Novels of "inkling" Charles Williams

Tuor of Gondolin · 10-15-2003, 07:24 PM

(I tried a Search for this topic but didn't find any, so...)

Just wondering whether anyone has read/have views of the seven novels written by Charles Williams. I first heard about the inklings in Humphrey Carpenter's Tolkien biography and when on vacation in England managed to get a set of the novels.
They are a curious mixture of detective, supernatural, and sci-fi elements, but I found them to be quite good, in contrast to a sampling I made of his poetry and theological writings, which seemed a bit "turgid" to me.
By the way, he died young, in 1945, immediately after World War II.

The seven novels are:
1- War in Heaven (pub. 1930)
2- The Place of The Lion
3- Many Dimensions (pub. 1931)
4- Shadows Of Ecstasy
5- The Greater Trumps
6- Descent into Hell (pub. 1937)
7- All Hallows' Eve (pub. 1945).

cee2lee2 · 10-15-2003, 07:45 PM

Yes, I've heard of them. In fact, I've read them, too, for a long ago college class in Christian Lit. It was a seminar course and we each had to chose one of the novels about which to write an essay. I did Descent Into Hell.

Though my recollections of the novels aren't very good (age and deteriorating memory

) one of the concepts of that novel has stuck with me. I've been fascinated by the idea of coinherence of time and how that intersects with bearing one another's burdens. It was an enlightening way of looking at it.

Tuor of Gondolin · 10-15-2003, 09:20 PM

Interesting, cee2lee2.

I rather like "War In Heaven". The theme is an assortment of "ordinary" people protecting the Holy Grail from evil people. There's even a religious denomination cooperation theme, with an Anglican and an English Catholic aristocrat working together.
(A mini-fellowship?) Okay, that's probably a stretch.

As for your course, the instructor could have had an interesting Inklings theme. Offer the 7 CW novels, C. S. Lewis's 7 Narnia's and his trilogy, and [this is also a stretch] if the class was after 1977, the beginning of the Silmarillion: Ainulindale and Valaquenta, to analyse a Christian (conservative British Catholic's) imagination of a not explicitly Christian imaginary world, but also not a contradictory one.

(ex. "There was Eru, the one, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones [angels?], that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made."

That would make 18 assignments.

cee2lee2 · 10-15-2003, 11:29 PM

You're not far off in your Inklings theme. This was in 1971 or 1972 so no Sil. We didn't read any Tolkien, unless he was the author of some of the essays we read on allegory and myth, but somehow I think that was Lewis. We did read Lewis' Narnia books and the Space Trilogy along with all of Charles Williams novels. (Thank you for refreshing my memory of War in Heaven

) We also read Dorothy Sayers' Mind of Apollo as the instructor considered her at least an honorary Inkling.

It's been a long time since I've thought of that class. Sometimes I forget that was my intro to Lewis. Thanks for taking me back.

10-15-2003, 07:24 PM	#1
Tuor of Gondolin Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,215	Novels of "inkling" Charles Williams (I tried a Search for this topic but didn't find any, so...) Just wondering whether anyone has read/have views of the seven novels written by Charles Williams. I first heard about the inklings in Humphrey Carpenter's Tolkien biography and when on vacation in England managed to get a set of the novels. They are a curious mixture of detective, supernatural, and sci-fi elements, but I found them to be quite good, in contrast to a sampling I made of his poetry and theological writings, which seemed a bit "turgid" to me. By the way, he died young, in 1945, immediately after World War II. The seven novels are: 1- War in Heaven (pub. 1930) 2- The Place of The Lion 3- Many Dimensions (pub. 1931) 4- Shadows Of Ecstasy 5- The Greater Trumps 6- Descent into Hell (pub. 1937) 7- All Hallows' Eve (pub. 1945). __________________ Democrat for Kerry-Edwards! Take Back America Aure entuluva! Last edited by Tuor of Gondolin : 10-15-2003 at 07:27 PM.

10-15-2003, 09:20 PM	#3
Tuor of Gondolin Elf Lord Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania Posts: 1,215	Interesting, cee2lee2. I rather like "War In Heaven". The theme is an assortment of "ordinary" people protecting the Holy Grail from evil people. There's even a religious denomination cooperation theme, with an Anglican and an English Catholic aristocrat working together. (A mini-fellowship?) Okay, that's probably a stretch. As for your course, the instructor could have had an interesting Inklings theme. Offer the 7 CW novels, C. S. Lewis's 7 Narnia's and his trilogy, and [this is also a stretch] if the class was after 1977, the beginning of the Silmarillion: Ainulindale and Valaquenta, to analyse a Christian (conservative British Catholic's) imagination of a not explicitly Christian imaginary world, but also not a contradictory one. (ex. "There was Eru, the one, who in Arda is called Iluvatar; and he made first the Ainur, the Holy Ones [angels?], that were the offspring of his thought, and they were with him before aught else was made." That would make 18 assignments. __________________ Democrat for Kerry-Edwards! Take Back America Aure entuluva!

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10-15-2003, 07:45 PM	#2
cee2lee2 Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: 2nd star to the left..... Posts: 566	Yes, I've heard of them. In fact, I've read them, too, for a long ago college class in Christian Lit. It was a seminar course and we each had to chose one of the novels about which to write an essay. I did Descent Into Hell. Though my recollections of the novels aren't very good (age and deteriorating memory ) one of the concepts of that novel has stuck with me. I've been fascinated by the idea of coinherence of time and how that intersects with bearing one another's burdens. It was an enlightening way of looking at it.

10-15-2003, 11:29 PM	#4
cee2lee2 Elf Lord Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: 2nd star to the left..... Posts: 566	You're not far off in your Inklings theme. This was in 1971 or 1972 so no Sil. We didn't read any Tolkien, unless he was the author of some of the essays we read on allegory and myth, but somehow I think that was Lewis. We did read Lewis' Narnia books and the Space Trilogy along with all of Charles Williams novels. (Thank you for refreshing my memory of War in Heaven ) We also read Dorothy Sayers' Mind of Apollo as the instructor considered her at least an honorary Inkling. It's been a long time since I've thought of that class. Sometimes I forget that was my intro to Lewis. Thanks for taking me back.