C.S. Lewis’s Sci-Fi Trilogy, Part 3: That Hideous Strength

In this, my final post of 2018, I’d like to take a second to thank you for sticking with me this year. Whether you peruse occasionally, read faithfully, or dabble somewhere in between, I’m thankful for your interest in Past Watchful Dragons! In the future, I hope to have even more to offer you, and I can’t wait to hear from you, too!

Today’s is the final post in a series about C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy, so if you missed the articles about Out of the Silent Planet or Perelandra, feel free to catch up here! Otherwise, without further ado, let’s look at the last and longest of the trilogy, That Hideous Strength.

Influences

One major influence on this book is the King Arthur legends that are so popular in Britain. But even mentioning King Arthur is like opening a book with thousands and thousands of different chapters, some similar and some conflicting. For example, a handful of diehards spend their lives studying lore and history to prove that King Arthur really lived and, perhaps, will live again. there are others who believe that Arthur was inspired by a real person—a warrior or chieftain, maybe, but his story morphed as it was passed along. Many others simply enjoy the stories surrounding this hero, reveling in the magic, the glory, and the drama that comprise the tales. I feel like Lewis would have fallen into this last category. That Hideous Strength is heavily influenced by the person of Merlin, the magician and instructor of Arthur. As you read about Logres and Merlin’s Well, you may just be inspired to look into the legend for yourself.

Another influence on the book is rather hard to express until you’ve read it, but I’ll give it a shot. In That Hideous Strength, Lewis really tries to depict the politics of agenda-driven groups. Lewis has written at least one essay on the mindset of the “group,” or the “we” into which so many toadies strive to be included. He exposes the adult’s childish desire to be accepted by his perceived superiors, even if it means changing who he is or should be. This theme plays a major part on one of the main characters, Mark Studdock, who unwittingly sacrifices all that is really valuable for the chance to be accepted by the “in” group. It sounds like a junior high struggle, but Lewis’ portrayal is unsettlingly familiar in the corporate and adult world in general. I find his interpretation of this obsession both entertaining and frightening.

What I Loved

One of my favorite aspects of this novel is the psychological depths that Lewis plumbs in order to express his main characters. In my opinion, this may showcase Lewis’ characterization at its finest (with the exception of Orual in Till We Have Faces, which reigns supreme.) His protagonist, Jane Studdock, is both complex and recognizable, sympathetic and strong. Lewis does state her motivations and thoughts at times, but even more often he displays them through her actions. I think you’d really appreciate his complexity here.

I also loved all the strangely discordant elements that he weaves into one story: dull college life, Arthurian legend, planetary mythology, science fiction, corpse reanimation, dystopian future, and character psychology, to name a few. It seems like a concoction that strange shouldn’t work, but I believe it does. Remember, this is the book that most resembles the works of Lewis’ friend and inspiration, Charles Williams. You can read more about him in my first post, but suffice it to say that his works were bizarre. It’s no surprise, then, that the book that he inspired Lewis to write has some pretty bizarre elements as well.

What Surprised Me

To be honest, I was surprised to see how well he wrote the character of Jane Studdock. Often, a man knows men best, and a woman knows women best, but Lewis was a connoisseur of people in general. I feel that he had observed women enough to be able to portray them accurately, without flattery or insult. As I mentioned above, Lewis does a masterful job of portraying the psychology of Orual in Till We Have Faces, so I shouldn’t have been surprised to see how complex Jane was. But while Lewis does a great job with all of his characters, Jane’s is the one that shines the brightest in this book.

I was also taken off guard by a scene that I found to be surprisingly funny. I think Lewis is funny pretty often, with his wry observations and British understatements, but this was different. At one point in the story, an event similar to the Tower of Babel occurs: a confusion of languages turns a formal meeting into an absolute zoo. Since I didn’t know it was coming, the scene’s comic nature took me by surprise and made me laugh out loud. Really! I lol-ed! Granted, I’m a sucker for funny, made up words, so this is inherently funny to me, but I think you’ll get a kick out of it too.

Where It May Daunt You

The same things that influenced the story may, in my opinion, be the things that daunt you about it. For example, if you don’t know anything at all about the King Arthur legends, specifically about Merlin and the land called Logres, then you may be a little baffled by some of the plotline. However, that’s easily fixable! Just look up a few versions of the Arthur legend until you get  a basic grasp of the characters and setting. You’d enjoy that anyway!

You may also be daunted by the college politics. It’s easy to get lost in the names, groups, and motivations of the people involved, especially if you don’t work in a corporate or “climb the ladder” type of atmosphere. But even so, I think Lewis explains things well enough that you’ll be able to track along with the plot without any problems.

Why You Should Read It

If I haven’t convinced you yet, let me say that this book has great storytelling! The style is modern, witty, and engaging. The characters are believable, complex, and humorous. The plot, while it is pretty strange and maybe even bizarre, is one that will keep you thinking about it even after you’ve put the book down. And furthermore, it’s a love story. Now, half of you just rolled your eyes and decided not to read it. The other half just got interested for the first time. But let me say this: it’s a strange, unique love story featuring estrangement, selfishness, drifting, guardedness, and restoration set against the backdrop of a creepy, secret society of scientists. Trust me—it’s like nothing you’ve ever read before. Well, it’s like nothing I’d ever read before. And I’d be so happy if you’d run right out and buy the whole trilogy just so you can let me know what you think! After all, it’s a new year soon. I can’t think of a better resolution than to read more great books like this.