Oxford by CS Lewis by Simon Horobin

A HUGE amount has been written about CS Lewis, and as a result Shadowlands, his life story is now well known. But this book is sharply defined and covers an area that has never been written about in such detail before. It is not a book about Oxford, nor is it another biography of Lewis. It is, as the title suggests, about the life at Oxford that Lewis lived so intensely for most of his career: studying, teaching, writing, arguing and drinking. And the author, Simon Horobin, could not be better placed to write about it; for not only is he a professor of English, but his college, Magdalen, was also the one where Lewis was a fellow for nearly 30 years.

What strikes me most is how hard Lewis worked. Those brilliant lectures didn’t just come to him. The illustrations in the book show the very detailed scholarly notes Lewis made on all the texts he studied, very often in Old English. His teaching load was enormous. He taught 24 hours of tutorials a week, as opposed to the eight hours that are common today. Lewis took this teaching very seriously, engaging in intense discussions with his students and encouraging them to formulate their own views. Contrary to some belief, he was equally committed to the education of his female students, many of whom were very bright.

Warnie, Lewis’ brother, said he was neither ambitious nor politically active, so he was not at all upset when he was not appointed to a number of positions for which he was more than qualified. He concentrated on his research and teaching.

Courtesy of Marion E. Wade Center, Wheaton College, Wheaton, ILCS Lewis (second from right) with the Inklings. From the book

When he moved to Cambridge, to a post specially created for him, he found Magdalene College much more Christian than Magdalen College, Oxford, where he had spent most of his life. Magdalen College was full of intrigue, led by an atheist don who wanted to get rid of him. On the other hand, he did not like the fact that Magdalene only allowed him one glass of port at dinner, as opposed to the three he had been offered at Magdalen College.

Not only does this book clearly explain the academic system in which Lewis worked, but it also explores his important friendships, particularly through the Inklings. We learn how his relationship with Tolkein cooled when the saintly Charles Williams became part of the group. We learn about the various pubs they all visited so regularly. We learn about the famous occasion when Lewis’s arguments were undermined by the philosopher Elizabeth Anscombe, although Horobin argues that Lewis was not as resentful as some have claimed in the past.

This book does its job very well, painting a vivid and detailed picture of the very special Oxford that Lewis adored for so many years.

The Right Reverend Lord Harries of Pentregarth is a former Bishop of Oxford and Honorary Professor of Theology at King’s College, London.

Oxford by C.S. Lewis
Simon Horobin
Boldeian Library £30.00
(978-1-85124-564-2)
Church Times Bookshop £27.00