Book Review: The Mythmakers

If you’ve ever wanted to learn about the lives of J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis while skipping the academic drivel, then consider The Mythmakers by John Hendrix, a gifted illustrator and storyteller.

An Emotional and Historical Story

With a unique style that combines two narrators along with illustrations, Hendrix draws you into the events and people that shaped the lives of Tolkien and Lewis.

From childhood until death, the narrators take you into those moments that had a profound effect on Lewis and Tolkien’s writing and relationship. The detailed graphic images enhance rather than takeaway from the text.

This is not a comic book overview of two great Christian authors, but a thoroughly researched story of how two writers created works that have mesmerized children and adults for generations.

The Book Format

The beautiful 216-page hardcover book lays out the illustrations and text in an easy-to-follow format, occasionally with a two-page spread.

You can get a digital copy, but you’ll find print a better read. For digital, a desktop set to portrait view works for most pages. This book proved difficult to read on an iPad and required enlarging some of the text. To be clear, this is not a book you want to view on a Kindle Paperwhite device.

Bottom line, I recommend buying the hardcover book.

Mr. Lion and the Good Wizard Narrate

In the print version, the dialogue you see in this illustration is easy to read. Mr. Lion and the Wizard guide you through the passions of Tolkien and Lewis, including the bond that developed from their mutual joy of reading Norse mythology.

Life-shaping Emotional Events

The author gave the significant emotional and historical events that contributed to the trajectory of Tolkien’s and Lewis’s lives. In the book’s selected bibliography, you’ll find the sources of the many rich details.

Before you’re a quarter of the way into learning about the two men, you’ll develop an appreciation of how the tough childhood and young adult years formed their worldviews, dissimilar but experiences that contributed to what they wrote. Even though they did not serve together in the military, the individual experiences during World War I would continue to have a tremendous influence on their thinking and content.

Individual and Community Encouragement

Quoting Hendrix:

Looking back, Jack [Lewis’s] and Toller’s [Tolkien’s] truly extraordinary act was not just their ideas, but their community. They pushed each other forward when the demands of plumbing and faculty meetings encroached. If there is one thing to take away from this story, it is a radical notion of fellowship that runs counter to the cultural stereotypes about “loner artists.” J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis teach us that your art, your stories, your ideas, they get better inside a community.

Tolkien and Lewis created a group of like-minded writers and called themselves the Inklings. A source of great encouragement to all.

Permission to Tell Adult Fairy Tales

Some novice and experienced writers of Christian fiction remain on the fence about what they can and cannot write. Hendrix excels at revealing how Tolkien and Lewis resolved this dilemma. By recommending this book, I encourage you to write the book that God has placed on your heart.

Portals into Myths, Fairy Tales, and Artifacts

To help readers understand the influences on Tolkien and Lewis, the author transported readers through portals of learning.

• The Roots of Myth
• Origin of the Fairy Tale
• The Artifact Attic

Hendrix added depth by addressing in lay terms what often gets obscured in academic texts. Enjoyable lessons in myths, fairy tales, and little known facts about the two men and their works.

Conclusion

Every time I reread The Mythmakers, I feel encouraged.

Hendrix gave insights into the lives and writing of Tolkien and Lewis, but he did not glamorize the details. He removed the gloss so that we could see how the not-so-good things that happen to good people can shape and enhance their stories.

If you’re looking for a wordy academic volume, that’s not The Mythmakers. Instead, if you want a book that encourages you while explaining how Lewis and Tolkien strived to create appealing Christian fiction, then you’ll benefit from this book.

Get the print or digital version on Amazon.

A Selection of Books* by John Hendrix

*I enjoyed reading both books on an iPad, but not on a Kindle Paperwhite.

Share your favorite book(s) about J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.