The Screwtape Letters

By: C. S. Lewis

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

Length: 3 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below". At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old Devil to his nephew, Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man.

The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation, and triumph over it, ever written.

(P)2006 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

Audie Award Finalist, Inspirational/Spiritual, 2007

Known for The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis wrote the wittiest defense of Christianity ever. Humorist John Cleese won AudioFile Earphones for his 1999 enactment of the correspondence between two devils plotting the damnation of one man's soul. Ralph Cosham is a slightly less demented fiend, but the text itself remains hilarious.... Cosham's organ-like voice also lends resonance.... This is, therefore, the best audio ever spoken of the funniest defense of Christianity ever written." (AudioFile magazine)

"Lewis' satire is a Christian classic....[his] take on human nature is as on-target as it was when the letters were first published in 1941." (Library Journal)

Very insightful.

What did you love best about The Screwtape Letters?

Seeing our everyday life from a totally different perspective

What about Ralph Cosham’s performance did you like?

Perfect voice for this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me wonder.

timeless!

this read will help you reflect on "phases" of your life, trends and themes, and even personality traits. through exposing the Deviles tools in manipulating our lives, we can be more readily aware to fall back on the mercy and glory of God. highly recommend this book

Thought provoking!

No one wants to envision Hell, but maybe we should so that we are motivated to keep ourselves and everybody we meet out of it. Good job!

Very Wise

The thing I love best about C. S. Lewis is on full display here: he could make observations as insightful and as piercing as a Chesterfield or a Rochefoucauld without instilling a sense of "no hooope...no hooooope..."

The letters are essentially Lewis making such observations continuously for three and a half hours. He hits the right balance in a lot of ways. These letters manage to preach without being preachy and be darkly funny without making light of eternal damnation. Sometimes I found myself questioning the internal consistency of Screwtape's Lowerarchy, but a carefully constructed world probably isn't what most people are here for.

Ralph Cosham does a okay job with the material. His style leans to reading rather than acting. I liked it for Watership Down, but I think he was a little too reserved here, occasionally monotonous. If five stars for performance means "stellar" and three means "acceptable", I'd give him a three point five.

Enjoyed greatly.

Would you listen to The Screwtape Letters again? Why?

I find in very interesting how the author turns the tenants of Christianity. To have daily trials and tribulations, decisions made and consequences earned, interpreted in a different light was fun.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Screwtape Letters?

A caterpillar. Really???

What about Ralph Cosham’s performance did you like?

Great job.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

It's hard to be good... Now you know why...

Incredible Insight into the Great Battle for Souls

If you are considering this I probably don't have to sell you on Lewis' writing and insight. Easy to ready, entertaining and insightful.

Disarming and Imaginative Style

Would you consider the audio edition of The Screwtape Letters to be better than the print version?

Yes, I appreciate the audio edition enabling me to cover more content in one session.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Uncle Screwtape is the only active character as the writer of letters to his nephew, Wormwood, the apprentice. Even having only one side of the sequential communication still works for following the narrative.

Have you listened to any of Ralph Cosham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

You could learn a lot from your worst enemy.

profound

What made the experience of listening to The Screwtape Letters the most enjoyable?

The bounty of insights about God that a deeply thoughtful view of the devil can provide.

What does Ralph Cosham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

perfect match for the material.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I recall this sentence frequently: "Be not deceived, .... [the devil's] cause is never more in jeopardy than when a human, no longer desiring but still intending to do [God's] will, looks round upon a universe in which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."
When the unremitting spiritual pain of real life invades us, as it does all the time, recalling this sentence gives no relief. It, and the entire book, gives something much more important: a better understanding of God.

Incredibly Prescient

Lewis’s ability to strip motivation of thought to the very core is unparalleled, and his influence on the likes of the wonderful Dallas Willard is apparent. I read the book in my early Christian formation, but with the years passed, gained a greater appreciation of the wisdom contained. Screwtape Makes a Toast, is an addendum which I had never heard before, and is akin to a moral report card of our present zeitgeist. We would do well to heed the words of warning, because beyond all doubt, Screwtape’s demonic fantasy is rapidly becoming reality.

Interesting Take

Where does The Screwtape Letters rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

3

What did you like best about this story?

It was a interesting view from the other side's point of view.

What about Ralph Cosham’s performance did you like?

It was clear and understandable

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No Because I wanted to think about what I just heard