The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature

Author: C. S. Lewis
Published: 1964

I picked up this book because I heard that C. S. Lewis had some interesting ideas about literary criticism; I also have been thinking about reading some medieval literature, and this book seemed like a good primer for beginning that adventure.

If you are unfamiliar with medieval literature, then you may find yourself a little lost at times. Lewis brings out example after example of medieval writings with the assumption that you have some familiarity with them. However, his writing is excellent, and I was able to follow his arguments and ideas without an extensive background of my own.

Lewis describes the view of the world held by medieval authors, which he calls the Medieval Model. This model includes: the design of the universe, the different beings that inhabit the universe (from angles to humans, with fairies too), and some elaboration on medieval thought about the soul and reason. He then describes how this model influenced the writings of medieval authors.

I enjoyed this book, even if it was difficult to follow at times. I feel better prepared now to read and understand medieval literature; particularly, I feel that I can now approach medieval literature as a medieval reader would, without my 21st century perspective influencing my understanding of the author's purpose.