Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0156870118 ISBN 13: 9780156870115

Publisher: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1966

In this book Lewis tells of his search for joy, a spiritual journey that led him from the Christianity of his early youth into atheism and then back to Christianity.

From the Back Cover:

"Fascinating."--The NationThe intensely intimate and sincere autobiography of a man who thought his way to God.   An unfailingly honest and acutely perceptive observer of humanity, C.S. Lewis recounts his search for joy, a spiritual journey that led him from a traditional Christian childhood in Belfast to a youthful atheism and, finally, back to a confident Christianity. Lewis candidly and sensitively describes his early schooldays, his experiences in the trenches during World War I, and his undergraduate life at Oxford--where he reasoned his way back to God. It is perhaps the commonsensical aspect of his conversion to Christianity that makes Lewis's story so compelling and meaningful, especially to contemporary readers who are believers and nonbelievers alike. Since its first publication in 1955, Lewis's journey--his "surprise"--continues to be deeply important to his admirers and to those concerned with the compatibility of the rational and the spiritual.   "I read C.S. Lewis for comfort and pleasure many years ago, and a glance at the books revives my old admiration."--John Updike   "Anyone approaching this book as a study in the psychology of conversion will find the greatest interest in the dual paths--intellectual and intuitive--which converged at last. But the casual reader looking merely for an enjoyable book will equally value many other parts."--Saturday Review   C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) gained international renown for an impressive array of beloved works both popular and scholarly: literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and numerous books on theology. Surprised by Joy is among his most celebrated achievements, as is Out of the Silent Planet, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and The Four Loves.

 

About the Author:

C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis (1898-1963), one of the great writers of the twentieth century, also continues to be one of our most influential Christian thinkers. A Fellow and tutor at Oxford until 1954, he spent the rest of his career as Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge. He wrote more than thirty books, both popular and scholarly, inlcuding The Chronicles of Narnia series, The Screwtape Letters, The Four Loves, Mere Christianity and Surprised by Joy.