Surprised by Joy
Surprised by Joy
This autobiography of C.S.Lewis's early life, focusing on the spiritual crisis which was to determine the shape of his entire life, now repackaged and rebranded as a key title in the C.S. Lewis Signature Classics range. 'In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God...perhaps the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.' Thus C.S. Lewis describes memorably the crisis of his conversion in his famous autobiography. Lewis was for many years an atheist, and in Surprised by Joy he vividly describes the spiritual quest which eventually convinced him of the truth and reality of the Christian faith.
Having watched "Shadowlands", I expected this book to be Lewis' account of being surprised by the joy of meeting and loving Joy (Gresham), his American wife. Alas, it is not. But it is a fascinating autobiographical account of Lewis' youth, and his return to faith after his atheistic rebellious years. It covers his early childhood through to his conversion, and mentions a lot of people and books that influenced him (and which I now need to learn more about, and read, respectively!). I am very glad I've read this, and I recommend "CS Lewis: the companion and guide" (Harper Collins 1996) as an excellent follow-up: a reference book with a full biography, critical bibliography, and encyclopedic entries on the people, places and ideas in Lewis's life and writings.