Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 07/01/2024 *Starred Review* Hendrix brings his familiar brand of heavily illustrated, deeply researched nonfiction to this account of the formative and influential relationship between Lewis and Tolkien. A lion in a rumpled suit and a sharply drawn wizard—with a comical odd-couple dynamic—take readers through a fantastical landscape of mountains, secret doors, portals, and more as they relate each man’s early years leading up to their fateful meeting at Oxford, their studies, the formation of the Inklings, and how it all shaped the novels they’re known for today. As each man achieved literary fame in the mid-twentieth century, their differences grew sharper, leading to a deep fracture in their relationship that was never repaired, though Hendrix indulges himself a bit there, ending the book with an imagined “happily ever after” reconciliation. Throughout, Hendrix emphasizes the critical role religion played at the core of their beliefs about creativity, and he digs into some of the foundational scholarship on myths, legends, and fairy tales central to the writers’ understanding of their work. With expressive artwork bringing the key figures’ deep emotions powerfully to bear while also evoking iconic moments from their beloved books, this comes across as a deeply personal project for Hendrix, but that passion makes the telling that much more meaningful for readers, who will come away with a nuanced understanding not only of the writers but of the importance of storytelling on the whole. - Copyright 2024 Booklist.