Shadowlands by Leonore Fleischer

Shadowlands Reviews

• 
  Elisabetta

  I did not know this book was about C.S. Lewis. It is a really intense one, about a part of his life in which many changes appear in life, especially the most amazing one which is called love. There's a lot in this book about love, even if it comes in little steps and is lasting for a short time. And then there's room for pain, giving up, change and backtrack to understand that all was meant to be life.
• 
  Aunt_Cindy Wood Stott

  Loved both the book and the movie.
• 
  André

  Citaat :
  Review : Shadowlands is gebaseerd op het leven van de schrijver, geleerde en theoloog C.S. Lewis. De film speelt zich af in het Oxford van de jaren vijftig waar de heer op leeftijd Lewis college geeft over middeleeuwse dichtkunst. Lewis leeft samen met zijn broer Warnie in het huis waar hij ook is opgegroeid. De vrijgezel wordt door zijn collega's gerespecteerd, hij hoeft zijn kopje maar op te houden of zijn bejaarde huishoudster komt met de theepot aansnellen, in de pub vindt hij bij een glaasje bier zijn ontspanning en thuis leest hij uitsluitend boeken van de hoogste kwaliteit.
  
  
  
  Kortom, zijn leventje is overzichtelijk en hij lijkt volkomen tevreden met zijn elitaire bestaan. Maar dan komt de Amerikaanse dichteres Joy Gresham in zijn leven. Met haar recht-door-zee houding en ongedwongen toenadering maakt ze kennelijk iets los in de bedaagde Lewis, want langzaam maar zeker ontwikkelt zich een vriendschap tussen de twee. Omdat Gresham geen verblijfsvergunning voor het Verenigd Koninkrijk heeft, trouwen de twee voor de vorm met elkaar.
  
  
  
  Na de huwelijksvoltrekking kan er voor koele kikker Lewis zelfs geen borrel af, hij moet direct weer aan het werk. Pas als Gresham ziek wordt en een zeer ernstige vorm van kanker blijkt te hebben, begint het bij de schrijver te dagen dat hij smoorverliefd is op Joy. Eindelijk geeft Lewis zich bloot en blijkt hij zelfs in staat lief te hebben.
  
  
  
  Het is een mooie liefdessaga die op ware feiten berust. De roman is gebaseerd op een televisiespel van William Nicholson naar zijn gelijknamige toneelstuk en de roman werd op zijn beurt dan weer verfilmd. In deze uitgave is ook een literatuurlijst met werk van C.S. Lewis opgenomen. Het boek is iets minder zoet dan de film.
  
• 
  Literary Landscapes _memorie_della_luna_

  Questo è in assoluto il più bel libro che io abbia mai letto e anche se non si può considerare una ricostruzione reale della storia tra C.S.Lewis (autore de Le Cronache di Narnia) e la sua Joy ma più ispirato al film e la versione teatrale, è comunque molto profondo, intenso e commovente ....fa riflettere molto e lascia un vuoto incredibile...
  
  “Questa è la storia, vera, come spesso accade, di un uomo che si trovò davanti a una sorpresa quando aveva già superato l’età delle sorprese, un uomo il cui cuore fu costretto a sottoporsi a un drammatico cambiamento in un periodo in cui pensava non fosse più possibile alcun cambiamento, un uomo le cui certezze assolute furono messe in discussione e quasi travolte; un uomo che, dopo aver attraversato il fuoco del supplizio, scoprì un tipo completamente diverso di felicità nel modo più improbabile, nel luogo più inatteso e grazie a una persona straordinaria, così diversa da lui che se qualcuno l’avesse informato in precedenza, chiaramente e con tutti i dettagli, di quanto stava per accadergli, avrebbe riso di lui considerandolo sciocco o folle, o entrambe le due cose.“
  
  Viaggio in Inghilterra ~ Shadowlands
  Leonore Fleischer
• 
  Christine Sinclair

  Two reasons why this book is amazing: 1) the true love story between famed novelist and Oxford don C. S. Lewis, and Joy Gresham, a younger, divorced woman from America, is as touching as it is unlikely; and 2) this book is a novelization of the play and screenplay by William Nicholson (made into a movie starring Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger) and it is SO well-written that it is outstanding in its own right. I loved it!
• 
  Veronica-Anne

  A beautiful heartbreakingly account of C.S. Lewis's profoundly beautiful love story between Jack Lewis and his wife Joy Gresham. So poignantly written yet filled with a gentle humour that simply enfolds you as you read. I loved this book and I am eager now to experience more of C.S. Lewis's written work. Leonore Fleischer is also now on my radar as her excellent writing on this part of her subjects life is what made me eager to read more. Highly recommended.
• 
  Monkey Businness

  Una storia che ti spezza il cuore. Un libro molto bello, che consiglio a tutti (qualunque sia il vostro genere preferito).
  L'autrice (per la sua bravura e versatilità) è appena entrata a far parte dei miei preferiti.
• 
  Tricia

  This was the true story of CS Lewis and his wife Joy who died of cancer not long after they were married.
  
