The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
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Book Reviews of The Screwtape Letters
Book Review: Very interesting way to present some profound truths
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the second time that I have read this book. The first time was as a youth a very long time ago and it had a positive impact on me. I decided to reread it and see what additional insights it would bring into my life. It was clearly worth the few hours of my time it took to read this book. The device Lewis uses is very clever and forces one to look at sin, pride, and mediocrity from a totally different viewpoint. It becomes clear that it's not the big mistakes we make in life that really hurts us; sometimes those are the things that cause us to reevaluate our lives and repent. The things that really hurt us are the pride and the accumulation of little sins. Lewis seem to really be pushing for greatness of soul. Bottom line is this little book made me think about my life. That is what a good book should do.
The book also includes the essay, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast". This was written much later and instead of Screwtape writing letters advising Wormwood, he is at an awards ceremony at the school for tempters proposing a toast to future and past successes. It is basically a vehicle to complain about how the modern education system focuses on mediocrity. It also brings out some very good points to ponder.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. The principles espoused here apply to all people, religious or not.
Book Review: Great Devil's Advocacy book (literally)
Summary: 5 Stars
If you didn't have the benefit of taking a general theology class in college or you want to grow in your faith, read and discuss this book with a few friends. Lewis's elder demon Screwtape can teach us a lot about ourselves, about God, and about contemporary culture. Lewis writes in an easy-to-read, quotable style which is sure to challenge our modern thinking.In one sense, it's a primer on how to sin. The book is full of "advice" on how turn a good thing into a sinful one. I remember my wife being challenged by the discussion of gluttony. According to Screwtape, it works both ways, by eating too much or too little, because the key is flattering your pride. All sin stems from our natural, self-honoring pride, and Screwtape gives many examples of how to insert that pride into everything we do.
Of course, it isn't as if you are reading letters from the devil himself, every word corrupting your spirit. This book praises God's grace in a Christian's life (in a back-handed sort of way). And it's funny. I love it when Screwtape gets so mad he morphs into a worm, and his secretary has to finish the letter. I also love his description of the coup Lucifer led against God Almighty before he and the angels who supported him were kicked out of heaven (becoming the demons they are now).
It's a great, little work of fiction, loaded with applicable truth.
Book Review: Delicious satire
Summary: 5 Stars
Lewis' demon, Screwtape, uses this book to advise his nephew in the fine art of corrupting a man's soul. The advice is clear and detailed: turning healthy pleasures into vices, prohibiting clear and rational thought, encouraging divisiveness over any issue or none at all, and lots more. It's a proven plan which, unfortunately, sometimes fails. Despite every distraction, excess, and false trail, some people still reach a higher plane.
This wonderful book is written from a strongly Christian point of view. No, Lewis does not propose any literal reality for these allegorical demons, but he clearly points out the human weaknesses that so often expand and crowd out the valid and valuable parts of life. In fact, this book need not be taken from a Christian standpoint at all. Whatever morality and ideals you hold to, they are under the same kind of attack as Lewis' Christian virtues.
This book is quite enjoyable in itself. It's even better as an introduction to Lewis' other work, especially his space trilogy (Perelandra, Out of the Silent Planet, That Hideous Strength). Those books play out the human strengths and weaknesses that Lewis isolates here.
This really will help thinking readers take stock of themselves. I know it points out my room for improvement. I recommend this very highly.
//wiredweird
Book Review: "Timeless, yet ahead of his time"
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Screwtape Letters with Screwtape Proposes a Toast," C.S. Lewis, ISBN 0-06-065293-4, Harper Collins, NY, 2001, PC 209 pgs., includes 31 'Letters', Preface & 'Toast'.
A distinguished author of 30+ books, Cambridge Chair of English Literature & Oxford Fellow, Lewis was an influential literary genius also responsible for "The Chronicles of Narnia." Lewis' writings are timeless, transcending by decades a coming-of-age of polical correctness in 'new' education where exams constructed so dunces & idlers won't feel inferior to intelligent, industrious pupils (read - Calif. graudates all of its dunces).
"The Screwtape Letters" is compendium of correspondence betwixt devilish Uncle Screwtape to novice Nephew Wormwood, aspirant demon. Written with brilliant, witty satire, Screwtape reviews diverse methods to entice Christians in times of weakness, fatigue, & immaturity into sin for consumption by the Devil. Lewis demonstrates a distinctive & novel prose & notable clarity in describing moral-ethical issues Christians of diverse age groups face in love, wealth, poverty, friendships, gluttony, cowardice, sameness & idle minds. It is not a book to be glossed over, but requires some patience for digestion of remarkable prose with much to learn about bending of minds & seeing motives in common & uncommon people.
Book Review: An interesting look at Lewis's theology and how to transgress the daily hurdles of temptation
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this book for a friend around Christmas time and he'd read it in about a week after recieving it, despite being back in the thick of things at a busy job. So I figured it was good and borrowed it and quickly read every word, including the foreword, toast, preface all that.
It's fascinating to only hear one side of a conversation, especially one that reads almost like a lecture from a parent. This parent however, would be an evil one trying to teach his child how to tempt a man away from Christ. Even if you aren't a Christian, this should give you a great insight into how Christian deals with concepts of temptation, compromise, struggles in life, etc. Because Lewis truly is an excellent writer, this is all done in a way that makes it fun to read and even funny at times, despite giving you an overwhelming sense that inevitably you'll fail in many ways...on the other hand "the Enemy" as Lewis's demon calls him is forgiving.
It's a short book, but contains a lot of great social commentary on how people perceive each other, themselves, how the school system in the US is flawed, how war effects faith...all very meaty subjects all dealt with in short bursts. It gives you a lot to think about in a 4-5 page stint, but also vividly paints the picture so you can sort it out easier.
Genius