C. S. Lewis, E.M.W. Tillyard Personal Heresy

Annotation

A repackaged edition of the revered authors set of dueling critical essays with fellow scholar E. M. W. Tillyard in which they debate the role of an authors biography in the critical appraisal of literature.C. S. Lewisthe great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classicschallenges fellow scholar E. M. W. Tillyard on one of the most intriguing questions involving writers and writing. Is a work of imaginative literature primarily influenced by the author or by the subject matter? Lewis argues that the authors own personality and biography has little to no impact on the writing, while Tillyard contends the opposite: that the authors own imagination and story have an indelible influence on a piece of work. Clever, erudite, and enlightening, their debate may not definitively settle the issue, but it does offer invaluable insight and intellectual delight for all dedicated readers.