The Greater Trumps

by Charles Williams

In this classic tale of spirituality, morality, and the occult, a dark plot to murder an unsuspecting Englishman who possesses the world’s rarest tarot deck unleashes uncontrollable elemental forces The original and most mystical of all ...

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: Open Road Media

ISBN: 1504006607

Page: 278

View: 260

In this classic tale of spirituality, morality, and the occult, a dark plot to murder an unsuspecting Englishman who possesses the world’s rarest tarot deck unleashes uncontrollable elemental forces The original and most mystical of all playing-card decks, the tarot has seduced seekers of otherworldly knowledge for centuries—and of all its cards, the most potent are the twenty-two symbolic images that comprise the Greater Trumps. By a strange twist of fate, the very first tarot deck, dating back centuries, has come into the possession of Lothair Coningsby, a uniquely unimaginative Englishman. Though he has no intention of relinquishing his treasure, there are others who covet the tarot’s power. Henry Lee, for one—fiancé of Coningsby’s beautiful daughter, Nancy—is driven by an obligation even deeper than his devotion to his beloved. Henry is of Gipsy blood, and the Romany believe that they alone are the true guardians of the mystical tarot. Invited to spend the holidays at the out-of-the-way home of Aaron Lee, Henry’s grandfather, the unsuspecting Coningsbys are blind to the chilling conspiracy taking shape around them. For on this stormy Christmas Day, their hosts are preparing to commit foul murder to gain possession of the coveted occult deck, unleashing devastating primal forces that no human could possibly contain. The brilliant fiction of Charles Williams, who was a member of the Inklings alongside fellow Oxfordians C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Owen Barfield, is considered to be among the most provocative, imaginative, and intelligent explorations of spirituality and the supernatural produced during the twentieth century. The proof lies in his magnificent classic The Greater Trumps, a many-layered tale of hubris and faith that is arguably one of the greatest mystical thrillers of all time.

The Greater Trumps

by Charles Williams

THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS THE GREATER TRUMPS. The Lovers by Jean Dodal, 1701.

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: Read Books Ltd

ISBN: 1528786769

Page: 243

View: 836

First published in 1932, “The Greater Trumps” is a a novel by British writer Charles W. S. Williams. At its heart, it is a story of how to use the original Tarot cards to divine the meaning of all cosmic processes, illustrated throughout with beautiful images of a deck of Tarot cards originally designed by the French engraver and map-maker Claude Bardel in 1751. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 – 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the “The Inklings”, a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: “The Greater Trumps” (1932), “War in Heaven” (1930), and “The Place of the Lion” (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

The Greater Trumps

by Charles William

Perhaps the most exquisite of these interpretations is the one contained in this extraordinary novel. In the universe evoked by Charles Williams, sorcery can still kill, and the supernatural must be fought with the supernatural.

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles William

Publisher:

ISBN: 9781676310327

Page: 158

View: 499

Charles Williams had a genius for choosing strange and exciting themes for his novels and making them believable and profoundly suggestive of spiritual truths. The Tarot pack, the ancestor of all playing cards, is first mentioned in history in 1393; the origin of the deck is not known. Tradition has it that the gypsies brought the Tarot from Egypt and that the cards were used for fortune telling. This deck was conceived of as having magical properties, and the most powerful of all the cards were the Magic Arcana or Greater Trumps, twenty-two symbolic pictures whose mysteries have been interpreted and reinterpreted not only by occultists, but also by religious thinkers, psychoanalysts and literary anthropologists. Perhaps the most exquisite of these interpretations is the one contained in this extraordinary novel. In the universe evoked by Charles Williams, sorcery can still kill, and the supernatural must be fought with the supernatural. But beneath the brilliant and imaginative surface is concealed a meticulously thought-out Christian message. Charles Williams-novelist, poet, critic, dramatist and biographer-died in his native England in May, 1945. He had a lively and devoted following there and achieved a considerable reputation as a lecturer on the faculty of Oxford University. T.S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers and C.S. Lewis were among his distinguished friends and literary sponsors.

The Greater Trumps

by Charles Williams

Perhaps the most exquisite of these interpretations is the one contained in this extraordinary novel. In the universe evoked by Charles Williams, sorcery can still kill, and the supernatural must be fought with the supernatural.

