Over time, I’ve learn any variety of biographies of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, together with one or two joint biographies. However I’ve by no means come throughout one fairly like John Hendrix’s not too long ago launched The Mythmakers, a graphic novel that includes superbly drawn and colourful photos into the story, together with a lion and a wizard who information us by way of that well-known friendship.
Hendrix retains his graphic twin biography (a extra correct time period, if you get proper all the way down to it, than “graphic novel”) tightly centered on the 2 males’s friendship and their work. His lion and wizard journey by way of the biographical information that many people are accustomed to, however they actually dwell on why Tolkien and Lewis wrote what they wrote, how they inspired and helped one another, and the similarities and variations of their approaches to writing.
It’s nice to see a brand new model of this story being advised to younger readers (although I imagine loads of adults will take pleasure in it too).
All through their lives and careers, Hendrix exhibits, each Tolkien and Lewis wrote in an effort to meet the wants of the second—for escape from harsh realities, for extra of the sorts of tales they cherished, and only for expression of their beliefs, pursuits, and passions. It was their shared ardour for fantasy that drew them collectively within the first place, and, whereas the friendship helped draw Lewis to the Christian religion—Tolkien served him as “a information to get again residence,” Hendrix writes—it additionally sparked new creativity in Tolkien.
“We write myths,” Tolkien tells Lewis, “as a result of our hearts had been written by a mythmaker.”
The e book delves so deeply into the thrill of this private {and professional} friendship, that it’s laborious to look at the strains and misunderstandings that examined it in later years. (A poignant picture of Tolkien watching Lewis and Charles Williams stroll off down the road collectively lingers within the reminiscence, as an example.) However the e book is sincere about all of it, each the highs and the lows, the disagreements and the honest efforts at reconciliation, till the top, when Hendrix dares to think about one ultimate heat dialog that places all misunderstanding to relaxation eventually.
The Mythmakers is a graphic novel directed particularly at youthful folks—Amazon means that the goal age vary is 10 to 14. I’m not fairly positive whether or not I agree. The pleasant photos and the interesting characters, particularly the wizard and lion, are an excellent match for that age vary. However the writing is kind of subtle, and, within the descriptions of World Warfare I, generally a little bit disturbing (e.g., Lewis’s sergeant was “vaporized in a twig of muddy mist”). As is so typically true, it’s in all probability finest to resolve these items on a case-by-case foundation. Some 10-year-olds might in all probability deal with all of it simply superb; others may do higher to attend till they’re a little bit older.
However in any case, it’s nice to see a brand new model of this story being advised to younger readers (although I imagine loads of adults will take pleasure in it too). It’s particularly good to see a author trusting them to understand a number of the advanced religious themes, mythological motifs, and theological arguments which can be a elementary a part of the story, and likewise writing realistically for them concerning the fractures that may pressure a friendship.
Most of the latest era of Narnia and Lord of the Rings followers are certainly prepared to start out studying extra concerning the minds behind the books. The Mythmakers is an excellent option to introduce them.
This evaluation was initially revealed on Expensive, Unusual Issues! on September 29, 2024. Republished right here with the writer’s permission.
