C. S. Lewis discussion

Just a boring little post to get some more interesting discussion going. I think that if I were forced to pick a favorite book by Lewis I would have to pick... blast, I am not sure! Ok, how about two that I love? That is fair, right? Ok: Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, and Surprised by Joy. Yeah, it was three.

I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read more of Lewis. I have to say that his "A Grief Observed" hit home with me during a relationship and after it ended. It helped me deal with the pain of the break up that was like a death to me.

Well, I can't pick one book, but I can say that I absolutely LOVED every last bit of the Chronicles of Narnia series, which I read -before- the movie came out, etc. I'm thankful I read the series first - nothing can replace my imagination as I followed those kids everywhere. Anyway, thumbs up for that series :)

The Magician's Nephew and A Great Divorce are my fav fiction of his. A Grief Observed is an amazing book which i just finished....trying to make my way through his entire works....it's quite the undertaing.

Til We Have Faces is probably my favorite, though it's been a while since I read it. I like all of his fiction and pretty much everything I've read of his non-fiction-- Out of the Silent Planet, the Narnia books, and the Great Divorce are those that come quickest to mind for me.

Carl, I read Til We Have Faces and liked the story, but I felt like I missed the point somehow, like I couldn't really understand what he was trying to say. Can you enlighten me? I've been meaning to read it again.

You know, it's been so long since I read it that I think I'm going to have to reread it before answering-- I've just started it again. Like many of my favorite books it took enough out of me that I only managed one reading. I think what I liked most about it is that it explores humanity's relationship to diety in a non-preachy way, not hiding the fact that it is painful, fraught with doubt, danger, etc-- maybe I'll feel differently reading it now, maybe 7 or 8 years later, but I think what I liked was that it did not feel like it was giving easy answers to big problems-- which some of Lewis' work can seem to do, though maybe he didn't mean it that way. If it felt like it didn't have a point, it could be that it didn't have one the way much of the rest of his writing does-- though it could be that the last section of the book had a little more of the "moral of the story" feel to it-- part of me wants to compare it to Job, with God's grand entrance at the end, but honestly, my recollection is so dim at this point that I could be completely off.
Check with me again in a month or so, and hopefully I'll have managed to get through it again (along with the other 10 books I'm trying to read right now!)

Last year I would have hands down said Th Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe...however, then I lost my dad and a few weeks later found myself at a thrift store and stumbled across "A Grief Observed" and I can not tell you what the book has meant to me. It is the most beautiful, poignant, and touching portrayal of loss that I have ever read.

Til We Have Faces.

The Narnia series is great of course and so was A Grief Observed but right now I would have to say The Great Divorce but I have not read Till We Have Faces yet.

For many years my favorite book of his was The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe -- the entire Narnia series, truth be told. Then in high school I read, The Great Divorce. I absolutely loved it. I tried reading The Screwtape Letters and couldn't get into it, but several years ago, I tried again and couldn't put it down. The premise was so intruiguing that it made me think about my own life and what motivates me to do what I do on the smallest level. I'd like to read A Grief Observed. I noticed that Julie said she had been greatly touched by it.

I've only read the Chronicles of Narnia. But my favorite book from that series is the Magicians Nephew. I just love the idea of the rings and pools. But my favorite is the birth of Narnia. To me, it's what makes his stories so "magical".

Like Meghan and Rach, I've only read the Chronicles of Narnia. My favorite from the series would have to be th Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I love that book because it's so magical yet real and it had me wondering if I could someday, somehow stumble upon an entrance to another world. This semester for school I'll be reading the Screwtape Letters, but I hear it's kinda scary! Not really looking forward to it, but am anxious to read it and get it under my belt.

I've only read Chronicles of Narnia when I was a kid and then in college Til we have faces. Currently, I'm reading The Four Loves and truly enjoying it. So I would have to say that that is my favorite as of right now. At least because it is so thought provoking.

My favorite is probably The Screwtape Letters.
I loved the point that the demons don't try to wrench your soul from you , but that there goal is to put just a little doubt , just a little more complacincy in your heart.

I also loved the space trilogy ! To me it is the Narnia for adults. I read and liked The Great Divorce too. I am waiting to read the Dark tower and 'Till we have faces.

Wow. Tough question. As I sit here, about 6 books have popped in my mind, each one being forced to take the back seat to the next one...but I think I'm going to have to go with, ummm. Dang. Okay, this moment here, 'Til We Have Faces. CS Lewis can tell a story like no one else can.

