By Alan Jacobs

This is a biography of C.S. Lewis, more of an intellectual biography than anything, but there is also plenty about his life. The book was published in 2006, but I was not aware of the book until I heard John Piper speaking about it in an old message. It sounded interesting, so I got it. It is superb. It is the best biography of C.S. Lewis that I have read so far. The writer is insightful, candid, honest. He clearly loves Lewis. He is not blind to his faults and weaknesses. He is obviously immersed in Lewis’ writings, including his voluminous letters. Though I have long been a fan of Lewis and I have read his autobiography, Surprised by Joy, as well as two other biographies, that by George Sayer and that by Alister McGrath, I learned much about Lewis that I did not know. Lewis was ever fascinating, and this is a splendid guide to understanding more about his life and thought.