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C. S. Lewis' Little Book of Wisdom: Meditations on Faith, Life, Love, and Literature

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A USA Today bestseller!
"These well-chosen Lewis quotes will inspire readers and prompt them to make their own spiritual reflections." — Publishers Weekly

Novelist, poet, critic, lay theologian, and best-selling author of the 'Narnia' series, C. S. Lewis' works have become timeless classics for adults and children around the world.
Here in one concise volume is the essence of his thought on subjects ranging from love and faith to ethics and morality and myth and literature that will throw open the windows of the soul and provide readers with bite-sized nuggets of wisdom and inspiration from one of the best-loved writers of the 20th century.

This lovely little gift book will provide sustenance, wisdom, and hope for both believers and seekers. And, most importantly, it will provide an entry point for those unfamiliar with Lewis that will make them want to explore his fiction and nonfiction works.

Selections from C.S. Lewis' Little Book of
"If God had granted all the silly prayers I've made in my life, where should I be now?"
"Surely arrested development consists not in refusing to lose old things, but in failing to add new things…"
"Do not dare not to dare."
"We are mirrors whose brightness is wholly derived from the sun that shines upon us."
"I didn't go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity."

400 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2018

581 people are currently reading
640 people want to read

About the author

C.S. Lewis

1,015 books47.7k followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.

Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]

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5 stars
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36 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
Profile Image for Jas.
33 reviews4 followers
April 15, 2020
You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

Profile Image for Sara Anne Taylor.
256 reviews32 followers
April 12, 2023
This treasure of book is a must for any fan of C.S.
Lewis or for those, like me, looking to acquaint themselves with his work. Because of this lovely little book, l've added 4 of his books to my TBR and will be ordering several copies of this book to gift to family and friends.

Highly recommend!

A special thank you to @redwheelbooks for this lovely #gifted copy.
Profile Image for Rachel.
677 reviews9 followers
April 22, 2021
This was a very uplifting book! Loved the variety of foci and materials!
Profile Image for Carrie Daws.
Author 32 books143 followers
January 23, 2020
A wide variety of quotes from the books and letters of CS Lewis. The man was a deep thinker and this book touches on that, bringing his musings to life in short quips and quotes. Some are delightful and brought a smile to my face while others made me stop to re-read them and mull over them for myself. This book is a great primer for those who don't know much about CS Lewis, as well as a good resource for those who love him and want to keep his thoughts close at hand without seeking out all of his written works.
Profile Image for Julie.
350 reviews12 followers
September 17, 2020
Have been reading little gems and nuggets of wisdom from this book each day after my Bible reading. It has made the perfect accompaniment to it. Many times I read the little excerpt over several times, to take it in. C. S. Lewis always gives you food for thought, and, very often, brings heaven, and the eternal, much closer to your daily life. And this is something I need.
26 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2020
Stunning!

For those of this persuasion, and who enjoy deep thinking and reflection on life, this book is a delightful treasure chest of wise words. I read the small excerpts, look away and reflect on them, and then return to the book with gratitude and delight. For me, this is a really wonderful book.
Profile Image for Michael Mcfarren.
401 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2020
Life quotes

The authors captured a treasure trove of spiritual life guides in this little book. I spent hours just savoring all these C S Lewis insights. All found meaning in my life and helped me grow even more. Thank you.
Profile Image for Wilde Sky.
Author 16 books40 followers
June 2, 2018
A collection of extracts from a famous author’s works.

I found a few of the passages quite profound – but much of it didn’t really mean much to me.
Profile Image for Cassie Kelley.
Author 5 books13 followers
September 7, 2019
Timeless Advice

This is a little book full of the wisdom that C.S. Lewis collected and gave out to his many readers. And I absolutely love it. Compiled by two women who absolutely love Lewis’ works.

Arranged by topic, these quotes are collected from all of his books, letters, and essays. Fiction and nonfiction, it doesn’t matter. Fiction is a wonderful medium for conveying truth, and Lewis knew this very well. And all of these quotes inspire a deep desire to learn more about the God that this man knew so personally.

I would recommend this to anybody who just needs a word of comfort or knowledge. Lewis has sprinkled his passion for God and the wisdom He imparted throughout all of his writing. And of course we will all soon pass through the veil. The question is, who will be let into Aslan’s country?
Profile Image for Pam Sexton.
32 reviews
August 27, 2020
My all time favorite author

I first read the Chronicles of Narnia to my children in our before bed nightly story times. This was our favorite time of day. I fell in love with C.S. Lewis & in the more than 35 years since, I have read most everything he wrote.

