The following is part of a series exploring quotations attributed to C.S. Lewis that are questionable for one reason or another. My book (THE MISQUOTABLE C.S. LEWIS, releasing by the end of this month) collects material presented so far and will contain expressions not yet posted here (plus existing online material is updated in the book). That book will contain 75 quotations, so there are many quotes not yet posted (over two dozen). With so much material left, I hope to post a new quote each week.
There is an “at a glance” page to quickly see what has been posted so far in this series, which also includes a list of the other quotes I’ve identified as questionable. Also, if you haven’t already, consider reading the INTRODUCTION to this series to gain an understanding of the three main categories.
UPDATE (4/17/18) – The Misquotable C.S. Lewis is my book that examines 75 quotations attributed to Lewis that I caution you not to share. Some are falsely attributed to him, others are paraphrases of his words, and a few have context issues. Don’t share a quote attributed to Lewis unless you can confirm he wrote it and the meaning is clear without the context!
“Thirty was so strange for me. I’ve really had to come to terms with the fact that I am now a walking and talking adult.”
The earliest I could find this expression falsely credited to Lewis is from 2005. On the day the Hollywood version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe released, an online article from Pop Matters included this quotation. Locating the quote isn’t difficult, as it is set apart and at the top of the article itself (the piece also shares two other false quotes.
This Lewis misquote was actually spoken by Matt Dillon, the actor. An article from 1996 by Maria Speidel called “Chatter,” which appeared in the magazine People begins this way:
‘Thirty was so strange for me,’ says former teen idol Matt Dillon, now 32. ‘There is no turning back. I’ve really had to come to terms with the fact that now I am a walking and talking adult.’
You will notice that somewhere along the way the phrase, “there is no turning back” was omitted from the expression. It took less than ten years from the time it was correctly attributed to Matt Dillon to the time it was falsely credited to Lewis.
Locating related material to this quote proved interesting. There is one place in Surprised by Joy that he makes a comment about being thirty. There he stated, “Thirty is naturally kinder to Nineteen than Nineteen is to Thirteen.” Also, in a letter from May 14, 1956, he referenced the next decade by saying, “We all in one sense ‘believe’ we are mortal: but until one’s forties does one really believe one is going to die?”
The next article is:
“What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.”
Related Articles:
Exploring C.S. Lewis Misquotes and Misconceptions (6-part podcast series)
What Lewis NEVER Wrote (Podcast)
Not Quite Lewis – Podcast Version
Not Quite Lewis – Questionable Lewisian Quotations (Conf. Paper)
Releasing Soon!