Ian Daniel Stewart

So in an effort to be even more divisive (as well as possibly ridiculous and/or ignorant and/or quixotic—take your pick!) I will now record my progress through C.S. Lewis’ Four Loves. It’s been on my shelf for a while. Now seems, to me, a perfect time to read it. Don’t you think? It’s like, just my whole modus operandi, isn’t it?

But first travel back in time with me to the day I bought it and the events leading up to it, mainly who I was hanging out with. A friend of mine was working out, building up muscle mass, particularly on his biceps in preparation for receiving a tattoo. Of course, the bizarre swirl of events whirling around me that I call life being what it is, his tattoo was going to be a stack of his favorite books down his arm. I’m not a fan of tattoos generally, but it’s kind of a neat concept. Permanently scarring my flesh in the name of books that changed my life might not be for me—I’m somewhat embarrassed now of my over-enthusiasm for Generation X—but the idea is good.

Anyway, Four Loves, I’m sure you’ve guessed, was one of the books. How am I not supposed to buy a book that makes the tattoo list? So buy it I did. That was about four years ago. I don’t think my friend ever did get that tattoo. And me, obviously, I never read the book. Until now. Sort of.

I have the flu and I’m overworked (secret projects!)—but Lewis, you cost me a reader! And in my usual embarrassing manner I’m probably going to lose more. That is to say, I’m not liking it. More accurately, I don’t like the first chapter. It’s all I’ve managed to read. Like I said, embarrassing. There’s more to come I think, and I’m sure I’ll warm up to it, but if you like Lewis you might want to look away.

I’ll leave you with this telling quote from the always interesting Elliot in the comments on Lewis vs. Chesterton:

…the formal apologetics of both sometimes bring out the agnostic/atheist in me because they can be so… I dunno what the right word is. Bombastic? Over-reaching? Like, they seem to imply that if you want to think correctly you’ve got to take their particular extensive systematic theology on board, and it includes a dislike for tinned meats, pacifism, vegetarians, feminism and modernist poetry, which are all signs of creeping heresy.

Hey, I like over-reaching! But I think Elliot is getting close to what it is that bothers me, essentially, with Lewis. Time will tell.