Rating: 1.1.1
Recommended audience: Mature teen to adult
Category: Religious, fiction
This was a hard book for me to read but I'm so glad I did. C.S. Lewis really is just brilliant. He wrote this book as a collection of letters written by one of Satan's leading devils, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, who is a young tempter working on his first "patient". It took me a while to get into the feel of the book because it is coming from the viewpoint of God as the "Enemy". You have to switch your mind around a little to understand "Father" as Satan and "the Enemy" as God. That might sound like it's a bad thing but the insights into the human mind that come from this devil are really amazing. Such topics as selfishness, prayer, pride, gluttony, undulation (one of my favorites that you have to read the book to understand), and time are discussed as ways to lure the "patient" to their side. There is also great insight into God's love coming from this different perspective that is really wonderful and, I believe, so true. I would definitely recommend this as a "must read" but I do have to warn you that it is not light reading. It requires concentration and it helps to be free from all distractions. It's not long but it did take me a while because I had to find quiet time to read it. This is a great book club selection and brought out many great discussions for our group.
4 comments:
This is one of those that I have been aware of for years but have never gotten to. I think I've been afraid it would be hard to follow. It sounds like it is worth the trouble though.
I love that book. I think I've read it three or four times. It has really helped me more easily spot those times when I am being tempted. It's a good playbook of the opposing team.
we read this for my book club. I had never made it all the way through before because it is relatively exhausting to read. I realized that it was also the same to write it and he only wrote it in bits. And even he said "enough was enough". It was insightful though. I like C. S. Lewis.
Another book club favourite - great for discussion
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