George Orwell & C. S. Lewis

 I find it fascinating that George Orwell, the author of the book 1984, reviewed a novel by C. S. Lewis.

His critique of That Hideous Strength (the third book in the Ransom trilogy) was incredibly telling:  “One could recommend this book unreservedly if Mr. Lewis had succeeded in keeping it all on a single level. Unfortunately, the supernatural keeps breaking in, and it does so in rather confusing, undisciplined ways.” 

In other words, he thought That Hideous Strength would have been better if only the supernatural element had been kept out or tamed. Yet for C. S. Lewis, this spiritual aspect is foundational to his story. Lewis explains his reasoning in a 1945 letter to fellow author Dorothy Sayers: Apparently reviewers will not tolerate a mixture of the realistic and the supernatural. Which is a pity, because a) it’s just the mixture I like, and b) we have to put up with it in real life.  

If you’re co-creating with God, the supernatural should regularly break into your art. As it should in your life. That’s a really good thing…not something to tame or minimize.

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