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This is the final book of C. S. Lewis's acclaimed Cosmic (or Ransom) Trilogy, which includes Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra. A classic work of fantasy as much for the wonder of its storytelling as for its insights into the human condition, the trilogy stages an epic battle between forces of light and darkness across a canvas of other worlds. In That Hideous Strength, the brave philologist Dr. Ransom (modeled after Lewis's friend J.R.R. Tolkien) finds himself in a world of superior alien beings and scientific experiments run amok. There is a rumor that the powerful wizard Merlin has returned to the world of the living, and a sinister technocratic organization plans to use his power in their plot to "recondition" society. Ransom's fight for moral wisdom in a brave new universe dominated by science is a quest filled with intrigue and suspense.… (more)
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LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
I have a love/hate relationship with C.S. Lewis. There's a lot I admire in his writing but enough I deplore in his worldview that even though I keep being drawn to his works, I can't call him a favorite. I mostly loved The Screwtape Letters and Narnia, which I read as an adult, adored Till We Have
That's very much a line that is continued in That Hideous Strength, but that isn't what caused me to put the book down deciding not to torture myself further. Yes, the anti-science, anti-technology line irked me. As did the evident contempt for all those who aren't believers in Christian orthodoxy--let alone atheists. And as an American and (small "r" and "d") republican and democrat I bristle at Lewis' evident fondness for the whole class system from how you address servants to the belief in the curtsy as an essential social skill to the love of monarchy--and what may seem quaint in that respect in Narnia just seemed at its most noisome here. But no, what really got to me was the attitude towards women. I've defended Lewis in reviews against those who have called him sexist based on Narnia. Truly, Narnia has wonderful heroines. Even compared in terms of current science fiction and fantasy what struck me was how important and strong were his female characters and how gender balanced were his cast of characters in a very testosterone-laden genre. But it really was just really too much in The Hideous Strength. The contempt heaped on "emancipated women," characters like Hardcastle that seem to signal that just being in an nontraditional profession for a woman means you're perverted and a fascist. And Jane. Oh, Jane. You know where I couldn't take it anymore? It was the "Pendragon" chapter. Here's two quotes:
She said at last, "I suppose our marriage was just a mistake."
The Director said nothing.
"What would you - what would the people you are talking of - say about a case like that?"
"I will tell you if you really want to know," said the Director.
"Please," said Jane reluctantly.
"They would say," he answered, "that you do not fail in obedience through lack of love, but have lost love because you never attempted obedience."
And...
Jane said, "I always thought it was in their souls that people were equal."
"You were mistaken," he said gravely. "That is the last place where they are equal. Equality before the law, equality of incomes - that is very well. Equality guards life; it doesn't make it. It is medicine, not food. You might as well try warming yourself with a blue-book."
"But surely in marriage . . . ?"
"Worse and worse," said the Director. "Courtship knows nothing of it; nor does fruition. What has free companionship to do with that? Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something together, are companions. Those who enjoy or suffer one another, are not. Do you not know how bashful friendship is? Friends - comrades - do not look at each other. Friendship would be ashamed . . ."
"I thought," said Jane and stopped.
"I see," said the Director. "It is not your fault. They never warned you. No one has ever told you that obedience - humility - is an erotic necessity. You are putting equality just where it ought not to be.
No, just no.
And yes, there were things I liked that make me wish I could tolerate this novel better. There's a reason after all I keep coming back to Lewis. He's a great writer with truly striking, shapely prose and at his best has a prodigious imagination and a winning sense of humor and a great way of infusing fiction with ideas--sometimes all too blatantly--but often brilliantly. Even here there were things I relished. His depiction of the process for instance by which Mark Studdock was corrupted was terrifically done. And I had to smile at the way he named his characters--very Dickensian. Some of those on the villain's roll included Lord Feverstone, Miss Hardcastle, Mr Frost, Withers, Steele, Curry. And you can't get better than the acronym for the sinister organization of baddies--N.I.C.E. And it's not as if I disagree with all of Lewis' message--the whole scenario of controlling humanity in the name of "Order" and scientific principle was chilling and resonated with me. I loved how Lewis was working in the Arthurian theme into a story set in mid-twentieth century England. And as I love the Arthurian genre, that was very much a highlight and it took a lot to finally break me away from that. But after that encounter between Jane and Fisher-King I thought it was time to part company before the urge to tear my book in half and start shredding the pages took hold of me--especially since this was about twice the length of the two earlier books. I couldn't imagine being able to get through the rest with my sanity intact.
