Recent reading: The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community

[Steve Hayes]

The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in
Community by Diana Pavlac Glyer

Glyer shows how the members of the group influenced one another, and
challenges the view of many scholars that there was no such influence. She
notes that an entire generation of scholars was discouraged from studying or
asserting mutual influence among the Inklings when C.S. Lewis warned a
correspondent who asked about influence among the Inklings that he should not
�waste time� on a �barren field�. Glyer argues that there was a tendency to
confuse influence with imitation. �In claiming that Tolkien was not influenced
by Lewis, for example, scholars typically mean that his sub-created world does
not resemble Malacandra and his creative aesthetic is different from that
which envisioned Narnia.�

Full review at: http://su.pr/1sAWKh

--
Steve Hayes
Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/litmain.htm
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[Steve Morrison]

Steve Hayes wrote:
> The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in
> Community by Diana Pavlac Glyer
>
> Glyer shows how the members of the group influenced one another, and
> challenges the view of many scholars that there was no such influence. She
> notes that an entire generation of scholars was discouraged from studying or
> asserting mutual influence among the Inklings when C.S. Lewis warned a
> correspondent who asked about influence among the Inklings that he should not

> �waste time� on a �barren field�. Glyer argues that there was a tendency to
> confuse influence with imitation. �In claiming that Tolkien was not influenced

> by Lewis, for example, scholars typically mean that his sub-created world does
> not resemble Malacandra and his creative aesthetic is different from that

> which envisioned Narnia.�

>
> Full review at: http://su.pr/1sAWKh

Thanks for reminding me of this book. I saw another review a
while back, and meant to order it but forgot; now I will.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/yeftp39

[Steve Hayes]

On Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:12:42 -0400, Steve Morrison <rim...@toast.net> wrote:

>Steve Hayes wrote:
>> The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in
>> Community by Diana Pavlac Glyer
>>
>> Glyer shows how the members of the group influenced one another, and
>> challenges the view of many scholars that there was no such influence. She
>> notes that an entire generation of scholars was discouraged from studying or
>> asserting mutual influence among the Inklings when C.S. Lewis warned a
>> correspondent who asked about influence among the Inklings that he should not

>> �waste time� on a �barren field�. Glyer argues that there was a tendency to
>> confuse influence with imitation. �In claiming that Tolkien was not influenced

>> by Lewis, for example, scholars typically mean that his sub-created world does
>> not resemble Malacandra and his creative aesthetic is different from that

>> which envisioned Narnia.�

>>
>> Full review at: http://su.pr/1sAWKh
>
>Thanks for reminding me of this book. I saw another review a
>while back, and meant to order it but forgot; now I will.
>
>http://preview.tinyurl.com/yeftp39

Thanks, I didn't realise a paperback edition was available. Definitely worth
getting.

It replaces Carpenter's book as the standard work on the Inklings. In spite of
its scholarship I found it as unputdownable as a page-turner novel, which
shows that scholarship doesn't have to be dull.