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher:

ISBN: 9781707474257

Page: 196

View: 795

Charles Williams had a genius for choosing strange and exciting themes for his novels and making them believable and profoundly suggestive of spiritual truths. The Tarot pack, the ancestor of all playing cards, is first mentioned in history in 1393; the origin of the deck is not known. Tradition has it that the gypsies brought the Tarot from Egypt and that the cards were used for fortune telling. This deck was conceived of as having magical properties, and the most powerful of all the cards were the Magic Arcana or Greater Trumps, twenty-two symbolic pictures whose mysteries have been interpreted and reinterpreted not only by occultists, but also by religious thinkers, psychoanalysts and literary anthropologists. Perhaps the most exquisite of these interpretations is the one contained in this extraordinary novel. In the universe evoked by Charles Williams, sorcery can still kill, and the supernatural must be fought with the supernatural. But beneath the brilliant and imaginative surface is concealed a meticulously thought-out Christian message. Charles Williams-novelist, poet, critic, dramatist and biographer-died in his native England in May, 1945. He had a lively and devoted following there and achieved a considerable reputation as a lecturer on the faculty of Oxford University. T.S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers and C.S. Lewis were among his distinguished friends and literary sponsors.

The Greater Trumps

by Charles William

Perhaps the most exquisite of these interpretations is the one contained in this extraordinary novel. In the universe evoked by Charles Williams, sorcery can still kill, and the supernatural must be fought with the supernatural.

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles William

Publisher:

ISBN: 9781676310358

Page: 158

View: 688

Charles Williams had a genius for choosing strange and exciting themes for his novels and making them believable and profoundly suggestive of spiritual truths. The Tarot pack, the ancestor of all playing cards, is first mentioned in history in 1393; the origin of the deck is not known. Tradition has it that the gypsies brought the Tarot from Egypt and that the cards were used for fortune telling. This deck was conceived of as having magical properties, and the most powerful of all the cards were the Magic Arcana or Greater Trumps, twenty-two symbolic pictures whose mysteries have been interpreted and reinterpreted not only by occultists, but also by religious thinkers, psychoanalysts and literary anthropologists. Perhaps the most exquisite of these interpretations is the one contained in this extraordinary novel. In the universe evoked by Charles Williams, sorcery can still kill, and the supernatural must be fought with the supernatural. But beneath the brilliant and imaginative surface is concealed a meticulously thought-out Christian message. Charles Williams-novelist, poet, critic, dramatist and biographer-died in his native England in May, 1945. He had a lively and devoted following there and achieved a considerable reputation as a lecturer on the faculty of Oxford University. T.S. Eliot, Dorothy Sayers and C.S. Lewis were among his distinguished friends and literary sponsors.

The Greater Trumps

by Charles Charles Williams

An old man was sitting alone in a small room.

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles Charles Williams

Publisher:

ISBN: 9781534642119

Page: 250

View: 704

An old man was sitting alone in a small room. He was at a table facing the door; behind him was another door. The walls were bare of pictures: the table was a large one, and it was almost completely covered with a set of Tarot cards. The old man was moving them very carefully from place to place, making little notes on a sheet of paper, and sometimes consulting an old manuscript book that lay by him. He was so absorbed that he did not hear the step outside, and it was not till the door opened that he looked up with a sudden exclamation. Henry Lee came lightly into the room."Why, Henry!" the old man said. Henry looked at the table, let his eyes run over the whole arrangement of the cards, and smiled."Still no nearer, grandfather?" he asked."Nearer? No, no, not nearer yet," his grandfather answered. "Not quite, yet awhile. But I shall do it." He sighed a little. "I keep the account very carefully," he said, "and some day I shall do it. I spend all my time on it."Henry nodded towards the other door. "And-they?" he asked, lowering his voice a trifle."Yes," the old man said. "I watch them too. But, you know-it's too difficult. But I must do it at last. You're not... you're not coming back to help me, are you?""Why, I may even do that," Henry said, taking off his motoring-coat.

The Greater Trumps

by Charles Williams

The Greater trumps by Charles Williams. Charles Williams was a great author and poet of his time. He was an inspiration and his works were a matter of discussion among his greatest colleagues who were better known to the world than him.