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Faces (my favorite Lewis work), was moved by his book A Grief Observed and found Mere Christianity and the first two books in the Space Trilogy interesting. There was only one book by him until this one that I had dropped mid-read because I found it just too exasperating--and that was The Abolition of Man. Significantly, he cites that book in the Preface saying he delineated in that essay the point he was making through fiction in this book. I noted in the first two books of the Space Trilogy that for all they might seem to fall into the science fiction genre, both books are actually anti-science fiction. In the first book Out of the Silent Planet, the hero, Ransom spoke of the purpose of the book as "a change-over from the conception of Space to the conception of Heaven." (And I prefer Space--greatly.) The thrust of the first two books is against the humanistic message of science fiction itself and the books decry the very idea of space exploration and colonization. That's very much a line that is continued in That Hideous Strength, but that isn't what caused me to put the book down deciding not to torture myself further. Yes, the anti-science, anti-technology line irked me. As did the evident contempt for all those who aren't believers in Christian orthodoxy--let alone atheists. And as an American and (small "r" and "d") republican and democrat I bristle at Lewis' evident fondness for the whole class system from how you address servants to the belief in the curtsy as an essential social skill to the love of monarchy--and what may seem quaint in that respect in Narnia just seemed at its most noisome here. But no, what really got to me was the attitude towards women. I've defended Lewis in reviews against those who have called him sexist based on Narnia. Truly, Narnia has wonderful heroines. Even compared in terms of current science fiction and fantasy what struck me was how important and strong were his female characters and how gender balanced were his cast of characters in a very testosterone-laden genre. But it really was just really too much in The Hideous Strength. The contempt heaped on "emancipated women," characters like Hardcastle that seem to signal that just being in an nontraditional profession for a woman means you're perverted and a fascist. And Jane. Oh, Jane. You know where I couldn't take it anymore? It was the "Pendragon" chapter. Here's two quotes:
She said at last, "I suppose our marriage was just a mistake."
The Director said nothing.
"What would you - what would the people you are talking of - say about a case like that?"
"I will tell you if you really want to know," said the Director.
"Please," said Jane reluctantly.
"They would say," he answered, "that you do not fail in obedience through lack of love, but have lost love because you never attempted obedience."
And...
Jane said, "I always thought it was in their souls that people were equal."
"You were mistaken," he said gravely. "That is the last place where they are equal. Equality before the law, equality of incomes - that is very well. Equality guards life; it doesn't make it. It is medicine, not food. You might as well try warming yourself with a blue-book."
"But surely in marriage . . . ?"
"Worse and worse," said the Director. "Courtship knows nothing of it; nor does fruition. What has free companionship to do with that? Those who are enjoying something, or suffering something together, are companions. Those who enjoy or suffer one another, are not. Do you not know how bashful friendship is? Friends - comrades - do not look at each other. Friendship would be ashamed . . ."
"I thought," said Jane and stopped.
"I see," said the Director. "It is not your fault. They never warned you. No one has ever told you that obedience - humility - is an erotic necessity. You are putting equality just where it ought not to be.
No, just no.
And yes, there were things I liked that make me wish I could tolerate this novel better. There's a reason after all I keep coming back to Lewis. He's a great writer with truly striking, shapely prose and at his best has a prodigious imagination and a winning sense of humor and a great way of infusing fiction with ideas--sometimes all too blatantly--but often brilliantly. Even here there were things I relished. His depiction of the process for instance by which Mark Studdock was corrupted was terrifically done. And I had to smile at the way he named his characters--very Dickensian. Some of those on the villain's roll included Lord Feverstone, Miss Hardcastle, Mr Frost, Withers, Steele, Curry. And you can't get better than the acronym for the sinister organization of baddies--N.I.C.E. And it's not as if I disagree with all of Lewis' message--the whole scenario of controlling humanity in the name of "Order" and scientific principle was chilling and resonated with me. I loved how Lewis was working in the Arthurian theme into a story set in mid-twentieth century England. And as I love the Arthurian genre, that was very much a highlight and it took a lot to finally break me away from that. But after that encounter between Jane and Fisher-King I thought it was time to part company before the urge to tear my book in half and start shredding the pages took hold of me--especially since this was about twice the length of the two earlier books. I couldn't imagine being able to get through the rest with my sanity intact.
