The Misquotable C.S. Lewis

“In Surprised by Joy Lewis notes how his father, Albert, was fond of telling anecdotes about Sir John Mahaffy, anecdotes which Lewis later (at Oxford) found attached to Benjamin Jowett. This, alas, is the fate of any great figure: to serve as a convenient magnet for stories or quotations that other people want to perpetuate, however inaccurately. William O’Flaherty is to be commended for soberly demagnetizing C. S. Lewis in a well-researched, useful, and timely book.”


—Michael Ward, University of Oxford, co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to C. S. Lewis





“William O'Flaherty’s carefully researched book is the perfect antidote for the quickly written student paper based on sources from the internet where anyone can claim anything. The  Misquotable C. S. Lewis serves as a reminder that facts really do matter and a commitment to the truth is not simply an option one may choose to have when convenient, but a necessary requirement to all human endeavors.”


—Devin Brown, Professor of English at Asbury University, author of A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis





“Few authors are as quotable as C. S. Lewis. Nor, as O’Flaherty reveals, as misquotable. The internet and published books are full of quotes that are not quite accurate or are total fabrications, and O’Flaherty has done the solid research needed to discern where these false attributions came from. But this isn’t just a book of scholarly nitpicking. It is an entertaining, deep dive that will give the reader a deeper understanding of the things Lewis really did say. The Misquotable C. S. Lewis is an indispensable addition to my own library of books about one of my favorite authors!”


—Terry Glaspey, author of the award-winning 75 Masterpieces Every Christian Should Know, Not a Tame Lion: The Spiritual Legacy of C. S. Lewis





“William O’Flaherty amiably and thoroughly investigates the phenomenon of Lewis misquotes. He asks why this has happened—after all, those who use quotes wrongly are not out to mislead. He helps us by searching for the origins of the misquotes that are fast becoming rife, providing guidance on what is genuine or not in the swirling fog of misquoted Lewis.”


—Colin Duriez, author of C. S. Lewis: A biography of Friendship, and The A–Z of C. S. Lewis





“William O’Flaherty has moved to the front of the line of C. S. Lewis scholarship with his meticulously researched The Misquotable C. S. Lewis. Unlike the clever, imaginative theories about the works of Lewis with precious little real evidence, this book represents the painstaking work of tedious scholarship that tracks down the origins of misquotations, distortions, and fabrications to give the reader a treasure trove of stories about the many misrepresentations of what C. S. Lewis actually wrote. This book is a must-have resource for people who love Lewis.”


—Harry Lee Poe, author of The Inklings of Oxford





“Historians are taught to document every quote. As a professional historian with a number of published books, my goal has been to be as perfect in my documentation as possible, and as a professor of history, I challenge my students to meet that high standard. William O’Flaherty has, in his book on the misquotations of C. S. Lewis, attained that high standard. I also appreciate the commentary he offers for each misquotation, commentaries that display his deep concern for accurate research. This is a work grounded in historical integrity, deserving of all the praise I'm sure it will receive.”


—K. Alan Snyder, author of America Discovers C. S. Lewis: His Profound Impact 





“Like Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain, C. S. Lewis gets more than his share of erroneous quotations attached to his name. O'Flaherty’s book provides a great service. He identifies the real authors of the most famous misquotes—everyone from Charles Spurgeon to Rick Warren to Hollywood scriptwriters—and reminds us what Lewis really said instead, and where. Have you been misquoting Lewis? Read the book and find out!" 


—Jennifer Woodruff Tait, editor, Christian History





“With the seemingly endless drivel and misinformed concepts attributed to C.S. Lewis, it is hard to be certain at times whether a well-known quote is in fact that—a quote. William O'Flaherty has taken on a tremendous task of setting the record straight for 75 commonly circulated statements attributed to Lewis, but not always accurately. His research is well-supported; his material organized and intelligently presented; his insights many and widely varied; and while his tone is clear, it is also kind. I will keep this fine work on my desk for frequent use now and for years to come. We owe a debt to O’Flaherty for doing this good service not only in removing some tarnish to Lewis’s reputation, but in aiding many of us to better understand where these misquotes originated." 


—Lancia E. Smith, founder of Cultivating the Good, the True, and the Beautiful, and The Cultivating Project 





“In the American church one would be hard pressed to find anyone quoted more than C. S. Lewis, perhaps the most influential Christian writer of the twentieth century. And despite the fact that Lewis died in 1963, his writings are growing posthumously through the proliferation of misquotes and fabrications that float around cyberspace. Thus, O’Flaherty’s The Misquotable C.S. Lewis is a much-needed work that provides a great service to all who love Lewis by helping maintain the integrity of his writings. As a part of the C. S. Lewis Institute, I’m asked regularly by scholars, readers, editors and reporters to help them find the source of a particular quote attributed to Lewis. More often than one would imagine I’ve had to break it to them that, ‘Lewis didn’t write that.’ Now we have a credible, fun, and fascinating book to share with all who are searching for the words that C.S. Lewis never wrote.”


