What is it about?
A brief review of Roukema's book which emphasises the author's knowledge and understanding of Williams' occult activities, pointing out that the discussion and analysis of these overshadow Roukema's engagement with the literary elements of Williams' novels.
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Why is it important?
Williams is something of a 'cult' writer, with a small but dedicated readership. This book does much to explain the ideas behind his novels.
Perspectives
Roukema's work is an admirable piece of scholarship, but it is quite a demanding book and best read in conjunction with less specialist work on the writer. I learned a lot from it, and it encouraged me to re-read novels such as 'The Place of the Lion' and 'The War in Heaven'.
Nick Freeman
Loughborough University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Esotericism and Narrative: The Occult Fiction of Charles Williams, by Aren Roukema, Aries, January 2020, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15700593-02001006.
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