Monday, July 28, 2008
One of the finest non-fiction books written by C.S. Lewis is An Experiment in Criticism, published in 1961 (two years before his death).
Unfortunately, this work is often overlooked by those interested in Lewis in favor of more mainstream works such as Mere Christianity, the Chronicles of Narnia, and The Screwtape Letters. While those are all fine works in their own right, An Experiment in Criticism offers Lewis's mature insights on literature and how readers relate to it.
But Lewis's ideas on this subject extend beyond his application to literature. Lewis, in fact, applies his insights to music and art. Likewise, we may apply his wisdom in relation to literature to contemporary popular culture. As such, the ideas in An Experiment in Criticism are applicable to contemporary literature, film, television, etc.
Lewis begins by distinguishing the majority from the minority when it comes to literature. The majority, for instance, don't read anything more than once. Once they have "used" literature, they move on. This, in essence, is consumerism applied to literature. But Lewis says the minority can enjoy a work of great literature many times. Indeed, it is this returning to a great work of literature that, over the course of a lifetime, is a joy, as well as an education.
For Lewis, it's important to learn from the great conversation of history, represented in literature. When we read "old books" in some way we participate in this conversation, becoming familiar with the themes and nuances of ideas, points and counterpoints, throughout the ages.
Through reading literature, moreover, we can see through the eyes of others and by doing this, we expand our horizons and our understanding. As Lewis put it, "We want to be more than ourselves ... We want to see with other eyes, to imagine with other imaginations, to feel with other hearts, as well as with our own ... We demand windows ... in reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself."
But the concept of literature or ideas as products to be consumed, combined with extensive ignorance of history and ideas, dampens our intellectual sensibilities. We prefer a clever 30-second advertisement to a prolonged but rewarding discourse on an important subject. We don't want to think too much because popular culture does not want us to think too much. Not thinking deeply is easy. But in thinking deeply we discover great truths about ourselves and our world.
An Experiment in Criticism is a relatively short work (about 140 pages). But do not read it quickly, but in doses. Take twelve days, reading one chapter per day and the epilogue and appendix on the final day. Think about the ideas, apply them, and try to understand how they relate to contemporary culture. If you do so with an open mind, seeking understanding, I can assure you the experience will be a rewarding one.