Category Archives: Reviews

The Literary Life in Dorothy L. Sayers’ Murder Mystery, Whose Body? (1923)

Posted on October 21, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Dorothy L. Sayers has fallen into my life–and I into hers–because of my gloriously irresponsible definition of the Inklings. With a lifelong interest in J.R.R. Tolkien, and a growing curiosity about C.S. Lewis, I was thrilled to discover an entire … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Agatha Christie, BBC, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Dorothy L. Sayers, g k chesterton, George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord Peter Wimsey, Sherlock Holmes, The Inklings, The Man Born to be King, The Mind of the Maker, Whose Body? | 28 Comments

An Author Who Has Changed My Life, Frederick Buechner, Has Died (1926-2022)

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

On Saturday, just as I was waiting to go onto a church platform to officiate a wedding, I heard that Frederick Buechner had passed away. At 96 years old, the news did not come as a surprise. And though he … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged Anne Lamott, Annie Dillard, autoethnography, Bebb, Frederick Buechner, Life Writing, Madeleine L'Engle, Marilynne Robinson, Memoir, Rachel Held Evans, research, spirituality, The Book of Bebb, The Remarkable Ordinary, The Sacred Journey | 9 Comments

Never Nude Elwin Ransom of C.S. Lewis’ Classic ScFi, and A Note on Puzzling, Lazy, Irrelevant, Racist, Sexist, and Infelicitous Book Cover Designs (Friday Feature)

Posted on July 8, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Ere long and ever ago when this blog was young, I wrote about the “Worst Book Description Ever” from C.S. Lewis’ science fiction classic, Out of the Silent Planet. As is sometimes so in the burdens of experience, I have since … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Reflections, Reviews | Tagged Arrested Development, Book Cover Art, books, C.S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, racism, Science Fiction, sexism, The Dark Tower, The Ransom Cycle, The Screwtape Letters | 6 Comments

A Review of Mystical Perelandra: My Lifelong Reading of C.S. Lewis and His Favorite Book by James Como

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

I have to admit that I was a wee bit skeptical when Winged Lion Press editor Bob Trexler asked me if I would consider writing a “blurb” for Jim Como’s new book, Mystical Perelandra: My Lifelong Reading of C.S. Lewis … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, C.S. Lewis, David C. Downing, Into the Region of Awe, James Como, mysticism, Perelandra, Ransom Cycle, The Great Divorce, The Last Battle, The Weight of Glory, Winged Lion Press | 17 Comments

J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Secret Vice” and My Secret Love: Thoughts on Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins’ Critical Edition of A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Language (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

At A Pilgrim in Narnia, we have an occasional feature called “Throwback Thursday.” By raiding either my own blog-hoard or someone else’s, I find a blog post from the past and throw it back out into the digital world. This … Continue reading →