Surprised by Joy

Rating:
Summary: It was a FREE CHOICE to loosen the reins...
Review: This is a most remarkable account of one's conversion to belief. It is the eloquent yet highly readable language that Lewis uses which enables the reader to relate to his way of thinking. Lewis ultimately realizes that 'before God closed in on me, I was offered...a moment of wholly free choice...I could open the door or keep it shut...' This reveals the truth that God loves us to the extent that we are alloted a FREE CHOICE regarding whether we want to accept Him. However, it seems silly NOT to accept him! For if we abandon God, we act just as Lewis did..."darting his eyes in every direction for a chance of escape..."

But who in their right mind would really want to escape Joy?

This autobiography will fascinate the person who is perhaps searching for God or is unsure of God's existence. It will present a rather different perspective of conversion as it is taken from an intellectual standpoint. Finally, this book will reaffirm the authority of the One who simply declared 'I am that I am.'

Rating:
Summary: A bushel of insight and appropriate subjectivity.
Review: The mark of a good teacher is the degree to which his students learn even when, or especially when, he goes off on a tangent. By that measure, Lewis ranked among the best, and the Medieval cornocopia of miscellaneous ideas that is this book is an education. You learn philosophy, English and Irish topography, education, jokes, a theory of language study, a theory of C.S.Lewis, and most of all, everything you did or did not want to know about literature. Actually, some of what he says on that subject assumes more knowledge than most of us are likely to possess.

Yes, there is also a story here also, about how Lewis searched for Joy and found Jesus instead. (The title is a pun, by the way, worth five stars all by itself.) And the interuptions and detours tend to enhance the reader's appetite for the story, rather than detract from it.

I don't agree with the reader below, or with the criticism in A.N.Wilson's biography which it parallels. Reason clearly played a central role in his conversion. In this book, however, he describes the effect of the reasoning on him, rather than recounting the particular arguments in detail as he has done in other books. He said the book was going to be subjective, even apologized for the fact in the preface! To speak subjectively is not to belittle the objective facts which act on the subject; to make that equation shows a fundamental misunderstanding of Lewis' thought and of thought in general. For example, Lewis describes here how the "most hard-boiled atheist I ever met" came into his room one day and admitted that the evidence for the Gospels was "surprisingly good." Lewis describes his shock, and the effect this idea had on him. But if you want a fuller version of Lewis' reasoning on that subject, written just a little bit later than this book, see his brilliant and devastating little essay, Elephants and Fernseed -- which to my mind drove a stake through the heart of all Higher Criticism, including that written decades after his death, such as Wilson's silly biography of Jesus. Lewis also speaks of the effect the arguments of his Christian friends and the books he read had in converting him to Christianity, but again don't expect him to give you those arguments here.

My one criticism is Lewis ought not to have subjected his father to his satirical and rather cutting brand of humor as he does in a few passages.

Author, True Son of Heaven: How Jesus Fulfills the Chinese Culture

Rating:
Summary: A book Lewis could have done without
Review: My first exposure to C S Lewis was through The Screwtape Letters, which I found to be both absolutely engrossing and filled with insight of the highest order into society and human nature. I was also strongly captivated by the author's Narnia series of children's books, and I was ready to count myself a Lewis fan. But Lewis's non-fiction, although written with flair and clarity, proved disappointing. His penchant for allegory and metaphor makes his fiction great, but it undermines the logic of books like Mere Christianity and Miracles. And although Surprised by Joy is, like all of his books, very enjoyably written, it destroyed my former conception of Lewis by revealing how dependent his religious beliefs were on his own personality and emotional struggles. We must commend Lewis for not tidying up his image, but the effect of the book, for me, was to cast a veil of doubt over everything else he published.

Rating:
Summary: A painfully honest account of one man's conversion
Review: This is not a novel and not really an autobiography, but rather a first-hand account of one man's journey from atheism to a belief in God (Christianity came much later and is not covered in this book--for that read his many religious works). I discovered this little gem while living and working as a graduate student in Scotland, at a time when I was neck-deep in the pit of atheism and feeling almost totally lost. I don't know why I was moved to take it off the shelf and buy it, but it was to be only the first of Lewis's books that I read. It's still my favorite because its theme is so close to me.

What makes Lewis's book so remarkable is its unashamed honesty and willingness to shed all masks in the face of reality, no matter how unpleasant or frightening that reality may seem. Lewis did not want to find God, and we feel with him that burning desire to run away once God has been discovered. The wonderful lightness and love that characterize many of Lewis's later works are not found here. Instead we see his defenses against God shattered one by one as he follows an intellectual path to belief. He tries his best to argue his way out of it, fighting every step of the way and using all the trivial excuses that human beings do, but we feel God's presence bearing down on him step by step like a great weight until he realizes that there is no escape. Lewis sees that it IS a burden at first if one has come to it honestly, because with it comes the realization that we are required to abandon ourselves and submit to God's will in order to find eternal peace. This is not an easy road for a human being to follow--indeed, it is the most difficult thing in the world for us to do, and Lewis knew that very well. We feel with him the pain and weight that came when he realized that there IS a God: the account of his final days as an atheist is absolutely excruciating for a reader who has had the same experience. One must actively and willingly choose to become what one is not by his very nature--what could be more difficult, particularly in this secular world?

