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The Screwtape Letters
A Masterpiece of Satire on Hell’s Latest Novelties and Heaven’s Unanswerable Answer
C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the unique vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to “Our Father Below.” At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the wordly-wise devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.
C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the unique vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to “Our Father Below.” At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the wordly-wise devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation—and triumph over it—ever written.
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1942
About the author
C.S. Lewis
1,216 books42.6k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 16,476 reviews
January 22, 2008
I love this book - it really makes you think. For those who have not read it, the book is written as a compilation of letters from a "tempter," Screwtape, to his nephew, a "junior tempter" named Wormwoood. In the letters, Screwtape gives Wormwood adivce and counsel on how to best tempt his "subject" - a young man who converts to Christianity, and then falls in love with a Christian woman. Through the letters, you are constantly reminded and made to think about how the adversary tempts us. What is truly excellent about the book, though, is that the cunning plans are not centered around obvious sins, that so often are what we think about when we think about temptation and sin. Instead, the tempters focus on much more subtle forms of sins - vanity, pride, distraction, insincerity, forgetting God, and how these can achieve the same effect as more obvious sins ... to lead us away from God. Ultimately, the tempters in this story do not care what sins are committed by their subjects - so long as they accomplish their goal of separating people from God, and leading them to the adversary. In fact, they seem to prefer the more subtle means of leading people astray, as they sense that this is a more hidden and thus secure way to accomplish their ultimate design.
You cannot read this book and not think of how extremely pertinent it is to your life. C. S. Lewis has thought deeply about the things we do each that lead us away from God, and he articulates them very well. As you read the book, you are in a constant introspection of your own life, and the things that are put before you daily that lead you away from what we all desire - a close, personal, consistent, and deep relationship with God, that leads to happiness now and the hereafter. I love this book!
You cannot read this book and not think of how extremely pertinent it is to your life. C. S. Lewis has thought deeply about the things we do each that lead us away from God, and he articulates them very well. As you read the book, you are in a constant introspection of your own life, and the things that are put before you daily that lead you away from what we all desire - a close, personal, consistent, and deep relationship with God, that leads to happiness now and the hereafter. I love this book!
May 7, 2008
If not for the fact that this is a satire in earnest, it would serve as a powerful absurdist invective against humanity itself. If this book improved my view of Christians it was only because it points out that all the faults conspicuous in the rabidly faithful are equally well-represented in the uninformed agnostic, if less readily apparent--Lewis does his best to drag everyone down to a common level.
The sharp weapon of Lewis's rhetoric tears down humanity through all its self-righteous hubris, denial, misdirected hopes, and easy mistakes. However, one begins to develop the impression, slowly at first, that Lewis has nothing to offer in return. There are scarcely words of alternatives, let alone improvements.
Lewis does give us a house which disgusts the devils and redeems the sinful, but this perfect representation of Christian values is just a lack of badness, not a profusion of goodness. It is 'suffused' by some sort of magical glow which infects the cat, but magical glows do not a life philosophy make. I got the impression that Lewis hoped to fill in with the good parts later, but couldn't think of any.
Human beings have a cognitive bias for avoiding punishment, even to the point where we will avoid a small punishment rather than seek a great reward. Perhaps this fear consumed Lewis, as it does so many people. That would explain why his books seem more concerned with avoiding small errors instead of seeking out grand achievements.
But then, Lewis has a similar failing with grand villainy. Sure, he's able to point out all the little, foolish errors we make, but he seems to have no ability to understand actual malice or hatred. His demons, like all his villains, just do bad things because it's required of them. Lewis is unable to develop any motivation for them to do evil, which means that, in the end, his vision of evil is silly, petty, and dismissive. He cannot give us a vision of a truly dangerous devil, like Milton's or Hogg's, just an arbitrary (and easily blamed) antagonist.
Lewis said writing these letters was more unpleasant than any of his other books, and that he could not bring himself to write a sequel. I find little surprise in this, because one can see how, as the book goes on, Lewis more and more recognizes the failures of mankind but when he tries to express what makes him or his faith any different, cannot find anything to say.
The 'suffusing glow' becomes a metaphor for Lewis's own righteousness, but whenever Lewis isn't basking in his own self-righteousness, he is ridiculing someone else's. Lewis' rhetoric is most deficient when he scorns one of man's many faults, then calls it a virtue in the next chapter.
For example, the book begins with the demon advising that humans should be encouraged to think of things as being 'real' without ever questioning what that means. The term 'real life' is meant to act as a self-justification for assumptions, not as an introspective view. This is 'bad' because 'real' has no meaning beyond the opinion of the user, and hence it can be used to justify anything.
Then Lewis begins to talk about how the Christians should make sure to follow what is 'natural', but fails to define what 'natural' is supposed to mean. Like 'real', 'natural' can be used to justify any idea or position, but Lewis does not turn a skeptical eye on himself.
This can hardly surprise, as Lewis maintains a philosophy of Duality. Dualism presents the 'with us/against us' ideal by which any two groups may grow to hate one another despite the fact that they have relatively few differences. As long as one defines the other as bad, there is no need to define the self as good, as in the Dualistic system, there is only good and evil, and you are either one or the other.
Lewis often falls back on this defense, showing how some men are bad, how he is different from them, and then assuming 'different' equals 'better'. He uses rational, skeptical argument to show how flawed his opponent is, but tearing down others is not the same as raising yourself up.
That being said, it would still be refreshing to meet a believer who had put as much thought and work into attempting to understand and explain themselves. It is rare to find thoughtfulness and skepticism, believer or no. Atheists and scientists can be just as troubled, flawed, and deluded as anyone else.
The lesson I will pull from this is that it is important for me to concentrate on myself and my own growth, because worrying about everyone else didn't help Lewis, and it isn't going to help me, either. I must not simply tear down those who are different from me, since this doesn't prove that I am right, any more than a bully proves his superiority by his insults and threats.
The sharp weapon of Lewis's rhetoric tears down humanity through all its self-righteous hubris, denial, misdirected hopes, and easy mistakes. However, one begins to develop the impression, slowly at first, that Lewis has nothing to offer in return. There are scarcely words of alternatives, let alone improvements.
Lewis does give us a house which disgusts the devils and redeems the sinful, but this perfect representation of Christian values is just a lack of badness, not a profusion of goodness. It is 'suffused' by some sort of magical glow which infects the cat, but magical glows do not a life philosophy make. I got the impression that Lewis hoped to fill in with the good parts later, but couldn't think of any.
Human beings have a cognitive bias for avoiding punishment, even to the point where we will avoid a small punishment rather than seek a great reward. Perhaps this fear consumed Lewis, as it does so many people. That would explain why his books seem more concerned with avoiding small errors instead of seeking out grand achievements.
But then, Lewis has a similar failing with grand villainy. Sure, he's able to point out all the little, foolish errors we make, but he seems to have no ability to understand actual malice or hatred. His demons, like all his villains, just do bad things because it's required of them. Lewis is unable to develop any motivation for them to do evil, which means that, in the end, his vision of evil is silly, petty, and dismissive. He cannot give us a vision of a truly dangerous devil, like Milton's or Hogg's, just an arbitrary (and easily blamed) antagonist.
Lewis said writing these letters was more unpleasant than any of his other books, and that he could not bring himself to write a sequel. I find little surprise in this, because one can see how, as the book goes on, Lewis more and more recognizes the failures of mankind but when he tries to express what makes him or his faith any different, cannot find anything to say.
The 'suffusing glow' becomes a metaphor for Lewis's own righteousness, but whenever Lewis isn't basking in his own self-righteousness, he is ridiculing someone else's. Lewis' rhetoric is most deficient when he scorns one of man's many faults, then calls it a virtue in the next chapter.
For example, the book begins with the demon advising that humans should be encouraged to think of things as being 'real' without ever questioning what that means. The term 'real life' is meant to act as a self-justification for assumptions, not as an introspective view. This is 'bad' because 'real' has no meaning beyond the opinion of the user, and hence it can be used to justify anything.
Then Lewis begins to talk about how the Christians should make sure to follow what is 'natural', but fails to define what 'natural' is supposed to mean. Like 'real', 'natural' can be used to justify any idea or position, but Lewis does not turn a skeptical eye on himself.
This can hardly surprise, as Lewis maintains a philosophy of Duality. Dualism presents the 'with us/against us' ideal by which any two groups may grow to hate one another despite the fact that they have relatively few differences. As long as one defines the other as bad, there is no need to define the self as good, as in the Dualistic system, there is only good and evil, and you are either one or the other.
Lewis often falls back on this defense, showing how some men are bad, how he is different from them, and then assuming 'different' equals 'better'. He uses rational, skeptical argument to show how flawed his opponent is, but tearing down others is not the same as raising yourself up.
That being said, it would still be refreshing to meet a believer who had put as much thought and work into attempting to understand and explain themselves. It is rare to find thoughtfulness and skepticism, believer or no. Atheists and scientists can be just as troubled, flawed, and deluded as anyone else.
The lesson I will pull from this is that it is important for me to concentrate on myself and my own growth, because worrying about everyone else didn't help Lewis, and it isn't going to help me, either. I must not simply tear down those who are different from me, since this doesn't prove that I am right, any more than a bully proves his superiority by his insults and threats.
October 20, 2021
The Screwtape Letters, Clive Staples C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters is a Christian apologetic novel by C. S. Lewis and dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien.
It is written in a satirical, epistolary style and while it is fictional in format, the plot and characters are used to address Christian theological issues, primarily those to do with temptation and resistance to it.
The Screwtape Letters comprises 31 letters written by a senior demon named Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood (named after a star in Revelation), a younger and less experienced demon, charged with guiding a man (called "the patient") toward "Our Father Below" (Devil / Satan) from "the Enemy" (God).
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز ششم ماه نوامبر سال 2016میلادی
عنوان: نامه های اسکروتیپ - نامه های یک شیطان عالیمقام به شیطان دون پایه؛ نویسنده: سی.اس لوئیس؛ مترجم: شهریار روحانی؛ تهران، نشر اشراقیه، سال1369، در141ص، موضوع: نامه ها، مسیحیت، از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
نامه هایی ست از سوی یک مقام عالی رتبه ی «وزارت شیطان (اسکروتیپ)»، به یک شیطان کارآموز جوان (وارم وود)؛ «اسکروتیپ» شاگردش را راهنمایی و روشهای فریب انسانها را برایش مینویسد؛ تا یک مرد بیمار «انگلیسی» را به سوی پدر دوزخی، یا همان «شیطان» هدایت کند؛ نامه های «اسکروتِیْپ» رمانی نامهنگارانه اثر «سی.اس لوئیس» است، که در سال1941میلادی به صورت هفتگی در «گاردین»، که یک نشریهٔ مذهبی بود، چاپ میشد؛ این نامهها در سال1942میلادی در قالب یک کتاب منتشر شدند و در سال1962میلادی سخنرانی «اسکروتیپ» به آن افزوده شد و در مجلدی تازه به چاپ رسید؛ این اثر طنز که در دفاع از مسیحیت نگاشته شده، شامل سی و یک نامه است، که در آنها شیطانی کارکشته به نام «اِسکروتِیپ» شیطان جوان «ورم وود» را، با بهترین روش وسوسه، و به بیراهه میکشاند، انسانی را که به او سپرده شده، راهنمایی میکند؛ این کوشش با حضور هماره ی او در کلیسا، و آشنایی اش با زنی مسیحی و باایمان، ادامه مییابد، و در نهایت با مرگ او در جریان بمباران هوایی در جنگ جهانی دوم شکست میخورد؛ نویسنده ی کتاب «لوئیس» با استفاده «آیرونیک» از پرسونای روایی یک شیطان، تصویری را از نبرد بین خوب و شر، و مختصات طرفین ترسیم میکند، و آرایش را درباره ی دورویی آدمی، عدم خودآگاهی، و انگیزه های اصلی اعمال او، به دست میدهد؛
پس از نامه ی دوم، «بیمار» به مسیحیت تغییر مذهب میدهد، و «اسکروتیپ» برای این امر «ورموود» را سرزنش میکند؛ پس از این بین «ورموود» و «اسکروتیپ» تضادی برقرار میگردد: «ورموود» بر آن است که بیمار را به گناهان وحشتناک و قبیح سوق دهد، و گاه در این کار زیادی روی میکند، ولی توصیهٔ «اسکروتیپ» این است، که او باید ظریفانه تر «بیمار» را وسوسه کند؛ «اسکروتیپ» در نامه ی شماره دوازده مینویسد «مطمئنترین راه به جهنم راه آهسته و پیوسته است – شیب آرام، جاپای نرم، بدون هیچ گردش ناگهانی، بدون تابلوی بغل جاده یا نشانههای بین راهی.»؛
تاریخ نخستین خوانش 22/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 27/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
The Screwtape Letters is a Christian apologetic novel by C. S. Lewis and dedicated to J. R. R. Tolkien.
