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Surprised By Joy
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$ 11.44
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$ 13.00 |
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$ 1.56 (12%) |
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| Item Number |
14655 |
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Item Description...
Overview
An autobiography of a Christian concentrating on the part of his life when he turned to atheism and eventually recovered his faith
Publishers Description
A candid autobiography by C. S. Lewis that recollects his rational path to God An unfailingly honest and perceptive observer of humanity, C. S. Lewis embarked on a spiritual journey that led him from a traditional Christian childhood in Belfast to a youthful atheism and, finally, back to a confident Christianity. With no pretense, Lewis describes his early schooldays, his experiences in the trenches during World War I, and his undergraduate life at Oxford, where he reasoned his way to God. Since its first publication in 1955, "Surprised by Joy" continues to be deeply important to Lewis's admirers and to those concerned with the compatibility of the rational and the spiritual. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 252
Dimensions: Length: 0.5" Width: 5.25" Height: 8"
Weight: 0.55 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Publisher Harcourt Brace
ISBN 0156870118
EAN 9780156870115
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Availability 62 units.
Availability accurate as of May 26, 2012 07:24.
Usually ships within one to two business days from New Kensington, PA.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | Kicking and Screaming! Mar 25, 2007 |
I continue to hear the memorable phrase as only C.S Lewis could have penned it, "Kicking and Screaming..." from the lips of many. This books touched my life.
Reader, let CS Lewis guide you along to your wonderful Savior of whom the heart stands in constant rebillion. | | | | Lewis's early life and his intellectual journey Mar 12, 2007 |
"Surprised by joy--impatient as the wind," is the Wordsworth quote that Lewis chose for the title page. The whole book is about what Lewis calls "joy" or "sehnsucht," which is a German word which very roughly translates to "longing." This use of the word "joy" is confusing because he is not referring to a satisfaction; when Lewis uses the word "joy," he is referring to a desire that is itself better than any satisfaction. It is pleasurable yet painful, and Lewis says that we prefer this pain to any other pleasure. (If this is confusing, you need to read the book.) Lewis writes about this desire in many of his books (e.g., "The Weight of Glory" and the preface to "Pilgrim's Regress"), and if you are like me and are very intrigued by this desire, "Surprised by Joy" is a must read.
The book spends the first twelve chapters building up to the last three. Lewis's life as a child, a boy, and a young man are covered in the first 12 or so chapters. It is clear the Lewis and his brother Warnie were thick as thieves, and there are some funny and charming stories about their days as kids. There is a lot of time spent on Lewis's school days; he had some real characters for teachers.
In the book, Lewis always comes back around to explaining the evolution of his thought; he never strays too far from that. Basically, the reader rides the wave of Lewis's intellectual maturing process. The last three chapters are totally focused on how the dam finally broke on his long-standing atheism, how he turned to philosophical Idealism, then Theism, and then Christianity. The great thing about the book is that by the time the reader reaches the last three chapters he knows exactly why Lewis is an atheist; and then, in reading those last three chapters, the reader clearly understands how Lewis slowly and reluctantly becomes a Christian.
It is a beautifully written book. In fact, I have read it a few times; and I discovered things on the second reading that I somehow missed during the first. That's the sign of a great book--that it grows as you grow. | | | | Intellectual Anecdotes Mar 12, 2007 |
| C.S.Lewis always amazes me with his wonderful use of language. His open storytelling is filled with great wisdom and fun. You will learn much about Lewis's development through childhood and through his conversion. An excellent read! | | |  | Pleasant and suprising at the end Mar 8, 2007 |
| C.S. Lewis writes about his upbringing, his relationship with his father and brother, his schooling, and quite extensively comments on his passion for reading and absorbing more and more literature as his life unfolds. It isn't until the far latter portion of the book that the movement toward a belief in theism, and then quickly to Christianity, that his spiritual beliefs are explained in detail. But when it is - it is a refreshing read to those of us who are patient enough and curious enough to see how his position unfolds. Vocabulary on the more difficult side - I used a dictionary from time to time to attain better understanding. | | | | A Delightful Read Jan 12, 2007 |
CS Lewis is a master wordsmith as a reading of this book will show. The way he puts together his words is delightful and impressive. However, the main merits of this book are not its tone or style but its content. This is CS Lewis' autobiography, yet it's not a proper autobiography. Most autobiographies follow a "I did this, then I did this" format. Lewis, on the other hand, tells the story of his life but in a pointed manner. His life is told with the perspective of his search for "joy" (later, for truth and his theology) always at the forefront. Lewis' transition from atheist to christian is told in a gentle manner, really in the way, it seems, it happened in real life--without much hype; simply through reasoning, thinking, and dialoguing with colleagues and friends. I give it a 4 out of 5 rating only because I would have liked more time spent on the thinking behind his conversion.
A challenging and exciting read for Christians and non-christians everywhere. | | | Write your own review about Surprised By Joy
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