he'll let Arthur know if something happens.
Lewis is already quoting Milton's Paradise Lost in the body of his letters. Mercy.
Lewis shares his advice with Arthur about how a budding author needs to keep writing, even if he throw it away. The experience is good for him. As the letters proceed, he keeps offering advice on writing (11 July), such as not doing things in a hurry, allowing any rapid burst of writing energy to tame down. He also says he likes to put stories together in his head when he is out walking, which is the "only" time his imagination "works". It is interesting to read Lewis' opinions on writing at this age. The things he says are helpful.
Lewis thinks marriage is unlikely for the present; he'll let Arthur know if something happens.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
31 Jan. 1916 - 6 June, 1916
This is an important section. While Lewis is finishing the Fairie Queen on the weekends, he has happened upon MacDonald's Phantastes (7 Mar. p. 169). It is unusual, up to this point, for Lewis to rave about a book like he dies this one. He and Arthur seem to be interested in following this up with and Sir Gibbie and At the Back of the North Wind. In this same letter, Lewis makes the comment of how Arthur might some day convince him to be a Christian (p. 171).
He continues to complain about his fellow student, "the bloodly little beast." p. 164.
Interestingly, in 14 Mar., he jokes with Arthur about their someday publishing their letters - as lamentations!
Jack is also especially enjoying Chopin. Sadly, he also tells Arthur that the reason he does not invite Arthur over to his house when he is home is his father. He considers him to be "an obstacle." Thus, Jack spends his time with Arthur over at Arthur's house. It's sad.
On p. 178, our St. Hooper includes an interesting letter from Kirk to Albert, in which Kirk says that Clive (who is approaching 18 years of age) has read more classics than anyone else he had even heard of; that normally one only reads of such people (comparing him to Addison, Landor, and Macaulay), but don't actually meet them.
On 8 May, Albert wrote to Kirk that Jack had decided to serve in the Army but he also wanted to see if he could get into Oxford. Kirk thinks Jack will have no problem at all.
30 May, Jack is done with Rob Roy, is "bucked" about Chaucer, and says that he had long before found that ink is the great cure for all human ills. So he refers to that life long practice of working out his inner struggles by writing about them.
He continues to complain about his fellow student, "the bloodly little beast." p. 164.
Interestingly, in 14 Mar., he jokes with Arthur about their someday publishing their letters - as lamentations!
Jack is also especially enjoying Chopin. Sadly, he also tells Arthur that the reason he does not invite Arthur over to his house when he is home is his father. He considers him to be "an obstacle." Thus, Jack spends his time with Arthur over at Arthur's house. It's sad.
On p. 178, our St. Hooper includes an interesting letter from Kirk to Albert, in which Kirk says that Clive (who is approaching 18 years of age) has read more classics than anyone else he had even heard of; that normally one only reads of such people (comparing him to Addison, Landor, and Macaulay), but don't actually meet them.
On 8 May, Albert wrote to Kirk that Jack had decided to serve in the Army but he also wanted to see if he could get into Oxford. Kirk thinks Jack will have no problem at all.
30 May, Jack is done with Rob Roy, is "bucked" about Chaucer, and says that he had long before found that ink is the great cure for all human ills. So he refers to that life long practice of working out his inner struggles by writing about them.
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