Of every book I've ever read, Mere Christianity is by far one of my favorites. I can't say that I've read all, or even half, of C.S. Lewis' works, but what I have read has impressed me.

Not sure if it counts as a 'book' (although I guess it might) but "Weight of Glory" is my personal favorite (maybe tied with Letters to Malcom).

Really inspiring stuff in those writings.

The Screwtape Letters, Narnia series, and his space trilogy.

Choosing a favorite CS Lewis is like squashing mercury without is running all over the place...can't be done! However, BEYOND PERSONALITY may be one of his best apologetic regarding Christianity.

A Grief Observed. I keep planning to read Till We Have Faces, I have heard it is excellent. The Narnia books were my favorites back when I was a kid, and I still love reading them now :)

Can this even be answered? :) I guess I'd go with Narnia (and don't make pick one of those, although I am partial to Horse and His Boy, Last Battle, and Dawn Treader).

I do love Till We Have Faces, though, and An Experiment in Criticism is my favorite of his non-fiction. I am glad to see so many people like A Grief Observed, though, because that's another favorite here.

I think you'll enjoy this book. I had a hard time putting it down until I was finished. Since I've not read any of the Narnia series, I can't make a comparison.
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Keith -- your comparison of choosing a favorite Lewis book to squashing mercury was perfect -- it's just that difficult.

Partial to A Grief Observed here, too and also Til We Have Faces continues to challenge me. It is now packed into a box as are most of my others of his and so will have to wait.

My favorite is "Abolition of Man." This is actually the only one that I've read. My wife and I read it together. We had to keep re-reading the paragraphs because I wouldn't understand anything pretty much that he said. Once I got it I really enjoyed it. This has probably been one of the most difficult books to understand that I've ever read (harder reading than authors such as Tocqueville, Locke, Plato, Aristotle, etc. just for example). I'm currently reading "Mere Christianity."

Yeah I think I started that one at least 5 times, never getting beyond the first couple of pages...until I had a few philosophy classes, then I was able to follow it a bit more. It is really difficult, but worth plowing through!

The Screwtape Letters minus the toast. Brilliant writing, unsettling and informative. Every time I read it, new bits of humanity jump at me. Not many books actually change me, but Screwtape does every time.

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" and "The Screwtape Letters", definitely. I love Edmund's character - I actually love antiheroes in general, because given the chance, their redemption stories are really the best ones for me. Screwtape Letters, because I love the meaning behind it. It's satirical, dry, witty, and so darn honest.

It's difficult to have favorites, but "Mere Christianity" is basically perfect; followed closely by "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Third place is a tie between Screwtape and Faces. I was so touched by "Till we have Faces".

I haven't had much chance to read most of his books, but the ones I have thoroughly enjoyed. Out of the ones I have read I'd have to say that the chronicles of narnia books are my favorite. Out of those the best in my opinion is either the last battle or the lione, witch, and the wardrobe.

Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, The Abolition of Man, tnx to Peter Kreeft's recommendations! :)

I had the fortune to be in Wheaton during a C.S. Lewis/Tolkien event a few years past and I think that's when I grew from enjoying Lewis' writing to being very humbled by it - and quite possibly becoming some sort of groupie to a dead person. "God in the Dock" makes the reading apologetics enjoyable. There is also a nice FAT book of Lewis quotes, called "The "Quotable Lewis". It's a great reference tool and kind of fun to browse through as well.

I've read most of Lewis and "favorite" really depends on where I am in life. The have been times when A GRIEF OBSERVED couldn't be beat. But every book has its shining moments of insight.
Unfortunately, having read so much makes it difficult for me to remember what is where. Most recently I wanted to find the great quote about the birth of a friendship, when two people suddenly realize, "Oh, you feel that way too?" I reread THE FOUR LOVES, but it wasn't there. Any other "groupie" know where?

Dolly wrote: "I've read most of Lewis and "favorite" really depends on where I am in life. The have been times when A GRIEF OBSERVED couldn't be beat. But every book has its shining moments of insight.
Unfo..."


"The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like "What? You too? I thought I was the only one." (The Four Loves, Chapter 4)

Thanks, this most recent time I listened to THE FOUR LOVES on tapes from the library, so maybe it was an abridged version and I didn't realize it.