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LibraryThing member Hamburgerclan
This one surprised me. That Hideous Strength is part of a science fiction trilogy with a Christian worldview, the third volume after Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra. I thought it would be like the other two: part planetary travelogue, part philosophical adventure. (A philosophical adventure
--J.
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is one where the plot of the story is a backdrop for the characters to spout a bit of philosophy. It sells better than just having the characters sit in a bar, coffee shop, college dorm, or what have you and engage in the same discussion.) Instead, the story takes place on Earth. The science fiction aspects are relatively minor for most of the book, and instead we're treated to diabolical intrigue and low level suspense. I was also slightly surprised at how the story unwound. The first two novels hinted that they were headed toward the ultimate conflict between good and evil on Earth. If anyone has read the book of Revelation in the Bible, you know that that will involve a great deal of conflict and destruction. Ultimately, That Hideous Strength is simply another battle in the war and the planet is left pretty much untouched, save for the characters in the book. But even if my assumed expectations weren't met, the book is extremely satisfying. Lewis is a great writer and can bring a much needed touch of the divine to those of us raised in materialistic 20th Century Western culture. (Our culture has moved away from that, so in that respect, the book is starting to show it's age.) I especially loved how he illustrates God's power made perfect in weakness. Despite the Arthurian overtones, our heroes are not strong, valiant warriors. They win the day by the grace of God. Isn't that true for any of us? Anyway, this one's on my shelf.--J.
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LibraryThing member lossealasse
One of the best books Lewis ever wrote, this showed much of Charles William's influence, which married to Lewis's superior style and storytelling skills makes for a remarkable and incredibly good book. A kind of metaphysical thriller, with an unusual view of the cosmos and some good political
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commentary, the book is quite an experience. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zathras86
That Hideous Strength is very different from the two earlier books in Lewis's "Space Trilogy," but for the most part I found it enjoyable in a different way. As always Lewis has a spot-on grasp of character and I found it almost painfully easy to empathize with Mark's slow, unintentional slide into
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terrible company at the beginning of the novel. By choosing flawed, human protagonists, Lewis gets away from some of the problems of Perelandra. The morals are more subtly presented, and there is less pervasive hero-worship of Ransom since he has become a secondary character in this book. I continue to admire the sincere empathy with which Lewis exhibits towards the sinners in his novels; it is a far cry from the holier-than-thou tone taken by many religious authors, and the difference is a welcome one. Show Less
LibraryThing member ex_ottoyuhr
I once heard of this book being nicknamed 'That Hideous Novel.' I don't have very much trouble understanding why. Lewis, who was primarily an author of theology and apologetics, never really developed a personal style or voice in writing fiction. All his novels are written in someone else's style,
By the way, if you've never heard of Williams, he was the third of the major Inklings after Tolkien and Lewis. You've probably never read anything he wrote, and you probably don't consider him very influential, but if you read this book, you'll realize that he probably had the largest influence of the major Inklings -- you can tell when someone's pastiching Tolkien, but Williams, or at least the style of _That Hideous Strength_, is _everywhere_.
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but his favorite touchstones are H.G. Wells (_Out of the Silent Planet_, _Perelandra_) and J.R.R. Tolkien (_The Chronicles of Narnia_), so when he switches over to Charles Williams mode for this book, it's a rather rude surprise. He does it well, of course, but I would almost say that that only makes it stranger.By the way, if you've never heard of Williams, he was the third of the major Inklings after Tolkien and Lewis. You've probably never read anything he wrote, and you probably don't consider him very influential, but if you read this book, you'll realize that he probably had the largest influence of the major Inklings -- you can tell when someone's pastiching Tolkien, but Williams, or at least the style of _That Hideous Strength_, is _everywhere_.
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LibraryThing member bookworm12
This is the final book in Lewis’ Space Trilogy; it follows Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra, but deviates from the first two because it is set on Earth.
A young married couple, Jane and Mark are at the heart of the novel. Mark is offered a job at a strange organization called N.I.C.E.
