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The C.S. Lewis Hoax by Kathryn Ann Lindskoog (1988, Hardcover)
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Author: Kathryn Ann Lindskoog
Publisher: Multnomah Pub
Publication Date: 1988-11-01
Language: English
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-10: 0880702583
ISBN-13: 9780880702584
Product ID: EPID1196577
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Searching for the Truth in a Positive WayReview created: 09/03/07
by:
) 
Finally a book that looks at the facts without resorting to ad hominem attacks.
Why is it that we are so fascinated by conspiracy theories? From speculation about who really killed JFK (or assertions that he is still alive) -- to UFO's -- to the President Bush's supposed lying about what he knew to get us into a war with Iraq -- books and "documentaries" and Blogs abound trying to "prove" that what really happened is being "covered up." Certainly it is one of the founding principles of this country that we have the right to "get to the truth."
But there is a difference between "muck-raking" (actively looking for the worst to report) and honest reporting of the truth. One begins with negative ad hominem assumptions and attempts to prove those assumptions. The other seeks the truth and (as much as humanly possible) reports the findings without prejudice. There is a difference in stating someone is evil and trying to prove it and reporting the facts and letting the reader decide.
That is why Kathryn Lindskoog's book was unexpectedly refreshing. Rather than make assumptions about the character of Walter Hooper (and others assigned to the stewardship of Lewis's work after his death), Lindskoog simply presents the facts that she has discovered and leaves the conclusions (mostly) to the reader. This is one book any serious student of Lewis cannot be without.
Why is it that we are so fascinated by conspiracy theories? From speculation about who really killed JFK (or assertions that he is still alive) -- to UFO's -- to the President Bush's supposed lying about what he knew to get us into a war with Iraq -- books and "documentaries" and Blogs abound trying to "prove" that what really happened is being "covered up." Certainly it is one of the founding principles of this country that we have the right to "get to the truth."
But there is a difference between "muck-raking" (actively looking for the worst to report) and honest reporting of the truth. One begins with negative ad hominem assumptions and attempts to prove those assumptions. The other seeks the truth and (as much as humanly possible) reports the findings without prejudice. There is a difference in stating someone is evil and trying to prove it and reporting the facts and letting the reader decide.
That is why Kathryn Lindskoog's book was unexpectedly refreshing. Rather than make assumptions about the character of Walter Hooper (and others assigned to the stewardship of Lewis's work after his death), Lindskoog simply presents the facts that she has discovered and leaves the conclusions (mostly) to the reader. This is one book any serious student of Lewis cannot be without.
Review ID: 10000000004281701
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A Hoax Within A HoaxReview created: 12/06/06
by:
) 0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
This book is only worth owning if you are interested in a novelty-type item good as a coffee-table piece.
Here were my issues with it...
It purported to be a book exposing various myths concerning the Lewis Legacy (did Lewis write such-and-such a work, was he married to so-and-so?), however, when it came down to the nitty-gritty, the "myths" and "hoaxes" it "exposed" were never really "accepted" by any typical Lewis reader.
For instance, a chapter is dedicated to dispelling the hoax of a work called "The Dark Tower." The chapter claims that the book purported to be a work of Lewis', however, most Lewis fans will never have heard of the work, or generally accepted it as "canonical." Thus, in reality, all this work does is expose pathetic frauds, which no one ever bought into in the first place.
In effect, it would be like signing Lewis' name onto a piece of paper and then writing a book which exposes the signature as fraudulent.
Of course it's fraudulent! No one ever doubted that.
Which is what makes the book so redundant. The author runs through a mill of ridiculous fables which no logical person would have ever bought into to begin with, bringing about a pointless ream of chapters which leave the reader feeling cheated.
If Lewis were discovered to have been from Wales, and had made claims of different ancestry, we would all be surprised. Instead, however, the author pieces together a hodge-podge of contextual oddities and misquotes to "create" frauds and half-stories so that he can expose them and 'liberate the Lewis fan."
All in all, the book is strange, absurd, and decidedly unique in approach, making it a great item on the shelf of any Lewis collector, but certainly not an enlightening read, or any real help to the Lewis scholar.
If I hadn't had my hopes built up by the book description, I might have enjoyed it more, if only for the absurdities; as it was, however, I was let down.
So, to the author, I lift my glass and say:
"You have succeeded, sir, in exposing fraud surrounding Lewis, by so openly presenting your work as one. This is the true fraud. And in that light, you have not deceived. Bravo."
Here were my issues with it...
It purported to be a book exposing various myths concerning the Lewis Legacy (did Lewis write such-and-such a work, was he married to so-and-so?), however, when it came down to the nitty-gritty, the "myths" and "hoaxes" it "exposed" were never really "accepted" by any typical Lewis reader.
For instance, a chapter is dedicated to dispelling the hoax of a work called "The Dark Tower." The chapter claims that the book purported to be a work of Lewis', however, most Lewis fans will never have heard of the work, or generally accepted it as "canonical." Thus, in reality, all this work does is expose pathetic frauds, which no one ever bought into in the first place.
In effect, it would be like signing Lewis' name onto a piece of paper and then writing a book which exposes the signature as fraudulent.
Of course it's fraudulent! No one ever doubted that.
Which is what makes the book so redundant. The author runs through a mill of ridiculous fables which no logical person would have ever bought into to begin with, bringing about a pointless ream of chapters which leave the reader feeling cheated.
If Lewis were discovered to have been from Wales, and had made claims of different ancestry, we would all be surprised. Instead, however, the author pieces together a hodge-podge of contextual oddities and misquotes to "create" frauds and half-stories so that he can expose them and 'liberate the Lewis fan."
All in all, the book is strange, absurd, and decidedly unique in approach, making it a great item on the shelf of any Lewis collector, but certainly not an enlightening read, or any real help to the Lewis scholar.
If I hadn't had my hopes built up by the book description, I might have enjoyed it more, if only for the absurdities; as it was, however, I was let down.
So, to the author, I lift my glass and say:
"You have succeeded, sir, in exposing fraud surrounding Lewis, by so openly presenting your work as one. This is the true fraud. And in that light, you have not deceived. Bravo."
Review ID: 10000000002465327
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