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As a result of his health problems, Lewis was sent in 1911 to [[Malvern]], England, which was widely regarded as a health resort, especially for those with [[tubercolosis]] and lung ailments. He was enrolled as a student at Cherbourg House (which he referred to as "Chartres"), a [[Preparatory school|prep]] school near to Malvern College where his brother Warren was by now a student, and here he remained until June 1913. It was during this time that he abandoned his childhood Christian faith. He eventually entered Malvern College itself (which he called "Wyvern") in September 1913 and studied there until June 1914.
As a result of his health problems, Lewis was sent in 1911 to [[Malvern]], England, which was widely regarded as a health resort, especially for those with [[tubercolosis]] and lung ailments. He was enrolled as a student at Cherbourg House (which he referred to as "Chartres"), a [[Preparatory school|prep]] school near to Malvern College where his brother Warren was by now a student, and here he remained until June 1913. It was during this time that he abandoned his childhood Christian faith. He eventually entered Malvern College itself (which he called "Wyvern") in September 1913 and studied there until June 1914.
The Matron of Cherbourg House was very influential on the young Lewis, contributing enormously to his decision to declare himself an [[atheist]]: "''She was floundering in the mazes of Theosophy, Rosicrucianism, Spiritualism; the whole Anglo-American Occultist tradition[...]I had never heard of such things before; never, except in a nightmare or a fairy tale, conceived of spirits other than God and men. I had loved to read of strange sights and other worlds and unknown modes of being, but never with the slightest belief.''"<ref>''Ibid''</ref>
His love of fiction developed further while at Malvern College, where "''[...]I also developed a great taste for all the fiction I could get about the ancient world: Quo Vadis, Darkness and Dawn, The Gladiators, Ben Hur[...] Early Christians came into many of these stories, but they were not what I was after. I simply wanted sandals, temples, togas, slaves, emperors, galleys, amphitheaters, the attraction, as I now see, was erotic, and erotic in rather a morbid way.''" <ref>''Ibid.''</ref>
His love of fiction developed further while at Malvern College, where "''[...]I also developed a great taste for all the fiction I could get about the ancient world: Quo Vadis, Darkness and Dawn, The Gladiators, Ben Hur[...] Early Christians came into many of these stories, but they were not what I was after. I simply wanted sandals, temples, togas, slaves, emperors, galleys, amphitheaters, the attraction, as I now see, was erotic, and erotic in rather a morbid way.''" <ref>''Ibid.''</ref>