Jane decides to see a counselor, Miss Ironwood, about her nightmares and finds out they aren’t dreams, but premonitions. Meanwhile Mark is being asked to do small things that challenge his belief system and each tiny step in the wrong direction takes him farther from his wife.
In a strange way it reminded me (a tiny bit) of The Dark is Rising series. Both use aspects of the Arthurian legend and set their stories in the 20th century. Both have forces of good and evil fighting against each other in a vague but continuous battle. But where The Dark is Rising pulls you in with great characters, Hideous Strength holds you at arms length with ideas and a cast of dislikeable individuals.
BOTTOM LINE: I wanted to finish Lewis’ space trilogy, so I’m glad I read this one, but I don’t think that it’s up to the same standard of the previous books. The pacing is off, the characters fall flat and the final showdown was weak.
A young married couple, Jane and Mark are at the heart of the novel. Mark is offered a job at a strange organization called N.I.C.E.
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(National Institute for Co-ordinated Experiments), whose goals are vague and never quite explained to him. At the same time Jane begins to have troubling dreams. Without intending to, the pair ends up on opposite sides in a battle for power in England and eventually the entire world. Jane decides to see a counselor, Miss Ironwood, about her nightmares and finds out they aren’t dreams, but premonitions. Meanwhile Mark is being asked to do small things that challenge his belief system and each tiny step in the wrong direction takes him farther from his wife.
In a strange way it reminded me (a tiny bit) of The Dark is Rising series. Both use aspects of the Arthurian legend and set their stories in the 20th century. Both have forces of good and evil fighting against each other in a vague but continuous battle. But where The Dark is Rising pulls you in with great characters, Hideous Strength holds you at arms length with ideas and a cast of dislikeable individuals.
BOTTOM LINE: I wanted to finish Lewis’ space trilogy, so I’m glad I read this one, but I don’t think that it’s up to the same standard of the previous books. The pacing is off, the characters fall flat and the final showdown was weak.
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LibraryThing member marient
The book is the third in a science fiction trilogy by Lewis. The evil is trying to take over the world and a small group of people resist. A modern fairy tale.
LibraryThing member hayesstw
The third volume of the "space" or "cosmic" trilogy comes down to earth with a bump into the very mundane world of academic ambition, which Lewis knew well. It is a horror story, but the real horror is the way in which academic ambition can blind one to creeping totalitarianism. Unlike the others
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in the series, the planetary rulers make only cameo appearances, in one of the few scenes of comic relief in a rather dark and sombre book. Show Less
LibraryThing member paesley
I read this book for the first time 27 years ago and it still sticks with me. A great story that is meaningful on many levels and fun to read as well.
LibraryThing member simsarah
Too heavyhanded after the perfection of Perelandra - Lewis is very dark here, and while the message is available, the story is not as enjoyable. The characters are less llikeable, which I found distanced me from the tale.
LibraryThing member vernazzablue
This is a bit of a love it or hate book for Lewis fans. Of the three in the space trilogy, this is the one I reread the most. I enjoy the Arthur stuff and don't mind that it seems a bit out of place after Perelandra. Perelandra may be more elegant, but this one's more visceral and gripping. The
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power and danger of evil hits closer to home when it's in the guise of a university or a scientific establishment than when set on another planet. Show Less
LibraryThing member wirkman
What a hodge-podge! Lewis here makes a foray into the Kitchen Sink Method of science fiction writing, where everything is thrown in INCLUDING the kitchen sink! We have here a novel of ideas, an Arthurian Romance, a tale of Creeping Horror, a mad scientist novel, a work of eschatological Christian
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fiction. I must've missed a half dozen other aspects, too. Though this may be, literarily, the least successful of the three books in his Space Trilogy, it is fascinating. Or so I found it when I read it in my teens and then again in my twenties. Show Less
LibraryThing member JohnGray
Still the most frightening science fiction book I've ever come across, mostly because it reads as a completely credible account of what happens when the bonds of society are dissolved.
LibraryThing member antiquary
Definitely not my favorite Lewis. Aptly described by as critic as a Charles Williams
novel by Lewis.
novel by Lewis.