It is written in a satirical, epistolary style and while it is fictional in format, the plot and characters are used to address Christian theological issues, primarily those to do with temptation and resistance to it.
The Screwtape Letters comprises 31 letters written by a senior demon named Screwtape to his nephew, Wormwood (named after a star in Revelation), a younger and less experienced demon, charged with guiding a man (called "the patient") toward "Our Father Below" (Devil / Satan) from "the Enemy" (God).
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز ششم ماه نوامبر سال 2016میلادی
عنوان: نامه های اسکروتیپ - نامه های یک شیطان عالیمقام به شیطان دون پایه؛ نویسنده: سی.اس لوئیس؛ مترجم: شهریار روحانی؛ تهران، نشر اشراقیه، سال1369، در141ص، موضوع: نامه ها، مسیحیت، از نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
نامه هایی ست از سوی یک مقام عالی رتبه ی «وزارت شیطان (اسکروتیپ)»، به یک شیطان کارآموز جوان (وارم وود)؛ «اسکروتیپ» شاگردش را راهنمایی و روشهای فریب انسانها را برایش مینویسد؛ تا یک مرد بیمار «انگلیسی» را به سوی پدر دوزخی، یا همان «شیطان» هدایت کند؛ نامه های «اسکروتِیْپ» رمانی نامهنگارانه اثر «سی.اس لوئیس» است، که در سال1941میلادی به صورت هفتگی در «گاردین»، که یک نشریهٔ مذهبی بود، چاپ میشد؛ این نامهها در سال1942میلادی در قالب یک کتاب منتشر شدند و در سال1962میلادی سخنرانی «اسکروتیپ» به آن افزوده شد و در مجلدی تازه به چاپ رسید؛ این اثر طنز که در دفاع از مسیحیت نگاشته شده، شامل سی و یک نامه است، که در آنها شیطانی کارکشته به نام «اِسکروتِیپ» شیطان جوان «ورم وود» را، با بهترین روش وسوسه، و به بیراهه میکشاند، انسانی را که به او سپرده شده، راهنمایی میکند؛ این کوشش با حضور هماره ی او در کلیسا، و آشنایی اش با زنی مسیحی و باایمان، ادامه مییابد، و در نهایت با مرگ او در جریان بمباران هوایی در جنگ جهانی دوم شکست میخورد؛ نویسنده ی کتاب «لوئیس» با استفاده «آیرونیک» از پرسونای روایی یک شیطان، تصویری را از نبرد بین خوب و شر، و مختصات طرفین ترسیم میکند، و آرایش را درباره ی دورویی آدمی، عدم خودآگاهی، و انگیزه های اصلی اعمال او، به دست میدهد؛
پس از نامه ی دوم، «بیمار» به مسیحیت تغییر مذهب میدهد، و «اسکروتیپ» برای این امر «ورموود» را سرزنش میکند؛ پس از این بین «ورموود» و «اسکروتیپ» تضادی برقرار میگردد: «ورموود» بر آن است که بیمار را به گناهان وحشتناک و قبیح سوق دهد، و گاه در این کار زیادی روی میکند، ولی توصیهٔ «اسکروتیپ» این است، که او باید ظریفانه تر «بیمار» را وسوسه کند؛ «اسکروتیپ» در نامه ی شماره دوازده مینویسد «مطمئنترین راه به جهنم راه آهسته و پیوسته است – شیب آرام، جاپای نرم، بدون هیچ گردش ناگهانی، بدون تابلوی بغل جاده یا نشانههای بین راهی.»؛
تاریخ نخستین خوانش 22/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 27/07/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
June 16, 2021
Young Wormwood is on his very first demonic mission and is at a bit of a loss as to how to do this. There's so many ways to corrupt, but which is the
right way to do evil?
The 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book with an ugly cover
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Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts...Luckily, he has his Uncle Screwtape to consult. Under Screwtape's gentle guidance, Wormwood hopes to bring another soul to their Dark Father.
Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.
It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out.While I do not fully agree with everything said in this book, I do think that this was an absolutely fascinating look into the small ways that corruption reaches out to us in everyday life. Those little things build up and if they are allowed to fester, will certainly turn into something more.
The more often he feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel.There was just so much religion and philosophy packed into such a neat little package - I'd highly recommend reading it just once. Even if you are not particularly religious, the wisdom that C. S. Lewis imparts is applicable to all areas of our lives and this is certainly one of his better novels.
When they have really learned to love their neighbours as themselves, they will be allowed to love themselves as their neighbours.
The 2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge - A book with an ugly cover
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April 7, 2024
I read this as a green young kid in the summer of 1963.
I was thirteen.
I was amused by it, but not forewarned by it -
Bemused by the Screwtapian segues into coolness - but not, unfortunately, convicted of my obviously myopic venial sin in my confusion.
Sound familiar?
I now need a reread.
Desperately.
This is NOT a comic novel.
If you think it is, you ultimately don’t know if you’re punched, bored or reamed.
You must UNLEARN your myopia - before it’s Too Late.
I’m serious.
Perhaps you don’t know you’re myopic, because you’ve never previously experienced...
In depraved May, dogwood and chestnut, flowering judas,
To be eaten, to be divided, to be drunk
Among whispers; by Mr. Silvero
With caressing hands, at Limoges
Who walked all night in the next room;
By Hakagawa, bowing among the Titians;
By Madame de Tornquist, in the dark room
Shifting the candles; Fraulein von Kulp,
Who turned in the hall, one hand on the door.
Spooky enough for you, already?
You don’t have to be a T.S. Eliot to know the REAL Screwtape -
But be careful - Screwtape himself might just suddenly pop out of your mind, too, in the Dead of Night like a phantasmagorically supernatural Jack in a Box, to SCARE YOU SILLY!
I was thirteen.
I was amused by it, but not forewarned by it -
Bemused by the Screwtapian segues into coolness - but not, unfortunately, convicted of my obviously myopic venial sin in my confusion.
Sound familiar?
I now need a reread.
Desperately.
This is NOT a comic novel.
If you think it is, you ultimately don’t know if you’re punched, bored or reamed.
You must UNLEARN your myopia - before it’s Too Late.
I’m serious.
Perhaps you don’t know you’re myopic, because you’ve never previously experienced...
In depraved May, dogwood and chestnut, flowering judas,
To be eaten, to be divided, to be drunk
Among whispers; by Mr. Silvero
With caressing hands, at Limoges
Who walked all night in the next room;
By Hakagawa, bowing among the Titians;
By Madame de Tornquist, in the dark room
Shifting the candles; Fraulein von Kulp,
Who turned in the hall, one hand on the door.
Spooky enough for you, already?
You don’t have to be a T.S. Eliot to know the REAL Screwtape -
But be careful - Screwtape himself might just suddenly pop out of your mind, too, in the Dead of Night like a phantasmagorically supernatural Jack in a Box, to SCARE YOU SILLY!
April 21, 2024
Now, I must admit, when I first picked up this book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But let me tell you, it's unlike anything I've ever read before. Lewis's writing is as sharp as a tack, and his exploration of morality and human nature is nothing short of profound.
The concept of demons advising one another on how to tempt humans may sound unconventional, but trust me, it's a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of the human psyche.
As I listened to the (The Screwtape Letters - Audiobook) narrated with gravitas and skill, I found myself questioning my own beliefs and behaviors in ways I never expected.
What struck me most about this book is its relevance, even decades after it was first published. Lewis's insights into the human condition are as pertinent today as they were back then, reminding us that the battle between good and evil is as old as time itself.
And the characters? Well, they're simply unforgettable. Uncle Screwtape's cunning schemes and Wormwood's bumbling antics make for a captivating read that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about this book is its ability to provoke deep introspection.
So, if you're looking for a thought-provoking read that will challenge your assumptions and leave you pondering life's big questions, look no further than "The Screwtape Letters."
The concept of demons advising one another on how to tempt humans may sound unconventional, but trust me, it's a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of the human psyche.
As I listened to the (The Screwtape Letters - Audiobook) narrated with gravitas and skill, I found myself questioning my own beliefs and behaviors in ways I never expected.
What struck me most about this book is its relevance, even decades after it was first published. Lewis's insights into the human condition are as pertinent today as they were back then, reminding us that the battle between good and evil is as old as time itself.
And the characters? Well, they're simply unforgettable. Uncle Screwtape's cunning schemes and Wormwood's bumbling antics make for a captivating read that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
But perhaps the most remarkable thing about this book is its ability to provoke deep introspection.
So, if you're looking for a thought-provoking read that will challenge your assumptions and leave you pondering life's big questions, look no further than "The Screwtape Letters."
December 5, 2018
It's always the books that I randomly come across or the spur of the moment reads that almost always end up (pleasantly) surprising me.
This book was so out of my range and certainly not the kind I usually pick up but I wanted something different and wow, was it that. It was thought-provoking (and very unnerving at times) with an interesting premise that had me questioning a lot of the things that we do without even realising and the effects of these actions.
You know, there are many reasons why I love Fantasy books, one of which is that it's a form of escapism. However dark and/or bleak [enter said world] is, it draws me in and gets me focusing on problems far different from anything to do with my world. Well, this certainly was not that kind of a read.
The Screwtape Letters is a purported collection of 31 letters written by a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew and protégé, a younger demon named, Wormwood. These letters were written for the express purpose of instructing the young demon on the finer points of how to corrupt the human soul, whose name is simply referred to as the "patient", and remains unnamed throughout the story.
One of the fundamental insights of this story is that this Infernal Bureaucracy is founded on the principle of consume or be consumed and it gives us a look into the battle for souls from the other side of the trenches.
Various letters explore the use of subtle distractions. Screwtape heavily emphasizes that the best, most efficient way to fully corrupt the human soul is to do this as subtly as possible rather than frontal attacks, and that Wormwood’s goal is to make the patient believe in the doctrine of Materialism.
These letters are short and concise, written in a way that any reader will be able to relate to many of the temptations that these devils throw at the "patient". Lewis masterfully uses a unique and amusing style of writing to present many of mankind’s greatest weaknesses that we often fall prey to.
This is one of the few books that I’d automatically recommend to everyone.
This book was so out of my range and certainly not the kind I usually pick up but I wanted something different and wow, was it that. It was thought-provoking (and very unnerving at times) with an interesting premise that had me questioning a lot of the things that we do without even realising and the effects of these actions.
You know, there are many reasons why I love Fantasy books, one of which is that it's a form of escapism. However dark and/or bleak [enter said world] is, it draws me in and gets me focusing on problems far different from anything to do with my world. Well, this certainly was not that kind of a read.
The Screwtape Letters is a purported collection of 31 letters written by a senior demon, Screwtape, to his nephew and protégé, a younger demon named, Wormwood. These letters were written for the express purpose of instructing the young demon on the finer points of how to corrupt the human soul, whose name is simply referred to as the "patient", and remains unnamed throughout the story.
One of the fundamental insights of this story is that this Infernal Bureaucracy is founded on the principle of consume or be consumed and it gives us a look into the battle for souls from the other side of the trenches.
