Surprised By Joy by C.S. Lewis

I have always loved CS Lewis-from Till We Have Faces to Mere Christianity to Narnia to The Great Divorce (and so on...). I received Surprised by Joy as a gift, but it has taken me a couple of years to pick it up. Lewis tells his story on how he came to believe in God. He explains his family history and the dynamics of his relationships with his parents and brother. It is obvious that he was an intellectual at an early age with interests like Norse mythology and Wagner operas--I only encountered the latter in my junior year of high school and found it entirely too esoteric and lacking aesthetic appeal (not a classic 1 4 5 1 radio hit). That's not to say I can't appreciate the brains and musical brilliance it took to compose The Ring....but I digress....

Lewis shares different seasons in his life and even makes distinctions about his external life at school versus his imaginative personal thoughts and world. He talks about the moments that he categorizes as Joy--where he is content and fulfilled with an experience. Lewis relates a common sentiment that we all must have a handful of moments where Joy is the best word to describe what we feel; sadly, most of us know that if we pursue Joy, we rarely or never are satisfied. As the book progresses, so does his education and career. He surrounds himself with friends with similar interests, but he is troubled that his peers as well as his favorite authors all have a common defect--Christianity. As he struggles to put the pieces together (how can intelligent men believe in God), he struggles with a deeper and more personal matter. Lewis resists God mostly because he does not want to be inconvenienced or interrupted. As a Christian, it is a feeling that pops up more frequently than a faithful follower would like. It makes the philosophical and sometimes incomprehensible sophistry of Lewis fade away when we find something so normal to relate to with him.

I recommend this book because I cracked up on a number of occasions. Though he is serious and brainy, he has great fun with the English language. The most compelling reason to read this book is his explanation of his conversion. He offers analogies that parallel the brilliance of Mere Christianity in the last couple of chapters of this book. Surprised by Joy might even should be read as a preface to Mere Christianity for the intellectuals non-Christians who are curious about an educated man's departure from the Realist's world to the Kingdom of God.