Tag Archives: literary criticism

A Thing of Forms Unknown: Thoughts on C.S. Lewis and Horror with Chris Calderon

Posted on October 31, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

Within a longer project on C.S. Lewis and the Ransom Cycle, I have outlined a chapter focussing on some instinctive horror elements in Lewis’ science fiction. I have written up the close readings for the piece, but am missing one … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged C.S. Lewis, Classical Mythology, Forms of Things Unknown, Horror, literary criticism, myth, Of Other Worlds, Ray Bradbury, Roger Lancelyn Green, Science Fiction, The Dark Tower, The Outer Limits | 5 Comments

Tolkien’s “I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size)” in Context: A Note on Books and Their Authors (#hobbitday)

Posted on September 22, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I don’t know that there is any more famous J.R.R. Tolkien quote than his claim to, in fact, be a hobbit. It’s really quite a delightful statement and worth quoting more fully: I am in fact a Hobbit (in all … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes | Tagged Charles Williams, Franz Kafka, Harry Potter, Hobbit Day, I.A. Richards, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, literary criticism, literature, Lord of the Rings, new criticism, practical criticism, Stephen King, The Hobbit, Ursula K. LeGuin | 26 Comments

1,000,000 Hits on A Pilgrim in Narnia!

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

A Pilgrim in Narnia has just now had its 1,000,000th hit! A million page views is right, according to WordPress analytics. After passing our 9th Anniversary last month, after 1,057 posts (this is number 1,058), this little sandbox of literary … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Blogging, C.S. Lewis, Christian spirituality, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, L.M. Montgomery, literary criticism, spiritual theology, stats, Vampire Fiction, Wordpress Stats | 23 Comments

An Essential Reading List from C.S. Lewis: An Experiment on An Experiment in Criticism (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on August 13, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

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

Posted in News & Links, Original Research, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged An Experiment in Criticism, books, C.S. Lewis, canon, Deconstructionism, George R.R. Martin, literary criticism, literary history, Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, Narnia, Reader Response Criticism, Reading, Sherlock Holmes, The Western Canon, writing | 45 Comments

An Open Class on Narnia and Friendship with Brenton Dickieson, Jason Lepojärvi, and Diana Pavlac Glyer (Full Video from Signum University)

Posted on December 6, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Friendship was an absolutely critical part of C.S. Lewis’ life. His lifelong friendship with his brother created a literary household. Lewis’ childhood and university friendships helped him renegotiate his core values and his life philosophy. The Oxford Inklings, the main … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, News & Links | Tagged A Grief Observed, Bandersnatch, C.S. Lewis, Christian apologetics, Diana Pavlac Glyer, friendship, Inklings, Jason Lepojärvi, Joy Davidman, linguistic history, literary criticism, literary history, Narnia, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Company They Keep, The Four Loves, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Till We Have Faces, Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 17 Comments

An Open Class on Narnia and Friendship with Brenton Dickieson, Jason Lepojärvi, and Diana Pavlac Glyer

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Posted in News & Links | Tagged A Grief Observed, Bandersnatch, C.S. Lewis, Christian apologetics, Diana Pavlac Glyer, friendship, Inklings, Jason Lepojärvi, Joy Davidman, linguistic history, literary criticism, literary history, Narnia, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Company They Keep, The Four Loves, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Till We Have Faces, Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 2 Comments

Harold Bloom and “The Western Canon”: A Note on His Death

Posted on October 18, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I received news this week that Harold Bloom has died. Bloom (1930-2019) was an avid reader, a rapid writer, and a penetrating critic whose essays and books on literature are breathtaking in scope and exemplary in their attention to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged books, C.S. Lewis, canon, Charles Dickens, Charles Williams, Dante, fantasy, feminism, Harold Bloom, J.R.R. Tolkien, Leo Tolstoy, literary criticism, literary history, Milton, mimesis, Reading, Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, The Western Canon, Ursula K. LeGuin | 20 Comments

Terry Lindvall’s Heavy Treatment of a Light Topic: A Review of Surprised by Laughter

Posted on February 25, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Surprised by Laughter Revised & Updated: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis by Terry Lindvall My rating: 4 of 5 stars The word “levity” has two main definitions that we walk around with: a kind of frivolity and something that … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, comedy, g k chesterton, George MacDonald, humor, joy, literary criticism, Sehnsucht, Surprised by Laughter, Terry Lindvall, The Light Princess | 46 Comments

H.P. Lovecraft’s “Supernatural Horror in Literature”

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I am in the midst of an extended reading of Stephen King‘s Dark Tower Cycle, including the extra books that connect most intimately with King’s great mythic universe (see Mathew Olson’s essay here; I’m rereading ‘Salem’s Lot now with Wolves … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged 'Salem's Lot, Dagon, Danse Macabre, H.P. Lovecraft, Horror, literary criticism, literary history, Literary Theory, Stephen King, Supernatural Horror in Literature, The Dark Tower, The Wolves of the Calla | 19 Comments

Tolkien’s “I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size)” in Context

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I don’t know that there is any more famous Tolkien quote than his claim to, in fact, be a hobbit. It’s really quite a delightful statement and worth quoting more fully: I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but … Continue reading →