Various letters explore the use of subtle distractions. Screwtape heavily emphasizes that the best, most efficient way to fully corrupt the human soul is to do this as subtly as possible rather than frontal attacks, and that Wormwood’s goal is to make the patient believe in the doctrine of Materialism.
These letters are short and concise, written in a way that any reader will be able to relate to many of the temptations that these devils throw at the "patient". Lewis masterfully uses a unique and amusing style of writing to present many of mankind’s greatest weaknesses that we often fall prey to.
This is one of the few books that I’d automatically recommend to everyone.
November 29, 2017
To
MR. SOURPUSS
Most Revered Lower Secretary
Ministry of Temptation
Dear Sir,
At the outset, let me express my deep regret at a set of my letters (to my wayward nephew Wormwood) having fallen into the hands of a loyal servant of the Enemy and getting published. I will take the liberty of saying most emphatically that this is not due to any lack of foresight from my part: Your August Person used to know Wormwood, and what a nincompoop he was. I must state with no little pleasure that our current set of tempters are built of much tougher material, and consequently we have been on the winning side in our struggle with the Enemy for the past few decades. One only has to cast one's eye over the world once.
However, the affair of "The Screwtape Letters" (as they have come to be known) are a matter of no little anguish to my own person, and I make no hesitation in stating that I am willing to accept whatever punishment Our Father may seem fit to disburse. But it is gratifying to note that the human race, in its infinite stupidity, have not taken them seriously: indeed, it is described as a "humorous novella"! One just has to visit the Goodreads website where even people committed to the Enemy are heaping wholesome praise on it! So, in my humble opinion, we need not worry our heads on that account.
One more thing. Let me take this occasion to congratulate Your August Person and similar dignitaries of the Lowerarchy on the new method of subversion which is working so brilliantly on humanity: that of subverting the love of the Enemy into hatred of all others who did not subscribe to that particular version of the Enemy! Humanity is indeed too dumb to understand that Love is the Enemy (even though they display posters to that effect all over, as a platitude) and that Hatred is Our Father. Why the Enemy loves these idiots and wants them to attain everlasting happiness, one can only wonder!
Your Obedient Servant
SCREWTAPE.
MR. SOURPUSS
Most Revered Lower Secretary
Ministry of Temptation
Dear Sir,
At the outset, let me express my deep regret at a set of my letters (to my wayward nephew Wormwood) having fallen into the hands of a loyal servant of the Enemy and getting published. I will take the liberty of saying most emphatically that this is not due to any lack of foresight from my part: Your August Person used to know Wormwood, and what a nincompoop he was. I must state with no little pleasure that our current set of tempters are built of much tougher material, and consequently we have been on the winning side in our struggle with the Enemy for the past few decades. One only has to cast one's eye over the world once.
However, the affair of "The Screwtape Letters" (as they have come to be known) are a matter of no little anguish to my own person, and I make no hesitation in stating that I am willing to accept whatever punishment Our Father may seem fit to disburse. But it is gratifying to note that the human race, in its infinite stupidity, have not taken them seriously: indeed, it is described as a "humorous novella"! One just has to visit the Goodreads website where even people committed to the Enemy are heaping wholesome praise on it! So, in my humble opinion, we need not worry our heads on that account.
One more thing. Let me take this occasion to congratulate Your August Person and similar dignitaries of the Lowerarchy on the new method of subversion which is working so brilliantly on humanity: that of subverting the love of the Enemy into hatred of all others who did not subscribe to that particular version of the Enemy! Humanity is indeed too dumb to understand that Love is the Enemy (even though they display posters to that effect all over, as a platitude) and that Hatred is Our Father. Why the Enemy loves these idiots and wants them to attain everlasting happiness, one can only wonder!
Your Obedient Servant
SCREWTAPE.
September 18, 2011
This is my first book of C.S. Lewis outside the Chronicles of Narnia Series. I want to balance my reading list with good, wholesome and inspiring Christian books so I decided to try the works of Lewis and look for an e-book. Fortunately, I was able to find one online so I started with Screwtape Letters.
The Screwtape Letters is a series of letters written by Screwtape, a senior demon, to his nephew and a neophyte tempter, Wormood, about the different ways to tempt a newly converted Christian they referred to as "Patient". Their objective is to secure the "Patient's" eternal damnation in hell. In this book, C.S. Lewis tried to describe the spiritual battles between Christians and the forces of evil in a different point of view.
At first, I felt uncomfortable reading the parts where Lewis referred God as "the Enemy" and Satan as the "Father" because being a child of God, I know it's the other way around. But looking at it as a literary piece, this is actually the spice of the story and this what makes the book special to me, that I really can't help but admire Lewis for his wisdom and creativity.
After reading the book, I was really enlightened and reminded of the truths that we humans should believe about God:
1. God loves us and He does not want anyone of us to perish but He wants us to have eternal life with Him and so He his Son to die for us and pay for our sins (John 3:16). In order to have eternal life, we have to accept Jesus in our life and believe that He is our Lord and Savior. By dying on on the cross, he redeemed us and provided the forgiveness of our sins - past, present and future.
2. God promised that for us who receive Jesus, He gave the right to be called His Children.No one can separate us from His love thus, our salvation through Jesus is assured and no one can take it away from us, not even Satan.
3. What Satan only wants from every human is to steal, kill and destroy. He is like a lion who is always looking around for prey, ready to devour anytime thus we should always be on guard. He will try all possible means for us to turn away from God.
4. God promised us victory. What Jesus did on the cross is already complete. Because of that, we are victorious in Christ so we have the power to win any battle including spiritual battle with the real Enemy. Therefore, we must not lose hope and stand firm on our faith that God has already given us the holy life through Jesus and all we have to do is to live it and stop doing the things that are not pleasing to Him. This book provided some examples of the unpleasant things that may seem insignificant but can eventually lead to our own destruction because the devil knows how to manipulate our thoughts so we really need to be careful.
5. Of course, the best way to defeat the Enemy is to lay down all our battles to God by praying and petition. The Bible said, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:10-18). This is actually the passage that keeps on popping out of my mind the entire time I was reading the book.
This book only wants to point out that we need to recognize that just like Heaven, Hell is also real and Satan also exists. He is continuously looking for possible "recruits" and deceiving people by suggesting different lies in our minds to keep us from turning to God. But God is loving and gracious. He will never let His children fall if we will only remain in Him. God wants all His children to be reunited with Him in eternity, but sadly, not everyone can go to heaven because not everyone has accepted the Truth. He gave us free will to choose how are we going to live our life here on earth. So in every moment and every action of our lives, we are given two different options: to do His will or to follow our own will? And we need to choose well because one may be the highway to hell.
If you are looking for a book about living a Christian life, then I highly recommend this one but of course living a holy life according to God's standard can only be achieved if we continuously seek to know our Creator an Savior more through reading his written Word.
The Screwtape Letters is a series of letters written by Screwtape, a senior demon, to his nephew and a neophyte tempter, Wormood, about the different ways to tempt a newly converted Christian they referred to as "Patient". Their objective is to secure the "Patient's" eternal damnation in hell. In this book, C.S. Lewis tried to describe the spiritual battles between Christians and the forces of evil in a different point of view.
At first, I felt uncomfortable reading the parts where Lewis referred God as "the Enemy" and Satan as the "Father" because being a child of God, I know it's the other way around. But looking at it as a literary piece, this is actually the spice of the story and this what makes the book special to me, that I really can't help but admire Lewis for his wisdom and creativity.
After reading the book, I was really enlightened and reminded of the truths that we humans should believe about God:
1. God loves us and He does not want anyone of us to perish but He wants us to have eternal life with Him and so He his Son to die for us and pay for our sins (John 3:16). In order to have eternal life, we have to accept Jesus in our life and believe that He is our Lord and Savior. By dying on on the cross, he redeemed us and provided the forgiveness of our sins - past, present and future.
2. God promised that for us who receive Jesus, He gave the right to be called His Children.No one can separate us from His love thus, our salvation through Jesus is assured and no one can take it away from us, not even Satan.
3. What Satan only wants from every human is to steal, kill and destroy. He is like a lion who is always looking around for prey, ready to devour anytime thus we should always be on guard. He will try all possible means for us to turn away from God.
4. God promised us victory. What Jesus did on the cross is already complete. Because of that, we are victorious in Christ so we have the power to win any battle including spiritual battle with the real Enemy. Therefore, we must not lose hope and stand firm on our faith that God has already given us the holy life through Jesus and all we have to do is to live it and stop doing the things that are not pleasing to Him. This book provided some examples of the unpleasant things that may seem insignificant but can eventually lead to our own destruction because the devil knows how to manipulate our thoughts so we really need to be careful.
5. Of course, the best way to defeat the Enemy is to lay down all our battles to God by praying and petition. The Bible said, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people (Ephesians 6:10-18). This is actually the passage that keeps on popping out of my mind the entire time I was reading the book.
This book only wants to point out that we need to recognize that just like Heaven, Hell is also real and Satan also exists. He is continuously looking for possible "recruits" and deceiving people by suggesting different lies in our minds to keep us from turning to God. But God is loving and gracious. He will never let His children fall if we will only remain in Him. God wants all His children to be reunited with Him in eternity, but sadly, not everyone can go to heaven because not everyone has accepted the Truth. He gave us free will to choose how are we going to live our life here on earth. So in every moment and every action of our lives, we are given two different options: to do His will or to follow our own will? And we need to choose well because one may be the highway to hell.
If you are looking for a book about living a Christian life, then I highly recommend this one but of course living a holy life according to God's standard can only be achieved if we continuously seek to know our Creator an Savior more through reading his written Word.
November 8, 2022
This book helped open my eyes...how often do we become distracted by the actor and not the act? If a script is written you still have to agree to follow it as an actor...but no one can force you to read lines you do not want to. Satan often just wants us to improvise - no lines to learn - a vanity fair always ready to accept dunces as 'understudies'.
January 1, 2016
Where do I begin unloading this colossal bag of thoughts that are raging in my mind since yesterday? Well, my friend, you seem to be the victim today. So be it. Don’t term me evil; it is just the scent of one, I lived with for the last five days.
Actually, this work is hardly anything except for a bunch of letters, from a senior to a junior; it is nothing more than a series of succinct correspondence, gathered cannily and disbursed even more astutely to the promising newbies. Now, have we all not rubbed shoulders with atleast once such genial senior in our lives? Incidentally, this exchange happens to be between Uncle Screwtape and Wormwood who, well, under a generous dignity granted by Lewis, call themselves “Tempters”; I refer to them as Devil (Spirit). And they are up against “Him”; the one who lives in the churches and to whom the world attributes its goodness and life.
Essentially, this work chalks out some theories on how the Devil should lure the “patient” or the human, away from his allegiance towards "Him" and secure him firm and consistent with himself.
This very concept takes my bow for it takes a lot to stand on both sides and view a situation without apathy or bias. In this deliciously curated work, the satire, the cynic, the comic and the subtle; all find place, and rightfully so. As for Screwtape, the breaking fragments of the world and the striking resemblance it holds to a colored hoax, is the doing of “Him”, and so he takes the fundamental ingredients of daily life like belief, love, marriage, gluttony, cowardice, fidelity, freedom, unselfishness and ownership and holds them, not aloft, instead face down. Screwtape draws sinister pleasure in observing the perpetual longing of the human to be star-struck about future and in the process, losing the all-important, all-pervasive present. He also makes a mockery of prevalent falsities in society where something as harmless as jazz can chain its women to strive for svelte figures at the expense of vitality; something as uplifting as art and fresco can underline the derisive palpability of nudity. He also takes a dig at the preconceived notions of love and marriage and the obtuse manner in which the happening of one is regarded as a prerequisite for justification of the other.
He basks in the hackneyed idea of ownership that drives the callous human. He spells it eloquently:
The picture that Lewis paints by the time he puts his last stroke, is a mélange of ideas which although tilted to project one side as glorious, does not undermine the merits on the other. It is more of a congregation of two schools of thought on a line where students (and teachers) can change side at any instant. Even for a believer in Supreme Power, I paused at many points and examined the validity of the arguments earnestly. Let me say all said was not lost.
