A review by booksrockcal
The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this nonfiction graphic novel about the friendship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. The narration begins and then is interrupted by conversations between a knowledgeable wizard and a comical lion. This is the conceit the author uses to present some of the themes of the story. it was my least favorite part of the books, honestly but i see that it is included for those less comfortable with history/nonfiction and it is used to present certain themes, such as how myth/fantasy evolved or the art of world-building. I was more interested in the academic ideas behind the narrative and the biographical elements of Lewis and Tolkien's childhoods, service in World War I, their meeting and lives in Oxford, and the friendship that grew based on academic pursuits and common interests and curiosity which led in part to these two academic giants creating some of the most iconic works of fantasy in English literature. The Mythmakers also shows the camaraderie and the importance of the social/literary circle of friends called the Inklings, and how the friendship of these two great men fell apart and came together again and how they in turn influenced the development of literature in the 20th century. This is a graphic novel and the author through this medium makes the story of Lewis and Tolkien accessible to all