Great link and interesting article, despite the misleading headline. Thanks.
But I have a question. The theory featured in the article is of a pattern, here medieval cosmology, underlying a literary work. Wouldn't the theory be more credible if the pattern was more meaningful to the narrative (or even carried the narrative?) A cosmological pattern seems removed from the Narnia narrative.
For example, what if instead of medieval cosmology, the underlying pattern in Narnia was having each chapter illustrate some crucial aspect of Christianity? (Of course, it still could, but that pattern hasn't been discovered yet.)
For example, what if the chapters formed a pattern somehow crucial to the plot?
It seems like a very simple version of this is the kind of book that forms words out of the first letter of each chapter.
And shouldn't your comment have been "The headline writer should have read the article a little more carefully." Even the fact checker must be checked -- an ancient Roman saying or lyric by Bob Dylan I forget which.
Yes, my comment should have read as you say - and as it now does. Further proof of how hard it is to proof your own writing. You raise an interesting point, but perhaps Lewis's idea - if indeed the theory is correct - was simply to enrich the context. Hard to say.
Great link and interesting article, despite the misleading headline. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteBut I have a question. The theory featured in the article is of a pattern, here medieval cosmology, underlying a literary work. Wouldn't the theory be more credible if the pattern was more meaningful to the narrative (or even carried the narrative?) A cosmological pattern seems removed from the Narnia narrative.
For example, what if instead of medieval cosmology, the underlying pattern in Narnia was having each chapter illustrate some crucial aspect of Christianity? (Of course, it still could, but that pattern hasn't been discovered yet.)
For example, what if the chapters formed a pattern somehow crucial to the plot?
It seems like a very simple version of this is the kind of book that forms words out of the first letter of each chapter.
And shouldn't your comment have been "The headline writer should have read the article a little more carefully." Even the fact checker must be checked -- an ancient Roman saying or lyric by Bob Dylan I forget which.
See also Michael Ward's essay "Narnia's Secret: The Seven Heavens of the Chronicles Revealed."
ReplyDeleteYes, my comment should have read as you say - and as it now does. Further proof of how hard it is to proof your own writing. You raise an interesting point, but perhaps Lewis's idea - if indeed the theory is correct - was simply to enrich the context. Hard to say.
ReplyDelete