A Grief Observed Paperback - 2001 - 1st Edition
by C. S. Lewis
This is the poignant account of how the great theologian faced the doubt, anger, and grief he experienced after losing his beloved wife to cancer. This book wrestles with the meaning of loss or lack of meaning with unswerving honesty.
About this book
“A Grief Observed comprises the reflections of the great scholar and Christian on the death of his wife after only a few short years of marriage. Painfully honest in its dissection of his thoughts and feelings, this is a book that details his paralyzing grief, bewilderment and sense of loss in simple and moving prose.
Invaluable as an insight into the grieving process just as much as it is as an exploration of religious doubt, A Grief Observed will continue to offer its consoling insights to a huge range of readers, as it has for over fifty years.” From publisher Faber and Faber.
Reader reviews for A Grief Observed
Review summary
Readers widely describe A Grief Observed as a stark, intimate journal of mourning that captures the disorientation of loss with unusual clarity. Many said its candor about sorrow, anger, and doubt made them feel seen and less alone, valuing it as a companion rather than a how-to guide. The book’s brevity belies its weight: some found it overwhelming or even triggering, while others credited it with jump-starting healing. Reactions to the theological wrestling were divided—profound and sustaining for some, off-putting or tedious for others—yet the prevailing view is that its honesty transcends belief. Iconic lines about grief feeling like fear and absence spreading over everything became touchstones. A minority found the notebooks slight or overrated, but most regard it as a foundational work on bereavement.
Readers say this book is:
rawconsolingunflinchingquick readspiritually probingvalidatingcatharticintensepolarizingelegiacWrite a review for this book
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From the publisher
From the rear cover
Written after his wife's tragic death as a way of surviving the "mad midnight moments," 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 of 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.
First edition identification
Details
- Title A Grief Observed
- Author C. S. Lewis
- Binding Paperback
- Edition number 1st
- Edition 1
- Pages 112
- Volumes 1
- Language ENG
- Publisher HarperOne, New York, New York, U.S.A.
- Publication date 2001-02-06
- ISBN 9780060652388 / 0060652381
- Weight 0.2 lbs (0.09 kg)
- Dimensions 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 in (20.32 x 13.46 x 1.27 cm)
-
Themes
- Religious Orientation: Christian
- Theometrics: Catholic
- Theometrics: Evangelical
- Theometrics: Mainline
- Topical: Christian Interest
- Topical: Death/Dying
- Topical: Family
- Category Religion - Classic Works
- Library of Congress subjects Consolation, Lewis, C. S - Religion
- Library of Congress Catalogue Number 00063227
- Dewey Decimal Code 242.4
Media reviews
Citations
- Christianity Today, 09/01/2010, Page 80
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