Thank you, C S Lewis; I realized I was not all that wood after all.
---
Patting the impact this work created, Time Magazine featured Lewis on its cover, five years post publication of this work, with a, Devil of course! :D
Actually, this work is hardly anything except for a bunch of letters, from a senior to a junior; it is nothing more than a series of succinct correspondence, gathered cannily and disbursed even more astutely to the promising newbies. Now, have we all not rubbed shoulders with atleast once such genial senior in our lives? Incidentally, this exchange happens to be between Uncle Screwtape and Wormwood who, well, under a generous dignity granted by Lewis, call themselves “Tempters”; I refer to them as Devil (Spirit). And they are up against “Him”; the one who lives in the churches and to whom the world attributes its goodness and life.
Essentially, this work chalks out some theories on how the Devil should lure the “patient” or the human, away from his allegiance towards "Him" and secure him firm and consistent with himself.
This very concept takes my bow for it takes a lot to stand on both sides and view a situation without apathy or bias. In this deliciously curated work, the satire, the cynic, the comic and the subtle; all find place, and rightfully so. As for Screwtape, the breaking fragments of the world and the striking resemblance it holds to a colored hoax, is the doing of “Him”, and so he takes the fundamental ingredients of daily life like belief, love, marriage, gluttony, cowardice, fidelity, freedom, unselfishness and ownership and holds them, not aloft, instead face down. Screwtape draws sinister pleasure in observing the perpetual longing of the human to be star-struck about future and in the process, losing the all-important, all-pervasive present. He also makes a mockery of prevalent falsities in society where something as harmless as jazz can chain its women to strive for svelte figures at the expense of vitality; something as uplifting as art and fresco can underline the derisive palpability of nudity. He also takes a dig at the preconceived notions of love and marriage and the obtuse manner in which the happening of one is regarded as a prerequisite for justification of the other.
He basks in the hackneyed idea of ownership that drives the callous human. He spells it eloquently:
“It is as if a royal child whom his father has placed for love’s sake, in titular command of some great province, under the real rule of wise counselors, should come to fancy he really owns the cities, the forests, and the corn, in the same way as he owns the bricks on the nursery floor.”This book is a goldmine of veiled satire and I chuckled at the expressions, if not always at the latent intentions. Most of, what I call lyrical sarcasm, emanates from the failures of Wormwood and the wise senior never fails to pull him up. While explaining him the nuances of “Unselfishness”, he says:
“A woman means by Unselfishness chiefly taking trouble for others; a man means not giving trouble to others." And he suffixes it with, “She’s sort of woman who lived for others – you can always tell the others by their hunted expression.”However, for all the chinks in “His” armour that Screwtape so vehemently drills into Wormwood’s head, there are certain things he himself cannot fathom and hence, cannot overcome. He admits that the power of love, which flows freely from “His” altar, is a puzzle Evil’s years of research have failed to crack. It is a kind of impregnable shield; a sort of ultimate immunity. The simple pleasures of life like reading a book, drinking tea or taking a stroll uplifts humans’ spirits to such insurmountable levels that reaching them becomes a distant dream; conquering them, then, gets out of question. There is also an all-numbing admission of “His” influence when Screwtape writes,
“As you ought to have known, the asphyxiating cloud which prevented your attacking the patient on his walk back from the old mill, is a well-known phenomenon. It is the Enemy’s most barbarous weapon, and generally appears when He is directly present to the patient under certain modes not yet fully classified. Some humans are permanently surrounded by it and therefore inaccessible to us.”I am not giving away what culminates at the end, not because it would foil interest but because it is not significant.
The picture that Lewis paints by the time he puts his last stroke, is a mélange of ideas which although tilted to project one side as glorious, does not undermine the merits on the other. It is more of a congregation of two schools of thought on a line where students (and teachers) can change side at any instant. Even for a believer in Supreme Power, I paused at many points and examined the validity of the arguments earnestly. Let me say all said was not lost.
Thank you, C S Lewis; I realized I was not all that wood after all.
---
Patting the impact this work created, Time Magazine featured Lewis on its cover, five years post publication of this work, with a, Devil of course! :D
July 5, 2017
The Screwtape Letters is essentially a work of Christian Apologetics written as a satire. The premise is that a series of letters are being written by a master "tempter", Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, while he is trying to lead the life of a Christian, called the patient, astray. Like any work of Christian Apologetics, it is clear the intended audience is people who are already Christian and its purpose is to reinforce the beliefs that its audience already has about Christianity and provide them with comfort about those beliefs.
Upon reading this book I was interested in reading other reviews of the novel on Goodreads but when I did I was pretty disappointed. The book gets overwhelmingly positive reviews, nearly every reviewer is a Christian and despite the fact that the book could be very easily criticized from Christian theological perspectives that differ from Lewis's, nearly nobody is interested in discussing the serious theology of the material. The bad reviews were also disappointing since they usually criticize it for simply being boring (it is at least in terms of its writing) or, most absurdly, for being too frightening because it is written from the perspective of a "demon." Since Lewis portrays Screwtape as "affably evil" for comic effect I find the idea of somebody being terrified by this book both hilarious and troubling,
The arguments in the book are pretty weak soup. Here are the things I found most interesting about it.
1. I think it is very obvious that Lewis is a reader of Thomas Aquinas, and as a result he uses the "Golden Mean" and Virtue Ethics of Aristotle in argumentation quite often. Lewis starts off by saying that a Christian can be led astray by being turned into a "materialist" or a "magician", these two things being extremes that are "obviously" vices. So being a Christian, is conveniently in the middle of these two things, so it must be "right" and also "better."
The problem with this logic should not be hard to see. We see it in politics. The President even defended himself once by saying because Fox News says he is a socialist and The Huffington Post says he is a corporate shill he must be neither of those things and also must be somewhere in the middle of those two things, which is of course the "right" place to be.
The obvious problem with this is that just because you can propose a middle ground between two things does not make the middle ground right. If Hitler wants to murder six million people and the Pope wants to murder zero people then the "right" thing to do is not to murder three million people.
If Lewis wants to label something as a "vice" he has to make the case for that extreme being a vice before he can make the argument for the Golden Mean but Lewis uses this fallacy over and over again throughout this book.
Lewis also borrows the view that Aquinas has for science and sexuality. Lewis criticizes the idea that science stands in opposition to Christianity (the common view of the apologist but sadly not of the evangelical) by once again using the Golden Mean. He also does the same with sex, making it clear that sexuality was not invented by Satan but nevertheless must be experienced the way that "God intended."
2. The usual claims of "relativism" are aimed at intellectuals or atheists. Lewis gives us no examples of this but he makes the common claim that only the religious care about "true and false" and "right and wrong." Over and over again he criticizes a "historical" view toward religion. This plays into my favorite stupid claim of Lewis in Mere Christianity. He says that because the portrayal of Jesus in the Bible is not consistent with either a liar or a mentally ill person then he must have been God. Never mind that this comes from the Gospels written long after Jesus died by people with questionable morals. To Lewis, Jesus is obviously God, so much so that "faith" apparently is equivalent to an a priori claim, so to question whether an ancient text is in context, meant to be literal, or trustworthy should not be questioned as long as it tells us what we already believe, which in his case is that Jesus is God.
Lewis tries to portray intellectualism as problematic and more than a few times tries to link Atheism with communism and anti-populism. How this exactly works is never spelled out, but Lewis just wants to make sure that his audience understands that all things they might think of as "bad" are antichristian, and anything they think of as "good" as being inherently Christian. He conveniently ignores his Golden Mean argument here for a more black and white view of right and wrong.
3. Lewis speaks of being "in love" very negatively. To be fair Lewis is talking about infatuation and lust and for that to be the value of a relationship. Lewis wants to criticize people who think of marriage lightly, adultery and divorce but he also implies that the real reason to get married is for the sake of avoiding fornication. To Lewis, sex should only be experienced the way God intended it, which according to the bible is through polygamous marriage that includes multiple spouses and concubines, at least for the men.
4. Probably the most disturbing thing in the book, Lewis implies that the sooner you die the better off you are. Early in the book he talks about one of the best ways to make Christians leave their faith is to make them believe that the pleasures of the physical world are better. You can argue about this (see Nietzsche) but Lewis goes into dangerous territory when he admits most human beings, he was writing in 1941, will die young without being properly tempted. Since one of the vices in his Golden Mean is pacifism, Lewis comments on the War and implies that Christians should take wild risks with their lives because while suicide is a sin, an accidental death can only do them good.
5. Lewis talks about prayer "double speak." He says that if a prayer is unanswered then it is "proof" that prayer does not work to the unbeliever. If it is answered but the physical causes can be seen then it is also "proof." He neglects to realize that this kind of logic could work the other way. to a believer, if a prayer is answered then God did it. If it is unanswered than it contradicts God's plans.
6. Letter 26 is a little satirical gem. It is about "unselfishness" and essentially comments on human nature. I hated most of this book but Letter 26 is a masterpiece.
Upon reading this book I was interested in reading other reviews of the novel on Goodreads but when I did I was pretty disappointed. The book gets overwhelmingly positive reviews, nearly every reviewer is a Christian and despite the fact that the book could be very easily criticized from Christian theological perspectives that differ from Lewis's, nearly nobody is interested in discussing the serious theology of the material. The bad reviews were also disappointing since they usually criticize it for simply being boring (it is at least in terms of its writing) or, most absurdly, for being too frightening because it is written from the perspective of a "demon." Since Lewis portrays Screwtape as "affably evil" for comic effect I find the idea of somebody being terrified by this book both hilarious and troubling,
The arguments in the book are pretty weak soup. Here are the things I found most interesting about it.
1. I think it is very obvious that Lewis is a reader of Thomas Aquinas, and as a result he uses the "Golden Mean" and Virtue Ethics of Aristotle in argumentation quite often. Lewis starts off by saying that a Christian can be led astray by being turned into a "materialist" or a "magician", these two things being extremes that are "obviously" vices. So being a Christian, is conveniently in the middle of these two things, so it must be "right" and also "better."
The problem with this logic should not be hard to see. We see it in politics. The President even defended himself once by saying because Fox News says he is a socialist and The Huffington Post says he is a corporate shill he must be neither of those things and also must be somewhere in the middle of those two things, which is of course the "right" place to be.
The obvious problem with this is that just because you can propose a middle ground between two things does not make the middle ground right. If Hitler wants to murder six million people and the Pope wants to murder zero people then the "right" thing to do is not to murder three million people.
If Lewis wants to label something as a "vice" he has to make the case for that extreme being a vice before he can make the argument for the Golden Mean but Lewis uses this fallacy over and over again throughout this book.
Lewis also borrows the view that Aquinas has for science and sexuality. Lewis criticizes the idea that science stands in opposition to Christianity (the common view of the apologist but sadly not of the evangelical) by once again using the Golden Mean. He also does the same with sex, making it clear that sexuality was not invented by Satan but nevertheless must be experienced the way that "God intended."
2. The usual claims of "relativism" are aimed at intellectuals or atheists. Lewis gives us no examples of this but he makes the common claim that only the religious care about "true and false" and "right and wrong." Over and over again he criticizes a "historical" view toward religion. This plays into my favorite stupid claim of Lewis in Mere Christianity. He says that because the portrayal of Jesus in the Bible is not consistent with either a liar or a mentally ill person then he must have been God. Never mind that this comes from the Gospels written long after Jesus died by people with questionable morals. To Lewis, Jesus is obviously God, so much so that "faith" apparently is equivalent to an a priori claim, so to question whether an ancient text is in context, meant to be literal, or trustworthy should not be questioned as long as it tells us what we already believe, which in his case is that Jesus is God.
Lewis tries to portray intellectualism as problematic and more than a few times tries to link Atheism with communism and anti-populism. How this exactly works is never spelled out, but Lewis just wants to make sure that his audience understands that all things they might think of as "bad" are antichristian, and anything they think of as "good" as being inherently Christian. He conveniently ignores his Golden Mean argument here for a more black and white view of right and wrong.
