I read The Mythmakers - The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix. đź“š
This is a phenomenal book.
Gave me so much to think about with writing, learning, creativity, friendship and its failings, faith and doubt, war and peace, religion and mythology, just living life, relationships, human nature. And of course insights into the lives and works of these two authors who were so important to my own imaginative life as a child and tween.
The presentation is next-level - rather than graphic novel or narrative nonfiction it feels almost like a new thing unto itself. I never felt jarred by the transitions between print text blocks and illustrated spreads, between the fantastic and the realistic. Everything just flows, fully-integrated and inevitable, Hendrix fully in command of both writing and illustration to share all of this from many different angles at the same time, the fantastic and the realistic, logos and mythos.
Extra stars for the “portals” to mythology, fairy tales, fantasy fiction, etc. Such a great way to transform “appendices” into something fun and almost magical. And again so on-point calling back to Tolkein in particular, with his rich appendices.