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Surprised by Joy
- The Shape of My Early Life
- Narrated by: Ralph Cosham
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
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Summary
In the closest thing we have to an autobiography, C. S. Lewis, an unfailingly honest and perceptive observer of self, here shares the story of his personal spiritual journey. 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.
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- Carôle
- 26-09-15
Surprised by the journey!
What did you like most about Surprised by Joy?
I was first introduced to C S Lewis by 2 friends, separately. The title, Mere Christianity, was both an eye opener and a mind opener. Of course, I was minded to enjoy it anyway, being a Christian myself, but he was an intellectual Christian - a novelty to me - and I was amazed! I would highly recommend that book to everyone, Theists and Atheists alike.
This book, Surprised by Joy, is a semi autobiographical telling of how Lewis went from a childish belief in God, to Materialism, Atheism, the Occult & other isms, to Christianity. It makes for very interesting reading. I had only intended to read a couple of chapters tonight, instead I read the whole book! Impressive how he gained his acceptance of God through his extensive perusal of the classics!
What other book might you compare Surprised by Joy to, and why?
If you haven't read it already, your next title to follow this one should be, Mere Christianity, Lewis's Apologetics book! It makes great reading and is Christianity for intellectuals.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Discovering God Through The Classics!
Any additional comments?
Since my first introduction to C S LEWIS, I have read and re-read many of his Christian books. I will always re-read Mere Christianity twice a year. He had also written an essay called "The Trouble With X". You must read it, it's about you!
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- Julie A Fuller
- 19-11-21
long winded but interesting in parts
long-winded at times but interesting especially the last two chapters. I found the description of the physical and sexual abuse of boys in the public school system shocking. No wonder many upper class men seen to me to be warped.
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1 person found this helpful
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- david nesbitt
- 16-03-24
Interesting detail let down by narrator
Overall the narrator is fine, but anyone from the North of Ireland will cringe at his mispronunciations of names. Lewis’s story of how he came to faith is nonetheless fascinating.
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- Mr Steadman-Hill
- 29-01-24
God book/distracting performance
Loved the book, hated all the little gasps of breath before almost every line which was rather distracting.
Having recently listened to ‘Surprised by Oxford’, this seemed a natural book to follow on. Fascinating to hear Lewis go on the opposite journey to me with regards to faith.
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- Dr. R. Matthews
- 10-12-22
I was surprised he ended up rather joyless.
It’s a fine read. Well worth it on many different levels. I think his conversation was more about what made sense. And the surprise is he looses interest in joy.
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- Peter Walker
- 01-09-22
Crisp
Unsurprisingly Lewis writes with clarity & poise, each paragraph an integral part of his journey. Whilst it is not a full autobiography it sheds light on his begrudging journey into joy. His moment of free will was particularly well articulated. Bravo!
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- Lyuben V.
- 11-08-22
Surprised at how interesting and moving this was
I had in my mind that a semi autobiographical account would be very dull, yet this book was very vivid and moving in its depictions. I was pleasantly surprised.
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- A.C.
- 12-07-22
Great insight into CS Lewis' personal story
Great for learning more about CS Lewis personal life, especially his childhood, and his philosophical/thought-journey from Atheism to Christianity. If you love his books you won't be disappointed with this one.
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- Amazon Customer
- 03-05-22
Great autobiography
As with most of C.S. Lewis' writing there's plenty of great humor but sometimes it gets a bit technical. Overall, a great book that I would recommend to everyone.
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- Lance Gower
- 19-04-22
Enlightening and engaging.
Enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected, was struck by Lewis and his observations of life and learning. His use of the language is from another age but still not off-putting.
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