I have just completed reading The Oxford Inklings by Colin Duriez. I am also over half way through reading another Kindle book about the Oxford Inklings.
They were called The Inklings because the wrote about things with ink. Probably their two most famous members were J RR Tolkien and CS Lewis.
Myself and the good wife have a favourite film called Shadowlands that I have mentioned many times on here. It's about CS Lewis and his wife and dealing with pain and joy. Debra Winger and Anthony Hopkins are the stars.
We have seen the film at least 23 or is it 24 times? It's incredibly beautiful and cathartic and makes me cough and the tears roll everytime.
Back to the book: The Inklings met in the "Bird and Baby" or Eagle and Child and in college rooms. They debated and read out loud and gave positive literary criticism and smoked cigarettes and drank beer and went on long hiking jaunts and stayed in village country pubs.
If like me you are a big CS Lewis or JRR fan. I would recommend you read the book. They both fought in WW1 and yet both believed in God. I think dwelling on aesthetically interesting and beautiful things they became fulfilled and were incredibly clever and gifted scholars, lecturers and writers.
Next month I am going to Blighty to two Rock festivals and finally getting to see Mr Steve Hackett and also Clannad who I saw recently in Limerick. Can't wait! In between the festivals it's a bit of a cross country literary itinerary trip and hoping to visit Laurie Lee country, Oxford and the CS Lewis, Tolkein tour and down to Dorset and Hardy countryside which I visited in 2017.
I love Shadowlands, and watch it about once a year. Oxford is one of my favourite places - did you know you can take a Lewis/Tolkien walking tour of the city, and visit the pubs, of course!
ReplyDeleteJust been searching for the crime fiction book I read about CS Lewis et al - It was by Kel Richards - The sinister student and has time travelling and crime!
ReplyDeleteIf you get to Dorset there is an exhibition of T.Hardy objects in Dorchester, Poole, and Salisbury, Loans from National collections including handwritten manuscripts. wessexmuseums.org.uk/HardysWessex. Sarah Browne.
ReplyDeleteI read a book of essays on The Inklings having previously read C S Lewis's biography and coming across him so many times in other ways, like in Betjeman's biography. I think he is often misunderstood and was a good and kind Christian but a man of his time, hard times. I really must see Shadowlands. Your summer trip sounds brilliant. Thanks Dave for sharing more about The Inklings.
ReplyDeleteI left a comment Dave, maybe it went into Spam.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant film veg artist. I did find out recently that there is a walking tour. Thanks. It's just trying to fit everything in.
ReplyDeleteSounds great Sue. The first book I read about the Inklings touched on Christian Reincarnation. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anonymous. I will check them out. My photo with the black Labrador was taken in a pub in Shaftesbury. Shaftesbury is one of the locations in Jude The Obscure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rachel. You should organize a Betjeman trip. I would love to read about it and see photos on your blog. The replies are not in order today but they are some very interesting comments.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen "Shadowlands" but your enthusiasm is as infectious as COVID19 so I will try to find it on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Will you be coming over to England in an inflatable boat like the other asylum seekers? Sadly, most asylums closed down long ago.
ReplyDeleteYou can find the full movie of Shadowlands on good old You Tube YP. I am flying to Brum courtesy of "cheap flights, cheap flights". (Fascinating Aida) or Ryan Air even.
ReplyDeleteYou know, you mentioned Shadowland and I made a mental note to watch it. That mental note promptly got lost in the shadowing that is my brain. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteHave a great trip to good old Blighty, Dave. I know how much you have been looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteDebra Winger and Sir Anthony Hopkins should have been awarded Oscar's for their acting performances in Shadowlands Debby. It's an amazing and very moving film.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't believe that I've ever seen Anthony Hopkins in a bad movie, Of course as soon as I said that, I thought of the movie The Father. I thought that was a stinker. It was well received by everyone else though.
DeleteHe went to RADA. They learn to think of things happy and sad and it makes them play themselves and their performance is amazing Debby.
DeleteThanks JayCee. I still miss a lot of Blighty. The beer and old buildings and churches and Prog and Folk festivals. It's going to give plenty of material to write and take photos for here.
ReplyDeleteYour mention of JRR Tolkien as one of the Inklings reminded me that my sister-in-law was a student of his during her time at Oxford.
ReplyDeleteGosh! It must of been amazing Will to have a mentor like him or CS Lewis? Thank you for commenting.
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