In addition to his teaching duties at the University, Lewis began to publish books. His first major work, The Pilgrim's Regress (1933), was about his own spiritual journey to Christian faith. Other works followed that won him acclaim not only as a writer of books on religious subjects, but also as a writer of academic works and popular novels. The Allegory of Love (1936), which is still considered a masterpiece today, was a history of love literature from the early Middle Ages to Shakespeare's time; Out of the Silent Planet (1938) was the first of a trilogy of science fiction novels, the hero of which is loosely modeled on Lewis's friend J.R.R. Tolkien, author of the children's classic The Hobbit.
Pauline Baynes
Initially when Lewis turned to writing children's books, his publisher and some of his friends tried to dissuade him; they thought it would hurt his reputation as writer of serious works. J.R.R. Tolkien in particular criticized Lewis's first Narnia book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which tells the story of evacuee siblings Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund who stumble through the back of a musty old wardrobe into the magical snow-filled land of Narnia. In a land where it is always winter and never Christmas, the children find themselves on a quest to rid the land of the evil White Witch and restore Springtime to Narnia. With the help of fantastic creatures such as Mr and Mrs Beaver, the faun Mr Tumnus and the mighty and mysterious lion Aslan, the children must triumph in the face of terror, treachery, and turkish delight. JRR Tolkien thought that there were too many elements that clashed�a Father Christmas and an evil witch, talking animals and children. Thankfully, Lewis didn't listen to any of them.
Following the publication of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950, Lewis quickly wrote 6 more Narnia books, publishing the final one, The Last Battle, in 1956. Although they were not well received at first by critics and reviewers, the books gained in popularity through word of mouth. The Narnia books have since sold more than 100 million copies and are among the most beloved books of classic children's literature.
After finishing the Narnia series, Lewis continued to write on autobiographical and religious subjects, but less prolifically. Mainly he was preoccupied with the health crises of his wife, Joy Gresham, whom he married in 1956 and who died of cancer in 1960.
After her death, Lewis's own health deteriorated, and in the summer of 1963 he resigned his post at Cambridge. His death, which occurred on November 22, 1963�the same day President Kennedy was assassinated�was only quietly noted. He is remembered, however, by readers the world over, whom he has delighted and inspired for generations.
