That Hideous Strength - Overview

C. S. Lewis wrote the final book in his space trilogy, That Hideous Strength, in 1945, as World War II winded down.  (I later plan to write a post about his space trilogy.)  He saw the terrible and hideous abuse of power by the Nazis, who rejected Christianity.  He also saw England, especially in academia, rejecting not only Christianity, but also almost any type of spirituality, as material naturalism tended to dominate the elites.  Lewis sought to push back against this and show what materialist naturalism tended to lead towards.  He also wanted to show how mankind tended to abuse authority and power to manipulate others.  He understood stories better conveyed a message than academic books.

Lewis, a medieval scholar at both Oxford, and then Cambridge, who wanted to draw from the best of the medieval world and weave it into his story.  So we find Merlin and references to King Arthur in his story.  We also find a medieval cosmology built into the story.  He also loved myths - and so - we find references to the Greek and Roman gods.

C. S. Lewis

But most importantly, C.S. Lewis converted from atheism, or at least an agnostic, to Christianity, under the influence of his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien.  So this book shows us a battle between forces under the direction of Satan, and the forces under the direction of Christ as mediated through angels.  In a way it prefigures the final battle of these forces foretold in the Book of Revelation, but more so in the present time Lewis lived in.

Lewis subtitled the book, An Adult Fairy Tale.  Both Lewis and Tolkien wanted to rescue fairy tales from the nursery room and reinvigorate the genre for modern times.  Tolkien began with The Hobbit (1937).  Lewis followed with his space trilogy beginning with Out of the Silent Planet (1938), and followed by Perelandra (1943).  Though Lewis wrote it as a follow-up, it stands on its own as a complete story.

Usually, I summarize a book in one blog post.  However, I find this book difficult to so summarize, and too important to treat this way.  Instead, I will post something, a chapter at a time, since there is so much going on within it. I am also going to reread it as I do so.  I found it somewhat difficult to follow the first time through, as others have commented.  Part of the reason has to do with this book reflects a dystopia.  That means its the opposite of a utopia, where everything is perfect and happy.  In a dystopia (like 1984), everything is upside down and disturbing.  Writers usually use dystopias as a warning of what will come if action doesn't change things.  In addition, Lewis writes a somewhat complex novel to convey a certain level of distress as what he sees as the wrong direction his society in England heads in near the end of World War II.  It's meant as a warning.

The Lewis-Tolkien Friendship

Out of the Silent Planet (Part 1 of the Space Trilogy)

Perelandra (Part 2 of the Space Trilogy)

Chapter Summaries in That Hideous Strength
Ch. 1 - Sale of College Property
Ch. 2 - Dinner with the Sub-Warden
Ch. 3 - Belbury and St. Anne's-on-the-Hill
Ch. 4 - The Liquidation of Anachronisms
Ch. 5 - Elasticity
Ch. 6 - Fog
Ch. 7 - The Pendragon
Ch. 8 - Midnight at Belbury
Ch. 9 - The Saracen's Head
Ch. 10 - The Conquered City
Ch. 11 - Battle Begun
Ch. 12 - A Wet and Windy Night
Ch. 13 - They Have Pulled Down Deep Heavens on their Heads
Ch 14 - Real Life is Meeting
Ch 15 - The Descent of the Gods
Ch 16 - Banquet at Belbury
Ch 17 - Venus at St. Anne's

That Hideous Strength - Conclusion

That Hideous Strength - Character List

Mere Christianity - Overview