LibraryThing member the_awesome_opossum
This was a very strange end to the Space Trilogy; there are hardly any sci-fi elements at all compared to the other two books, and the theology is very comparatively nuanced and subtle. CS Lewis seems to have more fun with mythology than religion here - much of the book focuses on the unlikely hero
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of Merlin, and the "final battle" is a rather unfocused concept. The book still has a well-drawn cast of characters to recommend it, and some very thrilling and scary parts, but there is also a lot of politics and chatter that I didn't feel were necessary. Still trying to figure out why Lewis ended the trilogy in such an irrelevant way Show Less
LibraryThing member Sean191
Rough start on this book...didn't enjoy the characters much or the story until about halfway through when some familiar characters appeared (one from Lewis' works a second from far older works). It turned around a bit and was almost worth the payoff, but the final resolution of the book fell flat
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for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
wisewoman gave a wonderful description of the book in her review. I would only add two things: (1) I think the characters she refers to as "superfluous)" help us to see how Lewis viewed people of different--even sometimes "'quirky"--personalities--as part of the richness of humanity. (2) This story
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has some horrifying elements in it. Although it is fantasy (which takes place entirely on earth) some of the ideas of evil seem frighteningly like some of the things we see in our society today—only we may be more subtle. Show Less
LibraryThing member Arctic-Stranger
This is my favorite of all of Lewis's works. I read it at an important time in my life, and this brought all of Lewis's other works into a sharper focus for me.
Too many times I have Withers-types, and now recognize their vagueness as a type of evil.
Too many times I have Withers-types, and now recognize their vagueness as a type of evil.
LibraryThing member justchris
That Hideous Strength takes place back on Earth. This the story of the final battle between good and evil happening under everyone's noses in the guise of the new research institute N.I.C.E. (National Institute for Coordinated Experiments). Ransom and Devine do eventually appear with new names
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later in the book. The former is easy to figure out, the latter must be explained to us. The protagonists are a young, newly married couple: Jane and Mark Studdock. She is a housewife who thinks she's going to finish her dissertation; he's a young faculty member at a small college. The description of politics in academia is great, and doubtless quite true to life minus the sinister activities of the evil organization masquerading as progress. Actually, this could make a good movie, because the people and conversations and activities at N.I.C.E. are a cross between Jacob's Ladder and The Firm (by John Grisham), or perhaps The Devil's Advocate (the one with Al Pacino). Lewis ties this into the Arthurian legends with the resurrection of Merlin, whom both sides are seeking. I think this story is generally well done and is a fairly convincing presentation of two people who can't accept what's happening to them as part of a rational world, but who also aren't honest with themselves or each other about their motivations and fears. The descriptions of evil intentions masquerading as social progress (or social engineering) in this novel are chilling reminders of the rhetoric of infamous regimes in real life. And the subtle, apparently harmless mechanisms designed to corrupt Mark Studdock are also interesting. So in general, I liked this story. The one point that really annoyed me was Merlin condemning Jane Studdock for failing to conceive the savior, because that really was her purpose in the final battle, after all, to get pregnant at the appointed time. Really. But still an interesting story. Show Less
LibraryThing member macii
This is BY FAR my favorite book in the Space Trilogy and my favorite Lewis fiction from my "Summer of Lewis."
The tone and presentation reminded me of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca" (but even better!).
"That Hideous Strength" begins with new characters in the setting of academic circles. Readers might
In Lewis' book, evil begins subtly. Something as small as laughing at someone else's expense or ignoring your conscience just once. Something so insignificant can help numb us to further wrong and has the potential to spiral out of control.
The best part for me was the interweaving of Arthurian legends. SWEET!
Random thought: Could King Arthur been a King David type?
You won't get this until you read the book, but here's my favorite line:
"Those who have forgotten Logres sink into Britain."
I speed through the book because I couldn't stand waiting to see what happened next, but was really upset to see it end. I told my husband I was very disappointed because I didn't readily have any Lewis fiction to read--but it would have been hard to pick anything up after this book. I needed to let it all soak in, you know?
The tone and presentation reminded me of Daphne du Maurier's "Rebecca" (but even better!).
"That Hideous Strength" begins with new characters in the setting of academic circles. Readers might
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be a little disappointed in the length of time before encountering Dr. Ransom--but he's there and wonderful!In Lewis' book, evil begins subtly. Something as small as laughing at someone else's expense or ignoring your conscience just once. Something so insignificant can help numb us to further wrong and has the potential to spiral out of control.
