Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life

If you want to know about the man - C.S. Lewis - this is the book you want. His reluctant journey to faith is fascinating. The narrator, Geoffrey Howard, is perhaps the best I've ever heard. If the institutional church makes your skin crawl, but the idea of knowing God is more palatable, then you'll find a friend in Lewis.

3 stars as autobiography; 5 stars as beautifully written book about a spiritual journey, excellently narrated

If you want to read about CS Lewis, better try Alan Jacobs' The Narnian or other bio.

If you want to read CS Lewis the Christian apologist describe selected aspects of his boyhood and adolescence up to his early adulthood conversion (in beautiful and often humorous prose), download this. I think even those who take no interest in Lewis but who are interested in social history of the first half of 19th century Britian would find this a valuable listen.

If you are unfamiliar with the British school system or don't have a nodding acquaintance with schools of philosophy and major Brit Lit figures of the early 19th century, reading a bio such as Jacobs' first will make this a much more rewarding listen.

I wish that Lewis had lived to write a more complete autobiography. He selected "selectively" experiences that drew him toward the source of joy. His silence on others leaves the listener longing for a more complete travelogue of his journey.

C. S. Lewis is one of the most thought-provoking writers in recent years. In this book, he tells about his early life and how it shaped his intellectual and spiritual later life. This was the one book of his I had not read, and am grateful to have heard it. It is not an easy listen...you have to pay attention. I went back and listened to some parts again, or grabbed my print copy and re-read for myself. That said, however, it has added to my appreciation of Lewis's writings to know where he came from. Well worth the listen!

An excellent book. Wonderful insights into CS Lewis' life and what shaped his writing. Inspirational!

I have always enjoyed Lewis' writings. Glad this one is available as an audio book! Listening to the book is like getting to know Lewis better and gives greater appreciation to his other writings.

The style of narration, while not obstructing the message of the book, is very staccato.

I don't think I could listen to this all in one sitting. It takes some time to process, and I often found that I needed to listen to a section again to really understand what is being said.

This is my first non-fiction audio book. I would recommend it to almost anyone.

This book had it's good points but it took a long time to get to the point of joy. It was written in a language that was complicated and sometimes hard to follow with the points that author wanted to make separated by long distances from his examples.

An intriguing account as to how CSL journeyed in life to the foot of the cross.

C. S. Lewis has a way of using the English language that pleases, and he is in fine form in Surprised by Joy.

I think I liked the simplicity of it best--he is a Christian apologist in many of his writings, and it might have been easy to cast this in the mode of Augustine, but he avoids the temptation.

I liked Howard's transparency--his performance is straightforward, not getting in the way of Lewis' prose.

I listen to a lot of books in the car, driving my son back and forth to training sessions and games, so listening all in one sitting isn't really an option for me. However, it was hard to stop listening whenever I got to my destination.

I'd recommend this book to anyone.

I was excited to read a story about someone who is so respected in theological circles. I was disappointed at how draggy the story seemed, although well-written. Not an easy one for a weekend read. I will have to take it up another time when I am feeling more patient

Nothing

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No

Like getting to know someone better. Good feeling.

Lewis lets us inside his brain. We see more of what made him who he was.