Allow me to introduce you to my absolute favorite writer! (Alongside Chuck Black.)
Clive Staples Lewis was born in 1898, and was called Jack by his friends. I just call him Lewis. I always thought it ironic that in the Voyage of the Dawn Treader he write, "There was a boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it." When Lewis' own name wasn't exactly catchy.
Here I want to share you some super interesting facts I've learned about Lewis. Along with my favorite quotes from his book and from the man himself. Because not only did Lewis write the fictional Narnia - he wrote Screwtape Letters, the Great Divorce, Mere Christianity and others.
Facts about the book!
- At 15 Lewis was sent to England to study with a private tutor named W. T. Kirkpatrick. Lewis honored his tutor by naming a character Professor Kirk.
- Lewis formed a club with a group of his friends, who all shared an interest in writing, called The Inklings. It was in this group that he met J. R.R. Tolkien.
- Lewis got some of his inspiration for Aslan from his favorite book The Place of the Lion by Charles Williams.
- In 1939 Lewis began writing The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But ideas had been forming in his mind long before then. He was inspired by the myths his Irish nurse told him when he was little. The idea of a fawn carrying parcels was first concocted at the age of 16, and during World War II he had four children stay with him at his country house - stirring his imagination even more.
- The Pevensies original names were to be Ann, Martin, Rose, and Peter. Instead of Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. (That seems to hard to imagine)
- 10 years later, in 1949, Lewis completes The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
- In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The island where nightmares come true was based off of Lewis' lifelong struggle against nightmares.
- Lewis did all his writing with a pen because he never learned to type. One reason was because of the clumsiness caused by Lewis’s only having one joint in his thumbs’ preventing him from using a typewriter properly. Yet, it wasn’t just his thumbs keeping him from the typewriter, he chose not to type. “This mechanical mode of writing”, he believed, “interfered with the creative process in that the incessant clacking of the typewriter keys dulled the writer’s appreciation of the rhythms and cadences of the English language.”
- Aslan is Turkish for Lion
- During the production on the LtWatW, Edmund's voice was cracking. His older sister actually had to do some voice over work to make up for her brother's puberty troubles.
- The older version of Queen Lucy is actually played by Georgie's (Lucy) older sister.
- Peter completes a perfect Vaulting mount. (Not something to take lightly.) Caspian later says in the behind the scenes, "I tried to do it and....I just can't." Peter insisted on doing all his own stunt work.
- Warwick (Nickabrick) Would continually get lost because he was so short. So Ben (Caspian) took it upon himself to watch over his little buddy.
- When Caspian goes through his wardrobe, following his tutor, he stops and peeks back out to watch what happens. This is the exact same thing Lucy does as she's watching the door to see if Peter comes in. Peter also does it when all four of the Pevensies go into the wardrobe.
- In the scenes where Lucy his hugging/petting Aslan, she was fondling either a stuffed animal of the directors elbow.
- When Lucy is exploring the lamppost Tumnus comes upon her. This was the first time Lucy had seen him in costume so she actually shrieked in terror.
- Lucy was brought onto the set of the lamppost blindfolded. So the wonder on her face as she looks around is completely genuine. She is exploring Narnia here for the first time.
- Around this time and when they are all talking at the edge of the River Rush, Edmund turns a corner and runs into a metal pole. He get's a good fat lip from it, which you can see him trying to suck in whenever they are doing a close up.
- The scowl on Trumpkin's face was prosthetic. But because it looked so real it would trip the director out. "I couldn't understand why he was frowning at me." The director said. "Finally I asked him if something was wrong. He just waves his hand over his face and says, 'it's not real.' "
Great post, Elly! I'm a big fan of all C.S. Lewis' books, but Narnia will always be one of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteThanks Hannah! I had so much fun making this one. And I just had to share all the cool facts I've learned over the years of learning about Lewis.
Delete