The Misquotable C.S. Lewis

What He Didn't Say, What He Actually Said, and Why It Matters

O'Flaherty

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781532638442
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Linguistics
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

C.S. Lewis wrote many great words, but not everything you see with his name on it is from the famed author of the Narnia books. Seventy-five quotations are presented that have an association in one way or another with a host of names, including: Ryan Seacrest, Anthony Hopkins, Max Lucado, Rick Warren, and Tim Allen! Learn the three most common ways Lewis is misrepresented: 1.Falsely Attributed Quotes: Expressions that are NOT by him.2.Paraphrased: Words that are ALMOST what he said. 3.Out of Context: Material he wrote, but are NOT QUITE what he believed. This book doesn't stop there. Also discover what Lewis actually said that is related to the presented misquotes. Those new to Lewis and the more serious reader of his works will grow in their appreciation of a writer that is not only quotable, but obviously misquotable!

1

“Not Lewis” Quotations

I begin with a look at material falsely attributed to Lewis. That is, he clearly did not write the following forty-seven expressions. The actual author, if known, is identified. Lewis may or may not have written something similar. In most cases I provide examples of what he said that is related to the material, or tell you where they can be found in his writings.

An expression is placed in this category, and not “almost Lewis,” (chapter two) if there was no clear indication that the original source (if determined) purposely attempted to quote Lewis and merely got the words incorrect.

1.1 “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

When I first read this quote, my initial thoughts were about how it seemed to be a nice motivational expression that encourages a person to hang in there when faced with a difficult situation. After all, you never know the final results of a given situation. This was actually the first questionable quotation I identified online in August, 2015 when I started a blog series on the subject. However, prior to this I had posted an article1 at my site in January, 2014 that was a preliminary exploration of the issue on quotations falsely attributed to Lewis. On July 16, 2014 Kimberly Bronson replied to that post and mentioned this quote, which I hadn’t yet seen. In a reply to a message I sent her, she explained that she had done “a stage adaption of Dawn Treader”2 and was told by the Lewis Estate that she couldn’t use that line of dialogue unless she received permission from those who held the copyright, which they didn’t hold because it came from the 2010 movie version of the book.

I was able to follow-up with her by email for more details about where this line is in the movie. She told me, “Reepicheep says it during the scene where Eustace has become a dragon and Reep is trying to comfort him.”3 I went back and watched the movie again to confirm it myself. The scene is well done and indeed very touching. But, if you want to share this quote please note that it is from the movie.4

What, then, did Lewis actually say? There are many places in the writings of C.S. Lewis where he deals with the difficulties of life. There are no good single expressions in which Lewis uses the word “hardship.” This issue, of course, relates to the overall topic of pain and suffering, and about this Lewis has had much to say. His first work of theology was a book called The Problem of Pain. You can guess the book’s topic. And what Lewis dealt with theologically in that book, he dealt with on a very personal level in his book, A Grief Observed, a memoir Lewis wrote while working through his grief over his wife’s death. Lewis also has insightful moments about the hardships of life in his three volume The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis that Walter Hooper compiled. What may be considered a “best of” these letters, was edited by Paul Ford in Yours, Jack: Spiritual Direction from C. S. Lewis.

1.2 “You doubt your value, don’t run from who you are.”

This expression has the potential to mean a variety of things. It also comes from the movie version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Isolated from the context of the dialogue between Lucy and Aslan, one might think it is an encouragement to be who you are and not to worry about what other people think of you. While that’s close to the context of what Lucy is told, when you isolate it, much is lost and there is a potential for too many interpretations.

Thus, even if this quotation had the proper credit to its origin, I’d shy away from sharing it. In the context of the movie, the sentiment is more meaningful. Lucy is doubting herself and has just said “I just want to be beautiful like Susan.” After a little more conversation (and once Lucy has apologized) Aslan says what he does about self-doubt. In context, this statement means people shouldn’t wish to be someone else because they believe another is more valuable than themselves. It’s a good reminder to accept one’s uniqueness. So, in addition to not being from Lewis, even if you credited the movie for this quotation, I would avoid sharing it because the isolated expression opens the door to misinterpretation. By itself, it’s just too vague.

Regarding uniqueness, Lewis did write that “there are no ordinary people.”5 This theme is also touched on in two other quotes in the next chapter (see 2.11 and 2.12). In book four of Mere Christianity he deals at length with being a new person in Christ, with how it relates to “giving up of the self”6 and with the idea of only being able to make a good impression on others when you forget about trying to. Finally, in a letter from June 20, 1952, Lewis comments, “I would prefer to combat the ‘I’m special’ feeling not by the thought ‘I’m no more special than anyone else’ but by the feeling ‘Everyone is as special as me.’”7

1.3 “To defeat the darkness out there, you must def...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: “Not Lewis” Quotations
• Chapter 2: “Almost Lewis” Quotations
• Chapter 3: “Not Quite” Lewis
• Chapter 4: Multiple Category Quotations
• Appendix
• Bibliography