Alan Jacobs. The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S.
Lewis. San Franciso: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005. NEAR THE END OF
HIS NEW BIOGRAPHY OF C. S. Lewis, Alan Jacobs cites the novelist
Philip Hensher who criticizes the "doctrinaire bullying" in
Lewis's Narnia stories, which, he says, were, "written to
corrupt the minds of the young." He also says, "Let us drop C.
S. Lewis and his ghastly, priggish, half-witted, money-making
drivel about Narnia down the nearest deep hole as soon as is
conveniently possible." Jacobs also quotes the English author,
Philip Pullman, who thinks Lewis's "supernaturalism" is life-
denying and that the stories are littered with racism, misogyny,
and essentially dishonest. In his view, "There is no shortage of
such nauseating drivel in Narnia, if you can face it" (307). If
"drivel" is indeed what these critics think of Lewis's stories,
what explains the intense vehemence of these criticisms? Drivel
is best ignored. These authors do not ignore Lewis, but, with
their criticism, honor t