C.S. Upon learning that such was not the case, I then expected it to be a straight-forward autobiographical account of Lewis' life. . For example, looking up at the night sky took him to the great northern expanse of Norse Mythology and Balder the god. The work describes Lewis’s life from very early childhood (born 1898) until his conversion to Christianity in 1931, but does not go beyond that date. If you are interested I did a review for each of the Space trilogy novels and my reactions to them. It's about C. S. Lewis' conversion from atheism to Christianity. Lewis’s spiritual autobiography, tracing the steps that led up to his conversion to Christianity.This guide refers to the 1955 Harcourt Brace & Company/Harvest Books edition. Often referred to as a child prodigy, she earned a master's degree from Columbia University in English literature at age twenty in 1935. Actually, SURPRISED BY JOY is a memoir about Lewis' formative years. He only attributes getting in to that fact that most young men were fighting in WWI, since he states he was horrible at taking tests and the more careful he was, the more mistakes he made (I fact I can relate to because I am horrible at taking placement tests). A Latin and Greek scholar, he volunteered for service as an Officer in the trenches of the Great War. Another book of books of Lewis to check out is the Space Trilogy. Such a huge Narnia fan, and I’ve been wanting to read this!! Cooke did not stoop to engage Lewis’s arguments, but instead suggested that because Lewis was a bachelor, he was simply afraid to talk about sexuality! ]), his humility, too, leaves me in the dust. If you think about it, story is what all of his experiences of Sehnsucht have in common. yeah. I like the name Clive, even if Staples is a bit weird. There is so much that I love (absolutely love!) SURPRISED BY JOY doesn't really give us a glimpse into Lewis' professional life, and that was what disappointed me about it. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life. Lewis' auto-biographical book about the early, formational years of his life, which began with a vaguely religious upbringing, led into devout Atheism, and ended in Christ's drawing Lewis … But, I haven't really connected with Lewis' essays as much. It's written in a very rational and slightly detached way (as is everything Lewis writes). I even like The Screwtape Letters. Lewis's published works. But, I haven't really connected with Lewis' essays as much. Secondly, it's about his life. . "Surprised by Joy" is C.S. Not totally at rest regarding that. I love The Chronicles of Narnia. Had to even look up a few words to get at what he was trying to communicate to the reader. Lewis had his literature; we have science fiction and anime and comics. In a world full of uncertainty, a faith makes people anchored in something, finding spiritual wonderland when we feel confused. . The Prodigal Son at least walked home on his own feet. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. But God kept working on him. Had he rejected God, it would’ve have been because he was enslaved to a sick, sinful delusion. There is so much that I love (absolutely love!) It is the living and absolute God to which the signs of Joy led. Lewis’ love of story that brought him to Christ. The book overall contains less detail concerning specific events than typical autobiographies. C.S. It then tells of him applying for Oxford and getting in. Although he had a Christian upbringing, as a … are all Christian. . Not Clives or Staples. Finally, the war ends and he returns to Oxford. ( Log Out /  Lewis explains that he got three stabs of joy in his youth: once from the a model garden in a biscuit-tin lid that his brother had made, once while reading Beatix, There's not much to say about this book, as it is famous, and has been reviewed many times. Saying that, this book is quick different than most of his books, which are either philosophy and fantasy. Unlike Chesterton, however, Lewis does actually give clear accounts of his life though only in as far as they relate to his experiences of Joy. about this book. But most of the book actually focuses on his school days, as he attended several extremely harsh boarding schools, where the younger students would be constantly bullied and put down by the older ones. . Free delivery on qualified orders. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. I've finished the 230-page book by C.S. Surprised By Joy By C S Lewis free download - Programming in C in 7 days, C To Java Converter, C S Lewis Quote of the day, and many more programs Other-Worldy Joy. I could see how the latter was an allegorical representation of his own conversion. SURPRIZED by joy-impatient as the wind- -William Wordsworth, Surprized by Joy (1815). Overview. This is the second book by C.S. With Walter Hooper, Peter Ustinov. C.S. ( Log Out /  Wow, it’s cool that Lewis found his faith! Many of the quotes that people love so much come from this book. Such a wonderful read! well, it differs. Most of the Sehnsucht took place while reading poetry or literature, and if not, it was because it transported him to the places in those stories. Lewis is always reliable in his understanding of human nature, but maintaining such a keen eye when looking in a mirror is an especially rare skill. User Review - kleicester - Christianbook.com. Great. This is the a moment of perfect happiness occasioned by . Thirdly, it's about his life with learning and books. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Synopsis: In this book, C.S. This is where Lewis and I differ. "Surprised by Joy" is C.S. User Review - kleicester - Christianbook.com. Anybody who can write such literature deserves further investigation. As for the quality of the writing and the degree of insight throughout, it's every bit as brilliant as you'd expect from a writer of Lewis' caliber. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Helen Joy Davidman (18 April 1915 – 13 July 1960) was an American poet and writer. Upon learning that such was not the case, I then expected it to be a straight-forward autobiographical account of Lewis' life. 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. . The autobiography of C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy outlines the occurrences of Joy in Lewis's life and how these accompanied him from his childhood to his conversion from atheism (or "anti-theism" as Lewis refers to it) to theism to Christianity. Considering all the things we’ve studied at New Saint Andrews—and the way it keeps coming back to one thing—I find it highly interesting that it was essentially C.S. Synopsis: In this book, C.S. Have some mixed feelings on this one. Lewis starts off Belfast, where he spent his early childhood, to miserable boarding school experiences, the trenches of WWI, and eventually to Oxford (where he "reasoned his way back to God"). Agreed. And yet, once he got past his adolescent priggishness (there once was a boy called Clive Staples Lewis, and he almost deserved it [ooh, look...I can do literary allusions, too! Biography of C. S. Lewis. In his autobiographical work, Surprised by Joy, C.S. well, it differs. ( Log Out /  View all posts by Madame Writer. Looking back he realised that because he chose God it was free choice—an overwhelmingly superior choice. Surprised by Joy was quite a joy to read. I did not then see what is now the most shining and obvious thing; the Divine humility which will accept a convert even on such terms. 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. And again in January of 2018. Many of the quotes that people love so much come from this book. Lewis defines Joy as an intense longing or desire that is itself the most desirable desire. I'm generally not all that interested in people's childhoods and would much prefer them to get on with talking about their life's work and accomplishments. If you have read some of Lewis’s other books and are curious why he thinks the way he thinks, I highly recommend it. He’s such an amazing author! As Lewis discovers, it is not the longing itself that he actually desired but the object of the longing which is for something far greater than and not of this w. The autobiography of C. S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy outlines the occurrences of Joy in Lewis's life and how these accompanied him from his childhood to his conversion from atheism (or "anti-theism" as Lewis refers to it) to theism to Christianity. With that I end my little review of the book Surprised by Joy , written by CS Lewis. He identifies a quality which he calls "Joy," which occurs in what he describes as "a stab of joy." I haven’t read any of Lewis’s fantasy books (outside of Chronicles of Narnia), but all his books are definitely on my TBR! . Maybe it's his brittishness, or perhaps his discursive mind, but I just can't seem to hang with his discourse. Heck, the size of Lewis's brain would leave Jeeves's in the dust. This was interesting, but considering the very lengthy and detailed set-up, the denouement was hasty and disappointing. Lewis vs. the Chronological Snobs Looking back at these reviews, there is a delicious irony in the fact that Lewis and Mere Christianity are still read today, while most of his critics who charged him of being “out of date” are forgotten. What Lewis originally termed as ‘romanticism’, he describes as Joy in his autobiography. It was sea and islands now; the great continent had sunk like Atlantis.". Pure genius. For example, his school days were harsh, and one of the things he learned quickly was to have a great fear of Hell. Lewis Introduction Lewis wrote Surprised by Joy over a period of seven years (1948 – 1955), intending it to be a particular account of his conversion rather than a general autobiography. In C. S. Lewis’ autobiography, Surprised by Joy, he tells of experiencing an other-worldly joy ─ a specific Joy that defies our modern understanding.This idea of Joy is not a satisfied desire but an unsatisfied desire ─ a deep longing for God, a hungry pursuit of God’s heart that never ends and is more satisfying than