A Must-Listen for All CS Lewis Devotees!

Excellent book for learning about CS Lewis, the man.
As for the narration, initially I did not like the voice, but I grew to appreciate it as particularly fitting for the subject matter.

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Classic book, Easy listen

The story of the book is presented with enough details to be interesting, without at the same time bogging the storyline down.

Occasionally, the recording would have a background noise, very slight, and really not effecting the overall experience, except that it could be heard ever so quietly.

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nice bio of lewis

First note,this audiobook is listed as 26 hours long,IT IS ACTUALY 13 hrs.long..also the narator is one i never liked..however,his usual horror of tone and attitude is quite tame in this book..in short I found it listenable..now the book itself is very good..I always prefer what I call "old school' styles of writers..[less modernistic...non sceptical,relativistic,super psycological ect.] and this fits that nice style..it is also simply very interesting and personal with its object,the great C.S. Lewis...if you can stand the narrator on the sample clip,i think you will love this biography of Lewis..

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8 people found this helpful

Enjoyed this story of C.S. Lewis' life.

Would you listen to Jack again? Why?

I will re-listen to this book. Found it very informative. I enjoyed Lyle Dorsett's bio on Lewis more but this one was very good.

What about Frederick Davidson’s performance did you like?

Frederick would not be my first choice but not as bad as other reviewer had mentioned. He is very tolerable and does well portraying different accents.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, I listened to it in my car over several days.

Any additional comments?

Would recommend to others!

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Appropriate biography of Lewis, poorly read

The content and story have long been considered one of the greatest biographies of CS Lewis. Unfortunately, the reading of it was subpar and not entirely enjoyable to listen to. It is well worth the time, but one hopes a new reading may be put together the may be a little easier on the ears in coming years.

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4 people found this helpful

Phenomenal

The desire I have had my whole like to know this man was fulfilled in this work. Sayer is an ingenious author and worked hard to combine Lewis' literary career, his personal life, and the workings of his radiant mind into one book. The result is a holistic introduction to C.S. Lewis.

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Demystifying a legend.

A truly thorough, profound, and insightful walk through the life of the greatest mind of the 20th century, George Sayer (a close personal friend for 30 years of Lewis') tells it like it is. There's no beating around the bush...this book reveals some of the most personal aspects of anyone's life that I have ever read, thus humanising this hero, and making him even more relatable than his brilliant bibliography already does.

For the student of C.S. Lewis, this is a must.

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A Superb Biography of C. S. Lewis

Fascinating details of Lewis’ personal, academic, and social growth and perspectives as well as both his decade-long resistance to Christian belief followed by the fearless work he did as a Christian apologist for the rest of his life - AND the Very High professional price he paid at Oxford for his popular public defense of Christianity.

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CS Lewis - the touching "rest of the story"

I've read other biographies of CS Lewis, but this was the most inside look, the most unvarnished, yet told with great tenderness and a touching honesty. It doesn't spend too much time on the parts widely covered elsewhere but reveals more of the day-to-day realities of his life. I found it deeply moving. He struggled through in spite of all his success. Much of the brilliance, like that of true geniuses in other genres, we only really see posthumously. He lived mostly relatively impoverished, and when he died, it was in relative obscurity and with little money, because he used what he earned to improve the lives of those who needed it more. But he had a habit of looking for joy, and he found it. I cried "at his funeral," quite touched.

My lower rating for the narrator was only because the tempo was sometimes too fast, yet other times quite slow. His voice change when he was speaking for women was humorous and cute.

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The story of a life told by his friend

Other biographies of C.S. Lewis (and I think that I have all of them from Audible) are told from the perspective of the scholar, but George Sayer tells the story of his friend. Because he can share personal details of Lewis' life, this biography is much more intimate. For example, Sayer deals with the matter of Lewis' relationship with Mrs. Moore. Was it based on his sense of duty to her deceased son, Patty, and to her appeal to him as a surrogate mother, or was there some 'purient' motivation that he was ashamed to admit? There is no doubt that Jack was extremely protective of the details of their relationship, but Sayer's insight helps to dispel the confusion around the subject with good, sound reason and facts. The only quibble that I have with this audiobook is that it shows EACH half as being 13 hours whereas the total of BOTH halves is approximently 13 hours. I read an earlier review that pointed out this error and so I called Audible to find out and was assured that it really is 26 hours long -- it's not. But the 13 hours that it is, is worth listening even if you are a Lewis fan like me and think you've heard it all.

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12 people found this helpful