A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis(March 1 - 1983) Mass Market Paperback

This is probably one of my favorite books CS lewis has written. It is extremely sad and if it were not for CS Lewis's incredible ability to make the most horrific parts of reality poetic and beautiful than it would be hard to get through the book. CS Lewis seems to identify in this book all of the parts of Christianity that really are not rational that he had been blind to when he wrote the books that he is much more famous for. This book is great for someone who is constantly having questions tugging in the back of their minds that Theologians and typical Christians don't ever seem to face directly. Lewis faces these questions with complete honesty oppose to most Christian writers who only bring up the specific parts of the hard questions that they think that they can answer well. I think the reason this book isn't as famous as some of his legendary books is only because the readers are probably uncomfortable with talking about the difficult paradoxes that are impossible to answer perfectly that Lewis brings up.

This book anchored me during a painful period of loss. It gave me validation and it gave me thought. It allowed the ethereal and gruesome emotions to solidify into intellectual exercise - working me through my own grief.

Written by one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century, Lewis, in brutal honesty, bares his doubt for faith in God for all to see. This was the first book I read after the loss of my 19 year old son. And it helped me immensely.

A great sense of comfort during my grieving time. I re-read the passages I highlighted.
Amazing how in tune with his loss is to my own. I was amazed how better I felt as I shared his pain and new I was not alone. If a man who has lost your wife , special love, do yourself a favor and read C.S. Lewis "A Grief Observed". Once read, you will understand and find comfort. I did.

I purchased this copy for a friend who recently lost his wife. Appreciating C.S. Lewis beyond Narnia and Screwtape, I first read this short book a few years ago after my father died. In his candid style, Lewis tells his own story of working through the loss of his wife. Without minimizing the pain of grief, he offers comfort for the mourning and hope in the reality of God's love.

C.S.Lewis captures the honest feelings of losing a spouse in beautifully written words. During this first year of grief, it's very
hard for me to begin to capture my feelings in appropriate words. Reading Lewis's heartfelt descriptions was like opening the
door to my heart. Thank you to Lewis for sharing such an intimate time in his life.

A deeply personal journey into profound grief. Anyone familiar with the works of this esteemed Christian author will see a side of him that is not evident in his other writings. The loss of his beloved wife, Joy to cancer, threw Lewis into a long period of intense and painful grief. A paragon of faith and love for God thru the person of Jesus Christ, CS is not above delving headlong into the hurting WHY questions, and soul searing anger at the God Who permitted the death of his precious soul mate. I totally related to his grief, anger, and questioning of the same sovereign God Who also permitted the death of my beloved husband and soul mate. The death of a much loved spouse shakes the very foundation of the grieving believer. Here on the testing ground of the most extreme pain and loss a human being can experience, you are left with the question of either turning your back on God, or choosing to continue following Him, even if it's at a sometimes angry and confused distance, dragging your feet, and kicking at the unfairness of life in this sin trodden world. Lewis eventually and finally finds his way back to the Lord, but not until the rawest and frailest of human emotions are explored and exposed. Lewis then realizes that the God Who allowed this devastation and soul ripping pain into his life, is the only One Who can truly heal and restore His hurting child back to Himself.

My name is Judy Desiato, the reader of this work. Because I am older, this type of subject is familiar to me. C. S. Lewis has a gift for communicating his pain in a very real way. Any widow or widower could be helped by his honesty. I have thought of buying a few extra hard copies and giving them to some of our friends who are in his situation. Some people need to question, and he encourages them to do just that. Sometimes the work was too obviously personal and painful so I gave it four stars. Some people might give up before they finish.

Such a beautiful journal. This book left me with tears and a heart filled with love. I would recommend this to anyone who is grieving or even going through a rough time in their relationship with God.

I find myself purchasing this book over and over again as it is a beautifully written comforting guide through the grieving process. I cannot say enough about how this book helped me with the passing of my brother.

This is a sometimes encouraging and sometimes harrowing narrative of his personal experience of life altering grief. A must read for those who have lost someone close and a valuable resource for everyone else. We will all, at some point, face this valley.

C.S. Lewis was a wonderful "deep" writer. This book gives you a look into the pain of a love one passing away and how you question during very hard times, "where is God in all this mess". Although there is so much that runs through your thoughts and emotions, there is a calm to the storm if you keep seeking God through it all as I observed through the grief journal of C.S. Lewis.

Just skip the introductions, etc... get right to Lewis' writing. He puts to words, brilliantly, what one might go through when grieving. Reading what was going on inside his mind and heart allowed me to better understand what I was going through (either by similarity or contrast - both being helpful) and, candidly, grieve more fully / in a more healthy manner.
This, for me, is on the Top 10 Books list.

A great resource for anyone dealing with loss. Not a story of how to feel better, but rather another human's account of sadness, giving the reader a feeling of solidarity from the author and a validation of our own feelings when we grieve.

Anyone suffering from a loss should read this book. Even if you just know of someone "suffering" this book should help you understand better what it's like. C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites. I had trouble putting this down and did reread it and liked it the second time just as much.

When my husband died after a long illness, someone recommended this book. One of the hardest parts about beginning to grieve is putting your feelings into words. C S Lewis does so here in his memoir of losing his beloved wife. This quick read helped me make sense of what I was feeling and that I was not alone feeling like this. I give it as a gift to people who suffer and extreme loss.

while I have not experienced this kind of grief, I have experienced loss and found comfort in what was written and understand more how to move past my own grief and how to remember those I have lost in a more rewarding way thanks to Lewis's sharing of his.

Very open description of his feelings during a very dark time. I found it well worth reading and insightful. At the same time, as M. LeEngle observed in the introduction, each person's journey through severe loss is different.

This book accurately describes how it feels to lose someone you really love. Some of his anger at God is common for people grieving, but didn't resonate with me. I found it helpful and have purchased it for others who lost their spouse.

Found this book at a Christian Bookstore clearance rack many years ago. When a friend lost his wife, I found it again on my shelf and read it and passed it on promptly to my grieving friend. Have sinced purchased for other grieving friends as well. It is a very sweet and comforting read.

This is an amazing book and probably the main book of Lewis' that I would recommend to readers. It shows him in a time of complete raw emotions, questioning a lot of what he had said and done in his life after the death of his wife of 3 years, Joy! It's an amazing journey with him!