A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War

Delivers what the title says.

This book was exactly what I wanted. It gives the reader both a broad overview and deep understanding of social and psychological thinking pre and post WWI and helps modern readers understand how radical Tolkien and Lewis were in their thinking when they created their most famed fantasy works. I highly recommend this book to Lewis and Tolkien fans who want to understand how WWI colored Narnia and Middle-Earth. Happy reading.

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My Tolkien-Lewis students will read this book

Any additional comments?

I have taught a course in the fiction of Tolkien and Lewis for many years now, and while I encourage my students to read in the critical, historical, and biographical literature for class presentations and papers, it is only in reading A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War that I found a book that merits requiring ALL my students to read it in order to have a shared understanding of what the Inklings - indeed, friendship in general - meant to Tolkien and Lewis, and how they helped shape each other's lives and works.

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There some good tidbits and observations but...

I should say that there are some worthwhile bits in this book. The author is at his best when speculating on he impact Tolkien and Lewis' wartime experience might have had on their imagination when writing of struggle in their own books. Unfortunately the author seems far too invested in building a background narrative of Lewis and Tolkien as some sort of prophetic culture warriors to whom contemporary conservativism should look. The result is that he paints a half picture of both authors.
The narration was generally well done except that the narrator had some serious problems with his pronounciation.

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The First Fellowship

This book offers a fascinating look into the spiritual lives and developing theologies of J.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis both during and after WWI. Loconte makes a few logical leaps and assumptions about the authors, but the overall research is pretty solid. Who knew C.S. Lewis started off as an atheist? If you're interested in learning more about these two wonderful men and their world, I'd recommend you pick this up now.

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All my favorites

If you love C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, and understanding how history, biography, and art intersect--this one is for you. Just enough sociological & psychological context to put the war and its impact on these two men into the proper context, but not so academic add to be dreary. What stuck with me were the pervasive, unexamined assumptions associated with liberalism & how WWI destroyed & devastated Western culture's love affair with the Myth of Progress. Lots of examples from their work demonstrate their intimate acquaintance with the terror of war, their suspicion of technology, and their unabashed awe with which they regarded the stolid courage & unpolished stubbornness of the working-class men with whom they served in the all-volunteer British Expeditionary Force. Their friendship mirrored the best part of that culture and the "stern & tender" relationships between men which made the accomplishments of the BEF possible. a wonderful book!

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Fantastic

This book is a great listen. I thoroughly enjoyed the material presented and the narration. The in depth study of two of my favorite authors and the impact of WW1 on them, on their generation, on their faith, and on their writing was absolutely riveting. If you like the works of both these authors, I encourage you to listen to this book. I am going to re-read the books just to savor the added depth of insight this book has given me into what both authors experienced in WW1.

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Fascinating!!

Usually don't care for historical nonfiction about war. But when it portrays so well the effect it had on 2 of my favorite authors, I was riveted!! Excellent narrator and fantastic book!! I will revisit it again, along with Tolkein's and Lewis' work.

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Such a disappointment

I have made a lifelong study of the Inklings, and have developed an interest in the Great War. Having read John Garth's superb work on Tolkien's experience with that conflict, and very much enjoyed Janet Brennan Croft's War and the Works of JRR Tolkien, I looked forward eagerly to listening to this title.

The text and the narrative flow are good. What almost made me want to throw my phone against the wall was the narrator. This guy was obviously not given any guidance in pronunciation of French names, or even some English ones. His version of the name Somme came out either as Some-may or as Som-muh. The correct "summ" never crossed his lips. And when he read of Lewis' training at Keble it came out "kebble." I've been there, and it ain't KEBBLE.

It probably will never happen, but if I was Joseph Loconte, I'd ask for a do-over with another narrator.

Such a disappointment...

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Reader's pronunciation is a major distraction

What didn’t you like about Dave Hoffman’s performance?

The reader mispronounces so many words, so many times, and it grates every time. I'll guess that somewhere around 98% of readers know how to pronounce Somme. David Hoffman doesn't, and you'll hear him read "Somma" multiple times a page.

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I really

Enjoyed this and was pleasantly surprised. Two of the greatest fantasy writers and there journey through faith and life and a window into a transformative time for the Western world. The enormous sacrifice of the French, English, Russians and Germans are almost unfathomable.

1 sur 1 personne(s) ont trouvé cet avis utile.