Book Review: Further Up & Further In by Bruce Edwards

October 21, 2005 Posted by Roger Overton

“An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books
once only.” Said C.S. Lewis in his essay, “On Stories.” Not every book is worth
reading more than once, and some aren’t worth even the first read. But when it
comes to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of those classics is
found that begs us to return on many occasions. How is it possible to read the
same story countless times and not grow weary of it? One way is to broaden our
understanding of it by approaching it from different perspectives.

In Further Up & Further In, Bruce Edwards gives a
walkthrough to this enchanting story. He begins by introducing the reader to
C.S. Lewis raising the question, “Who was Clive Staples Lewis that we should be
mindful of him?” (2)

The bulk of this short book is dedicated to the story in
which many have fallen in love with the great lion, Aslan. The seventeen
chapters of Lewis’ tale are grouped into 5 chapters in Dr. Edwards’s book.
First, the story is narrated with attention drawn to the emotions of the
characters and reader as it progresses. After the story as been explained some
background information is offered on various subjects relevant to the material
covered, such as “The Wardrobe,” “The Beavers,” and “Deep Magic.” At the end of
the book are a series of study questions for each chapter and a suggested
bibliography for going even further up and further in.

The greatest strength of Bruce Edwards’s book is that he
never lectures the reader. He is more of a guide, or a fellow reader, pointing
things out as the story progresses. Rather than analyze isolated aspects of the
story, he takes us into the story itself with witty and whimsical comments
along the way.

There are always things of which more could be said
in any book, but at times it felt like more should have been said. And
so, the greatest weakness is the book’s brevity. The best example is on the
final page of the book where points are made of the story in light of Grace,
Redemption, Resurrection, and Restoration. Only two to five sentences were
written under each heading, though this would have made for a powerful conclusion
had it been expanded upon.

Aside from its brevity, the book is a welcome companion
to reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; whether it’s for the
first time or the tenth time. Bruce Edwards succeeds in showing us another way
to view the story, to find our selves in it, and leave us wanting more.