  The book was ok but the story didn't really grab me.
• 
  Elizabeth

  Love can always take one by surprise!
• 
  Annette

  I have to laugh at the description on Goodreads. What exactly is a radial divorcée? Just wondering...
• 
  Sara SR

  I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. A very interesting find, and although brief, I'm sure I'll think about it often.
• 
  Eleonora Salviato

  Parto dal fatto che era da un pò volevo leggere questo libro, sia per il titolo che mi ispirava molto sia perchè me l'ha consigliato mia mamma e sono davvero contenta di essere riuscita finalmente a leggerlo.
  Che dire è meraviglioso, romantico, filosofico e interessante perchè parla della storia d'amore tra lo scrittore inglese C.S. Lewis e la poetessa americana Joy Gresham. Pieno di concetti e frasi molo interessanti, come il fatto che Dio è uno scultore e il dolore sarebbero i colpi inferti alla scultura (uomo) per renderlo migliore.
  Purtroppo finisce male, perchè lei muore di cancro alle ossa... 4 anni dopo il matrimonio e lui non si riprenderà più...scriverà anche un libro sul suo immenso dolore chiamato appunto "Diario di un dolore" . Lui morirà 3 anni dopo per problemi cardiaci. Eppure nonostante il finale triste...Mi è rimasta una bella sensazione perchè l'ultima frase é:
  
  "Jack aveva la sensazione che lei le avesse sentite ( le sue parole); ora lei non era più lontana da lui."
  
  E le parole a cui fa riferimento sono queste:
  
  "Perchè amare, se la perdita provoca tanto dolore? Io non ho più risposte, ho solo la vita che ho vissuto. In questa vita due volte mi è stato offerto di scegliere, da ragazzo e da uomo. Il ragazzo scelse la sicurezza. L'uomo sceglie la sofferenza. Il dolore presente è parte della felicità di allora. è questo il patto."
  
• 
  Heather

  To tell you the truth, I didn't expect much from a book that is a novel "based on the screenplay by William Nicholson based on his stage play." However, I was pleasantly surprised by the . . . joy of reading it! A few editing issues--a repeated paragraph here and there, etc. Other than that, however, the writing was smooth and vivid.
  
  This book is based on the true story of C.S. Lewis' romance and marriage with Joy Davidman Gresham. Lewis, in his fifties and settled into the life of a university teacher and bachelor, thought that he knew what love was--until he realized, thanks to Joy, that he had been putting up walls to keep his feelings in and people out ever since his mother died when he was nine years old. Through his marriage to Joy, C.S. Lewis came alive again and was finally able to understand the wonder and the suffering that he had been lecturing about for so long.
  
  Lewis' story resonated with me, as I have also been through a lot of pain in my life and a lot of effort to protect myself from it. Person by person and book by book, I catch glimpses of freedom through the holes in my own walls, making joyful connections to the other side. For, as the father of one of Lewis' students is reported in this story to have said, "We read to know that we're not alone."
• 
  Michele

  I love to read C.S. Lewis, and this book gives great insight into his life after meeting Joy Davidman Gresham. I love the movie so thought I would give the book a try. It is a book adaptation of a screenplay, so I didn't expect much, but as he grew to love Joy and her son, Douglas, I was captivated by the power of love, and its life changing effects.
• 
  Maggie

  Tried reading this for the August Romance challenge. Didn't realise it was written from the screenplay of the film otherwise I would not have read it at all, although I have enjoyed the movie. It became immediately obvious that it came from the screenplay however because all that seemed to be missing were the stage directions.
• 
  Arlene

  This book is an unlikely romance. In 1952 English author and lecturer, C.S. Lewis was set in his ways, living near Oxford where he was a don, writing and giving lectures. He begins a correspondence with an American fan and one day she writes that she is visiting England, "Can we meet for tea?" They meet and begin a friendship that changes his life. A very touching story.
• 
  Jennifer

  This book is a favorite from my youth. It's based on a film I also enjoyed. The film is based on the life of C. S. Lewis and his wife Joy. Their story reminds us that pain and happiness are connected when you love someone. You can't have one without the other. The intensity varies with the situation.
• 
  Luckngrace

  C.S. Lewis wrote the Narnia children's books but never had a child. As Shadowlands begins he is a Christian who once was an atheist. Never having been interested in romance or feeling for companionship in his middle age. Then follows the true story of "Jack" Lewis's awakening to love and life.
• 
  Calum Mackenzie ‘R.S Green’

  As a big CS Lewis fan I didn't know what to expect.Even better than the film, and arguably the most moving book I've ever read.A beautifully written love story and even more compelling as its based on CS Lewis' life.thoroughly recommend. :)
• 
  ao

  Letto incuriosita dal commento che ne fa Agassi in Open. In effetti Agassi parla del film, non del libro, che pero' e' la trasposizione del film. "Bah" descrive bene l'interesse a seguito della lettura. Ora non sono curiosa di vedere il film.
  
• 
  Ginia

  Such a great true love story... I cried and cried.
• 
  Emily

  What an inspiring story that helps me to choose love and living life versus staying in the safe harbors of thoughts and ideas.
• 
  booklady

  Love both versions of the movie; would love to read the book.
• 
  Josiah

  The author uses extensive vocabulary but isn't much of a story-teller. It's obvious this novel is third-hand information, based on a theater script based on a biography based on interviews.
• 
  Annette

  I did not expect to love this story so bad! this is a bizarre, yet beautiful and pure romance.
  Learnt a whole lot of things!
  Fans of CS Lewis's books should read this ASAP
• 
  Lynne

  lovely, sad, harrowing
• 
  Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

  The writing is somewhat inconsistent in this novelization, with some lovely stretches early on and parts that feel a bit rushed during the final third. I'd give it 3 stars for that--but the story's setting inspires unusual erudition and philosophical reflection, plus fun historical asides. The novelization is brimming with details I enjoyed, so I'm bumping it up to 4 stars. This has to be one of the most learned novelizations out there (!), with plenty of Latin, references to Medieval poetry, and lovely local color (Magdalen College, Oxford).