Surprised By Joy

Surprised By Joy by C.S. Lewis My rating: 4 of 5 stars I just finished reading Lewis' "Surprised By Joy." It is an autobiography of his early years with emphasis on his spiritual evolution. The first thirteen chapters (there are a total of fifteen chapters) tell of his childhood, and the occasional "stabs of joy" he experienced. He doesn't know what they are or what to call them. I recognize them as spiritual experiences; whisperings of the Holy Ghost. His description of these experiences reminds me of one of my daughters' friends describing her first experience with a "stab of joy" or with feeling the spirit. She felt so strange after talking to someone about religious matters that she stayed up all night even taking Pepto Bismol, thinking she must be coming down with something. Lewis' early life was deeply disturbing to me. He lost his mother, his father was, well, strange, and sent he and his brother to boarding schools. He was severely abused at both schools: physically, emotionally, psychologically, and sexually. It is a sad story. But Lewis triumphed, becoming one of the world's greatest philosophers and writers. He claimed he was an atheist through those early years. I see him as more just unlearned spiritually. He was extremely intelligent and his desire for and pursuit of knowledge was amazing and inspiring to me. But to me the best part of the book was the last two chapters, where Lewis described as well as he possibly could his spiritual feelings and his conversion to Christianity. It is difficult to find words to describe spiritual experiences, but I thought he did a marvelous job. I was scribbling notes and thoughts in every margin as I read those last two chapters. In one margin I wrote, "Wow! This is blowing my mind." And it was. I loved going on that spiritual journey with one of the greatest minds that has ever lived. It seems to me that God took him by the hand and guided him to his destiny. I frankly admit that I didn't understand a lot of what I read in this book. Lewis is far too intelligent for me. I always feel like that when I read from his books. But I love how it stretches me and touches parts of my brain that don't often get touched. But, I also admit that I long to talk to him and share with him answers to deep questions spiritually that I feel I could answer. He desperately needed the fullness of the gospel. I wish I could share that with him. But my faith assures me that he has heard and accepted it and is feeling profound joy even as we speak. How very, very joyful! View all my reviews