Out Of The Silent Planet, On Towards Good Reading

Where does one start with C.S Lewis, arguably one of Christiandom's most famous and prolific authors? From The Chronicles Of Narnia to Mere Christianity, Lewis has been one of the most influential writers of the past century, but some of his great books get passed by as they aren't as well known. This is somewhat the case with Out Of Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength the three books that make up his Space Trilogy. I know that I had heard of them but never decided to read them until just a few days ago, when I convinced my mom to buy them for me, and I'm awfully sorry I waited this long.

Out Of The Silent Planet opens with the spotlight on the main character, Dr. Ransom, who is searching for a place to stay the night. Through a set of strange circumstances, he soon finds himself on a space ship bound for Malacandra(or as we find out later, Mars). He has been taken captive by Weston and Devine, the latter a former college classmate of his who seems to be holding a substantial grudge. Weston and Devine are very tight lipped about the reason of their journey, but Ransom through a stroke of luck finds out that they are bringing him to Malacandra to present him as a sacrifice to appease the natives, and prevent a war, or so they think.

Right off the bat, Lewis' brilliant narrative and large vocabulary are easily seen. Peppering his sentences with college level vocab, and beautiful, evocative word pictures the reader is treated to a stunningly well written piece of art. Out Of Silent Planet reads much like a more adult version of The Chronicles Of Narnia, and it shares the allegorical and spiritual significance of Narnia as well.

As the novel progresses, Ransom escapes from Weston and Devine, and soons finds out that the natives on the planet are not what he expected. He soons meets the denizens of Malacandra; the furry, mammalian Hrossa, the large, philisophical Sorns, and the reptilian, craftsmen Pfifltriggi. As he meets them he soon learns the language, and before long is required to meet the ruler of the planet, Oraysa, a strange mythical being.

Lewis describes the planet and its inhabitants with a strikingly familiar, yet alien demeanor. He also makes up the language that they speak, and creates an otherworldly experience akin to The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, and Tolkien's mastery of language and description. The spiritual significance of Out Of The Silent Planet, seems to be revealed in Ransom's dialouge with Oraysa, as well as Ransom's journey throughout space, who describes Earth as a place where Evil has taken over and men follow their own instincts and dreams. Lewis here shows a deep insight into Earth at that time, and an insight easily applicable to today as well.

Out Of Silent Planet is really a introductory novel, setting up the rest of The Space Trilogy. Also at only 150 pages or so, it may seem short but a lot is packed into this story that is destined to become a favorite of mine for many years to come. So come and take a journey to Mars with Dr. Ransom, and experience Lewis's amazing ability with words for yourself.

As a note this is my first foray into the Book section at Epinions, and any tips or helpful comments would be appreciated. Thanks!