3. Lewis speaks of being "in love" very negatively. To be fair Lewis is talking about infatuation and lust and for that to be the value of a relationship. Lewis wants to criticize people who think of marriage lightly, adultery and divorce but he also implies that the real reason to get married is for the sake of avoiding fornication. To Lewis, sex should only be experienced the way God intended it, which according to the bible is through polygamous marriage that includes multiple spouses and concubines, at least for the men.
4. Probably the most disturbing thing in the book, Lewis implies that the sooner you die the better off you are. Early in the book he talks about one of the best ways to make Christians leave their faith is to make them believe that the pleasures of the physical world are better. You can argue about this (see Nietzsche) but Lewis goes into dangerous territory when he admits most human beings, he was writing in 1941, will die young without being properly tempted. Since one of the vices in his Golden Mean is pacifism, Lewis comments on the War and implies that Christians should take wild risks with their lives because while suicide is a sin, an accidental death can only do them good.
5. Lewis talks about prayer "double speak." He says that if a prayer is unanswered then it is "proof" that prayer does not work to the unbeliever. If it is answered but the physical causes can be seen then it is also "proof." He neglects to realize that this kind of logic could work the other way. to a believer, if a prayer is answered then God did it. If it is unanswered than it contradicts God's plans.
6. Letter 26 is a little satirical gem. It is about "unselfishness" and essentially comments on human nature. I hated most of this book but Letter 26 is a masterpiece.
February 24, 2018
Feb 23 , 2018
I just picked this up again to read through some of my highlights.
I also wanted to mention that this book is dedicated to J.R.R.Tolkien. One of the biggest literary influences dedicating his book to another one of biggest literary influences, who also happens to be his friend. If that doesn’t warm your bookish heart I don’t know what will.
__________________________________________________
I will be honest, this was not the easiest read. While the book itself is quite small, the old English language and the style is written in, made me reread some of the paragraphs more than once.
That said, this book is full of gems.
It makes you think of yourself in a way you might have never thought before.
It makes you question all of your choices, because somehow you are finally more aware of them.
It makes you question the government and it makes you question how you do life as a person.
It is as if someone exposed all of your dirty laundry and made you go through it after, in public. Lewis points out all of our human flaws, and he is not shy about it. But he also gives you the reasons of those flaws and how to overcome them.
In the end, this book was nothing I thought it would be. It's not a light read, it's more of a "I gotta highlight the heck of some pages" kind of a read. I can't wait to go back and reread some of the hard truths over and over again.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
I just picked this up again to read through some of my highlights.
I also wanted to mention that this book is dedicated to J.R.R.Tolkien. One of the biggest literary influences dedicating his book to another one of biggest literary influences, who also happens to be his friend. If that doesn’t warm your bookish heart I don’t know what will.
__________________________________________________
I will be honest, this was not the easiest read. While the book itself is quite small, the old English language and the style is written in, made me reread some of the paragraphs more than once.
That said, this book is full of gems.
It makes you think of yourself in a way you might have never thought before.
It makes you question all of your choices, because somehow you are finally more aware of them.
It makes you question the government and it makes you question how you do life as a person.
It is as if someone exposed all of your dirty laundry and made you go through it after, in public. Lewis points out all of our human flaws, and he is not shy about it. But he also gives you the reasons of those flaws and how to overcome them.
In the end, this book was nothing I thought it would be. It's not a light read, it's more of a "I gotta highlight the heck of some pages" kind of a read. I can't wait to go back and reread some of the hard truths over and over again.
My WEBSITE
My INSTAGRAM
My WORDPRESS BLOG
June 3, 2019
“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts,...Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.”
The classic correspondence between the fiend Screwtape and his diabolical nephew Wormwood.
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. ”
Entertaining and original, and also thought provoking.
The classic correspondence between the fiend Screwtape and his diabolical nephew Wormwood.
“Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality. ”
Entertaining and original, and also thought provoking.
January 22, 2018
With infatiguable British wit and the king of unreliable narrators, C.S. Lewis harrows Hell to tell us how a demon’s mind works in The Screwtape Letters.
Years ago I thought this book was about possession, but it turns out to be far more concerned with that nagging little voice inside us that makes us mistrust our friends and family, encourages regrettable decisions, and makes us feel alone, adrift from our fellows and from God.
Screwtape is a masterfully written character, revealed as much but what he hides or distorts as what he says outright. He is full of hate and enjoys others’ misery, but he’s so petty and self-serious you can’t help laughing at him—especially when he gets transported with rage and accidentally transmogrifies into a giant centipede.
Speaking of transmogrification, this book has been a big influence on not only spiritual thought in certain circles, but secular fiction. Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus and Garth Nix’s Mogget are Screwtape’s cousins from Purgatory. Brimstone and his crew in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone remind me a bit of him too, although I’ll have to finish the book to know if they are as damned as he.
And Bill Watterson named Calvin’s teacher, Miss Wormwood, after Screwtape’s nephew—an apprentice who tried to poison a young man’s soul, only to have the lad die and sail straight Heavenward, while himself being pulled back to Hell to be eaten alive by the other fiends.
Most editions also include a diabolically delightful epilogue, “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” in which Lewis predicts 99% of what’s wrong with modern education. To quote another of his characters, “Bless me, but what do they teach them in the schools these days?”
Years ago I thought this book was about possession, but it turns out to be far more concerned with that nagging little voice inside us that makes us mistrust our friends and family, encourages regrettable decisions, and makes us feel alone, adrift from our fellows and from God.
Screwtape is a masterfully written character, revealed as much but what he hides or distorts as what he says outright. He is full of hate and enjoys others’ misery, but he’s so petty and self-serious you can’t help laughing at him—especially when he gets transported with rage and accidentally transmogrifies into a giant centipede.
Speaking of transmogrification, this book has been a big influence on not only spiritual thought in certain circles, but secular fiction. Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus and Garth Nix’s Mogget are Screwtape’s cousins from Purgatory. Brimstone and his crew in Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone remind me a bit of him too, although I’ll have to finish the book to know if they are as damned as he.
And Bill Watterson named Calvin’s teacher, Miss Wormwood, after Screwtape’s nephew—an apprentice who tried to poison a young man’s soul, only to have the lad die and sail straight Heavenward, while himself being pulled back to Hell to be eaten alive by the other fiends.
Most editions also include a diabolically delightful epilogue, “Screwtape Proposes a Toast” in which Lewis predicts 99% of what’s wrong with modern education. To quote another of his characters, “Bless me, but what do they teach them in the schools these days?”
January 12, 2018
Okay...so I've probably tried to read this book at least ten times over the years and never actually finished it. I started the book again this week and even tried the audio version by John Cleese on Youtube--didn't get very far as I kept thinking about Fawlty Towers, which I happened to have watched relatively recently, and therefore couldn't take him seriously as a devil.
I'm now analysing what it is about this book that I don't like as I usually know straight away. I'm wondering if I'm not sufficiently intelligent for the mental gymnastics required to see things from a demonic perspective. That does seem to be one of the stumbling blocks as I examine and re-read each sentence carefully reminding myself that I'm now Screwtape and that he is bad which means that everything is reversed.....But is that the key issue--my non-Lewis like brain power?
I mean, I should like this book for all the obvious reasons--it's meant to raise awareness of Satan's work, prevent Christians from falling to temptation, encourage Christians that God is more powerful and that the demons know it etc etc. So what exactly is my problem?
I guess I don't like the idea of a Christian author putting himself into character as the devil--apparently Lewis himself felt uncomfortable, maybe with good reason. I think the humourous, satirical approach undermines the deadly serious subject matter--the battle between good and evil is eternal life and death for all people whether they acknowledge it or not. Maybe Screwtape (despite the author being at pains to avoid this,) will still remind people of caricatures of the horned devil in a red-suit with a pitchfork as he rubs his hands together gleefully whilst composing his letters to Wormwood. Is that a helpful image considering the subject matter?
John Cleese recently stated that he didn't think much of organized religion and told he was not committed to "anything except the vague feeling that there is something more going on than the materialist reductionist people think." The fact that Cleese, a secular comedian and atheist (or at least agnostic) was able to read The Screwtape Letters aloud and find it amusing without apparently being convicted by its content probably speaks volumes more than I could write.
Oh, maybe I do know why I don't like this book after all. I think I will just accept that now and stop attempting to read it.
I'm now analysing what it is about this book that I don't like as I usually know straight away. I'm wondering if I'm not sufficiently intelligent for the mental gymnastics required to see things from a demonic perspective. That does seem to be one of the stumbling blocks as I examine and re-read each sentence carefully reminding myself that I'm now Screwtape and that he is bad which means that everything is reversed.....But is that the key issue--my non-Lewis like brain power?
I mean, I should like this book for all the obvious reasons--it's meant to raise awareness of Satan's work, prevent Christians from falling to temptation, encourage Christians that God is more powerful and that the demons know it etc etc. So what exactly is my problem?
I guess I don't like the idea of a Christian author putting himself into character as the devil--apparently Lewis himself felt uncomfortable, maybe with good reason. I think the humourous, satirical approach undermines the deadly serious subject matter--the battle between good and evil is eternal life and death for all people whether they acknowledge it or not. Maybe Screwtape (despite the author being at pains to avoid this,) will still remind people of caricatures of the horned devil in a red-suit with a pitchfork as he rubs his hands together gleefully whilst composing his letters to Wormwood. Is that a helpful image considering the subject matter?
John Cleese recently stated that he didn't think much of organized religion and told he was not committed to "anything except the vague feeling that there is something more going on than the materialist reductionist people think." The fact that Cleese, a secular comedian and atheist (or at least agnostic) was able to read The Screwtape Letters aloud and find it amusing without apparently being convicted by its content probably speaks volumes more than I could write.
Oh, maybe I do know why I don't like this book after all. I think I will just accept that now and stop attempting to read it.
October 26, 2022
My heart goes out to those that will never pick this up for one reason or another. Many may never know about it, having never bothered to look at Lewis’ work beyond Narnia. Of course, many others will see how this book is categorized on Goodreads and in libraries - religion, Christian, theology, faith. What reaction that causes, I am sure we all have some idea. Strong, deeply embedded reactions on both sides of the spectrum - taking it as gospel or taking it as propaganda. Both are equally damaging, as neither allow for a proper look at the material contained within, a proper discussion of the ideas put forth.
The relationship portrayed here is (I almost wrote heartwarming, but that’s not what it is, is it?) interesting. Wormwood is an apprentice, in correspondence with his uncle, Screwtape, who is a “highly placed assistant” to “Our Father Below”. The relationship is supervisory, and me calling it that is not at all far-fetched. Though I have personally never had supervisors that are this ridiculous, many friends have. Some have been worse than Screwtape. But I digress. Everything here happens as a reactive move on the supervisor’s part, never proactive. Wormwood’s heart is not in the task - he is not great at inducing sin and temptation in the soul that he has been assigned to. He constantly errs, Screwtape rages.
As I read this book, I thought about how on point Lewis is with his philosophy, one which I didn’t take in a religious sense, but a secular sense of self-improvement and discipline. Most of his ideas would apply today, despite having first been published in 1942. In fact, I believe the sins and troubles that he alluded to in a tongue in cheek manner have become much, much worse in modern society. Some of his ideas are painfully dated (for instance, the morality ascribed to having multiple sexual partners) and betray more about his own state of mind, but even so, they show key insights. Sticking to the previous example, while we may disagree with Lewis’ presentation of his morality on sex and temptation, we will find it harder to disagree with the rise in emptiness, loneliness, and depression surrounding the topic of sex and intimacy. The average number of sexual partners per person is at an all time high, a fact that does not incite judgment and hushed voices as it would have done even 20 or 30 years ago. However, deep-seated satisfaction with romance is frayed. Divorce rates are higher than they have ever been. Long-term commitment is a Platonic ideal, far from our grasp. Are these related? I don’t know for sure, but it certainly feels that way.
