The Other Inkling

Charles Williams

And a comment by Tea at Trianon through whom I found the link.

I have read a majority of Williams's novels, two books of his theology and a longish poetry compilation called The Arthurian Torso.  And of the inklings, I must say that he is at once the oddest and least accessible, and also one with the most perfervid imagination.  I've liked nearly everything, except the one that I had most expected to like, which I could hardly finish (Descent into Hell).  But the book that lingers in the mind for me is All Hallow's Eve, which is his picture of purgatory--along the lines of C.S. Lewis's The Great Divorce thematically.   War in Heaven is also very fine with its odd beginning and grail-quest theme.  And another work features a powerful ring of Solomon.

All-in-all, if you haven't sought out his work, and you like works of vast imagination and an odd mix of supernatural, you would do yourself a favor to seek out Charles Williams.

I would be remiss if I did not note that War in Heaven is available as a free e-book.

Comments

  1. FredSeptember 24, 2010 at 1:29 PM

    Charles Williams has been on my "one of these days" list for a long time. Which one would you recommend as a starter/

    ReplyDelete
  2. StevenSeptember 24, 2010 at 1:39 PM

    Dear Fred,

    That's a tough question: _All Hallow's Eve_ may be the best and most evocative, but _War in Heaven_ may be more universally accessible. _All Hallow's Eve_ tends to depend more on "insider" information.

    shalom,

    Steven

    ReplyDelete
  3. FredSeptember 26, 2010 at 11:23 AM

    Steven,

    Thanks for the recommendation. It's on my search list.

    ReplyDelete

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