“He is admirably equipped to write spiritual autobiography for the plain man, for his outstanding gift is clarity. I would guess some people might be put off by Lewis' sort of pompous, old fashioned writing style in this book, but I really liked it because of how much I could relate to some of the experiences of his inner-life.' For me, it's a big part of the enjoyment of reading fantasy stories like Harry Potter or Chronicles of Narnia. Maybe nostalgia for a childhood vacation spot would be the easiest to relate to.but not quite it. It is something like the desire you have for an image or an idea.not so much to actually possess the thing, but just to revel in how much you enjoy that image. 'I've never heard anyone attempt to describe the experience Lewis calls 'Joy' in this book, but it was very familiar to me.

With characteristic candor and insight, he describes how his “search for joy” led him from the conventional Christianity of his childhood to a youthful atheism, and finally back to an assured Christianity compatible with his formidable intellect. 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. Lewis’ “surprise” holds continuing interest not only for admirers of his work but for any modern seeker concerned with the compatibility of the rational and the spiritual. Lewis, an unfailingly honest and perceptive observer of self, here shares the story of his personal spiritual journey. In the closest thing we have to an autobiography, C.

Surprised by joy book review