As I finished this book, I had one phrase on my mind, which I jotted down on the inside cover of my copy:
The devil is in the details, and the details are jumbled inside us all.
I will need to come back and add some of my favourite quotes to this one.
The relationship portrayed here is (I almost wrote heartwarming, but that’s not what it is, is it?) interesting. Wormwood is an apprentice, in correspondence with his uncle, Screwtape, who is a “highly placed assistant” to “Our Father Below”. The relationship is supervisory, and me calling it that is not at all far-fetched. Though I have personally never had supervisors that are this ridiculous, many friends have. Some have been worse than Screwtape. But I digress. Everything here happens as a reactive move on the supervisor’s part, never proactive. Wormwood’s heart is not in the task - he is not great at inducing sin and temptation in the soul that he has been assigned to. He constantly errs, Screwtape rages.
As I read this book, I thought about how on point Lewis is with his philosophy, one which I didn’t take in a religious sense, but a secular sense of self-improvement and discipline. Most of his ideas would apply today, despite having first been published in 1942. In fact, I believe the sins and troubles that he alluded to in a tongue in cheek manner have become much, much worse in modern society. Some of his ideas are painfully dated (for instance, the morality ascribed to having multiple sexual partners) and betray more about his own state of mind, but even so, they show key insights. Sticking to the previous example, while we may disagree with Lewis’ presentation of his morality on sex and temptation, we will find it harder to disagree with the rise in emptiness, loneliness, and depression surrounding the topic of sex and intimacy. The average number of sexual partners per person is at an all time high, a fact that does not incite judgment and hushed voices as it would have done even 20 or 30 years ago. However, deep-seated satisfaction with romance is frayed. Divorce rates are higher than they have ever been. Long-term commitment is a Platonic ideal, far from our grasp. Are these related? I don’t know for sure, but it certainly feels that way.
As I finished this book, I had one phrase on my mind, which I jotted down on the inside cover of my copy:
The devil is in the details, and the details are jumbled inside us all.
I will need to come back and add some of my favourite quotes to this one.
September 21, 2008
I didn't particularly enjoy this book but am glad that I read it. In fact, at times the book made my skin crawl. For those who have not read it, the book is written as a bunch of letters from a tempter, Uncle Screwtape, to his nephew, a tempter in training, named Wormwoood. Screwtape tutors Wormwood on how to tempt the "patient" he is assigned. Through the letters, you are constantly reminded and made to think about how the adversary tempts us. What is poignant is that the cunning and evil plans are not centered around obvious sins, that so often are what we think about when we think about temptation and sin. Instead, the tempters focus on much more subtle sins such as vanity, pride, distraction,insincerity, forgetting or being too tired say prayers,and how these can achieve the same goal as the more obvious sins which is ultimately to lead us away from God. That's how cunning and evil the devil is. He knows that by chipping away a little at a time he has a better chance at gaining us as his own.
You cannot read this book and not think of how pertinent it is to your life. It was a little frightening to find myself in the book as someone who has succumbed to some of these suttle temptations (many times). Perhaps thats why I didn't enjoy the read but still found it very insightful.
I found this "Beatitudes" in someone elses review (Jenelle) and thought it was great so I copied it from her review to mine. Really hit it home for me.
Screwtape Counterfeits
1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians — they are my best workers.
2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked — I can use them.
3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church — they are my missionaries.
4. Blessed are the trouble makers — they shall be called my children.
5. Blessed are the complainers — I'm all ears to them.
6. Blessed are those who are bored with the minister's mannerisms and mistakes — for they get nothing out of his sermons.
7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church — for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.
8. Blessed are those who gossip — for they shall cause strife and division that please me.
9. Blessed are those who are easily offended — for they will soon get angry and quit.
10. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on God's work — for they are my helpers.
11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister — for he shall be with me forever.
12. Blessed are you who, when you read this, think it is about other people and not yourself — I've got you too!
You cannot read this book and not think of how pertinent it is to your life. It was a little frightening to find myself in the book as someone who has succumbed to some of these suttle temptations (many times). Perhaps thats why I didn't enjoy the read but still found it very insightful.
I found this "Beatitudes" in someone elses review (Jenelle) and thought it was great so I copied it from her review to mine. Really hit it home for me.
Screwtape Counterfeits
1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians — they are my best workers.
2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked — I can use them.
3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church — they are my missionaries.
4. Blessed are the trouble makers — they shall be called my children.
5. Blessed are the complainers — I'm all ears to them.
6. Blessed are those who are bored with the minister's mannerisms and mistakes — for they get nothing out of his sermons.
7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church — for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.
8. Blessed are those who gossip — for they shall cause strife and division that please me.
9. Blessed are those who are easily offended — for they will soon get angry and quit.
10. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on God's work — for they are my helpers.
11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister — for he shall be with me forever.
12. Blessed are you who, when you read this, think it is about other people and not yourself — I've got you too!
April 9, 2018
Fantastic book! C. S. Lewis' first "novel" (actually Pilgrim's regress was first but it's a rather oblique allegory). It was and still is a best seller. I can recommend it to Christians and non-Christians alike. It's full of (yes I know it's a cliche, but here it's just true) "wit and wisdom". You'll see yourself and everyone else you've ever known well. You'll see situations that come up in everyday life. I recommend it highly!
This is probably my second favorite novel by Lewis...after The Great Divorce The Great Divorce, and rates up there in my favorite books of all time list.
Okay...did you get that I like it? :)
This is probably my second favorite novel by Lewis...after The Great Divorce The Great Divorce, and rates up there in my favorite books of all time list.
Okay...did you get that I like it? :)
March 20, 2024
Când am descoperit întâia dată acest titlu, mă tot gândeam, ce poate fi acesta? La ce se referă? Ce sfaturi? Ce diavoli? Cum adică? Pentru ce? De unde știe Lewis cum gândește un diavol? Are susținere biblică ce spune sau este doar vorbărie goală? Toate aceste întrebări au primit un răspuns adecvat în urma parcurgerii cărții. Fără a avea intenția de a face prea multe spoilere, aş vrea să îmi dau cu părerea pe marginea ei.
O carte ce te prinde încă de la început. Unică prin forma ei. Profundă în esență și idei. Uimitor de scurtă. Lewis surprinde în mod plăcut aici cititorul cu acest foc continuu de „sfaturi" ale unui diavol, mai bătrân și experimentat, sfaturi ce sunt intenționate unui ucenic al său, mai tânar și la început de activitate, în ce privește ispitirea și câștigarea sufletelor pentru iad.
Cartea este una într-adevăr fictivă, dar principiile ei sunt reale și biblice. Personajele sunt fictive, dar demonii există. Nu trebui făcută aici confuzie, ci trebuie disecată în cel mai nuanțat mod. Cartea este excelentă prin prisma faptului că prezintă cu mare succes ce se întâmplă în spatele „scenei" unde se dă lupta spirituală pentru sufletul uman. Da, există o bătălie, pe cât de invizibilă, pe atât de crâncenă în domeniul spiritual, care nu este făcut vizibil ochilor fizici.
Cred că pentru cei necreștini, atei, sceptici, agnostici sau pur și simplu pentru cei necredincioși, cartea este lipsită de orice sens. Ciudată. Absurdă chiar. Însă pentru un credincios, toate lucrurile fac sens; pentru el nu sunt o nebunie. La fel, cei care nu cred într-un iad real, în Satan ca entitate spirituală reală și demonică, cartea poate fi inutilă. O lectură aridă. În acest caz, nu mai văd rostul lecturii ei.
Pe parcursul cărții, scopul lui Lewis - din ce am înțeles eu - este să pună cititorul în papucii unui diavol, sau mai bine zis, în mintea lui. Cumva, ne ajută să vedem planul lor înainte ca acesta să fie pus în aplicare, dându-ne timp să ne pregătim de ceea ce urmează. Ne face să vedem ceea ce nu am putea vedea, decât dacă am fi în poziția aceasta. Acesta este, cred, aspectul psihologic central al cărții. Dacă am știi că multe atacuri vin din partea spiritelor demonice, cred că am trăi cu totul altfel. Dacă am luat seama cu adevărat la acest pericol, am căuta mai mult sfințenia, lăsând ineficiente toate aceste eforturi demonice. Aici se află miza practică a cărții.
Cartea are puterea să te mobilizeze, în cazul în care bați pasul pe loc. Are puterea să te motiveze la o trăire mai atentă, în cazul în care ești delăsător. Frumos scrisă, stilată, elegantă, ea are puterea să îți solicite atenția până la final, creând o atmosferă generală de curiozitate. După fiecare scrisoare eram curios să văd ce urmează să mai pună la cale cei doi. Ideile ei sunt deopotrivă unele teologice, filosofice, practice, cât și psihologice. Avem de-a face cu un amalgam alcătuit cu multă minuțiozitate.
Cât despre alcătuirea ei, cred că ar fi mers foarte bine dacă aceste scurte scrisori constau mai degrabă într-un dialog între cei doi, decât un monolog. Sfredelin a monopolizat discuția, lăsând toată atenția pe el. Cred că ar fi fost mai interesant și interactiv dacă discuțiile erau mai încinse, dinamice decât sunt acum. În timp ce citeam mă tot gândeam, dar Amărel ce zice în apărarea lui? Care este replica lui? Cum îi răspunde superiorului său? Mă așteptam să văd asta, dar nu a fost. Lewis cumva ne lasă pe noi să deducem, să intuim ce s-ar întâmpla. Discuția a fost mai mult una unidirecțională, cu sens unic. Pe alocuri aveam impresia că Sfredelin se repetă în ceea ce spune, cu sau fără intenție. Dar, treacă-meargă.
Alt lucru ce nu a făcut Lewis, a fost faptul că nu a creat un context, nu a conturat personajele mai bine. Nu a delimitat cadrul. Nu a așezat toate aceste piese într-un univers bine stabilit. Datorită acestui lucru cartea se limitează doar la faptul că Sfredelin îi scrie anumite scrisori ucenicului său. Și cam atât. Nu știm unde este el, unde este Amărel. Totul pare pe fugă, cumva superficial, în ceață, și dă loc de speculație. Cred că intenția lui Lewis a fost să facă o carte cât mai scurtă cu putință. Dar uneori acest lucru funcționează, alteori, nu. Pe alocuri am dat de anumite idei care am considerat că nu sunt biblice, precum pierderea mântuirii.
Ediția de la Humanitas este foarte bună, deși preferam să traducă titlul într-un mod mai fidel decât au făcut-o. Mă așteptam să existe o introducere la început, dar a lipsit. Adnotări nu prea au fost, deși cred că erau necesare în mai multe locuri. Traducerea este excelent făcută. Tehnoredactarea fără reproș. Eu am citit ediția fizică din 2012, unde calitatea cotorului lasă de dorit, fontul este diferit, iar ultimele pagini s-au și dezlipit chiar de la prima ei citire. O să îmi iau ediția cartonată cu ocazia aceasta.
Deși sunt mult de zis, mă opresc aici ca să las cititorului bucuria descoperirii. Așadar, merită să citim cartea? Absolut. Cel puțin o dată în viață.
O carte ce te prinde încă de la început. Unică prin forma ei. Profundă în esență și idei. Uimitor de scurtă. Lewis surprinde în mod plăcut aici cititorul cu acest foc continuu de „sfaturi" ale unui diavol, mai bătrân și experimentat, sfaturi ce sunt intenționate unui ucenic al său, mai tânar și la început de activitate, în ce privește ispitirea și câștigarea sufletelor pentru iad.
Cartea este una într-adevăr fictivă, dar principiile ei sunt reale și biblice. Personajele sunt fictive, dar demonii există. Nu trebui făcută aici confuzie, ci trebuie disecată în cel mai nuanțat mod. Cartea este excelentă prin prisma faptului că prezintă cu mare succes ce se întâmplă în spatele „scenei" unde se dă lupta spirituală pentru sufletul uman. Da, există o bătălie, pe cât de invizibilă, pe atât de crâncenă în domeniul spiritual, care nu este făcut vizibil ochilor fizici.
