The Screwtape Letters: With, Screwtape Proposes a Toast (Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis)

One of the more accessible of Lewis' writings unlike some that really gave my feeble brain a real workout (cough cough *problem with pain*) but no less insightful and brilliant. This classic satirical tale is witty, funny and poignantly accurate. Wormwood and Screwtape will continued to be cited for years to come not just amongst laypeople but the clergy as well. If you have not read...more

One of the more accessible of Lewis' writings unlike some that really gave my feeble brain a real workout (cough cough *problem with pain*) but no less insightful and brilliant. This classic satirical tale is witty, funny and poignantly accurate. Wormwood and Screwtape will continued to be cited for years to come not just amongst laypeople but the clergy as well. If you have not read anything from CS Lewis, you would do well to pick this up. Its relative simplicity (relative to the rest of Lewis' works other than Narnia) will give you an understanding of why Lewis is probably the most quoted Christian author today.   hide

excellent depiction of a demon and his nephew's point of view on a person's life they try to disrupt. hard read, not because of syntex (which is actually quite easy), but rather because it draws you into the mind of a corrupted demon, and the subtleties of their vices are alarming and though-provoking (i could never get a few paragraphs without sinking into thought about what i'd read, when i'd...more

excellent depiction of a demon and his nephew's point of view on a person's life they try to disrupt. hard read, not because of syntex (which is actually quite easy), but rather because it draws you into the mind of a corrupted demon, and the subtleties of their vices are alarming and though-provoking (i could never get a few paragraphs without sinking into thought about what i'd read, when i'd find myself two or three pages later than the last sentence i remember reading). i suggest reading in small increments and letting things sink in and maybe settle before picking it up again.   hide

The style was a little difficult for me to wade through, but The Screwtape Letters was not a waste of time for me. I loved how Lewis addressed the fact of sin from a devil's point of view. It really made me think more about how there really is a war out there and Christians NEED to defend their faith.

How does one go about tempting a human? Screwtape, a senior member of Hell's "lowerarchy" knows, and he is willing to instruct his nephew Wormtongue in the finer points of damnation. In these epistles from a literal "devil's advocate" (intended, of course, as satire rather than "how-to"), C.S. Lewis is dead on-target as he aims at sin and...more

How does one go about tempting a human? Screwtape, a senior member of Hell's "lowerarchy" knows, and he is willing to instruct his nephew Wormtongue in the finer points of damnation. In these epistles from a literal "devil's advocate" (intended, of course, as satire rather than "how-to"), C.S. Lewis is dead on-target as he aims at sin and humanity. Each letter is somewhat short, but contains plenty of food for thought. Witty and hilarious, "Screwtape Letters" pokes at parts of the conscience occasionally ignored, and brings to light some of Hell's best-kept secrets. Highly recommended.   hide

A satirical christian classic I should have so finished in my teens, as it would have helped me heaps as a young man. not too late, for this middle-aged fogey, i suppose. it's a bit confusing having to put ourselves in a junior demon's shoes and receiving orders from a senior uncle, but after a while one comes to realize, as shown by the text, that the very best form of attack is self-satisfied...more

A satirical christian classic I should have so finished in my teens, as it would have helped me heaps as a young man. not too late, for this middle-aged fogey, i suppose. it's a bit confusing having to put ourselves in a junior demon's shoes and receiving orders from a senior uncle, but after a while one comes to realize, as shown by the text, that the very best form of attack is self-satisfied complacency, which Christians should always guard against.   hide

Classic C. S. Lewis: narrative merged with astute speculations of the what the demon worldview might look like. Written in a style reminiscent of Lewis' Letters to Malcolm, Screwtape takes the lead, writing to a younger student (whose correspondences we can only imply from the responses) about how to lead people away from God. Whether or not demons actually use these tactics, may be...more

Classic C. S. Lewis: narrative merged with astute speculations of the what the demon worldview might look like. Written in a style reminiscent of Lewis' Letters to Malcolm, Screwtape takes the lead, writing to a younger student (whose correspondences we can only imply from the responses) about how to lead people away from God. Whether or not demons actually use these tactics, may be disputable, but they are certainly wily. I could see many of these things in my own life.   hide

Better than "Mere Christianity"? Check. Riveting, thoughtful, and chock-full of wisdom? Check. Truly brilliant in every sense of literary merit? Check. Not only an enormously entertaining read but also an erudite and wise look at humanity and the folly of sin, Lewis's masterpiece is a cornerstone for all Christian literature to follow, much less fictional prose in general. Lewis gives a...more

Better than "Mere Christianity"? Check. Riveting, thoughtful, and chock-full of wisdom? Check. Truly brilliant in every sense of literary merit? Check. Not only an enormously entertaining read but also an erudite and wise look at humanity and the folly of sin, Lewis's masterpiece is a cornerstone for all Christian literature to follow, much less fictional prose in general. Lewis gives a hearty and heady look into the journey of a Christian man and the evil beset him by his "guardian" demon Wormwood. If you have any passing interest in Christian literature, post-modern fiction, or simply a fabulous read for any theological bent, pick up this gem.   hide

This book is one of Lewis's less dry looks at religion. You must totally inhibit Lewis's world of beliefs to find the humour, but the humour is witty, sarcastic, and satirical.

Lewis' tale of a senior demon corresponding to his inexperienced nephew is always a delight, even if it is slightly outdated. While his observations are not always theologically watertight (after all, it IS a novel), he successfully observes and dissects his culture, using the transcendent to make sense of the often mundane everyday activities that make up our existence....more

Lewis' tale of a senior demon corresponding to his inexperienced nephew is always a delight, even if it is slightly outdated. While his observations are not always theologically watertight (after all, it IS a novel), he successfully observes and dissects his culture, using the transcendent to make sense of the often mundane everyday activities that make up our existence. Brilliant. Hilarious but as usual, Lewis has a way of observing everyday life and pulling out wisdom that seems to transcend anything we can see...   hide