C.S. Lewis is widely recognized as one of the most popular Christian apologists of the twentieth century, but he has also been valued as an immensely talented writer, not only of nonfiction but of fiction as well. Best known for the acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia series, Lewis's works have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold millions of copies. The Narnia books have been the subject of numerous stage, TV, radio, and cinema adaptations. This volume explores Lewis' writings from numerous critical and historical perspectives and focuses especially on assessing the literary skills that made Lewis such an effective author. This volume, like all others in the Critical Insights series, is divided into several sections. It begins with an introductory About This Volume
essay by volume editor Robert C. Evans, followed by another work titled "What's a Reader to Do? Thoughts on C.S. Lewis's An Experiment in Criticism,
by Steven D. Ealy. This is followed by a Biography of C.S. Lewis written by Robert C. Evans. Next, a collection of four critical contexts essays are intended to treat the novel from a historical vantage point; in terms of its critical reception; using a specific critical lens; and by comparing and contrasting it with another important work. Following these essays, the book contains a Critical Readings section. Each essay includes a list of Works Cited and detailed endnotes. In the final section, Resources, easy-to-follow lists are provided to help guide the reader through important dates and moments in the author's life, beginning with a Chronology of C.S. Lewis's Life. This is followed by a list of Works by C.S. Lewis and a Bibliography. Finally, this section closes with an About the Editor section, Contributors, and a detailed Index.