A Grief Observed (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis)

A good memoir on one man's inner journey to overcome the grief and despair that followed the sudden of death of his wife. One of the most shocking things about the beginning of this book is how incoherent Lewis starts off as. Having read many of Lewis's nonfiction/religious books in the past this was fact was disheartening. But what was very heartening is how quickly within the book he comes...more

A good memoir on one man's inner journey to overcome the grief and despair that followed the sudden of death of his wife. One of the most shocking things about the beginning of this book is how incoherent Lewis starts off as. Having read many of Lewis's nonfiction/religious books in the past this was fact was disheartening. But what was very heartening is how quickly within the book he comes back to his faith original faith in God's love. His line of thought becomes more comprehensible and ends on a positive note. I guess that's how it is with a man of God like Lewis. The only thing that kept me back from making this five stars was the fact that I, having not experienced the same kind of loss that Lewis has experienced (thank God), I was unable to relate to his grief. Perhaps this book will have more significance later on in my life. Otherwise, and good book.   hide

I love Lewis' candid journalings and his honest thoughts brought on by the passing of his wife. If a philosophical giant such CS Lewis could admit his anger and disappointment toward God, such as David in the Psalms, then maybe we won't feel so guilty as believers in those times ourselves. Woven through the book is a glimpse of the remarkable love story between Lewis and "H" as he refers to her.

I just finished reading this little book by dear Lewis. I have recently had a real brush with grief, and was inclined to pick this book up. It essentially outlined Lewis' own journey through grief at the loss of his dear wife. His journal of his own utter lostness, then anger, followed by depression, finally followed by acceptance, growth and a sorrowing joy were so helpful to me in working...more

I just finished reading this little book by dear Lewis. I have recently had a real brush with grief, and was inclined to pick this book up. It essentially outlined Lewis' own journey through grief at the loss of his dear wife. His journal of his own utter lostness, then anger, followed by depression, finally followed by acceptance, growth and a sorrowing joy were so helpful to me in working through my grief, and it reaching others who are mourning. I recommend taking an hour from your life to consider this little ,but powerful work.   hide

Essential reading for ANYONE who is going through the process of losing a loved one. One editorial review says "C.S. Lewis joined the human race when his wife, Joy Gresham, died of cancer..a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe." (Quote from Amazon.com)

When I started this book I was a bit taken aback by how raw Lewis's emotions and thoughts were. He was standing in the middle of a hurricane of emotion and sorrow. Some of his thoughts seem like they even border on blasphemy the things he says about God. The book is 4 chapters long, a quick read, but I don?t know that it's meant to be read as quickly as I read it. If I was seriously...more

When I started this book I was a bit taken aback by how raw Lewis's emotions and thoughts were. He was standing in the middle of a hurricane of emotion and sorrow. Some of his thoughts seem like they even border on blasphemy the things he says about God. The book is 4 chapters long, a quick read, but I don?t know that it's meant to be read as quickly as I read it. If I was seriously experiencing grief, I might take my time with it. I would read each chapter once a day for a week, and take a month to finish it. By the end of the book he comes back around to the genius of thought and devotion to God that his other great works show him to be. All in all, a poignant compilation of thoughts on suffering right along with Lament for a Son as the best books I've read on grief.   hide

I avoided C.S. Lewis for the longest time because his books were in the "Christian" section....I was a fool, he is brilliant.

No one has descried what it felt like to be so unhappy so beautifully. The first line to this book is great, sounds so beautiful, "No One ever told me that grief felt so like fear." Does that just make you feel warm all over. I just started reading it and it seems to make the most sense to me. Why didn't they hand this book to all T.B.I. patients, what C.S. Lewis goes through after...more

No one has descried what it felt like to be so unhappy so beautifully. The first line to this book is great, sounds so beautiful, "No One ever told me that grief felt so like fear." Does that just make you feel warm all over. I just started reading it and it seems to make the most sense to me. Why didn't they hand this book to all T.B.I. patients, what C.S. Lewis goes through after his wife died, is what we are all going through after we damage our brain. It made the most sense to me, and I don't know if anyone whom doesn't have a brain injury could understand it.   hide

I highly recommend this book to anyone grieving the loss of a partner. Even though this book chronicles Lewis's grief due to the loss of his wife, I felt 80% of his words could have come from my own mouth.

A great book by C.S. Lewis. It shares the tremendous grief that Lewis carried in his life and how he dealt with it. Ultimately, we must turn to Christ for our deepest need of comfort in the midst of grief. Lewis is masterful in this piece to help us to understand certain hard facts about grief. Highly recommend it to anyone who suffers grief which I am sure are most people.