The Greater Trumps

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: CreateSpace

ISBN: 9781505667851

Page: 146

View: 785

The Greater trumps by Charles Williams. Charles Williams was a great author and poet of his time. He was an inspiration and his works were a matter of discussion among his greatest colleagues who were better known to the world than him. A few of such colleagues and friends were C. S. Lewis, T. S. Eliot, and many others. Other Books by same Author: Shadows of Ecstasy - http: //www.amazon.com/dp/1505668514

Charles Williams Omnibus War in Heaven Many Dimensions the Place of the Lion Shadows of Ecstasy the Greater Trumps Descent Into Hell All Hallo

by Charles Williams

This book is an omnibus edition containing the seven novels that Charles Williams wrote as well as a short story that he wrote for the London Mercury: War in Heaven (1930) - The Holy Grail is discovered in a small country parish and becomes ...

Charles Williams Omnibus War in Heaven Many Dimensions the Place of the Lion Shadows of Ecstasy the Greater Trumps Descent Into Hell All Hallo

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher:

ISBN: 9781781392317

Page: 1068

View: 334

This book is an omnibus edition containing the seven novels that Charles Williams wrote as well as a short story that he wrote for the London Mercury: War in Heaven (1930) - The Holy Grail is discovered in a small country parish and becomes both a sacramental object to protect or a cup of power to exploit. Many Dimensions (1931) - The Stone of Suleiman is illegally acquired from its Islamic guardian in Baghdad and taken to England, it is discovered the stone allows its possessor to transcend the barriers of space and time. The Place of the Lion (1931) - Platonic archetypes begin to appear in an English market town, wreaking havoc and unveiling the spiritual strengths and flaws of the townspeople. Shadows of Ecstasy (1931) - A man discovers that by focusing his energies inward he can extend his life almost indefinitely. He undertakes an experiment using to die and resurrect his own body in order to attain immortality. The Greater Trumps (1932) - The original Tarot is used to unlock immense power, allowing those who possess it to see across space and time, create matter, and create powerful natural storms. Descent into Hell (1937) - An academic fetishizes a woman to the extent that his perversion takes the form of a female demon. The cycle of sin brings about the necessity for redemptive acts. All Hallows' Eve (1945) - Explores the meaning of suffering and empathy by removing the barrier between the living and the dead through both black magic and divine love. Et in Sempiternum Pereant (1935) - In this short story a retired Lord Chief Justice is on a walk in the countryside when he enters a burning house and encounters a troubled spirit on its way to Hell. This is the only tale of this kind that Williams wrote - sketchy in detail but terrifying through implication. Williams was admired by his contemporaries including T. S. Eliot and W. H. Auden, his especially by C. S. Lewis, whose novel That Hideous Strength is considered to be entirely inspired by Williams's work. When he moved to Oxford he participated regularly in Lewis's literary society known as the Inklings. This enabled Williams to read and improve his final published novel, All Hallows' Eve, as well as to hear J. R. R. Tolkien read some of his early drafts of The Lord of the Rings aloud to the group.

Christian Fiction

by John Mort

The Greater Trumps is the story of widower Lothair Coningsby , who is willed a deck of ancient Tarot cards that he is supposed to turn over to the British Museum . When he doesn't , evil forces are unleashed as various characters hold ...

Christian Fiction

Author: John Mort

Publisher: Libraries Unlimited

ISBN: 9781563088711

Page: 339

View: 735

At last--the first comprehensive readers' advisory guide for this highly popular genre! With an emphasis on contemporary publications, this book covers nearly 2,000 Christian fiction titles,including a chapter on YA literature, and provides detailed annotations and bibliographies.

Many Dimensions

by Charles Williams

This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive.

Many Dimensions

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: Read Books Ltd

ISBN: 1528786742

Page: 253

View: 146

“Many Dimensions” is a 1930 novel by Charles W. S. Williams. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 – 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the “The Inklings”, a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: “The Greater Trumps” (1932), “War in Heaven” (1930), and “The Place of the Lion” (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

Charles Williams Novels and the Possibilities of Spiritual Transformation in the Twentieth Century

by Lawrence A. Morris

The Greater Trumps is a transitional novel in which a cosmic disruption of ordinary life is finally contained, yet at the conclusion of this work there is a sense that the containment of supernatural forces is, at best, tenuous and fragile.

