The Screwtape Letters

By: C. S. Lewis

Narrated by: Joss Ackland

Length: 3 hrs and 59 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 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 and humorous account of temptation - and triumph over it - ever written.

©1942 C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Enter the mind of temptation

Written from the point of view of a leading demon in temptation, it describes the ways CS Lewis perceived the devil temps humans away from God. It can be a little depressing to read since your entirely in the mind of an evil spirit, but reassuring. I find some of CS Lewis needs multiple readings of he same sentence to fully grasp the meaning due to the complexity. For example, I’ve read Mere Christianity a few times and still need to go back over several sentences to get the meaning. This was my first time reading or listening to the Screwtape letters, so I have ordered the hard copy version. I think that further audiobook readings will add more lucidity. CS Lewis is complex.

Infernally Brilliant

The Screwtape Letters is a classic of Christian Literature, with its diabolocally imaginative take on the attempt of a demon with the help of his uncle to capture a human soul.

Fresh as Ever!

Just finished listening to The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Published in 1942, it is as fresh as anything published today, and it's insights as to how best to make us ineffective are as subtle as they are piercing. I burst out laughing when Screwtape used the term "petty altruisms" to describe our actions. I immediately recognized how true they are, but had never really considered that concept. If you want to have your every folly pointed out in a challenging yet oddly encouraging way, I strongly encourage taking a listen to the Audible reading by Joss Ackland of this classic work.

Needed:Contemporary Narrators for C.S. Lewis Books

How could the performance have been better?

Please, please make his books easier to listen to. C.S. Lewis's writings are so wonderful, thought-provoking, and important. Please reproduce them so the narrator's articulation is clearer, and paced so that the listener can take in the imagery and deepness without having to replay parts. I find Mr. Ackland very difficult to listen to: he is too fast and a bit marble-mouthed.

incredible

there is no way to describe the journey your my mind and spirit take together

Sounds like the world today

Though it was written in 1941 it reads like it is happening today. Good read.

good writting

every knows CS Lewis was an excellent writer, i fell in love with his imagination and in this book particular i enjoyed the perspective he gave

Funny and ouch

Cracks me up every time I listen to it… Until it stops on my toes!

Convicting

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

Well, hard to say but it's right up there among the top 3.

What other book might you compare The Screwtape Letters to and why?

There is no book to compare to Screwtape. It's unique in its ability to entertain, convict and pierce my heart with stunned understanding.

Which scene was your favorite?

The very end when Screwtape is doling out the rewards of the wicked.

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

You'll never know how well the devil understands you.

Cleverly Written

That the author used the point of view of Screwtape, the demon, to demonstrate the actions of the demonic realm was a clever insight into the temptations people experience and the role of societal temptation in history.