If you have been introduced to the work of CS Lewis by Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters: With Screwtape Proposes a Toast or The Chronicles of Narnia, give yourself the delight of discovering his amazing other works--especially this gem THE GREAT DIVORCE. It might just change your life as it did mine. I first read this ideal book club selection 16 years ago while I was in seminary and this brief, 128 page book has flooded my mind ever since. Upon New Years 2010 I decided to read it again. To my amazement, the two characters I had thought the book centered around were only on THREE pages of the book. Clearly these characters (a ghost with an annoying red lizard on his shoulder whom he hated but tolerated because he wasn't ready to give it up) struck a cord in my life at that time. Lewis introduces this book as a fictional tale of the afterlife, purgatory if you will. We begin at a bus stop at dusk in a gray town of ghosts (who don't know they're ghosts). The adventure goes on from there as the ghosts go on a field trip where they are really going to meet spirits of friends gone before them who encourage them to walk away from their well guarded misery and choose joy in Heaven. Each ghost is told it is their choice to remain in hell, yet what we encounter is ghost after ghost who sadly chooses to hold onto their anger, bitterness, pride, envy, pity, grudges, celebrity, and bickering rather than give it all up for the gift of heaven right in front of their eyes. As you read the pages you will see glimpses of many people you know and yes, even of yourself....perhaps that is why for 16 years I remembered the book as being about these two little characters who only took up 3 pages--it must have reminded me of annoying things I've been holding on to rather than laying them down before God. It's an easy, quick read, unlike Lewis' MERE CHRISTIANITY, and yet you'll ponder it long after.