Charles Williams Novels and the Possibilities of Spiritual Transformation in the Twentieth Century

Author: Lawrence A. Morris

Publisher:

ISBN:

Page: 466

View: 839

Even though Charles Williams is associated with writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, his fiction has never achieved widespread readership either in England or America. Perhaps the primary reason is Williams' concern with spiritual and mystical states of consciousness. While most critics address themselves to the theological implications of Williams' work, his seven novels can, with validity, be approached as literary diagrams, describing possible interior journeys of consciousness. This study is concerned with the ways in which Williams explores the possibilities of spiritual transformation of the individual in the twentieth century. It also examines the significant ways in which some of Williams' characters deny or reject spiritual transformation and choose to remain within the rigid confines of self. Finally its concern is to indicate the uniqueness of Williams' fiction in its delineation of possibilities of reality beyond the usual limits of ordinary consciousness. Each novel explores different aspects of ordinary human consciousness transcending itself, moving from the known and familiar into the unknown, those strange, twilight states at the farthest reaches of the mind. Williams' early novels express a lightness and general sense of joie de vivre. In novels like War in Heaven, Many Dimensions, Shadows of Ecstasy and The Place of the Lion the human condition is presented in essentially optimistic terms. Even though tremendous cataclysmic upheavals occur in the midst of everyday life, ordinary men and women are able to restore order, harmony and balance to the world through acts of self-surrender and self-transcendence. In the later novels such acts of restoration become increasingly problematical. The Greater Trumps is a transitional novel in which a cosmic disruption of ordinary life is finally contained, yet at the conclusion of this work there is a sense that the containment of supernatural forces is, at best, tenuous and fragile. The Greater Trumps indicates the direction of the last two novels, Descent into Hell and All Hallows' Eve. In these, man can no longer restore order and balance to ordinary life. He is compelled to choose between different realms and dimensions of the extraordinary. All boundaries appear to dissolve and human beings are cast adrift on the waters of consciousness, flowing into divergent states of experience, including life or death, the ultimate illumination of enlightenment or the ultimate void of damnation. The concept of coinherence is the great unifying principle in all of Williams' work, expressing the notion that all life is interwoven in a vast web of interrelationships. Man can choose to deny or accept his kinship with all life, yet Williams implies that ultimately man must choose to accept and surrender to the coinherence at the core of all life. The difference between Williams' earlier and later works is reflected in his growing realization of the awesome and transpersonal nature of the principle. Coinherence itself in the last novels is called the Omnipotence, and man is seen as a diminutive figure, a minute spark of glitter in relationship to the vast rays of illumination streaming forth from the limitless light of the Omnipotence. Williams was a literary pioneer in that he stretched the novel form to include such conceptions of human experience. Whether or not the movement from ordinary to extraordinary consciousness in Williams' works is perceived to be artistically valid appears to depend upon the ability of readers to enter into the depictions of unusual and sometimes bizarre states of consciousness. Perhaps in a future generation larger numbers of readers will be receptive to the extraordinary aspects of his work and Williams, like Traherne and Blake before him, will achieve posthumous distinction.

Descent into Hell

by Charles Williams

This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive.

Descent into Hell

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: Read Books Ltd

ISBN: 1528786785

Page: 207

View: 172

“Descent Into Hell” is a novel by Charles Williams, first published in 1937. On Battle Hill, just outside London, a group of townspeople are performing a new play by Peter Stanhope. This hill, however, appears to be positioned at a pivotal place in space and time, as people from the past begin to appear and the townsfolk are transported either to heaven, or to hell. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 – 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the “The Inklings”, a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: “The Greater Trumps” (1932), “War in Heaven” (1930), and “The Place of the Lion” (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.

War in Heaven

by Charles Williams

This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive.

War in Heaven

Author: Charles Williams

Publisher: Read Books Ltd

ISBN: 1528786734

Page: 244

View: 771

“War in Heaven” is a 1930 novel by Charles W. S. Williams. Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886 – 1945) was a British theologian, novelist, poet, playwright, and literary critic. He was also a member of the “The Inklings”, a literary discussion group connected to the University of Oxford, England. They were exclusively literary enthusiasts who championed the merit of narrative in fiction and concentrated on writing fantasy. He was given an scholarship to University College London, but was forced to leave in 1904 because he couldn't afford the tuition fees. Other notable works by this author include: “The Greater Trumps” (1932), “Many Dimensions” (1931), and “The Place of the Lion” (1931). This volume is highly recommended for lovers of fantasy fiction, and it would make for a fantastic addition to any collection. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with the original text and artwork.