any earthly happiness. In Surprised by Joy, C.S. This was a very intellectual engaging book for me. He has substance and that's wonderful! For her book of poems, Letter to a Comrade, she won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Competition in 1938 and the Russell Loines Award for Poetry in 1939. He describes Joy as the ‘central story of my life’. Though far above my head, I enjoyed reading this book. I read this in high school (discovered a four-leaf clover pressed in it that probably dates from then), but I can't recall if I've ever reread it. Have you read this book? Lewis, Surprised By Joy - The Shape of My Early Life. It's interesting to see how his childhood shaped him into the, This is Lewis's spiritual autobiography of sorts. . Lewis tells the story of his early life, reflecting on his school life and experiences in the first world war all the way up to his conversion to Christian when he was, “Surprised by Joy.”. What is your favorite book by C.S. 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. Joy acts like a signpost in the midst of a desert directing the way to life. Its content is comparable to G. K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy which too is an autobiographical account of Chesterton's philosophical conversion as well as a simultaneous apology for Christianity. And yet, once he got past his adolescent priggishness (there once was a boy called Clive Staples Lewi. Mostly for gems like the following. Lewis, the man that "thought his way to God" (according to the back of the book), isn't really all man - he's part reading machine. And oh man, I love his Till We Have Faces. Surprised By Joy by C. S. Lewis Posted on May 17, 2013 December 23, 2015 by booksforevangelism Surprised By Joy is the spiritual autobiography of C. S. Lewis who is considered as one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of this day. Second book down of my 2020 reading challenge: read all of C.S. Surprised by Joy by C. S. Lewis, 9780007461271, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. kirkus review The story of an intellectual questing reveals the opening doors, the tools of thought and the widening vision that led to the author's accepting Christianity. I have read other works by Lewis on the topic of Christianity, and have profited by them all. Lewis begins with his childhood in Belfast, surveys his boarding school years and his youthful atheism in England, reflects on his experience in World War I, and ends at Oxford, where he became "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Thirdly, it's about his life with learning and books. His pictures of his life in Ireland and England, after the death of his mother, mirror the developing closeness to his brother and their widening separation from their demanding, mercurial, insensitive father. I agree that this world is full of uncertainty, and everyone needs to find something to believe in. Let me know your thoughts down in the comments, follow my blog for more musings and, as always. Just Jack., though. I also felt. Lewis I’ve read in the last few months (the first being The Problem With Pain). First of all, it's a book by CS Lewis. I was surprised how good it was, but then I love anything by C.S. Author Lydia Denworth is a science journalist who has written about everything from Alzheimer’s to zebrafish. My son would have hated me for that. My personal favorite of his works! ", Lewis writes about how he came to faith -- or better put, how he lost his faith as a teenager, became atheist, then became Christian in his later years. Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Fourthly, it's a story of a journey of thought from atheism to Christianity. . Many of his early experiences developed his way of analyzing the world and philosophy, and for that reason I loved this book. Lewis tells the story of his early life, reflecting on his school life and experiences in the first world war all the way up to his conversion to Christian when he was, “Surprised by Joy.” Review. Cause he had this curious thing for what he called 'Northernness.' Hello, Sign in. This was a guy who fought God at every turn, who was so hard-core Atheist that if he talked to you and discovered that you were a Christian, he felt it was his duty to talk you out of your faith and remove the wool from your eyes. Anybody who can write such literature deserves further investigation. Surprised by Joy was my final read for the month of March, a perfect timing book that I just loved. It is a desire that cannot be fulfilled, unless we have found the object of joy’s desire, which is none other than God himself. However, I love his imaginative works! Lewis. There was to be much fun, many pleasures, many stabs of Joy; but no more of the old security. I love the way he describes his ultimate moment of conversion: "In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England. Tolkien 's best friends and creator of the quotes that people love so much that I just ca n't to. 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