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The Lewis-Tolkien Biography… For People Who Don’t Want to Read a Lewis-Tolkien Biography
John Hendrix’s magically illustrated biography tells the tale of one of literature’s greatest friendships.
Show, don’t tell, say the masters of literature. But in “The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien,” author/illustrator John Hendrix asks the question, why not both?
In the format of a graphic novel, or more precisely, a work of graphic non-fiction, the book chronicles the friendship that forged modern fantasy literature. Without Lewis and Tolkien’s partnership, neither “The Chronicles of Narnia”or “The Lord of the Rings” would have come to be.
Hendrix has a clear love for both men, attempting to illuminate their story for a youth audience. In this he has succeeded, but I think that adults, even those with less literary inclinations, will find it easy to wander through this book for a few hours.
“The Mythmakers” interweaves illustrations and prose, with a pair of illustrated characters, Mr. Lion and Wizard, forming a frame story around the narrative. These two are obvious stand-ins for Lewis and Tolkien respectively, and they take turns giving context to the philosophy and passion of both men.
The illustrations are masterful. But the standout surprise for me is how effortlessly this book flows.
When I picked it up, I was expecting the reading experience to have a jerky quality, with the illustrated sections speeding by before thudding into a few pages of dense prose. But the illustrations are intricate and detailed, and I often found myself slowing down to appreciate them. The prose was exceptionally well-written and gilded with illustration.
Overall, Hendrix shows meticulous care and research, distilling the story of these two masters into an imminently readable format.
Often-overlooked moments of their lives emerge from the page. Toddler-aged Tolkien was bitten by a large spider in South Africa, possibly inspiring Ungoliant and Shelob. Lewis was born with only one joint in each thumb, limiting his ability to play sports and contributing to the loneliness of his childhood.
16-year-old Tolkien met his lifelong wife in the group home for orphans where they both lived. For his entire life, Lewis carried shrapnel from the shell that nearly killed him in a dismal trench in the First World War.
A coin toss between the two men led to Lewis writing the first book of his Space Trilogy, “Out of the Silent Planet,” the protagonist of which is likely based on Tolkien. “The Hobbit” nearly went unpublished, until the ten-year-old son of the publisher demanded his father print it.
Like all great friendships, theirs sparked capabilities in each other that they never would have had separately. Tolkien, ever meticulous and hesitant, needed the bold Lewis to encourage him and keep him going. Lewis needed Tolkien’s spiritual grounding to connect his impulses and desires to reality.
Although their work was magical, these men were no strangers to tragedy. They had seen loneliness, violence, and death. The more mundane sadnesses and disappointments of life were not far away either.
As the years wore on, changes in the Inklings (their informal literary club), the diverging trajectories of their work, and Lewis’ unconventional marriage came softly and silently between them. By the time of Lewis’ death, they had drifted apart.
The culmination of Mr. Hendrix’s frame story with Mr. Lion and Wizard gives us some closure in this regard. I won’t spoil it. I’ll only say that it is hopeful, but the kind of hopeful that rings true.
For readers, great stories are about great relationships. For authors, great relationships give rise to great stories.
Of course, the friendship of Lewis and Tolkien is the focal point of “The Mythmakers.” But there is a second friendship at play here, the one that forms the heart of this book. It is the friendship between John Hendrix and his subjects. Every illustration and every paragraph exudes a sense of gratitude and kinship towards these men who have given so much to his art. When I closed the book, I couldn’t help but feel some of that gratitude myself.
This review is part of a series highlighting emerging young adult and children’s literature for conservative families. If you have a work or publisher to recommend, please contact the author at mark.guiney@heritage.org.
Photos credit Mark Guiney.
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