Lewis was so skilled. Very often, friends ask for book recommendations and if I know they haven't read Lewis, I send them his way. One story I plan to read again soon is "Till We Have Faces." I came late to The L,W,&W, and enjoyed it like I was in grade school.

Now that I think about it, the very first Lewis book I read was Mere Christianity, and someone told me it was originally a series of radio talks. PBS has great information about this.

For me, it's a tie between The Magician's Nephew, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Yes, I LOVED the Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe movie. I'm going to make it a Christmas tradition. It feels sort of "Christmas-y".

Well, it is obvious that the Chronicles of Narnia are the best, but I also read The Great Divorce this summer. It was very interesting to read his thoughts on a subject with so many views and uncertainties. I can't wait to read Mere Christianity.

Mere Christianity has been very important in my life. The Great Divorce is terrific, and I love Out of the Silent Planet. There's a particular moment in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader that I love, when Aslan tells Susan, I think, that she'll learn to recognize him in the other world. And there's the wonderful image of the creatures of Narnia making the decision at the end whether to go directly toward Aslan ("further up and further in!"), or to turn away from him and rush off into the darkness. There are also books of sermons and talks--God in the Dock is one--that are wonderful, too!

My favorite Lewis used to be Till We Have Faces until I read the Space trilogy now it's That Hideous Strength.
SO AWESOME! That was when I realized the author of my favorite children's books was scary.

Til We Have Faces is my definite favorite, though I do need to reread -- my understanding is it's about (if one could really boil his books down to something this small) the conflict between the mind and the heart, as well as exploring faith and understanding deity
after that The Great Divorce and Surprised by Joy
Of the Narnia books my favorite has always been The Horse and His Boy, and I really enjoyed the space trilogy, though definitely saw similarities in the third one to Charles Williams' books.
2 books I actually did not like were Mere Christianity and The Four Loves. In the latter I think he gets it wrong in part, but it's been a while and I was annoyed when I finished it so I don't remember my exact conflicts with what he had to say.
I just finished The Screwtape Letters - I had started it years ago and found it really insightful, but for some reason didn't finish it at the time. This is one of those books that I think is enhanced by reading one part a day instead of reading straight through. I'm starting to reread it in this way now to try to grasp more deeply some of what he's saying.
Wanting to read The Abolition of Man and God in the Dock, but they'll have to wait until I can pillage my parents' personal library again - handy to have Inkling fans in the family :)

Terah wrote: "Dolly wrote: "I've read most of Lewis and "favorite" really depends on where I am in life. The have been times when A GRIEF OBSERVED couldn't be beat. But every book has its shining moments of insight.
Unfortunately, having read so much makes it difficult for me to remember what is where. Most recently I wanted to find the great quote about the birth of a friendship, when two people suddenly realize, "Oh, you feel that way too?" I reread THE FOUR LOVES, but it wasn't there. Any other "groupie" know where?

"The typical expression of opening Friendship would be something like "What? You too? I thought I was the only one." (The Four Loves, Chapter 4) "

It's also in Surprised by Joy though, when he talks about making his first friend beside his brother -- the boy who lived near them in Ireland who also loved Wagner and 'northernness'.

I go back and forth on my favorite C.S. Lewis fiction book - it depends on my mood. Right now my favorite fiction books are:
1.) Till we have faces
2.) Perelandra

I also go back & forth my favorite non fiction book:
1.) Miracles
2.) Problem of Pain

I am definitely with you on the fiction books! I love those too. I also love The Last Battle, even though it has a really different feel from the other Narnia books to me. My favorite non-fiction is definitely Mere Christianity. I feel like I quote it every single Sunday. Love. :)

I can't chose between THE LAST BATTLE and SCREWTAPE.

They're completely different in form. Screwtape is kind of a good vs. evil dialogue and The Last Battle is a story. I prefer Screwtape just because it's so clever.

Terah wrote: "They're completely different in form. Screwtape is kind of a good vs. evil dialogue and The Last Battle is a story. I prefer Screwtape just because it's so clever."

If you understand the biblical references, the Last Battle is much more than just "a story."

Gozerthegozarian wrote: "Terah wrote: "They're completely different in form. Screwtape is kind of a good vs. evil dialogue and The Last Battle is a story. I prefer Screwtape just because it's so clever."

If you understand..."

True. By describing it as "Story" I wasn't minimizing it. Story is epic and central.