A Grief Observed (C. S. Lewis)

Found comfort in one of the spiritual "giants" sharing in raw,uncencorsed feelings. Gave me permission to feel and revealed the journey is not so different for anyone else. Realizing this was freeing in itself. Have recommened this book to other family members and friends.

C.S. Lewis published A Grief Observed under the pseudonym N. W. Clerk, (the N. W. is Anglo-Saxon shorthand for nat whilk, "I know not whom"). In fact, the book was never published under Lewis' name while he lived. First published in 1961, it has been called an unsettling book and the use of a pseudonym seems to indicate that Lewis knew that it would be found so. Some argue that it is not about Lewis' anguish over his wife's, Joy's, death but instead a fictional account of grief. Mary Borhek summarizes the position of those who hold this view: "The only reasons I can see for believing the book to be a fictionalized account are a desire to distance oneself from the extreme discomfort of confronting naked agony and an unwillingness to grant a revered spiritual leader and teacher permission to be a real, fallible, intensely real human being." Still others object to Lewis' candid expressions of anger at God, suggesting the book demonstrates Lewis' loss of faith: John Beversluis in... Read more

After having lost my wife to cancer a few months ago, I found C. S. Lewis' feelings on the loss of his wife pertinent to my feelings. Lewis is a deep thinker and sometimes it takes some study and reflection to draw out his message.

I got this for my mother shortly after my beloved dad died in November. They had been married for 57 years. While Lewis' marriage was tragically short by comparison, I suspect many widowers and widows can relate to his anguish. This is a profoundly personal memoir from a brilliant Christian theologian. Yes, he wrestles with theological questions, but in a way many of us can relate to. This is by no means a "preachy" book, and it's brief, just 70-some-odd pages. Brought low by devastating grief, Lewis' expressions of pain are at times raw and heart-rending. Ultimately, however, his musings are life- and faith-affirming. I recommend this to anyone who has lost a loved one -- I benefited from it as a bereaved daughter -- and particularly to mourners who are Christians.

When I think of C.S. Lewis, I think of the children's books. But this is a book for sophisticated adult. If you are grieving, you will be touched by Lewis' words. I found them so tender and sincere, that I cried. It is a short book, but deeply personal. The beauty of it is that anyone who has grieved for the person they deeply cared for will instantly recognise feelings, deep emotions and internal chaos of the grieving person. It is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Lewis' words are magical and transformational.