The best part for me was the interweaving of Arthurian legends. SWEET!
Random thought: Could King Arthur been a King David type?
You won't get this until you read the book, but here's my favorite line:
"Those who have forgotten Logres sink into Britain."
I speed through the book because I couldn't stand waiting to see what happened next, but was really upset to see it end. I told my husband I was very disappointed because I didn't readily have any Lewis fiction to read--but it would have been hard to pick anything up after this book. I needed to let it all soak in, you know?
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LibraryThing member Mary_Overton
''It is the beginning of Man Immortal and Man Ubiquitous,'' (pg. 178) is the announcement made about a machine that keeps a person's head and brain alive after the death of the body. The machine is for ''the conquest of death: or for the conquest of organic life, if you prefer. They are the same
C.S. Lewis in 1946 sounds weirdly similar to today's futurists who predict the coming Singularity, and who hope to achieve immortality by uploading their consciousness into computers. And of transhumanism ...
''We have found how to make a dead man live. He was a wise man even in his natural life. He lives now forever; he gets wiser. Later, we make them live better - for at the present, one must concede this second life is probably not very agreeable to him who has it. You see? Later we make it pleasant for some - perhaps not so pleasant for others. For we can make the dead live whether they wish it or not ...'
''...the lessons you learned at your mother's knee return. God will have power to give eternal reward and eternal punishment.'
''God?' said Mark. 'How does He come into it? I don't believe in God.'
''But, my friend,' said Filostrato, 'does it follow that because there was no God in the past that there will be no God also in the future?'
''Don't you see,' said Straik, 'that we are offering you the unspeakable glory of being present at the creation of God Almighty? Here, in this house, you shall meet the first sketch of the real God. It is a man - or a being made by man - who will finally ascend the throne of the universe. And rule forever.'' (pg. 179)
And on obsession, whether about immortality or another craving:
'Suddenly, like a thing that leaped to him across infinite distances with the speed of light, desire (salt, black, ravenous, unanswerable desire) took him by the throat. The merest hint will convey to those who have felt it the quality of the emotion which now shook him, like a dog shaking a rat; for others, no description perhaps will avail. Many writers speak of it in terms of lust: a description admirably illuminating from within, totally misleading from without. It has nothing to do with the body. But it is in two respects like lust as lust shows itself to be in the deepest and darkest vault of its labyrinthine house. For like lust, it disenchants the whole universe. Everything else that Mark had ever felt - love, ambition, hunger, lust itself - appeared to have been mere milk and water, toys for children, not worth one throb of the nerves. The infinite attraction of this dark thing sucked all other passions into itself: the rest of the world appeared bleached, etiolated, insipid, a world of white marriages and white masses, dishes without salt, gambling for counters. ... But it was like lust in another respect also. It is idle to point out to the perverted man the horror of his perversion: while the fierce fit is on, that horror is the very spice of his craving.' (pg. 268)
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thing. It is to bring out of that cocoon of organic life which sheltered the babyhood of the mind the New Man, the man who will not die, the artificial man, free from Nature. Nature is the ladder we have climbed up by, now we kick her away.'' (pg. 177)C.S. Lewis in 1946 sounds weirdly similar to today's futurists who predict the coming Singularity, and who hope to achieve immortality by uploading their consciousness into computers. And of transhumanism ...
''We have found how to make a dead man live. He was a wise man even in his natural life. He lives now forever; he gets wiser. Later, we make them live better - for at the present, one must concede this second life is probably not very agreeable to him who has it. You see? Later we make it pleasant for some - perhaps not so pleasant for others. For we can make the dead live whether they wish it or not ...'
''...the lessons you learned at your mother's knee return. God will have power to give eternal reward and eternal punishment.'
''God?' said Mark. 'How does He come into it? I don't believe in God.'
''But, my friend,' said Filostrato, 'does it follow that because there was no God in the past that there will be no God also in the future?'
