Bedeviled

April 15, 2015

Christians often find it challenging to explain the existence of evil in the world. Authors C.S Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, along with Oxford colleagues belonging to a literary group known as the Inklings, took up this challenge specifically in response to World War I and World War II. Duriez (The Oxford Inklings; Tolkien and C.S. Lewis) examines how the Inklings dealt with the powers of darkness in the stories they wrote between the wars and during World War II. Lewis is his main focus, and Duriez provides a detailed chronological examination of the theme of good and evil in his books. The work also offers historical context focusing on the global conflicts and explores how Lewis and his colleagues discussed and wrote about the human condition. Many of the stories, such as Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, remain part of contemporary classic literature. VERDICT Written over several years, this work reads more like a collection of essays than a cohesive narrative. Readers new to the Inklings may appreciate a more basic starting place. Followers of Duriez and fans of Lewis and Tolkien will, however, welcome this addition to the field with its detailed analysis.--Judy Solberg, Sacramento, CA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.