Lewis’ A Grief Observed, first published in 1961, stands out as one of the classics in terms of its many insights into a personal journey with grief. April 21st 2015 The very fact that he isn't attempting to describe my grief, but only. There will be a day when I see her again and what a joy that will be. It's really hard, it takes a long time. Please try again. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include The Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity. A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis was always a talented writer, whether penning fiction or non, but this is a diary-style jotting of internal reflections during the horrible stages of losing his wife to cancer. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 11, 2017. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration. Many years later, after the death of my husband, another friend sent me A Grief Observed and I read it, expecting to be far more immediately involved than I had on the first reading. You will read the journal of a man devastated by his loss. Whether you are Chrisitan or not, just substitute your beliefs or non-beliefs into the God parts. This is a part of a health, Written with love, humility, and faith, this brief but poignant volume was first published in 1961 and concerns the death of C. S. Lewis's wife, the American-born poet Joy Davidman. This book on loss totally captured me. GREAT!!! I believe it is due to detailing this particular grief that Lewis has managed to write a universally useful observation that allows the reader to relate to the thoughts and anguish found in these pages. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2018. Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2017. This book, however, talks indirectly about dealing with grief by doing exactly what the title implies: observing a particular grief. I was first signposted to this book nearly 18 years ago by a bereavement counsellor Maxine - who helped more than she knew or I ever told her! I bought this book about ten years ago for a reason. He writes of his grief as he observes it. Parts of the book touched me deeply, but on the whole my experience of grief and Lewis’s were very different. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Helpful though a little heavy on the religious aspect. Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. I plan to follow-up with a longer review when I can increase my phone data Friday and set a hot spot for my laptop. ~~ This helped me a lot. 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. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Book Review – A Grief Observed [A Grief Observed, C.S. In her introduction to this new edition, Madeleine L'Engle writes: "I am grateful to Lewis for having the courage to yell, to doubt, to kick at God in angry violence. Blessed be his Name. Only torture will bring out the truth. This reads like a diary written by Mr. Lewis during the time right after his wife passed away. I loved her for 20 years and to just "get over it" was to count her as unimportant in my life. Lewis from his personal experience upon the death of his wife. I know and have experienced a good deal more than when I was in my 20's. Only under torture does he discover it himself.". Of all of the things offered to me at the time, this was the only thing I read that provided any comfort. They were part of the program. It's not a requirement to believe in God to benefit from this book. It's hard to rate a book like this - doesn't feel fully appropriate since it's more an internal dialogue through stages of grief than anything else. I deeply love and respect this. Still, his experience of the progression of loss and pain, of struggl. Today I know he is God and never makes a mistake. Books on grief have been part of both my professional and personal reading for many years now and C.S. I plan to follow-up with a longer review when I can increase my phone data Friday and set a hot spot for my laptop. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. Unable to add item to List. Lots of people, well meaning said she is now in the arms of Jesus. Lewis, soon after the death of his wife.She died of cancer in 1960. This is a short but meaningful read; it is less than 100 pages, but it took me several days to finish because I frequently had to put the book down and contemplate certain passages. This may be a typically male reaction to grief but to read the words of this great man who shared and understood my pain and I his is a life affirming and faith affirming experience. C.S. Many years later, after the death of my husband, another friend sent me A Grief Observed and I read it, expecting to be far more immediately involved than I had on the first reading. It dominates his daily life. I read most of the Lewis "canon" when I was in my 20's. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. A journal written by C.S. Paperback Please check back soon to purchase this item. His believe in God crimps. He has to be knocked silly before he comes to his senses. Still, his experience of the progression of loss and pain, of struggle to reconcile belief and emotion, of fear of the loss of memories, etc., have elements which much surely be nearly universal, and his honesty is comforting. The conclusion I dread is not ‘So there’s no God after all,’ but ‘So this is what God’s really like. Lewis Pte Limited, published by HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN 978-0-06-065238-8] Though (mostly) not dealing specifically with child or pregnancy loss, there were some quotes that, after hearing them on audio, drove me to read the book, A Grief Observed, for myself.I encourage you to consider the same. Learn more here. It is helpful indeed that C. S. Lewis, who has been such a successful apologist for Christianity, should have the courage to admit doubt about what he has so superbly proclaimed. Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2017, "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I lost my father many years ago and this book reflects what I proved losing him to cancer. Each person's grief is unique. However grief was a subject that was never really discussed and comments like ' well at least she is with the lord now" didm;t really help . I must confess that this book brought a mixture of hope and dread to me - I will ponder the questions C.S. Lewis,. A Buddhist Grief Observed is a sad, beautiful, and necessary book. Man! This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017. Lewis's honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. This book is quite deep and although it’s about the loss of his wife / bereavement which I thought would maybe give me a bit of an understanding into my grief, it was more him questioning his religious beliefs, so didn’t really find it helped. This is a beautiful and unflinchingly honest record of how even a stalwart believer can lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and how he can gradually regain his bearings. A Grief Observed Summary: A Startingly Letter To God. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. For me, reading this book was like reading the journal of a man who struggled to come to terms with the death of his wife while at the same time coming to terms with himself as a Christian. Lewis’s honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. Lewis. I deeply love and respect this man. Sus mÁs distinguidas y populares obras incluyen Las CrÓnicas de Narnia, Los Cuatro Amores, Cartas del Diablo a Su Sobrino y Mero Cristianismo. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. HarperCollins Publishers; 1st edition (February 6, 2001). The Only Helpful Book on Grieving I've Found, Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2014. We all have our reading bucket lists. It is so rich and honest and painful and hopeful. This work contains his concise, genuine reflections of that period: "Nothing will shake a man—or at any rate a man like me—out of his merely verbal thinking and his merely notional beliefs. Of course it is different when the thing happens to oneself, not to others, and in reality, not imagination.”, In what way does God “see because he loves”? “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear,” starts C.S. His stream of thought so closely echoed my own, with all the ups and downs of his emotions. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. I thought it would be more of a general exploration of grief but instead it was spesific about CS Lewis loosing his wife. Something went wrong. Written after his wife's tragic death as a way of surviving the "mad midnight moments," A Grief Observed is C. S. Lewis's honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. Add a little water and it expands into a meal. It really changes your brain and it takes a while to find a path out of it. C. S. Lewis escribiÓ mÁs de treinta libros, lo cual le permitiÓ alcanzar una enorme audiencia, y sus obras aÚn atraen a miles de nuevos lectores cada aÑo. You will not find any neat answers, cosmic solutions or expressions of God that will "help you get through it." ‎A classic work on grief, A Grief Observed is C.S. Its the hope given thru the bible , promised by Christ and written about throughout scripture . It was an instant death, unexpected, and almost unbearable. I am reading again now when a close friend has taken his own life and left a young, beautiful family behind. The book is a non-fiction reflection, from his journal kept following the death of H who died of cancer after t… Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Anybody going through the death, bereavement or separation of a loved one. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English literature at Oxford University until 1954 when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. I keep on swallowing. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip. Lewis's honest reflection on the fundamental issues of life, death, and faith in the midst of loss. This book was awesome for several reasons. It was! The death of C.S. A Grief Observed 1. This to be expected knowing Lewis's background. The main characters of this christian, religion story are C.S. I've had grandparents, uncles and aunts, friends, and loads of pets die; however, I have never felt the extreme loss that Lewis touches on so briefly and yet so poignantly here. Recently a Goodreads friend of mine (Shirley) picked it for me to read for our group's challenge. Download A Grief Observed free in PDF & EPUB format. Written after his wife’s tragic death as a way of surviving the “mad midnight moments,” A Grief Observed an unflinchingly truthful account of how loss can lead even a stalwart believer to lose all sense of meaning in the universe, and … For now, I'll say, I love Lewis more than ever now. #3: Grief is like a long valley, a winding valley where any bend may reveal a totally new landscape. 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