The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
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Book Reviews of The Screwtape Letters
Book Review: A great book
Summary: 5 Stars
When one first sits down to read Screwtape Letters, they will usually be baffled. You are sent straight into the middle of the story, as it seems. Young Wormwood, a junior tempter, has been assigned to his first patient. Patients are humans who have tempters inside their brains, so everyone is a patient of someone. Wormwood's job is to tempt people away from god. There is supposedly a tempter in everyone's brain, undetectable, who offers up suggestions and advice on actions the person is about to commit. All suggestions and advice are made so the patient will turn away from God, and all that is good, and toward Satan, and all that is bad. This is the basic premise of the story, yet it is much deeper. It delves into ones intellect and shows them ways that Satan catches us and tempts us. Wormwood is the Nephew of an honored tempter, Screwtape. His Uncle Screwtape writes him letters on how to lead his patient away from God and toward sin, hence Screwtape Letters. He gives Wormwood ways to show his patient other ways of doing actions that could have bad consequences, though the tempter tries to block the thought of the consequences away from his patients thoughts. Screwtape answers Wormwoods questions about different scenarios and scolds him when he doesn't follow directions properly and lets the patient go toward The Enemy, or God.
In turn, this novel shows the reader how Satan is catching them and tempting one toward one of the seven deadly sins: anger, lust, gluttony, ect. After reading only a few chapters, one will soon come to realize their faults, which is why this book is so great. Screwtape Letters points out you wrong doings and tells of how Satan exploits them to his wishes. There really isn't a plot to this book, just a collection of letters and an underlying plot to make the understandable. It really doesn't require a huge plot though its so good. The theme Good vs. Evil is so strong it takes the plots place.
One will find this book quite enjoyable and truthful about human ways. Though in the end Wormwood does lose the patient to God, not saying how, it shows that you can fight temptation if you put your mind to it.
This novel deserves an 11 out of 10 and the Newberry Award in all categories, no matter if it even falls into them. This book is that good and everyone should read it. It will minimally change your life at least and help you recognize your own faults.
Book Review: The Screwtape Letters
Summary: 5 Stars
Through a creative twist of irony, C. S. Lewis illustrates the wiles of Satan's demons as they pursue the souls of human beings. Certainly versed enough to approach this subject using systematic Biblical exposition, the author rather chooses to present letters from a seasoned devil, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, an apprentice devil. This discourse is intended to raise an awareness among people of the evil influences, both purposeful and personal, that we are all exposed to. Lewis does a crafty job in a way that holds interest while at the same time allows for contemplation.One particular individual, Wormwood's "patient", is in focus as he is drawn to Christ and proceeds to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus as his Creator/Redeemer. Uncle Screwtape consistently hounds his nephew as he struggles with his formidable task of destroying his human assignment. Every situation described is from the perspective of evil. Lying is in vogue; guilt and fear are used extensively.
It is good that this book is written as a collection of short letters. Several can be read at a sitting and then the topics can be pondered. It seemed best to read small sections at a time, because the perspective shift requires an extra measure of brainwork. Screwtape, bent on wickedness, refers to God as the enemy.
Wormwood is fighting a losing battle, and it is encouraging as Lewis shows this. In his preface to the book he clarifies that Satan is not the opposite of God. God is eternal and all sufficient. Satan is a created angel, destined to serve God's purposes. Screwtape grows more frustrated as the plot progresses. When the "patient" meets a Christian girl and is also meeting more and more Christian friends, the uncle gets flat out mad and scolds Wormwood. Screwtape was patronizing Wormwood in the early letters. Towards the end he can hide his hatred no longer - "My dear Wormwood, you seem to be doing very little good at present." (Do not forget the shift.)
This book brought to mind many dumb things that I have done as a Christian. That can be a good thing, especially when followed with the reminder that God is in control and wants me to learn that He is drawing me to his side. Lewis' book has that effect, and I highly recommend it.
Book Review: Alcorn's book is a rip off of this and doesn't even compare!
Summary: 5 Stars
I rarely read any book more than once, unless it's mathematics, hard science or a computer science book. Few fictional books deserve more than one reading. One hand is enough to count the number of books i've read more than once.I just bought this because i cannot find my copy. "The Screwtape Letters" is that awesome of a book! Many of you probably have heard about Randy Alcorn's book called, "L-rd Falcron's Letters." That is nothing more than a complete rip off off Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters!"
To Randy's credit, he was honest about his book being "a modern version of Lewis' book." Unfortunately, that's just one more instance of the "it's old, so it must be updated and become the victim of "Fahrenheit 451!" I'm not attacking Randy. I just have no intention of reading his book, especially since it's utterly useless compared to "The Screwtape Letters."
Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters" is one of those timeless books that stands alone, just like Orwell's "1984," Beecher-Stowes' "Uncle Tom's Cabin," Shakespeares' "Hamlet," Bellamy's "Looking Backward," and Harper-Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird, as a few examples.
"The Screwtape Letters" is one of those rare, timeless and redemptive classics. I recommend this book to everybody I know who likes to read, saved or lost. Lewis' book grips the reader very quickly and quite easily can be read in one day. The book is not very long. My only disappointment when I read it is that I cannot put it down until I've finished it, and then I feel a bit down because it's not longer!
This book is a "must read" for everybody, lost and saved. Case cloed! In my opinion, a lost person with any grey matter between the ears cannot read this book and not be affected. For a Christian, I do not see how anybody can read this book and not be ecstatic that he/she has been eternally rescued from HELL!
AWESOME BOOK! EVEN IN SPITE OF 1 COR 1:18, EVERYBODY SHOULD READ THIS BOOK, SAVED AND LOST. FOR ANY LOST PERSON WHO READS THIS BOOK AND IS NOT AFFECTED AND CHOOSES TO REMAIN LOST, ONLY A DIRECT, MIRACULOUS INTERVENTION BY THE ALMIGHTY HAS ANY CHANCE OF AFFECTING SUCH A PERSON!
Book Review: Intelligent Look at the Devil
Summary: 5 Stars
The only C.S. Lewis I had ever read up to this point was the Narnia series, when I was a kid. Those were great books that probably deserve a rereading at some point, even though I'm much older now. The Screwtape Letters find Lewis waxing on his favorite topic: Christianity. The book is a series of letters from Screwtape, a high-ranking administrator in Hell, to his nephew Wormwood, who is a tempter of man. The whole book is a wicked satire that Lewis pulls off well. Not only is this book fun to read, it has a serious message, too.I found myself laughing quite a bit with this book, although the laughter tends to be the nervous sort of chuckling that comes from discomfort. Too many times I found myself described within these pages. Especially when Screwtape discusses the types of laughter found among man and how these can be turned to good use in gaining souls for Hell. The most useful type of laughter for Satan is flippancy, when man laughs because he can always see a ridiculous side to everything. It is most useful because men who do this will never take anything as seriously as they should, especially the "Enemy" (the term Screwtape uses to describe God). Another interesting chapter deals with Jesus and the tendency of moderns to try to define and describe Jesus in terms that should be alien to him. Screwtape delights in efforts to make Jesus a Communist, a social theoretician or a magician/philosopher. All of these efforts divert man from whom and what Jesus really was. Screwtape also cackles over intellectuals, who are corrupted by the historical point of view. Intellectuals don't look for truth in what they read; they analyze writing styles, context, and historicity. By not looking for the truth, they are confused and turned away from God. Other topics are covered here as well: sex, marriage, prayer, Christianity and lots more. The best part of the book, by far, is the toast Screwtape gives at the end of the book. Lewis uses this toast to launch one of the most vigorous and thorough attacks on democracy that I've had the pleasure to read. I never knew Lewis had it in him!!
A great book that should be read by a greater audience. I should make an effort to read more from this author. You should too. Recommended, with highest distinction.
Book Review: Corruption is Hell's only option.
Summary: 5 Stars
That's the initial impression of this book which is on my list of all time favorites. A series of letters between Screwtape, an undersecratary, and his nephew Wormwood, an apprenctice tempter in charge of securing the damnation of a young man. The "story" takes place during the second world war with the young man being a young englishman.
The book is so well written because we're given insites to his own life, his own realistic experience, which make what Screwtape is advising that much more haunting. Everything from the man's relationship with his mother and his work to his relationship with his girl are given time.
Screwtape regularly rakes his nephew over the coals for asking stupid questions he should know the answers to or just for being to naive.
In the intro to the book Lewis says that nothing Screwtape says can be taken to seriously. That is most clearly seen when Screwtape talks about how when God wouldn't reveal the reason why he was making the "human vermin," "Our Father Below" ceased his support of "The Enemy" and removed himself a great distance from him resulting in that ridiculous story that he was "forced" out of Heaven. A lot of what Screwtape talks about is how to corrupt what God has already created. Things like prayer and even going to church are attacked.
My two favorite lines:
"The truth is that whenever a man lies with a woman, there, whether they like it or not, a transcendental relation is set up between them that must be eternally enjoyed or eternally endured."
"He made the pleasures: of of our research so far has not enabled us to produce one. All we can do is to encourage the humans to take the pleasures which our enemy has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He has forbidden."
After the Letters are over, there is also a prolonged speech in which Screwtape dispenses advice on how politics can be used. It shows many of things that plauge our society. How we don't encourage acheivement in a the larger sense.
This is my favorite book because of the satirical nature of the book that's as relevant today as it was when it was first written.