The Space Trilogy

I read Malacandra, and i thought it was really teriffic work. But at some times i wasn't quite sure what Mr. Lewis meant with things. Like, what it stands for in 'our world', if you get me. I'm going to try and get Perelandra from the library this week, but i don't know about THS, they've only translated it in Dutch last year i believe, so i don't think the library will have it yet... last time i checked not. (Space Trilogy is quite hard reading work at times, considering Malacandra, so reading it in English might not be the best idea.)

Which is the best, or are they all good in their own way?

As always, mr. Lewis is just a very good writer, i love the way he writes, not just what he writes, but the way he does it, it's great, like the chronicles, a pleasure to read, and then still a great story inside it!
 
They're good in their own ways. Silent Planet is more like a classic Science Fiction novel. Perelandra is something of a fantasy, and Strength is a cross between a fantasy and (ready?) a horror story. I like Perelandra and Strength best, but still love Silent Planet.
 
Horror? Well, there goes my Lewis-image... jk. But really? Is it like, really scary? 'cause i'm not that brave, and if it is really scary, then it might be better for me not to read it.:o (or at least, not late at night) *ashamed*
 
Yeah, I think Perelandra is my favorite (but I haven't finished THS, yet). But OSP was really good too.


PrinceOfTheWest said:
They're good in their own ways. Silent Planet is more like a classic Science Fiction novel. Perelandra is something of a fantasy, and Strength is a cross between a fantasy and (ready?) a horror story. I like Perelandra and Strength best, but still love Silent Planet.
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There were also parts of Perelandra that were reminiscent of a horror to me, but yeah, I'm enjoying reading THS so far.
 
Lieke said:
But at some times i wasn't quite sure what Mr. Lewis meant with things. Like, what it stands for in 'our world', if you get me. I
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Lieke, I am not sure that anything in OOTP (or any of the space trilogy) stands for or represents something in our world the way CON can be. Aslan = Jesus, etc. I think the books have deeply spiritual themes, but I am not sure they are allegorical in nature.

Malacandra's people, for example, are seemingly a culture where relationship with God was never broken through sin ... but I do not think this has a corrolary in our world. I don't think this represents anything in our world. It is just what could happen on a planet where the people never rebelled against their Creator.
 
lieke said:
Horror? Well, there goes my Lewis-image... jk. But really? Is it like, really scary? 'cause i'm not that brave, and if it is really scary, then it might be better for me not to read it.:o (or at least, not late at night) *ashamed*
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Well, the difference between Lewis writing and typical "horror" writers is the intent. Your Steven Kings and H.P. Lovecrafts write to revel in horror, to view it as entertainment. Lewis wrote to expose horror for the horror it is. That's why it's repulsive, yet you can benefit from reading it. No "horror story" aficionados would appreciate Hideous Strength for the same reason "blood movie" aficionados would not appreciate Hotel Rwanda - they both expose a hideous reality (horror, or violence) for what it is.

I was amazed to realize well after I'd written it that the title story of my book, The Last Ugly Person, was in fact a horror story. I didn't set out to write it as such, but it contains both hope and horror - hope for those who seek the Light, and horror for those who turn away.
 
lieke said:
I read Malacandra, and i thought it was really teriffic work. But at some times i wasn't quite sure what Mr. Lewis meant with things. Like, what it stands for in 'our world', if you get me. I'm going to try and get Perelandra from the library this week, but i don't know about THS, they've only translated it in Dutch last year i believe, so i don't think the library will have it yet... last time i checked not. (Space Trilogy is quite hard reading work at times, considering Malacandra, so reading it in English might not be the best idea.)

Which is the best, or are they all good in their own way?

As always, mr. Lewis is just a very good writer, i love the way he writes, not just what he writes, but the way he does it, it's great, like the chronicles, a pleasure to read, and then still a great story inside it!
Click to expand...


When I was on my week away where I met the Dutch people, I was sharingt a room with a Dutch guy. HE noticed I was reading the trilogy and mentioned that he really liked it but hadn't read the last one yet because it wasn't translated into Dutch!! I couldn't believe that they still hadn't done it, or at least only recently! Seems strange it would take so long.
 
waterhogboy said:
When I was on my week away where I met the Dutch people, I was sharingt a room with a Dutch guy. HE noticed I was reading the trilogy and mentioned that he really liked it but hadn't read the last one yet because it wasn't translated into Dutch!! I couldn't believe that they still hadn't done it, or at least only recently! Seems strange it would take so long.
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Yeah, it doesn´t make any sense at all. Malacandra was published in Dutch in 2002, Perelandra in 2006 and THS was published late last year i believe. They were translated later, don´t really know why, but other works of C.S. Lewis have not been translated either. His, how would you call it, most well-known books i guess, are though (like Mere christianity, problem of pain, screwtape letters, great divorce, etc.). But they´ve started to translate more lately.

And PotW, i definately get what you mean. But i´m glad you ´warned´ me, so i won´t be reading it too late. (You don´t want to know how good i slept after just reading about Tash in LB when i was younger:rolleyes: So brave... *sigh*)

So, you read like all of them, WHB?
 
Yah, it may be my favorite of the three. Although, I am very fond of Perelandra ... and OoTSP has a lot of great material ... I guess they are all my favorite! The sad part is I can so identify with Mark in THS because he is such a dope as to think the Belbury people want him for his great sociology and writing skills -- when it turns out they can barely stand him and are just trying to get to Jane ... He's such a dope! And he's the one I identify with ... :(
 
I loved Perelandra the most. The Unman gave me the creaps to say the least. *shudders* The end of THS gave me the creaps too....well, not the very end, but just before it.

I'm right there with ya Ink. I always felt kind of bad for Mark because he just didn't "get it."
 
I just finished last night. And I have to agree with you Jules - the 'Banquet at Belbury' chapter is well freaky! I wasn't expecting that at all. I could hardly make sense of it!

Still, a brill story nonetheless and has become a favourite of mine.
 
waterhogboy said:
I just finished last night. And I have to agree with you Jules - the 'Banquet at Belbury' chapter is well freaky! I wasn't expecting that at all. I could hardly make sense of it!

Still, a brill story nonetheless and has become a favourite of mine.
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I loved that banquet, how the speaker started rattling off nonsense ... I loved the whole Merlin character and his magic. I agree with Jonny, bril.
 
I think the fact that it didn't make sense was part of Lewis' design. The ultimate fruit of sin is deterioration into senselessness and chaos. This is to be expected, since sin by its nature is contradictory. A will trying to choose other than the Great Will is like a stream trying to flow higher than its source (to use one of Lewis' examples.) Ultimately sin is not just wrong, but nonsense. Lewis brings this out with great subtlety and power in Hideous Strength when you have the switching back and forth between the dignity and order of St. Anne's contrasted with the venomous backstabbing and manipulation of Belbury. St. Anne's is in order because it is in proper submission: all members (even the beasts) to The Head, and the Head to the Oyerésu, and all to Maleldil. Belbury deteriorates into chaos because none wish to submit, all wish to clamor to "the top" and lord it over their fellows.
 
Yes. I think that's definitely the case. What shocked me was the speed of the collapse! It was like a punch to the stomach reading that chapter!
 
You get some of that feel, the mindlessness of evil, in Perelandra, too, when Weston keeps chanting stupid things at Ransom, just to annoy him, like a stupid little kid would do ... It's quite an interesting concept that I've not seen in other literature, that I can recall.
 
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