Lewis's account of his spiritual journey shows that God can be discovered in the most unlikely places and in the most unlikely ways, no matter how hard we try to avoid Him. When we think we have trumped God, we find that He has in fact trumped us, always remaining well ahead of us on the path. Lewis's account often reads like a great chess match between one man and God, but it remains familiar because it is a match that we play again and again. As always, Lewis's honesty is disarming, his insight staggering, and his humor refreshing. I cannot recommend this book enough, but if you are looking for a biography of Lewis's life, this will not provide it. For that I recommend George Sayer's "Jack," but the best way to find out who Lewis was is to read his books.

Rating:
Summary: entertaining and enriching -- a great book
Review: C.S. Lewis' life in his own words, from his affluent childhood in turn of the century Belfast 'til that marvelous day when he was surprised by the Joy to be found in Jesus Christ. This is a charming book that will hold your attention from beginning to end.

Rating:
Summary: Surprised by joy is a book for the Christian philosopher.
Review: Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis is a book that binds Christianity and philosophy like many say can't be done. The brilliance of C.S. Lewis is once again displayed in this most enthralling novel. Surprised by Joy is not like most other books by Lewis in that it is not a fantasy or a book for the theologen. It is really a book for a person struggling with the philosophical aspects of Christianity. Surprised by Joy is the story of C.S. Lewis' early life. It tells the story right from his early childhood on into the years of his service in the war and his college years. Lewis is very descriptive and paints a very vivid image of his early years in life. Lewis' brilliance is one thing that cannot be disputed. This book details his turn from Christianity to atheism and then back to Christianity. Lewis describes his struggles of mind about the belief in the supernatural. He describes how he came to realize that in reality to deny the supernatural becomes the absurdity. Overall this is a great book for any of those who feel Christianity is absurd or for those who struggle with the validity of the Christian faith. I recommend to all.

Rating:
Summary: Charming spiritual autobiography
Review: Strictly speaking, this is a spiritual journey rather than a personal history, yet much biographical material goes into the telling. I enjoyed the book immensely and found Lewis's ever present sense of humor refreshing.

Rating:
Summary: CS Lewis describes his intellectual journey towards "Joy"
Review: I have not read much CS Lewis (only a few books), so I will not pretend to be an expert about the man, or his writing. I figured that Surprised by Joy would be excellent since it provides a first hand account of the spiritual conversion of CS Lewis. I was not disappointed - it is an interesting read.

I particularly like the fact that Lewis not only describes the environment which influenced his perspective of the world and early decisions in life (his family, the death of his mother, his schooling, etc.). But, he also traces his intellectual journey back to God. The influencers are many - the books he read, the friends he made, the discussions he had, and the observations he made about life. Considered by many to be one of the best thinkers and writers of the last century it was fascinating to see the progression of Lewis' thinking about the world in which we live and the God who made it.

I highly recommend this book for any CS Lewis fan (I am rapidly becoming a bigger one), or any one who is having an intellectual struggle with believing that God exists. This book may help you unpack some of the baggage that the world presents about this topic. A short word of warning - if you are looking for some "light" reading this book is not a very good choice. I am not surprised that some reviewers found the book boring - it is not suitable for all tastes.

Rating:
Summary: THE UNIMAGINABLE POSSIBILITY OF JOY...
Review: Surprised By Joy is a moving and thought-provoking intellectual, and ultlmately (stemming from the transformation of the intellect over time) spiritual autobiography. Like most of Lewis's works it is an engrossing book written in envigorating and lucid prose. Of all the books coming out of the growing "Lewis industry" there are none that do a better job of biography than this short work by the man himself.

Lewis tells the story of his life up until he found true joy in following Jesus Christ. From his misty early memories of playing with his brother, to his time in school, Lewis gives his personal history a rigorous and reflective once-over. Along the way, he encounters many sign posts, all of which lead to his eventual encounter with Christ.

In school I once had a class on Christian Mythopoeic authors. We studied four: George MacDonald, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams at length. Each of us were given two huge projects on which our grades depended. Mine were to research and present on C.S. Lewis and Frederick Buechner.

I got to know the works by and about both men quite well.

Many Lewis biographers focus a lot of their time on Lewis's schooling experiences. This is probably because of their salacious "shock value." But focusing solely on those experiences without getting the point of what Lewis is saying in this book (as so many do) is a massive example of throwing the baby out with the bath water.

True, Lewis, like any autobiographer, has some axes to grind (and in my opinion is more than just in doing so), but he also has a most vital message to share:

Behind all of our longings, even our sufferings, is the unimaginable possibility of true, pure, radiant joy.

On another note, I found that Surprised By Joy is itself a great reading list for works in the "Northern" and mythopoeic fields. Lewis was nothing if not well read, and he shares his intelectual evolution (and the works involved) in this book.

I will leave you with a favorite quote of mine from this book. The set up, is that a former schoolmate of Lewis's (who became the Archbishop of Dublin) and Lewis are sitting together at the funeral of a horrid man who had once been their very abusive schoolmaster:

"Speaking of Oldee's death, I said to him, "Well, we shan't see him again."

"You mean," he answered with a grim smile, "we hope we shan't."

I give this book my full recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: a must read
Review: one of the best books by my fav author of all time. well worded, insightful, instructive, inspirational - how many more 'i' words do you need? please, take my word, and read this book.