The Problem of Pain

By: C. S. Lewis

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 3 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

For centuries Christians have been tormented by one question above all, "If God is good and all-powerful, why does he allow his creatures to suffer pain?"

C.S. Lewis sets out to disentangle this knotty issue, but wisely adds that in the end no intellectual solution can dispense with the necessity for patience and courage.

©1940 C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd. (P)2000 Blackstone Audiobooks

The Problem with Pain

The writing of Lewis is a dance of pure grounded logic with utter beauty of emotion. Both sides of your brain become engaged with his style. If you aren’t used to this style, it will exhaust you. And once you digest it enough, it flows. Pain is a wonderfully, painful side of life. This book brought, not just a peace to what I’m going through, but a joy.

Classic

encouraging and grounding. I've heard it over and over again with new insights pertaining to immediate problems of the moment

Suffering

This was a book that I've been wanting to read for many years and I am very glad that I could, The narrator Simon Vance has a strong English accent that made it difficult to gather the meaning of the words he used to describes C.S. Lewis perspective regarding the Christian life and how pain has a positive role in the purpose of God's redemptive plan for His saints. Thank you C.S. Lewis . See you in the Kingdom of God when I arrive.

Pure Brillance

The first time I tried to read this book I was overwhelmed by his writing style. I quit and put it on the shelf. so I picked it up recently and it is amazing . Do not give up on this boom or any of his others. They are sheer genius.

Why don’t people write like this anymore?

Profound discussion of the source, purpose, problem and ultimate extinguishing of all pain. May we see the divine that surrounds us in our pain.

Philosophical in its time, relevant today.

Super interesting to listen to. I loved the narrator. The the ideas and thoughts are still relevant today.

Not a book easy to listen to

Would you listen to The Problem of Pain again? Why?

Yes in order to get all that I missed or misinterpreted the first time.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

Lewis's explanation of pain in light of man's now being a genetically new creature, a fallen creature in need of salvation and why pain goes on as man is reshaped back into the form of Adam and Christ, the second, sinless Adam.

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His voice.

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

The reshaping of man.

Any additional comments?

This is not a book easy to listen to. Although Vance does an excellent job of getting out there what Lewis said, Lewis is a Brit, and I as a poor American with my limited exposure to English in its truest form have such a hard time discerning what a man with such an extensive knowledge of the language (who seems aeons beyond me in how he chooses to present things) chooses to say. I had to back up and re-listen so many times. This seems as though it might not require so much of this had I enjoyed the book in print instead. WHEW!

One of the best books ever written!

I was thoroughly impressed with the way C.S. Lewis handled the questions of human existence and experience. He states each topic, looks at it from different angles, and explains why each angle will or will not work towards a solution by making an air tight case for his claim. He articulates his thoughts masterfully and by the end, I was in awe of how someone could write such a thing. Everyone should read this to simply contemplate the content, if nothing else. This book tackles why humanity grapples with reality the way it does. I loved it!

Pain is only part of this great book

Outstanding deep dive into pain and other issues in light of an all powerful God and his Son manifest in Jesus.

scholarship real

If I ever thought I was a scholar r, with all my educational background, this this particular work by CS Lewis reminds me how how small I am.


The breadth and profundity of thought and expressionRequire me to go all the way through it again paying even more attention to the details.


In fact, I don't even feel proper giving too much more of a description because I think there's so much more to be understood.