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littlemanpoet · 03-31-2002, 05:54 PM

I suspect that there must be some really old discussion thread regarding the Inklings in the history of the Barrowdoens website, but have not checked it out for myself. I read Tolkien's and Lewis' biographies. Humphrey Carpenter wrote Tolkien's. It's a good read. You learn a lot. Tolkien heard all of Lewis' space trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength) in the Inklings meetings.

By the way they did NOT drink tea. They held their meetings either in Lewis' rooms at Oxford or at the Eagle and Child tavern, nicknamed the Bird and Baby, where the quaffed many a good ale while sharing their works.

Lewis did indeed encourage Tolkien throughout the entire period of the LOTR drafts, but commented that Tolkien was as hard to influence as a bandersnatch, whatever that is.

Their friendship cooled after World War 2, especially when Lewis wrote his Narnia Chronicles which Tolkien thought were ill-conceived and did injustice to his sources. They were not speaking to each other (not that they were unfriends) during roughly the last decade of Lewis' life.

Hope that helps.

03-31-2002, 05:54 PM	#5
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	I suspect that there must be some really old discussion thread regarding the Inklings in the history of the Barrowdoens website, but have not checked it out for myself. I read Tolkien's and Lewis' biographies. Humphrey Carpenter wrote Tolkien's. It's a good read. You learn a lot. Tolkien heard all of Lewis' space trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength) in the Inklings meetings. By the way they did NOT drink tea. They held their meetings either in Lewis' rooms at Oxford or at the Eagle and Child tavern, nicknamed the Bird and Baby, where the quaffed many a good ale while sharing their works. Lewis did indeed encourage Tolkien throughout the entire period of the LOTR drafts, but commented that Tolkien was as hard to influence as a bandersnatch, whatever that is. Their friendship cooled after World War 2, especially when Lewis wrote his Narnia Chronicles which Tolkien thought were ill-conceived and did injustice to his sources. They were not speaking to each other (not that they were unfriends) during roughly the last decade of Lewis' life. Hope that helps.