''Don't you see,' said Straik, 'that we are offering you the unspeakable glory of being present at the creation of God Almighty? Here, in this house, you shall meet the first sketch of the real God. It is a man - or a being made by man - who will finally ascend the throne of the universe. And rule forever.'' (pg. 179)
And on obsession, whether about immortality or another craving:
'Suddenly, like a thing that leaped to him across infinite distances with the speed of light, desire (salt, black, ravenous, unanswerable desire) took him by the throat. The merest hint will convey to those who have felt it the quality of the emotion which now shook him, like a dog shaking a rat; for others, no description perhaps will avail. Many writers speak of it in terms of lust: a description admirably illuminating from within, totally misleading from without. It has nothing to do with the body. But it is in two respects like lust as lust shows itself to be in the deepest and darkest vault of its labyrinthine house. For like lust, it disenchants the whole universe. Everything else that Mark had ever felt - love, ambition, hunger, lust itself - appeared to have been mere milk and water, toys for children, not worth one throb of the nerves. The infinite attraction of this dark thing sucked all other passions into itself: the rest of the world appeared bleached, etiolated, insipid, a world of white marriages and white masses, dishes without salt, gambling for counters. ... But it was like lust in another respect also. It is idle to point out to the perverted man the horror of his perversion: while the fierce fit is on, that horror is the very spice of his craving.' (pg. 268)
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LibraryThing member Ameliaiif
Hmmm, starting out with Out of the Silent Planet, I was relatively drawn in and interested in the premise...with Perelandra, things got a little more exciting...now with That Hideous Strength, I have to say I'm pretty weirded out. This last installment of Lewis' Space Trilogy was, as usual, heavily
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allegorical, but the actual "story" just didn't do it for me. I really liked the concept of N.I.C.E and The Head was pretty cool/weird, but everything else just didn't work. I think it may have to do with the fact that this book switches directions pretty sharply from the other two (Ransom is in this book, but he's certainly not the main character). The climax of the book was just bizarre and something I'd never expect to read from C.S. Lewis. Don't get me wrong, I like Mr. Bultitude, but I'm a little scared of him, too (and if you've read this book, you'll likely know why). Fairy Hardcastle was pretty interesting--she reminds me of Dolores Umbridge for some reason...but I just couldn't help but miss Weston! It doesnt seem like the Space Trilogy without him... Anyway, we got through half of this book in class, so the good news is that it really didn't take me very long to finish this...but unless you just really, REALLY like C.S. Lewis (which I do, by the way), I would consider skipping this series. It's okay, but certainly not NARNIA. Oh, and if you really want a good C.S. Lewis stand-alone book, check out The Screwtape Letters! Show Less
LibraryThing member Ljrei77
Fantastic close to a brilliant sci-fi series. Lewis managed to write a rather compelling story while incorporating his very strong beliefs on humanity in the "Christian Light". I read this book for a class that focuses on human nature. Lewis addresses several problems and aspects of human nature in
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this book without the plot suffering. Show Less
LibraryThing member szarka
Though few would call it "horror", That Hideous Strength may well be the scariest book I've ever read.
LibraryThing member slaveofOne
The good: a dark, non-children's book, quite down-to-Tellus (if you'll forgive the pun), the philosophical/theological point was intellectually stimulating, and there were a few descriptions of ethereal experience and being that might not hold a candle flame to the light in Dante's Paradiso, but
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which was still beautiful (see “Descent of the Gods”). The bad and the ugly: Lewis' writing style is haphazard at best—names changed sporadically without reason, numerous misspellings, random pieces of linguistic bravado which would be quite unintelligible to most readers, there was even a chapter, told in the first person, which so lost me that I still have no clue of the speaker's identity. There is nothing likable or interesting about most characters. Following the plot for the first half of the book is like slamming your head into a wall over and over and over and over... Instead of characters or a compelling storyline driving the narrative, this contains lengthy chapters of bone-numbing dialog, hopeless exposition, deus ex machina, and spontaneous, overly-complex descriptions. The conclusion was drawn out, confused, and hardly satisfying except for the fact that the good guys won (which we knew would happen anyway). The worst part is that one could catch glimpses of so many fabulous and compelling stories and characters just under the surface that would have made this an incredible novel had they been told and focused on instead. It was sheer force of will alone that I finished this book. The worst of C.S. Lewis. Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 1946)
Language
Original publication date
1945
Other editions
Similar in this library
The abolition of man, or, Reflections on education with special reference to the teaching of English in the upper forms of schools by C. S. Lewis
DDC/MDS
| F LEW |
Pages
380