—Joel S. Woodruff, President of the C.S. Lewis Institute





“As part of my work at the C. S. Lewis Foundation, I encounter and attempt to correct many misquotes and misperceptions of Lewis’s writings. The pace at which these are spread on the internet and social media has made this an ever-increasing task. Not only has O'Flaherty done an extraordinary job of correcting these misquotes, he has given his readers valuable information about what Lewis actually said about the topics. Excellent for anyone who loves Lewis’s works or who values the truth." 


—Steven Elmore, V.P. Events & Communications, C.S. Lewis Foundation 





“I don’t know about you, but I get a sinking feeling in my stomach any time somebody quotes C. S. Lewis on Facebook—especially if they don’t give a reference. I’ve read every word Lewis published (and some that he didn’t), and almost always something doesn’t sound right to me. It might be a loosely remembered paraphrase of something Lewis actually said, it might be a quote from one of the movies that took great liberties with Lewis’s actual language, it might be a quote from somebody else that sounds vaguely Lewisian, or it might have nothing to do with Lewis at all. Once these quotes get started, they get recirculated ad infinitem. William O’Flaherty has done a great service to all people who love Lewis and truth (not to mention accuracy) by collecting a goodly amount of this misinformation and tracking down its actual source (if there is one). Why should we care? Because what Lewis actually said is always better. And because whenever you put something you haven’t fact-checked on the internet, Abraham Lincoln is watching.”  


—Donald T. Williams, R. A. Forrest Scholar at Toccoa Falls College, author of Deeper Magic: The Theology behind the Writings of C. S. Lewis and “An Encouraging Thought”: The Christian Worldview in the Works of J. R. R. Tolkien





“According to Acts 17:11, the Bereans were more noble than the Thessalonians because the Bereans had the intellectual integrity to check sources. Christians should treat truth both large and small as if it is sacred because it is indeed a sacred reality from God. Thus when we give or use quotes we should make sure we attribute them correctly and be able to provide accurate sources for them. So how we use quotes says a lot about our intellectual integrity and our commitment to truth and accuracy. On the Web and on social media I see large numbers of quotes that are often attributed to people like St. Augustine, Blaise Pascal, and C. S. Lewis. But unfortunately references are seldom provided and in some cases the quotes are falsely attributed. This is frustrating for those of us who want to know a quote is accurate, correctly attributed, and where we can find it. C. S. Lewis was the first Christian author I ever read and his book Mere Christianity  taught me about historic Christianity and why it was worthy of my deepest belief. So I hold Lewis and his writings in high esteem. Therefore I am greatly indebted to William O’Flaherty who has provided a valuable resource on sorting out which quotes actually belong to Lewis and which do not. The Misquotable C.S. Lewis is a book to be read and studied and appreciated for its careful scholarship.”


—Kenneth Samples, Senior Research Scholar, Reasons to Believe





“William has been diligently weeding out misquotes by Lewis in the media for a long time now. He is definitely the go-to person for the resolution of Lewis quotation conundrums. We are all thankful for his contribution to Lewis studies.”


—David N. Beckmann, Moderator, C. S. Lewis Society of Chattanooga





“O’Flaherty sets the record straight about what C.S. Lewis actually believed as he explores the convoluted process in which misinformation spreads around the web. Yes, it matters.” 


—Brian Carnell, NarniaWeb.com





“Lewis is the most quoted figure in modern Christian history, which makes him the most misquoted figure in modern Christian history. In parsing out what Lewis did from what he did not say, O'Flaherty does the important work of removing misunderstanding and reclaiming the actual words that have resonated so deeply for so many. This is a work that champions clarity, something Lewis himself wanted his readers to know him by.”


—Corey Latta, author of C. S. Lewis and the Art of Writing  





“This book is so very much needed, and I'm so thankful we have William O’Flaherty to write it. He understands like few others the need for honesty, accuracy, and respect when we quote great authors like C. S. Lewis. He's done his research thoroughly, and he presents it in an accessible and helpful way. I'll be using The Misquotable C. S. Lewis as a guide and reference for years to come.”


—Gina Dalfonzo, Author, One by One: Welcoming the Singles in Your Church





“William O’Flaherty has created a really helpful resource for those who want to get to the bottom of the misquotes or misunderstood quotes that seem to pop up everywhere these days—and for those of us who want to better get to know the real C. S. Lewis, in his own words!”


—Christin Ditchfield, author of A Family Guide to Narnia: Biblical Truths in C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia