The Four Loves

By: C. S. Lewis

Narrated by: C. S. Lewis

Length: 2 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

A remarkable audio edition of C.S. Lewis' beloved classic - the only existing recording of Lewis reading his own work.

C.S. Lewis - the great British writer, scholar, theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics - explores the essence of love and how it works in our daily lives in one of his most famous works of nonfiction based on his series of radio talks from 1958.

With penetrating logic and charming wit, Lewis explores the four aspects of love: affection, the most basic form; friendship, the rarest and perhaps most insightful; Eros, passionate love; and charity, the greatest and least selfish.

Lewis exposes the pitfalls in our loves, leading us to the agape love that God has for humankind and the type of love we must develop to nurture our relationships. Throughout this compassionate and methodical study, he encourages readers to open themselves to all forms of love - the key to understanding that brings us closer to God.

• Features vintage BBC narration by C.S. Lewis
• New introduction and commentary by Charles Colson
• Discussion questions available in the audiobook companion PDF download

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©1960 C. S. Lewis (P)1970, 1982, 1994, 2004 The Episcopal Media Center

Critic reviews

"The chapter on charity (love of God) may be the best thing Lewis ever wrote about Christianity." (Amazon.com)

True love explained

C.S. Lewis does a masterful job of explaining the role of all 4 kinds of love, within their bounds, and how they can remain true only when subject to the Ultimate Being of Love. My personally favorite moment: when Lewis describes how God, in need of nothing and only because He IS Love, decided to breathe us into existence, knowing even then that the crucifixion would be necessary. Well worth a read, and a special treat to hear the only existing recording of C.S. Lewis' voice adds a special touch.

Nothing like hearing an author's voice

I love being able to hear an authors interpretation of his work. It brings to life the body of work. With CS Louis being such a great literary artist I felt like I was able to go back through time and sit in on one of his important lectures as a student.

Good for anyone

C. S. Lewis is such a brilliant mind who has clearly done his research. His analogies are so relatable and his ideas applicable to all, Christian and non-Christian

Good

To me, this is common sense but for many it is really good information and explains the 4 ways we as humans can love. Personally, I think there is 5 but who am I!

Only let down by the intro to each chapter

Only let down by the intro to each chapter - it’s painful and was skipped everytime

His faith ‼️

This man has such keen insight and order and logic in all his writings and discussions.!

Depth and complexity of Love

Very rich and challenging. I know I will need to listen to it again and probably several times for the thoughts to sink in. I enjoyed hearing the voice of CS Lewis and Chuck Colson. The part that stands out is that the other loves prepare us for Acape love. Also the description of Eros was enlightening.

Not His Best Book, But Great Hearing Lewis' Voice

What made the experience of listening to The Four Loves the most enjoyable?

Hearing Lewis read the book himself!

What other book might you compare The Four Loves to and why?

I really can't think of one at the moment.

What does C.S. Lewis bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Again, hearing Lewis read the book himself.

What did you learn from The Four Loves that you would use in your daily life?

Finding different ways to love.

Any additional comments?

As a Classical Greek minor, I was a little disappointed that Lewis (a Greek scholar himself) only discussed four words for love in Greek. There are at least seven that I'm aware of. Despite this flaw, however, I highly recommend this audiobook, even though I'm an Atheist. :)

C.S. Lewis' real voice :)

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

This is C.S. Lewis himself and I had never heard him, so felt blessed to have the opportunity to hear his work as expressed by him. I enjoyed the book but didn't get it all with one listen and will definitely be listening to it again and possibly more than once more. It is a great topic - LOVE - and he definitely has a well thought out idea of the various aspects of love. Although I need to hear it more often to get it all, I enjoyed the first listen enough to encourage me to listen again and again. Inspiring and thought provoking.

What did you like best about this story?

Agape Love

What about C.S. Lewis’s performance did you like?

It is in his own voice

Short yet more insightful than most longer works

I listened to this over a weekend.

In this short work he covers the four types of love: affection, friendship/companionship, romantic and charity. In his usual rational, clear and easy to follow way he goes over each clarifying their true nature, value, and the dangers to watch out for (natural isn't always right). It should go without say but this is Christian view but I think anyone will benefit from it.

This is one of those reads which everyone can relate to and will relate to different sections based on where they are in life. I tried to bookmark the insightful passages for later review but I practically ended up marking the whole chapter. I will definitely be rereading it in the future.