That Hideous Strength
Ratings48
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings48
Average rating3.7
2. That hideous strength : a modern fairy-tale for grown-ups Add to My List
by Lewis, C. S. (Clive Staples), 1898-1963.
... That hideous strength : a modern fairy-tale for grown-ups / C.S. Lewis. ...
Publisher, Date: New York : Scribner Classics, 1996.
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/bios/simon051/96020722.html - Contributor biographical information
Description: 380 p. ; 25 cm.
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Call Number: F Lew 1996
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Edition: 1st Scribner Classics ed.
ISBN: 0684833670
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Summary
Written during the dark hours immediately before and during the Second World War, C. S. Lewis's Space Trilogy, of whichThat Hideous Strengthis the third volume, stands alongside such works as Albert Camus'sThe Plagueand George Orwell's1984as a timely parable that has become timeless, beloved by succeeding generations as much for the sheer wonder of its storytelling as for the significance of its moral concerns. For the trilogy's central figure, C. S. Lewis created perhaps the most memorable character of his career, the brilliant, clear-eyed, and fiercely brave philologist Dr. Elwin Ransom. Appropriately, Lewis modeled Dr. Ransom on his dear friend J. R. R. Tolkien, for in the scope of its imaginative achievement and the totality of its vision of not one but two imaginary worlds, the Space Trilogy is rivaled in this century only by Tolkien's trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Readers who fall in love with Lewis's fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia as children unfailingly cherish his Space Trilogy as adults; it, too, brings to life strange and magical realms in which epic battles are fought between the forces of light and those of darkness. But in the many layers of its allegory, and the sophistication and piercing brilliance of its insights into the human condition, it occupies a place among the English language's most extraordinary works for any age, and for all time.InThat Hideous Strength,the final installment of the Space Trilogy, the dark forces that have been repulsed inOut of the Silent PlanetandPerelandraare massed for an assault on the planet Earth itself. Word is on the wind that the mighty wizard Merlin has come back to the land of the living after many centuries, holding the key to ultimate power for the force that can find him and bend him to its will. A sinister technocratic organization that is gaining force throughout England, N.I.C.E. (the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments), secretly controlled by humanity's mortal enemies, plans to use Merlin in their plot to "recondition" society. Dr. Ransom forms a countervailing group, Logres, in opposition, and the two groups struggle to a climactic resolution that brings the Space Trilogy to a magnificent, crashing close.
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“That Hideous Strength” was a revelation for me. Out of C.S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy, this novel stands out as my favorite. Unlike “Perelandra,” which is heavily driven by its descriptions of setting, “That Hideous Strength” captivated me with its dynamic narrative, multiple points of view, and the intense build-up to the climax. Lewis masterfully balances the philosophical with the action, making the story compelling and thought-provoking. As I journeyed through this sci-fi trilogy, I found myself wishing there was more from Lewis on this subject. Five stars—I loved it.
This final installment of C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy is so different that it really just barely is connected to the other two books, until the last quarter of the book.
This is a fantastic book, though it was hard to get into.
I didn't like the characters for the first 2/3 of the book.
For the first 1/3 of the book, it was difficult to tell who were the “good guys” and who were the bad. Maybe all the way to the first 1/2, honest.y
But by the end of the book, you see that this is a social commentary that even in the 1940's or 1950's called out the progressive institution and their war against the values that Christianity holds dear. Honestly, that part of the book is shocking. How clear it is today what has been going on for the past century in the real world. Yet most people either don't see it, or are willingly on the side of the institutions. The Culture War that is so prominent in literally every facet of modern life was pointed out here. Clearly.
If you are a Christian, read this book
If you are in any way a moderate or conservative, read this book.
(It may be helpful to read the previous 2 volumes, but not entirely necessary until the last 1/3 of the book)
Featured Series
3 primary booksThe Space Trilogy is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 1938 with contributions by C. S. Lewis.