There is an echoing ring of deeper truths in my soul as I read, that has kept my heart & mind in a state of childlike wonder. My favorites are still his stories for children & a few others that are just stories that have cemented my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

Whenever life gets hard & I start to get down & discouraged, I go back & reread them.

This little book brings back many of those truths & “ahhh” moments. They never cease to awaken me to His loving presence once again!
831 reviews
November 3, 2018
How can a book of quotes from the works of C. S. Lewis be rated as anything but great? Could the author have chosen better quotes? Maybe. However, I doubt it. One would have to read and re-read all the Lewis books again in order to judge. I am impressed by the width and depth of the compiler's choices. Read if you enjoy mulling over what you read.
Profile Image for Cathi.
1,053 reviews4 followers
January 10, 2019
This is packed with wonderful quotes, some of which I was familiar with already, and I enjoyed it. Lewis is one that I have to read really slowly because my brain just can't digest his writing unless I take the time to focus. So although this looks like a little book that you could just pick up and enjoy at your leisure, it was not a relaxing bit of reading in the slightest. But that's okay!
Profile Image for Lori.
941 reviews36 followers
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July 18, 2020
OK, so I didn't realize what I was purchasing, obviously. I am a huge C.S. Lewis fan. I've read much of his work. This is a VERY SHORT book of quotes, like 1 per page, like 1 to 2 sentences per quote. That's it. Excellent? Yes, of course, it's Lewis, but not the book of "meditations" I thought I was purchasing.
Profile Image for Brett.
34 reviews
February 8, 2024
If you're a CS Lewis fan and have read everything written by him (as I have), this is a great book of reminders of why you love and identify with his work and insights. And you'll want to go back and reread old favorites.
If you're not a Lewis fan, you will be by the time you reach the end of this book.
Profile Image for Sally Kilpatrick.
Author 16 books392 followers
Read
October 2, 2019
One day I will learn that I don't like books of quotations. While I did glean some insight, I think I would've been better served by reading the actual books. I'm not so good at the jumping about by topic yet missing the overall context.
Profile Image for Hugh.
128 reviews1 follower
April 30, 2020
This isn't really a book you read straight through. It's more something to keep around to reference or read little bits at a time. It is composed entirely of individual quotes from Lewis's works. 10/10. All the best lines are in there. Really inspiring.
Profile Image for Richard Landon.
1 review
June 21, 2020
Great Kernals of Christian Wisdom

A great way to get introduced to C.S. Lewis, his thoughts, and many of his books and writings. Also a great resource for wisdom on how to live a good, compassionate and fulfilling Christian life.
Profile Image for Lauren.
133 reviews1 follower
October 14, 2023
This little book is packed with quotes from the best of CS Lewis’s work, and I appreciated the range of topics that were captured. Whenever I read anything of his, it feels like a warm cup of tea for my soul.
3 reviews
March 18, 2024
A beautiful and concise collection and overview of the works of C.S. Lewis. He has a unique gift for describing heady theology with heartfelt reverence, and rightly applies the truths of Christianity to the whole of life.
Profile Image for Rebecca Galbraith.
48 reviews
January 4, 2025
A beautiful collection of truly powerful, heart-beating wisdom from one of my favourite Christian authors. Not possible to read all at once, this is very much a book to savour day by day, page by page.
Profile Image for Giulio Siciliano.
138 reviews4 followers
June 23, 2025
Good bedside (or bathroom!) book for a brief daily meditation. Great sampling, presentation & format for a peek into Lewis. If you are already familiar with Lewis' work, this may also help to cultivate your recall.
262 reviews4 followers
November 25, 2025
Process book so you read a bit at a time and contemplate. It is a nice book as it takes from all of the author's writings and spot lights much wisdom and faith that can be applied currently. CS Lewis was a gifted writer, a man of depth and faith. It is a book that I will reread and reprocess.
Profile Image for Ayesha T.
25 reviews
Read
December 27, 2025
Read this to annotate it for a friend’s birthday - I’m not Christian and while there were a ton of things I didn’t agree with, I still found this a really insightful read. A lot of the advice can be taken to heart regardless of your beliefs, and expanding your worldview is always a good thing.
Profile Image for Sara.
609 reviews45 followers
December 25, 2019
Now I want to read all of Lewis’ non-fiction
168 reviews
July 28, 2020
Poor printing

Never saw a good book of excellent wisdom destroyed by its prose kept to three words a line hard to read
Profile Image for Leeann.
332 reviews
February 25, 2021
A calming collection of Lewis’s observations on Christian life. Each excerpt lends itself to a daily meditation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews

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