A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War
How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-1918
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A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War
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Narrated by:
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Dave Hoffman
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By:
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Joseph Loconte
About this listen
The untold story of how the First World War shaped the lives, faith, and writings of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.
Had there been no Great War, there would have been no Hobbit, no Lord of the Rings, no Narnia, and perhaps no conversion to Christianity by C. S. Lewis.
The First World War laid waste to a continent and brought about the end of innocence — and the end of faith. Unlike a generation of young writers who lost faith in the God of the Bible, however, J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis found that the Great War deepened their spiritual quest. Both men served as soldiers on the Western Front, survived the trenches, and used the experience of that conflict to ignite their Christian imagination.
Tolkien and Lewis produced epic stories infused with the themes of guilt and grace, sorrow and consolation. Giving an unabashedly Christian vision of hope in a world tortured by doubt and disillusionment, the two writers created works that changed the course of literature and shaped the faith of millions. This is the first book to explore their work in light of the spiritual crisis sparked by the conflict.
©2015 Joseph Loconte (P)2015 Thomas Nelson PublishersWhat listeners say about A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John
- 08-03-2021
Fascinating and haunting
A fascinating and haunting exploration of the influences of J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis. Wonderful.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Annaliesa Rose
- 26-09-2017
Amazing!
An amazing storytelling of how these brilliant writers were influenced by the Great War, Mythology, debating, Christianity and their friendship.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- CullBang
- 27-04-2024
A cracking, honest and harrowing read
“After the (Great) war, Tolkien and Lewis made their way to Oxford University, where they took up their vocations as instructors in English Literature. They met for the first time in 1926, and a bond of friendship was established that would transform their lives and careers. Lewis would be the decisive voice in persuading Tolkien to complete The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. Given the massive and enduring influence of their works, it is hard to think of a more consequential friendship in the twentieth century – a friendship that emerged from the suffering and sorrow of a world war.” (from the Introduction)
Have you ever been enthralled by the worlds created by both J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis? As the title suggests and as terrible as The Great War was, there would have been no Hobbit, no Lord of the Rings, no Narnia without it.
Let me say for the record, this is not a C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien fan club book. You don't actually have to have read any of their books either to appreciate it. But if you have, or if you love either author or both for that matter, then I'm sure you'll appreciate this book. Whether you're a student of history or literature, or both, you also need to read this book too.
The war to end all wars laid waste to many nations and brought about the end of both innocence and faith. Both authors Lewis & Tolkien fought in the trenches and served as soldiers on the Western Front, survived, and used the harrowing experience in that conflict to ignite both their creative imaginations.
Lewis & Tolkien produced epic stories that swept the world, infused themes of sorrow and consolation, guilt and grace. The two writers who were good friends and both sharpened each others stories (Tolkien himself admits he wouldn't have finished LOTR without Lewis critique) created works that changed the course of literature. This is the first book by Joseph Loconte, which explores their books in light of spiritual crises sparked by the war.
While only seven chapters, and a relatively short book, it's such a great insight into the 20th Century, The Great War and two of the finest authors of our time.
Happy Reading
CPH.
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