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Dorothy & Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers & C. S. Lewis by Gina Dalfonzo (2020)
What happens when we push past the surface and allow real, grounded, mutually challenging, and edifying friendships to develop? This is the question posed by Gina Dalfonzo in her biographical examination of the friendship between Christian thinkers and apologists Dorothy L. Sayers and C. S. Lewis. The friendship had its beginning in a fan letter that Sayers, then celebrated for her mystery fiction and less known for her Christian work, wrote Lewis the first of what became a fifteen-year correspondence. They met on various occasions, but the friendship grew primarily through the written word--letters exploring their mutually held views, debating their differences, critiquing each others work, bolstering one another on points of perceived weakness, and praising & encouraging strengths.
"Over the years they had helped, educated, guided, teased, critiqued, chastised, defended, consoled, and laughed with each other."
What more could two friends ask for?
One thing that I found frustrating about this book is that most of the letters which promised (in Dalfonzo's descriptions of them) to be very interesting were "apparently lost." She repeatedly employs references in letters--most often in Lewis's replies to Sayers (DLS appears to have kept nearly everything Lewis sent to her)--which indicate that a previous letter held some interesting or profound observations, but we don't get to see them. And, in fact, Dalfonzo quotes very little of the correspondence even though she quotes Lewis's admiration for Sayers' letter-writing abilities. Which reminds me that I really need to read the two collections of Sayers' letters that I have.
On the plus side, it was very refreshing to read about this amazing intellectual friendship--to watch how each influenced the other over the years and gave to the other something that was missing in their other friendships. Having enjoyed Sayers' translation of Dante, I especially appreciated Lewis's commentary and critiques of that work. A very strong literary biography of the friendship between two of my favorite authors. ★★★★
First line (Intro): They could not have been more alike.
Last line: "He is down on the thing like a rat, he is God's terrier, and I wouldn't be without him for the world." (Sayers about Lewis)
This sounds interesting--though frustrating that the actual letters aren't there in totality. I've heard a lot about Sayers and want to read her. I tried one of her books but couldn't get into it. I'll have to try another some time. I've been struck by the Lewis letters I've read at how literary he sounds even in letters.
ReplyDeleteI love Sayers--I can reread her Lord Peter books over and over and over...
ReplyDeleteI would find it frustrating also that the letters were "lost". I just finished reading Becoming Mrs. Lewis, which is a historical fiction, where the same thing is said about the letters between Jack and Joy. But I am going to add Dorothy and Jack to my wish list. Thanks for the great review!
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