C.S. Lewis
Paperback | Pages: 185 pages Rating: 4.09 | 47353 Users | 1613 Reviews
Describe Based On Books Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
| Title | : | Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life |
| Author | : | C.S. Lewis |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 185 pages |
| Published | : | (first published 1955) |
| Categories | : | Biography. Nonfiction. Christian. Religion. Christianity. Autobiography. Memoir |
Narration As Books Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life is a partial autobiography describing Lewis' conversion to Christianity. The book overall contains less detail concerning specific events than typical autobiographies. This is because his purpose in writing wasn't primarily historical. His aim was to identify & describe the events surrounding his accidental discovery of & consequent search for the phenomenon he labelled "Joy". This word was the best translation he could make of the German idea of Sehnsucht, longing. That isn't to say the book is devoid of information about his life. He recounts his early years with a measure of amusement sometimes mixed with pain. However, while he does describe his life, the principal theme of the book is Joy as he defined it. This Joy was a longing so intense for something so good & so high up it couldn't be explained with words. He's struck with "stabs of joy" throughout life. He finally finds what it's for at the end. He writes about his experiences at Malvern College in 1913, aged 15. Though he described the school as "a very furnace of impure loves" he defended the practice as being "the only chink left thru which something spontaneous & uncalculating could creep in." The book's last two chapters cover the end of his search as he moves from atheism to theism & then from theism to Christianity. He ultimately discovers the true nature & purpose of Joy & its place in his own life. The book isn't connected with his unexpected marriage in later life to Joy Gresham. The marriage occurred long after the period described, though not long after the book was published. His friends were quick to notice the coincidence, remarking he'd really been "Surprised by Joy". "Surprised by Joy" is also an allusion to Wordsworth's poem, "Surprised by Joy-Impatient As The Wind", relating an incident when Wordsworth forgot the death of his beloved daughter.List Books Toward Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
| Original Title: | Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life |
| ISBN: | 0006280838 (ISBN13: 9780006280835) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Clive Staples Lewis |
Rating Based On Books Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
Ratings: 4.09 From 47353 Users | 1613 ReviewsCrit Based On Books Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
This was a very intellectual engaging book for me. I am amazed at the range and quantity of books that Lewis read (and in original languages at that). Had to even look up a few words to get at what he was trying to communicate to the reader. I don't think that one needs to be a Christian to enjoy this book. His search for truth and joy is something that all humans can understand.I love The Chronicles of Narnia. I even like The Screwtape Letters. But, I haven't really connected with Lewis' essays as much. I've never really been able to follow his train of thought. Maybe it's his brittishness, or perhaps his discursive mind, but I just can't seem to hang with his discourse. However, I love his imaginative works! And oh man, I love his Till We Have Faces. Anybody who can write such literature deserves further investigation. Well, after reading this autobiography, I'm even
This was interesting, but considering the very lengthy and detailed set-up, the denouement was hasty and disappointing. It barely brought together any of the varied strands he'd investigated; especially, his final treatment of Joy is relegated to one brief paragraph on the final page, and he fails to explain how Christianity satisfies/fulfills this feeling. He believes it does, as he says in Mere Christianity: If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical
Interesting to read immediately after The Pilgrim's Regress. I could see how the latter was an allegorical representation of his own conversion. I only wish he'd written a regular autobiography as well, for I'm very interested to hear of his later life in his own words. Recommended for: Ages 15 to Adult (mentions of sinful behavior by the other boys at school, and mentions of certain temptations)Many years ago, I read the first few chapters of this book as research for a speech on C.S. Lewis. I
Have some mixed feelings on this one. I love reading about his conversion and philosophical reasoning processes, but the chapter where he addressed the pederasty (student to student, not adult to student) and other issues going on at one of the schools he attended left me pretty disturbed. I was not satisfied by his exploration of greater vs. lesser moral evils. I'd have to reread that chapter and do some serious pondering/praying, but . . . yeah. Not totally at rest regarding that. I also felt
There is so much that I love (absolutely love!) about this book. First of all, it's a book by CS Lewis. Secondly, it's about his life. Thirdly, it's about his life with learning and books. Fourthly, it's a story of a journey of thought from atheism to Christianity. Many of the quotes that people love so much come from this book. This is definitely one to reread many times, and I can't wait to look into some of the books he recommends. There is something about Lewis that makes me think I could
This is Lewis's spiritual autobiography of sorts. It traces his life from childhood experiences in church as the grandson of a clergyman to ignoring God as a youth to the trenches in which he fought in WWI to his Oxford days as a full-out Atheist to his close friendships with JRR Tolkien and a few others that sped along his ultimate conversion. It's written in a very rational and slightly detached way (as is everything Lewis writes). It's interesting to see how his childhood shaped him into the
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