Cred că pentru cei necreștini, atei, sceptici, agnostici sau pur și simplu pentru cei necredincioși, cartea este lipsită de orice sens. Ciudată. Absurdă chiar. Însă pentru un credincios, toate lucrurile fac sens; pentru el nu sunt o nebunie. La fel, cei care nu cred într-un iad real, în Satan ca entitate spirituală reală și demonică, cartea poate fi inutilă. O lectură aridă. În acest caz, nu mai văd rostul lecturii ei.
Pe parcursul cărții, scopul lui Lewis - din ce am înțeles eu - este să pună cititorul în papucii unui diavol, sau mai bine zis, în mintea lui. Cumva, ne ajută să vedem planul lor înainte ca acesta să fie pus în aplicare, dându-ne timp să ne pregătim de ceea ce urmează. Ne face să vedem ceea ce nu am putea vedea, decât dacă am fi în poziția aceasta. Acesta este, cred, aspectul psihologic central al cărții. Dacă am știi că multe atacuri vin din partea spiritelor demonice, cred că am trăi cu totul altfel. Dacă am luat seama cu adevărat la acest pericol, am căuta mai mult sfințenia, lăsând ineficiente toate aceste eforturi demonice. Aici se află miza practică a cărții.
Cartea are puterea să te mobilizeze, în cazul în care bați pasul pe loc. Are puterea să te motiveze la o trăire mai atentă, în cazul în care ești delăsător. Frumos scrisă, stilată, elegantă, ea are puterea să îți solicite atenția până la final, creând o atmosferă generală de curiozitate. După fiecare scrisoare eram curios să văd ce urmează să mai pună la cale cei doi. Ideile ei sunt deopotrivă unele teologice, filosofice, practice, cât și psihologice. Avem de-a face cu un amalgam alcătuit cu multă minuțiozitate.
Cât despre alcătuirea ei, cred că ar fi mers foarte bine dacă aceste scurte scrisori constau mai degrabă într-un dialog între cei doi, decât un monolog. Sfredelin a monopolizat discuția, lăsând toată atenția pe el. Cred că ar fi fost mai interesant și interactiv dacă discuțiile erau mai încinse, dinamice decât sunt acum. În timp ce citeam mă tot gândeam, dar Amărel ce zice în apărarea lui? Care este replica lui? Cum îi răspunde superiorului său? Mă așteptam să văd asta, dar nu a fost. Lewis cumva ne lasă pe noi să deducem, să intuim ce s-ar întâmpla. Discuția a fost mai mult una unidirecțională, cu sens unic. Pe alocuri aveam impresia că Sfredelin se repetă în ceea ce spune, cu sau fără intenție. Dar, treacă-meargă.
Alt lucru ce nu a făcut Lewis, a fost faptul că nu a creat un context, nu a conturat personajele mai bine. Nu a delimitat cadrul. Nu a așezat toate aceste piese într-un univers bine stabilit. Datorită acestui lucru cartea se limitează doar la faptul că Sfredelin îi scrie anumite scrisori ucenicului său. Și cam atât. Nu știm unde este el, unde este Amărel. Totul pare pe fugă, cumva superficial, în ceață, și dă loc de speculație. Cred că intenția lui Lewis a fost să facă o carte cât mai scurtă cu putință. Dar uneori acest lucru funcționează, alteori, nu. Pe alocuri am dat de anumite idei care am considerat că nu sunt biblice, precum pierderea mântuirii.
Ediția de la Humanitas este foarte bună, deși preferam să traducă titlul într-un mod mai fidel decât au făcut-o. Mă așteptam să existe o introducere la început, dar a lipsit. Adnotări nu prea au fost, deși cred că erau necesare în mai multe locuri. Traducerea este excelent făcută. Tehnoredactarea fără reproș. Eu am citit ediția fizică din 2012, unde calitatea cotorului lasă de dorit, fontul este diferit, iar ultimele pagini s-au și dezlipit chiar de la prima ei citire. O să îmi iau ediția cartonată cu ocazia aceasta.
Deși sunt mult de zis, mă opresc aici ca să las cititorului bucuria descoperirii. Așadar, merită să citim cartea? Absolut. Cel puțin o dată în viață.
March 3, 2018
Satire.
Well, it's not for everyone, but considering that this was meant for uptight Christian prigs from 50 years ago, it's pretty good and timeless.
Enter Satan, AKA Screwtape, and listen to him extolling or deriding his demon nephew on the virtues of corrupting his human charge.
It's okay! Some of it is really funny and some of it just feels dated. But we need to put this kind of thing in its proper time and audience. The points are still valid but the people they're about are all dead. :) ... well, maybe not all, and there's always people more concerned about appearing Christian versus being Christian and most people are remarkably demonstrative about never actually having a real thought in their head, but isn't that the same everywhere? :)
So. It was okay as a satire. Probably much more scathing to the whole world way back when. :)
Big bad Satan giving brotherly advice. LoL.
Well, it's not for everyone, but considering that this was meant for uptight Christian prigs from 50 years ago, it's pretty good and timeless.
Enter Satan, AKA Screwtape, and listen to him extolling or deriding his demon nephew on the virtues of corrupting his human charge.
It's okay! Some of it is really funny and some of it just feels dated. But we need to put this kind of thing in its proper time and audience. The points are still valid but the people they're about are all dead. :) ... well, maybe not all, and there's always people more concerned about appearing Christian versus being Christian and most people are remarkably demonstrative about never actually having a real thought in their head, but isn't that the same everywhere? :)
So. It was okay as a satire. Probably much more scathing to the whole world way back when. :)
Big bad Satan giving brotherly advice. LoL.
June 27, 2012
More fun and playful than I'd anticipated.
As a platform upon which to discuss his beliefs and thoughts on theology, government, society and the nature of mankind in general, C.S. Lewis constructed The Screwtape Letters, an epistolary novel in the form of instructive letters from senior demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a sort of demonic trainee. For all intents and purposes, they are lectures, but lectures jazzed up and made more palatable for the student's mind.
It was about 20 years ago that I'd read about The Screwtape Letters in college, taking a mental note of its subject matter and filing it away as "to be read sometime in the far off future." Well that future arrived in June '12 and I'd plum forgotten Lewis' literary machinations in regards to this book. So I spent the first few pages somewhat perplexed, trying to figure out who the characters were and then once accomplishing that, reordering my brain to think backwards, because essentially everything written by Screwtape is in reverse of what Lewis means and feels about whatever subject it may be. So as Screwtape advises Wormwood on methods of securing the damnation of a British man, my wee little brain was sprinting to keep up with the conversation as I decoded it, considered Lewis' thoughts, and matched them with or against my own beliefs. Ever since reading his The Four Loves I've enjoyed picking at Lewis' theories, so for me this was a fun exercise, especially when immersing it in such a entertaining forum. Since I surely missed a few things, I'll no doubt be going back to this...probably in the 2030s.
As a platform upon which to discuss his beliefs and thoughts on theology, government, society and the nature of mankind in general, C.S. Lewis constructed The Screwtape Letters, an epistolary novel in the form of instructive letters from senior demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood, a sort of demonic trainee. For all intents and purposes, they are lectures, but lectures jazzed up and made more palatable for the student's mind.
It was about 20 years ago that I'd read about The Screwtape Letters in college, taking a mental note of its subject matter and filing it away as "to be read sometime in the far off future." Well that future arrived in June '12 and I'd plum forgotten Lewis' literary machinations in regards to this book. So I spent the first few pages somewhat perplexed, trying to figure out who the characters were and then once accomplishing that, reordering my brain to think backwards, because essentially everything written by Screwtape is in reverse of what Lewis means and feels about whatever subject it may be. So as Screwtape advises Wormwood on methods of securing the damnation of a British man, my wee little brain was sprinting to keep up with the conversation as I decoded it, considered Lewis' thoughts, and matched them with or against my own beliefs. Ever since reading his The Four Loves I've enjoyed picking at Lewis' theories, so for me this was a fun exercise, especially when immersing it in such a entertaining forum. Since I surely missed a few things, I'll no doubt be going back to this...probably in the 2030s.
November 23, 2012
I loved this book! It's a collection of letters written by a senior demon (Uncle Screwtape) to his nephew, junior demon (Wormwood). Wormwood is assigned a young man to tempt and the letters turn into a kind of study on how spiritual warfare works. I've always heard that C.S. Lewis was a great Christian apologist, and now I see why. This book gave me so much to think about. I think it's the kind of book you have to read at least twice to really appreciate the gems of wisdom. So glad I finally got round to reading it!
July 15, 2020
It is the great writer who can mix effective satire with the seriousness of religious philosophy. C.S. Lewis seems to be able to do this, while pulling the reader into the discussion on every page. This is a collection of letters, from a senior devil to his lowly nephew who seems eager to get on with the art of luring a man to the side of evil. The elder Screwtape uses his experience to inculcate young Wormwood about the details of winning over a soul and the nuances of doing so without being caught. The complexities of corruption take patience and determination, requiring a great understanding of how to decipher prayer, devotion, and love that humans seem prone to use when putting their emotional and spiritual lives on the line. With a grasp of these sentiments, the treacherous being can lure the subject to the side of evil and help spread the word to others. With that cleared up, a deeper discussion about the need to infiltrate the foundational sentiments espoused at church becomes central to success before the most daunting discussion of democracy and how it is ruining the ease of corrupting others. Screwtape reacts repeatedly to Wormwood’s progress, at times praising him, but never shying away from criticism for a job poorly done. With the future of the world’s souls on the line, there is no time like the present to forge ahead or face eternal ridicule. Will Screwtape be able to create a wonderful new fiend of his nephew? Might Wormwood feel that the effort is too much for him and stray to the ‘evils of purity’? These letters tell quite a story for all those involved. An interesting piece of tongue in cheek writing from another age, but with timeless application to today’s sinning public. Recommended to those who can laugh at religious indoctrination and its sarcastic downfalls, as well as those who enjoy the work of C.S. Lewis.
I know that this book has been on my radar for a long time, but I never got around to reading it. With a reading challenge before me seeking a unique approach to communicating, I though that this would be the ideal pick. This brief collection of letters from Screwtape to Wormwood offers not only a great analysis of organised religion and the means by which souls are placed firmly in one column or the other, but it also permits Lewis to explore the struggle from a more academic and philosophical angle. While this does occur throughout, there is an underlying sense of sarcasm and mockery that the attentive reader will see. These letters are unidirectional, from Screwtape to his nephew, so it is almost a monologue on the subject, rather than allowing the reader to see young Wormwood’s own sentiments and reactions, something that might have added more depth to the piece. Then again, who am I to argue with C.S. Lewis? The letters are brief in their content and on point in subject matter, allowing the reader to feel a succinct understanding of the topics at hand. As Lewis notes in the introduction, there is no real chronology to the letters either, though some surely work in a better order than others. This was surely an entertaining read and I encourage anyone with some time and interest to tackle this collection of letters, if only to say that they took the plunge.
Kudos, Mr. Lewis, for a great piece that kept me thinking throughout.
This book fulfils Topic #3: Share of the Equinox #11 Reading Challenge.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I know that this book has been on my radar for a long time, but I never got around to reading it. With a reading challenge before me seeking a unique approach to communicating, I though that this would be the ideal pick. This brief collection of letters from Screwtape to Wormwood offers not only a great analysis of organised religion and the means by which souls are placed firmly in one column or the other, but it also permits Lewis to explore the struggle from a more academic and philosophical angle. While this does occur throughout, there is an underlying sense of sarcasm and mockery that the attentive reader will see. These letters are unidirectional, from Screwtape to his nephew, so it is almost a monologue on the subject, rather than allowing the reader to see young Wormwood’s own sentiments and reactions, something that might have added more depth to the piece. Then again, who am I to argue with C.S. Lewis? The letters are brief in their content and on point in subject matter, allowing the reader to feel a succinct understanding of the topics at hand. As Lewis notes in the introduction, there is no real chronology to the letters either, though some surely work in a better order than others. This was surely an entertaining read and I encourage anyone with some time and interest to tackle this collection of letters, if only to say that they took the plunge.
