Surprised By Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis [Hardcover]

Terry Lindvall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 23, 1996

All his life, C.S. Lewis possessed a spirit of individuality. An atheist from childhood, he became a Christian as an adult and eventually gained international acclaim as a respected theologian. Far from being a staid theologian, Lewis exhibited a refined sense of humor in his letters, essays, speeches, and books. It was this humor which broke down a pastoral barrier with his readers allowing him to effectively touch so many lives.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 422 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 1ST edition (September 23, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785276890
• ISBN-13: 978-0785276890
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great, if you can make it past the first chapter, January 24, 2012

By 

S. BRAUN (Fort Wayne, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis (Paperback)

I almost quit "Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis" after the first chapter. It's written by Terry Lindvall, PhD, and books by PhD's are often off-putting to me. Sure enough, chapter 1 read like a dissertation. But I do love Lewis, and I'm glad I persevered, because the book only improved. It reminded me why I do love Lewis, and that I need to read more of his stuff. Stat.

What other author offers such hope and beauty? Describing death and heaven: "The term is over; the holidays have begun. The dream is ended; this is the morning." On music, specifically, Chopin's preludes: "they are so passionate, so hopeless, I could almost cry over them. They are unbearable." He also loved the grandeur of Wagner's music -- I just love it, because I sense in Lewis a kindred spirit, albeit one whose lifetime didn't intersect with mine (interesting side note - it almost did. He died the year before my birth, on the same day JFK was shot). I find it a little bit of heaven on earth when such ... collegiality turns up. And when it does (for me, at least), it's usually through books.

"Surprised by Laughter" is divided into 6 parts: The Idea and the Legacy, Joy, Fun, The Joke Proper, Satire and Flippancy, and Conclusion. You'll learn a lot about Lewis in addition to reading a whole bunch of examples of various types of humor he used in his writing. Recommended.

Thanks to Booksneeze for the opportunity to review this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a funny book., February 11, 2012

By 

Euthyphro (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis (Paperback)

The Warning
Surprised by Laughter is not a funny book. It might be well to add to the subtitle A Serious Look at. . . The buyer would at least have some cave emptor before finding himself holding a very unfunny book about a hilarious man. This would have the added benefit of reflecting the author's intend for he makes clear from the start examining a joke is not making a joke in the same way that vivisecting a rodent is not cherishing a pet hamster. So if the authors broadcast PhD is not enough warning for the reader looking for Lewisian wit and satire, then let this stand as the larger sign. The book you are looking for was written by Lewis and not about him.

What it's all about
Surprised by Laughter, like the Hockey-pockey, wastes no time in letting the reader know what it is all about. If you picked it up on the cover's merit and did not head the above warning you may likewise turn yourself about. In the introduction Lindavall informs the reader of the works purpose: "[the] study of Lewis' wit and humor." This is with all the hope that it will not end up like the vivisected rodent mentioned above, that is to say, dead, but rather as an "outburst of delight." The work lives up to its mission often at the words of Lewis himself and nearly as often at the words of an author he favored or at least found as a source of mirth, especially of G. K. Chesterton. Chesterton comes up enough that he could have had his own parentheses in the title: (and Chesterton).

Short the introductory bits and the conclusion the work proper is divided into four sections. These are based on a description of the types of humor from the mouth of a devil and the pen of Lewis in The Screwtape Letters. Joy, Fun, The Joke Proper, and Satire & Flippancy are then each broken into further pieces so as to better examine the nuances of the larger divisions. Were this a treatise on humor minus Lewis it would fail to entertain and in doing fail to enlighten. Lindvall, however, is in constant contact with Lewis who comes on at every page, and this is not the examined man coming out but the living, breathing and laughing man in his own words and sentiments. This carries the work. One can't read the text and not come off convinced that the author knows Lewis and understands his humor as he handles integrating, without hiccup, all these interconnected thoughts and tidbits from books, apologies, treaties, letters and conversations. His hand is subtle in editing. The seams are well hid and the author gives the reader this greatest gift that the work feels, though any discerning reader must admit he knows otherwise, as though it were easy to write. It is easy to read after all.

The Real Caveat
The author handles Lewis deftly yet his own humor dispersed throughout is at times heavy handed and on rare occasion off-putting where it should be merry. Elsewhere one can read in Lindvall a parroting of Lewis stylistically. No doubt this could have been an aesthetic choice by the author, sometimes there is no doubt when the parellels are too obvious. If it were a conscious choice it was not the right one. It is more likely that the author spent such a number of hours in Lewis' words that his cadence and word choices started to seep in. It is possible that it could not be helped. Whatever the cause when it pops up it is apparent that Lindvall is not Lewis nor quite as mighty in pen. I am often influenced by the aesthetic pleasures of reading before I can enjoy the deeper, or in this case the lighter, but in Surprised what little offenses are present hardly detract from an excellent work.

The Verdict
I can do nothing but applaud the work as a whole and its author. Lindvall hits his mark and laughs appropriately throughout. His analyses are true to Lewis and most important of all they point to God just as Lewis would have it.

4.5/5

Propter Sanguinem Agni,
RS

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own; I was not expected to enjoy this book nearly half as much as I did. I bet if they knew how much I was going to enjoy it they would have wanted me to pay for it still. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Surprised by Laughter, January 30, 2012

By 

Sheri Newton (Ashville, AL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis (Paperback)

Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis by Terry Lindvall is a look at the writings of C.S. Lewis with a comedic twist. The author had a contagious sense of humor, and this book brings his comedic views back to life with renewed passion.

Surprised by Laughter is a bit slow and rather dry starting out. However, it does improve (which is a good thing considering it is a very lengthy book). The author takes a look at C.S. Lewis's work and discusses it in an intellectual way that is also quite humorous, which is perhaps just how Lewis would have wanted.

It is a long book, coming in at 454 pages (not including the index and notes section), and will take a while to read though. However, fans of Lewis should have no problem doing so at their own pace. If you are a new reader to Lewis, I would suggest saving this book to read after reading some of his more famous works. This isn't a requirement, but would definitely help in the enjoyment of reading Surprised by Laughter.

I recommend this book for everyone who enjoys C.S. Lewis's body of work. Do keep in mind that this is a more scholarly look at the author and his writings, and not necessarily a book to read while lounging by the pool (unless of course, this is your kind of leisurely reading).

* Thank you to the publisher of Surprised by Laughter, Thomas Nelson, for providing me with a copy of this book for review as part of their Book Sneeze program. All opinions expressed are my own.