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A Grief Observed Paperback – April 21, 2015

by C. S. Lewis (Author), Madeleine L'Engle (Foreword)

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Written after his wife's tragic death as a way of surviving the "mad midnight moment," A Grief Observed is C.S. Lewis's honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. This work contains his concise, genuine reflections on that period: "Nothing will shake a man -- or at any rate a man like me -- out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself." This is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and how he can gradually regain his bearings.

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Editorial Reviews

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C.S. Lewis joined the human race when his wife, Joy Gresham, died of cancer. Lewis, the Oxford don whose Christian apologetics make it seem like he's got an answer for everything, experienced crushing doubt for the first time after his wife's tragic death. A Grief Observed contains his epigrammatic reflections on that period: "Your bid--for God or no God, for a good God or the Cosmic Sadist, for eternal life or nonentity--will not be serious if nothing much is staked on it. And you will never discover how serious it was until the stakes are raised horribly high," Lewis writes. "Nothing will shake a man--or at any rate a man like me--out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Only torture will bring out the truth. Only under torture does he discover it himself." This is the book that inspired the film Shadowlands, but it is more wrenching, more revelatory, and more real than the movie. It is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and how he can gradually regain his bearings. --Michael Joseph Gross --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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"I read Lewis for comfort and pleasure many years ago, and a glance into the books revives my old admiratation."-- John Updike"A very personal, anguished, luminous little book about the meaning of death, marriage, and religion."-- "Publishers Weekly

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Product details

Series: Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis
Paperback: 76 pages
Publisher: HarperOne; 1 edition (February 6, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060652381
ISBN-13: 978-0060652388
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.3 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 738 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Christian Living > Death & Grief
- #8 in Books > Self-Help > Death & Grief > Grief & Bereavement
- #10 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Sociology > Death

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The Only Helpful Book on Grieving I've Found

ByJB - A Guyon August 1, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I found this book 20 years ago when my beautiful daughter was stillborn. Of all of the things offered to me at the time, this was the only thing I read that provided any comfort. I am reading again now when a close friend has taken his own life and left a young, beautiful family behind. Neither event makes any sense to me. Both challenge my faith. You will not find any neat answers, cosmic solutions or expressions of God that will "help you get through it." You will read the journal of a man devastated by his loss. He writes of his grief as he observes it. He articulates the great internal battle that I suffered.

If you are grieving an enormous loss, you may find comfort here. I can't explain why, as C.S. Lewis did not include words of comfort. I have found absolutely no comfort in anything else I have read - with titles like Roses in December and so on. They tend to be written after the author had worked through the grief and can speak of it with the clarity of hindsight that the experience taught them. Well, when you are in the depths of sorrow, nothing makes any sense. Everything you believed has been knocked over. And that is exactly what C.S. Lewis describes in his own grief. It is profound. If you have not suffered a devastating loss, this book might not communicate well to you. But if you have, you will find a great mind and wonderful writer who understands your grief well enough to put words to it.

11 comment 74 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A Love Story...

Bywebtimedaleyon September 18, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

TOGETHER THEY FOUND A FAITH THEY COULD BOTH HOLD ONTO..AND THEN THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENED......read on dear reader read on....

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I found great comfort in C

BySandra Peckinpahon March 7, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I often give this book as a gift when I hear of someone's loss. Having lost my son and my husband, I found great comfort in C.S. Lewis' honest and transparent observations as he deeply grieved the loss of his wife. He questioned his faith, whether life was worth living, and if he'd ever be able to experience joy again. His thoughts often astounded me because I thought I was the only one who felt that way! "A Grief Observed" is one of the most important books I read during my bereavement, and in working with people who've experienced loss, I continue to recommend it.

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Amazing story

ByMcKenzie Raineson July 15, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This an incredible book to give to anyone grieving the loss of a loved one. So beautifully written.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A raw and authentic look at mourning

ByJ. Matthew Meltonon March 22, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book, which CS Lewis probably never intended to appear under his real name, is an unvarnished look at cycles of mourning. Jack Lewis had just lost his wife, someone with whom he had scarcely had time cherish a loving relationship (three difficult years, all dealing with cancer). The book is a transcript of journals he kept in the aftermath of her death. He stopped writing when he ran out of empty notebooks around the house. But that gave him enough time and space to eke out a therapeutic gushing of thoughts and emotions--all very real and unscripted. For believers, the journals contain a refreshing lack of cliché and false positivity. For any reader, it contains a look into the psychology of grief. The book is brief and will easily bear several readings.

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A Wonderful Little Book on Faith and Loss

ByJoel B. Peckham, Jr.on October 30, 2011

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

From the standpoint of todays no-hold-barre tell-alls, A Grief Observed can feel a bit quaint. But taken on its own terms it reads as a searing, painful, and ultimately joyous portrayal of a man battling spiritual crisis as a result of immense loss. I often recommend this book to friends who find themselves angry with God as a result of a family death. It's a brutal read, but at the same time, its honesty and directness are a gift to those who are tired of hearing the same religious consolations and often smug assurances. No one writes about Christianity like C.S. Lewis because he is honest about his faith and his doubt and his honesty lets us in and leads us through the darker corridors of our lives. This book is no exception. No great book is an easy read. Most truths are hard truths. In his observance of his own pain, Lewis serves as an honest guide through our own.

--Joel Peckham, JR, author of Resisting Elegy: On Grief and Recovery

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Must Have-Keep Extras Around

ByLafLaon June 27, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I give these in lieu of flowers, etc.
It's moving. Even C.S. Lewis wondered why when he lost his beloved wife.

Keep a couple on hand in case someone you know needs this.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Grief is Always Personal

ByEllen Jones Morellon January 4, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Lewis does a insightful description of his experience with his grief after his wife died. Anyone dealing with grief will find some parts of this book profoundly helpful. But they may find other parts irrelevant. Still it is good reading and helps one to understand that they are neither alone or crazy.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

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Five Stars

Nice book! Arrived on time.

Published 18 hours ago by Xu Qiu

Five Stars

Amazing series of books!

Published 3 days ago by Rupinder Singh

Five Stars

great gift

Published 10 days ago by Cargirl82

Phenomenology of Grief

CS Lewis with uncharacteristic sentiments yet still had the philosopher's mind to dissect grief. Only to come back to the beginning.Read more

Published 11 days ago by Kilgore Trout

Comforting guide through the grieving process

I find myself purchasing this book over and over again as it is a beautifully written comforting guide through the grieving process.Read more

Published 12 days ago by Dawn

Important book

I gave the book a "3" of 5 stars rating because it was so difficult to read. I think because of author's high intelligence.Read more

Published 13 days ago by JT Beard

A classic

Easy read. This is a classic that is often recommended for widows.

Published 13 days ago by Amazon Customer

A very significant work

A journal written by C.S. Lewis from his personal experience upon the death of his wife. He tells of the shock, the stress, the doubts and frustrations with God and then his...Read more

Published 16 days ago by paul sellers

Be aware that, outside of the foreward and the ...

Be aware that, outside of the foreward and the introduction, the "book" consists of exactly 73 pages - and small pages with generous line spacing, at that.Read more

Published 1 month ago by SSMackinac

Kudos Mr. Lewis

He describes the personal side of grief, at least my grief, to about 90% "correct." Having buried my parents, twin brother, close relatives and love of my life I feel both...Read more

Published 1 month ago by Ryan B.

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