Helpful Score: 5
In April 1956, C. S. Lewis, a confirmed bachelor, married Joy Davidman, an American poet with two small children. After four brief, intensely happy years, Lewis found himself alone again, and inconsolable. To defend himself against the loss of belief in God, Lewis wrote this journal, an eloquent statement of rediscovered faith. In it he freely confesses his doubts, his rage, and his awareness of human frailty. In it he finds again the way back to life.
Helpful Score: 5
A very deep book that makes you think about grief and what happenes. It's Lewis's process and notes of what he went through after the death of his wife. Fascinating. Goes away from the commercial Grief Counselor and Shrink approach to a real human experience and what it does and how to get "through" it.
Helpful Score: 4
This book was personally life changing for me. I read it while going through a very bad divorce after being married for 15 years. It really helped me realize, sadly enough, that I hadn't ever been loved like this before, and therefore making it easier for me to let go of my marriage and move on. It is beautifully written; very poetic. I have kept this book and gone back to it time and time again for comfort. It also provides some insight into how we cope with the death of a loved one and the struggles of coping spiritually with a loss.
Helpful Score: 2
As usual a great book by C.S. Lewis if you are experiencing grief it's a wonderful book to be read over and over.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a must for anyone experiencing or who has experienced deep, all consuming grief! CS Lewis puts into words what no one else can! You are not alone! Of all the grief books I read after the loss of my son, this book gave me the most comfort. I have since purchased the book for others experiencing any deep grief and will continue to do so.
Helpful Score: 2
A comfort and inspiration for anyone who has ever lost a loved one.
Helpful Score: 2
I read this book after my husband of 35 years died. There is no one like Clive Staples Lewis for clarity, insight, and unflinching honesty. He came to Christ later in life and commenced bringing all of his genius to bear in writing inspiration for the thinking man. The newly-bereaved will find comfort both down-to-earth and ethereal, and the caring observer will hear a candid story of what it's really like to grieve.
Helpful Score: 1
A deep, emotional book. One of C.S. Lewis's finest.
Helpful Score: 1
My husband read this after his mother passed away and said it really explains your griefing process and what his dad is going through.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a great book. It's a pretty short read, but very poignant, very insightful. It has many insights into C.S. Lewis's mind after the death of his wife Joy. I must read for the C.S. Lewis fan.
Helpful Score: 1
In this slender volume, C.S. Lewis shares his personal experience with grief following the death of his wife. This is a grief that has him questioning his belief in God and exposing the raw, painful, angry emotions that accompany his grieving process. There are many ways to grieve, but one thing is certain - it has to be faced, and Lewis has done just that in this book. The harsh reality that everyone who lives will die means that we must all face grief at some time if we haven't already done so. His experiences with grief are not unique, but he is to be applauded for sharing his palpable pain in a way that may help others who suffer a loss of such magnitude.
Helpful Score: 1
An emotionally moving account of dealing with grief.
Helpful Score: 1
A short but powerful book about C. S. Lewis' emotional and intellectual reaction to the passing of his life's love, his wife Helen Joy Gresham. Brutally honest, he is unafraid to share his deepest thoughts as he questions his faith and his own emotions. Should ring true to anyone who has suffered this dear a loss.
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed reading this book, it help me alot. AndI learned alot also. alot of great infromtion.
This book was really great for me after my stepfather died. Reading about the process that Lewis went through after the death of his wife was helpful in understanding the emotions after such a tragic event. Lewis originally wrote these thoughts only to express himself, they were never meant to be published and made public. Therefore, they are intensely heartfelt and honest, not restrained by the fear of public scrutiny. I would recommend this book for anyone who has recently lost a loved one or knows someone who has.
Insightful book concerning dealing with the loss of a loved one.
I will admit that I dont care much for C.S. Lewis's writings. Even his book Mere Christianity, though ok, was not my cup of tea. His books would not be the book I would reach for on a cold wintery day or just want to enjoy a book. I esp. dislike the Narnia writings, nonsense and a twisting of the truth, in my opinion. Fairy tales and Jesus dont mix. But this one book of his I like a little more than his others. Some of it is a little bloneyish but the most of it is very interesting and heartfelt. You feel his lose, you feel his conflict over what emotions to feel, you feel his guilt when he does feel good and his sadness when his memories of his late wife pull him back down and then back up again. I liked his honest retelling of his interaction with his deceased spouse. I would recommend this book to anyone suffering grief over the loss of a loved one. I give this book a 3 for its humaness and its sincerity. I think he does nothing to harm the gospel but does open the mind of those who have questions regarding spiritual beings and the hereafter and in that regard does help further the truth.
An excellent book. Somewhat raw, since C.S. Lewis was writing about the death of his wife, but with a comforting ending.
My husband passed away 5 months ago and I have been reading many books to face this process of grief. For me, I believe that this book is by far the best to work through this difficult time.
This is a very short, but well worth the reading, especially for anyone experiencing grief and doubt.
I admire this man. So easy to call oneself Christian and wallpaper over the darkness and pain of death and loss, but here he asks the brutal questions that losing a spouse conjures. Where is she if not nowhere? Why does one suppose heaven is like here, or the eternal soul like the living? If there's an afterlife, and it's like earth, why would there be death? What's the point? Can't we reason that, if death exists, there must be a huge change and we are probably separated forever? What makes anybody sure, if God exists, the He is good? Why not posit a cosmic sadist?
He doesn't shy away, either. Nor does he let the Buddhists off lightly - "death exists, and anything that exists matters."
Yep. If you're not sure you want to really face death head on, skip this book.
He doesn't shy away, either. Nor does he let the Buddhists off lightly - "death exists, and anything that exists matters."
Yep. If you're not sure you want to really face death head on, skip this book.
