“A children’s story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children’s story in the slightest.” – C. S. Lewis
Reflecting on that C.S. Lewis quote, I cannot think of any exceptions to that rule.
In Death By Living, N. D. Wilson writes: “…I write for children because I have read more than my fair share of adult ideas set out and explained by adult thinkers and theologians, philosophers and pundits, and I may as well admit that I have been more influenced (as a person) by my childhood readings of Tolkien and Lewis… than by any idea or books that I read in college and grad school. The events and characters in Narnia and Middle Earth shaped my ideals, my dreams, my loyalties, and my goals. Kant just annoyed me.”
Me too, Nate. Me too. Nietzsche irritated me even more than Kant annoyed me.
N. D. Wilson claims that Outlaws of Time: The Last of the Lost Boys is the most autobiographical of his children’s books. I buy that. This trilogy-ender has a different feel from any of his other books. It strikes me as being more personal and more reflective while also being more emotionally complicated (with the possible exception of Boys of Blur). In Death By Living, Nate writes extensively about giving ideas flesh. “All ideas must put flesh on if they are to live well (or at least honestly) within a story (any story).” Because of an interesting twist right off the bat, I think that Lost Boys reads with the kind of honesty he is talking about in that quote. He goes on to say later in that same chapter, “I am often asked why I write fiction for children. Because those whom I am called to feed are still children. Because I am still a child. Because the world is big, and the world is wonderful, but it is also terrifying.” This, I think, is what Lost Boys is really all about.
The following will contain series spoilers but no spoilers from this book unless clearly noted. If you have not read the first two Outlaws books, you may wish to save this review for later.
The intensity of this book was appreciated by my family. It was an emotional read. However, I would strongly caution parents of young or sensitive readers to pre-read this book. Reflecting on all of his children’s books, I would consider this to be the darkest, the most graphic, the most emotionally complicated, and one of the most beautiful.
We have reviewed the first book in this series: The Outlaws of Time: The Legend of Sam Miracle here. We reviewed this one, even though we didn’t review The Outlaws of Time: The Song of Glory and Ghost, because this book has different feel than the other two and it is one that parents may wish to preview.
While Wilson’s writing is dark and hard, we think that it is also the kind of stuff that born out of a love of the classics. We think that there is truth, goodness, and beauty in Wilson’s writing and wrote about that here. Everything we have written about Wilson’s books can be found here.