Kudos, Mr. Lewis, for a great piece that kept me thinking throughout.
This book fulfils Topic #3: Share of the Equinox #11 Reading Challenge.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
November 18, 2022
A witty, sarcastic commentary on “the nature of human life.” Although a grave and serious story at its core, the tone is still kept quite light and funny at times, with its “how to damn a human soul” instructions being laced with office-style banter and complaint. Interesting arguments on religion, ethics, philosophy, and politics, especially for the time it was written.
April 25, 2011
Original post at One More Page
Ah Screwtape. I've heard so much about this book but I never got to buy it because the print copy was just too expensive for something so thin. I remember splurging on the ebook instead a couple of months ago, but true to form, it took me a while to read this. I know a Lewis book is never easy reading. What better time to read this one than during the Lenten season, right?
The Screwtape Letters is an epistolary novella that contains the letters of a demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood with detailed advice on how to lead his assignment, a man only named as "the patient" to sin and eventual eternal damnation. In these letters, Screwtape tells Wormwood of particular human weaknesses and how they can exploit it, of religious weaknesses and how to make it their patient's downfall, of how they're just not in it for general mischief but snatching human souls from their Enemy.
I was discussing this book with a friend a few days before I finished reading it, and he told me that while he liked the book, he didn't have the heart to review it because it struck too many familiar chords. I could say the same for me, too. The Screwtape Letters is almost humorous in some ways, especially whenever Screwtape would scold Wormwood for messing up, but it's more chilling in more ways than it is humorous. Screwtape outlined ways on how Wormwood could lead his patient to eternal damnation, and the ways he listed were a little too familiar that it borders on being uncomfortable. I admit that it really made me think of the times when I fell for the same things -- the feeling of "owning" my time that I get mad at any interruption, or worrying too much about tomorrow instead of focusing on today, self-righteous thinking. This book poked a little too much at the parts of my heart that I try to not look at, and helped me see myself for all the ugliness with all the sin that I've fallen into. I remember cringing as I highlighted the parts of the book that struck me the most, like these:
It's not that this book is not without hope -- in fact, it ends quite hopefully. But seeing it in the eyes of the "protagonists" it doesn't feel like it. This book is not really for fast reading -- each letter is meant to be read slowly and reflected on, maybe even discussed with other people of faith. Like other Lewis books, I think The Screwtape Letters is one for re-reading, because I'm sure different passages would hit people depending on what is the state of their life when they read this.
Of course, this is still considered as fiction, but like all other Lewis books I've read, it's one that made me think. I can't help but remember Ephesians 6:12 as I read this book: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." The Screwtape Letters is a book that definitely needs to be read more than once.
Ah Screwtape. I've heard so much about this book but I never got to buy it because the print copy was just too expensive for something so thin. I remember splurging on the ebook instead a couple of months ago, but true to form, it took me a while to read this. I know a Lewis book is never easy reading. What better time to read this one than during the Lenten season, right?
The Screwtape Letters is an epistolary novella that contains the letters of a demon Screwtape to his nephew Wormwood with detailed advice on how to lead his assignment, a man only named as "the patient" to sin and eventual eternal damnation. In these letters, Screwtape tells Wormwood of particular human weaknesses and how they can exploit it, of religious weaknesses and how to make it their patient's downfall, of how they're just not in it for general mischief but snatching human souls from their Enemy.
I was discussing this book with a friend a few days before I finished reading it, and he told me that while he liked the book, he didn't have the heart to review it because it struck too many familiar chords. I could say the same for me, too. The Screwtape Letters is almost humorous in some ways, especially whenever Screwtape would scold Wormwood for messing up, but it's more chilling in more ways than it is humorous. Screwtape outlined ways on how Wormwood could lead his patient to eternal damnation, and the ways he listed were a little too familiar that it borders on being uncomfortable. I admit that it really made me think of the times when I fell for the same things -- the feeling of "owning" my time that I get mad at any interruption, or worrying too much about tomorrow instead of focusing on today, self-righteous thinking. This book poked a little too much at the parts of my heart that I try to not look at, and helped me see myself for all the ugliness with all the sin that I've fallen into. I remember cringing as I highlighted the parts of the book that struck me the most, like these:
It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds; in reality our best work is done by keeping things out. (p. 16)
There is nothing like suspense and anxiety for barricading a human's mind against the Enemy. He wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them. (p. 25)
It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one -- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. (p. 60)
Now you will notice that nothing throws him into a passion so easily as to find a tract of time which he reckoned on having at his own disposal unexpectedly taken from him...They anger him because he regards his time as his and feels that it is being stolen. (p. 112)
It's not that this book is not without hope -- in fact, it ends quite hopefully. But seeing it in the eyes of the "protagonists" it doesn't feel like it. This book is not really for fast reading -- each letter is meant to be read slowly and reflected on, maybe even discussed with other people of faith. Like other Lewis books, I think The Screwtape Letters is one for re-reading, because I'm sure different passages would hit people depending on what is the state of their life when they read this.
Of course, this is still considered as fiction, but like all other Lewis books I've read, it's one that made me think. I can't help but remember Ephesians 6:12 as I read this book: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." The Screwtape Letters is a book that definitely needs to be read more than once.
August 28, 2021
⟪Mientras no lo ponga en práctica, no importa cuánto piense en este nuevo arrepentimiento. Deja que el animalillo se revuelque en su arrepentimiento. Déjale, si tiene alguna inclinación en ese sentido, que escriba un libro sobre él; suele ser una manera excelente de esterilizar las semillas que el Enemigo planta en el alma humana. Déjale hacer lo que sea, menos actuar.⟫
El momento extraño en que dos demonios están hablando de ti.
‘Cartas del Diablo a su Sobrino’ es un libro como ninguno que haya leído antes. Ni siquiera sé cómo empezar a describirlo. Como el título lo indica, se compone de una serie de “cartas” que un demonio le escribe a otro. El objetivo es simple, alejar a un ser humano de lo eterno (página 100). Escrutopo le escribe a Orugario, guiándolo en sus esfuerzos para tentar a un joven recién convertido.
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN: http://tambienleen.com/2016/03/10/aca...
El momento extraño en que dos demonios están hablando de ti.
‘Cartas del Diablo a su Sobrino’ es un libro como ninguno que haya leído antes. Ni siquiera sé cómo empezar a describirlo. Como el título lo indica, se compone de una serie de “cartas” que un demonio le escribe a otro. El objetivo es simple, alejar a un ser humano de lo eterno (página 100). Escrutopo le escribe a Orugario, guiándolo en sus esfuerzos para tentar a un joven recién convertido.
RESEÑA COMPLETA EN: http://tambienleen.com/2016/03/10/aca...
February 25, 2012
*slightly ashamed face and twisting of foot in the dirt*
So I didn't actually finish this book. I was looking forward to reading it and it has been on my bookcrossing wishlist for a while but when it finally arrived I found that the anticipation had outweighed the the delivery of the end product to such an extent that I gave up. Shame on me? Well maybe.
I read all the Narnia novels when I was a child and my parents never told me that it was all metaphorical, allegorical and many other -als for Christianity. This seems like a strange oversight as my mother used to go to Church every Sunday and she had read the Narnia series too so I'm assuming that she must have picked up on it. My Dad only went to church because he was made to go and he liked to sing hymns really badly, loudly and out of tune to amuse myself and my sister. This amusement was only normally surpassed by the arrival of the Vicar from the wings.
I believe the hidden bit at the side of the church is actually called the vestry, but church was always like a sort of theatre for me with people dressing up and fulfilling roles not always truly representative of their actual selves. The Vicar himself was not overtly funny but the fact that he looked exactly like Alan Rickman provided me with great scope for reciting endless chunks of script from Die Hard which was then, and still is now one of my favourite films.
The Screwtape letters are a series of epistles sent down (or up, I suppose) from a Senior Devil, instructing a more Junior Devil on the art of temptation in order to bring about the downfall of one specific individual who they call "the patient". The cover of the book shows an ugly gargoyle style grotesque, presumably as a representation of the devil. It strikes me that should demons and devils choose to pretty themselves up and present a more aesthetically appealing canvas then they would probably have a lot more success. Note to Satan: if you recruited your tempters and temptresses at Hooters, the Playboy mansion and wherever Daniel Craig and Jensen Ackles hang out, then you'd probably increase your success rate quite noticeably. Jensen I will do whatever you tell me to. That goes for you too Daniel.
While CS Lewis tries quite seriously to highlight in the letters, the areas in which sin can accidentally come upon us, the general tone is a little to meek and mild but that can probably be attributed to the period in which CS Lewis was writing. When it came down to it there just was not enough devilment for my liking (I suspect Screwtape would find me to be an all too easy convert).
On reflection I'm not really sure why I would have expected stories of unparalleled lusts and evil from the man who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia; those cuddly childhood tales of resurected (christ-like) lions and snowy wardrobe strewn landscapes where turkish delight is the equivalent currency to 30 pieces of silver. I am sure Senior devil, Screwtape, is offering sage advice to the trainee tempter Wormwood but his letters were too amiable and samey and without enough fire and brimstone to hold my attention.
So I didn't actually finish this book. I was looking forward to reading it and it has been on my bookcrossing wishlist for a while but when it finally arrived I found that the anticipation had outweighed the the delivery of the end product to such an extent that I gave up. Shame on me? Well maybe.
I read all the Narnia novels when I was a child and my parents never told me that it was all metaphorical, allegorical and many other -als for Christianity. This seems like a strange oversight as my mother used to go to Church every Sunday and she had read the Narnia series too so I'm assuming that she must have picked up on it. My Dad only went to church because he was made to go and he liked to sing hymns really badly, loudly and out of tune to amuse myself and my sister. This amusement was only normally surpassed by the arrival of the Vicar from the wings.
I believe the hidden bit at the side of the church is actually called the vestry, but church was always like a sort of theatre for me with people dressing up and fulfilling roles not always truly representative of their actual selves. The Vicar himself was not overtly funny but the fact that he looked exactly like Alan Rickman provided me with great scope for reciting endless chunks of script from Die Hard which was then, and still is now one of my favourite films.
The Screwtape letters are a series of epistles sent down (or up, I suppose) from a Senior Devil, instructing a more Junior Devil on the art of temptation in order to bring about the downfall of one specific individual who they call "the patient". The cover of the book shows an ugly gargoyle style grotesque, presumably as a representation of the devil. It strikes me that should demons and devils choose to pretty themselves up and present a more aesthetically appealing canvas then they would probably have a lot more success. Note to Satan: if you recruited your tempters and temptresses at Hooters, the Playboy mansion and wherever Daniel Craig and Jensen Ackles hang out, then you'd probably increase your success rate quite noticeably. Jensen I will do whatever you tell me to. That goes for you too Daniel.
While CS Lewis tries quite seriously to highlight in the letters, the areas in which sin can accidentally come upon us, the general tone is a little to meek and mild but that can probably be attributed to the period in which CS Lewis was writing. When it came down to it there just was not enough devilment for my liking (I suspect Screwtape would find me to be an all too easy convert).
On reflection I'm not really sure why I would have expected stories of unparalleled lusts and evil from the man who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia; those cuddly childhood tales of resurected (christ-like) lions and snowy wardrobe strewn landscapes where turkish delight is the equivalent currency to 30 pieces of silver. I am sure Senior devil, Screwtape, is offering sage advice to the trainee tempter Wormwood but his letters were too amiable and samey and without enough fire and brimstone to hold my attention.
April 23, 2015
I really really like this book. It's such an interesting perspective on Christianity and CS Lewis is a phenomenal story teller! I listened to the audiobook for part of this read, narrated by John Cleese, and I would highly recommend it. He is such an amazing narrator!
August 7, 2020
Five stars. Always five stars. If it doesn't get five stars from me, I've been hacked, or possessed.
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