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A review by josiahrichardson
The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature by C.S. Lewis
4.0
If this is an introduction to medieval and Renaissance literature, then I need the dummies guide to the pre-intro to the pre-prep intro to Medieval and Renaissance Literature pre-course for beginners.
Everything I comprehended was great. Everything I didn't get this time around will be an excuse to re-read it. The model of the universe, as Lewis stated, was a helpful context for me to move forward into the major works that Lewis outlined thereafter. It is interesting that he thought or maybe even assumed that the Bible should have already been read by the student and as such he did not include it in this work. I can't think of anyone in my own lifetime who has read the Bible cover to cover, or even just large portions of it, if they were not already taught to do so from their parents when they were children/teens, or outside of those who claim to be Christians. The Bible essentially remainds untouched in this modern era, even in fields where it would be a valuable resource like history or philosophy. How far we have fallen.
This was the last book that Lewis wrote and in many ways it was his magnum opus for the field that he championed. Somebody once quipped that one can't expect to think like Lewis without reading like Lewis. If that is the case, there are a ton of books one would need to read and think through, but I have seen photos of Lewis' library and they are predominantly tedious works on medieval literature and other books that aren't exactly light reading. It is interesting that there is a full chapter on fairies in a book on the literature from the middle-ages and if that is surprising to me, and it is, then that probably means I am not very well-versed in this time period as I might have first thought. At times, this book dragged for me and was difficult to continue. But Lewis already had my respect and I owed him that much to finish the book. I'm glad I did.
Everything I comprehended was great. Everything I didn't get this time around will be an excuse to re-read it. The model of the universe, as Lewis stated, was a helpful context for me to move forward into the major works that Lewis outlined thereafter. It is interesting that he thought or maybe even assumed that the Bible should have already been read by the student and as such he did not include it in this work. I can't think of anyone in my own lifetime who has read the Bible cover to cover, or even just large portions of it, if they were not already taught to do so from their parents when they were children/teens, or outside of those who claim to be Christians. The Bible essentially remainds untouched in this modern era, even in fields where it would be a valuable resource like history or philosophy. How far we have fallen.
This was the last book that Lewis wrote and in many ways it was his magnum opus for the field that he championed. Somebody once quipped that one can't expect to think like Lewis without reading like Lewis. If that is the case, there are a ton of books one would need to read and think through, but I have seen photos of Lewis' library and they are predominantly tedious works on medieval literature and other books that aren't exactly light reading. It is interesting that there is a full chapter on fairies in a book on the literature from the middle-ages and if that is surprising to me, and it is, then that probably means I am not very well-versed in this time period as I might have first thought. At times, this book dragged for me and was difficult to continue. But Lewis already had my respect and I owed him that much to finish the book. I'm glad I did.