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cbower2's review
5.0
Highly recommend this book! C.S Lewis is amazing! This gives a really cool perspective on things.
rileypeper's review
3.0
There was some amazing content in the book. I learned quite a bit, especially during the first two-thirds of the book. For some reason, the last third of the book didn't grab me. I felt the same way when I read Mere Christianity, also by Lewis. The concept of the book is that an experienced devil, Screwtape, gives advice to his nephew and apprentice, Wormwood, on how to corrupt and tempt a human that is put in Wormwood's "care." The concept is really smart and I think it was worthwhile to look at life through a different lens than I normally do.
Overall, I liked the book. I'm glad I read it. C.S. Lewis has a way of explaining the world in a simple way where you think to yourself, "Yes. That's exactly how that works." But, if I tried to explain the same concept I would fall short. I'd recommend reading this book once, but it won't be on my re-read list anytime in the near future.
Overall, I liked the book. I'm glad I read it. C.S. Lewis has a way of explaining the world in a simple way where you think to yourself, "Yes. That's exactly how that works." But, if I tried to explain the same concept I would fall short. I'd recommend reading this book once, but it won't be on my re-read list anytime in the near future.
redbeard92's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
alexandrabrooks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
dullshimmer's review against another edition
4.0
Have you ever wondered if the way we viewed demons was incorrect? That instead of the horror fueled vision found in the Exorcist, demons were instead involved in some kind of bureaucratic job of trying to convince moderns, very subtly mind you, to turn away from God. That is the path that C.S. Lewis take here in The Screwtape Letters
It's a very unique approach to a book and one that on that pulled it off with a decent amount of success. This makes it a very difficult book to classify. Some have called it humor, but Lewis doesn't really seem to be going for laughs here. Other have called it satire, but that doesn't feel quite right either. It feels more like trying to imagine what you would like from an enemy's point of view.
The book also has a unique way of presenting this scenario as it is written as series of letters from Screwtape, a senior demon and uncle to Wormtail, to his nephew. You only get one side of the conversation though. You never see what Wormtail writes, only his uncle's reply. It's an intriguing setup, but I feel it also causes some problems down the line.
These letters serve to highlight what the demons are trying to do to tempt people away from God, the Enemy in the book, and toward the devil, or Our Father as Screwtape would say. These letters are interesting in showing the ways that temptation can come even from very good things even from things that we think are being Christian or godly. The letters will give Christians much to think about, even if you may not agree with every notion that Lewis presents.
In fact where the notions come from is kind of hard to tell in the book. You can argue that Lewis is the author and therefore is presenting his views on matters here, but while I have no doubt that is true to some degree, I am somewhat unsure that this makes everything crystal clear. Lewis seems to be trying his hardest to envision how demons would look at the actions of humans. It is sometimes hard to know what Lewis is really thinking about a matter and what the demons are simply unable or unwilling to understand from the vantage point that Lewis is giving them. After all Screwtape is quite certain that God doesn't really love his creation, there must be something more going on. Demon kind just hasn't quite figured out what this is yet, but they're working on it.
I think this ambiguity makes it kind of hard to pin Lewis down hard and fast by looking to the words of Screwtape. I have no doubt that his own views are present, but where his views come into play and where it is the attempt to give Screwtape his own unique perspective is unclear, at least to me.
Another mixed aspect of the book is something I feel very strongly in all of the works that I've read of Lewis. That is how much World War II has shaped so much of the way he's presenting things. It absolutely makes sense why this is and I don't really fault him for it, but as we're living nearly 80 years after the fact there is a disconnect in a number of places from the book. There is of course stuff that still resonated and was worthy of thought, but currently we're not in fear of being bombed by the Nazis or really by much of anyone for the most part. I think that difference just takes some of the edges off what he's saying for modern readers.
If I had one firm complaint about the book it is that it felt a bit too compressed. I think it would have been more enjoyable to have around the same amount of letters, but interspersed over longer periods of time. As it was I felt that with everything so very compressed it made for a rather unsatisfying ending.
Overall, I thought The Screwtape Letters was an intriguing read. It was a very unique book that isn't really like much of anything else I've read so far. Lewis has his demons make some good observations about humanity and Christians, but there is also a good amount I had a hard time connecting with. The ending of the book was also a bit underwhelming. It was enjoyable, but I wouldn't call it amazing or one of my top favorites.
It's a very unique approach to a book and one that on that pulled it off with a decent amount of success. This makes it a very difficult book to classify. Some have called it humor, but Lewis doesn't really seem to be going for laughs here. Other have called it satire, but that doesn't feel quite right either. It feels more like trying to imagine what you would like from an enemy's point of view.
The book also has a unique way of presenting this scenario as it is written as series of letters from Screwtape, a senior demon and uncle to Wormtail, to his nephew. You only get one side of the conversation though. You never see what Wormtail writes, only his uncle's reply. It's an intriguing setup, but I feel it also causes some problems down the line.
These letters serve to highlight what the demons are trying to do to tempt people away from God, the Enemy in the book, and toward the devil, or Our Father as Screwtape would say. These letters are interesting in showing the ways that temptation can come even from very good things even from things that we think are being Christian or godly. The letters will give Christians much to think about, even if you may not agree with every notion that Lewis presents.
In fact where the notions come from is kind of hard to tell in the book. You can argue that Lewis is the author and therefore is presenting his views on matters here, but while I have no doubt that is true to some degree, I am somewhat unsure that this makes everything crystal clear. Lewis seems to be trying his hardest to envision how demons would look at the actions of humans. It is sometimes hard to know what Lewis is really thinking about a matter and what the demons are simply unable or unwilling to understand from the vantage point that Lewis is giving them. After all Screwtape is quite certain that God doesn't really love his creation, there must be something more going on. Demon kind just hasn't quite figured out what this is yet, but they're working on it.
I think this ambiguity makes it kind of hard to pin Lewis down hard and fast by looking to the words of Screwtape. I have no doubt that his own views are present, but where his views come into play and where it is the attempt to give Screwtape his own unique perspective is unclear, at least to me.
Another mixed aspect of the book is something I feel very strongly in all of the works that I've read of Lewis. That is how much World War II has shaped so much of the way he's presenting things. It absolutely makes sense why this is and I don't really fault him for it, but as we're living nearly 80 years after the fact there is a disconnect in a number of places from the book. There is of course stuff that still resonated and was worthy of thought, but currently we're not in fear of being bombed by the Nazis or really by much of anyone for the most part. I think that difference just takes some of the edges off what he's saying for modern readers.
If I had one firm complaint about the book it is that it felt a bit too compressed. I think it would have been more enjoyable to have around the same amount of letters, but interspersed over longer periods of time. As it was I felt that with everything so very compressed it made for a rather unsatisfying ending.
Spoiler
The book basically ends with the human, or patient, dying in a bombing. I understand why this was the ending to the book. It provides a rather neat end to the book, but I can't say I was particularly fond of it. Perhaps I should be very happy that the man died and is now with God, but it felt more due to him dying before he was able to be tempted rather than a resolute following of God. It just felt rather unsatisfying and like Lewis was saying that it was best for him to die in this way, although again that could just be the demonic lens through which such an event is viewed. That they would never have recognized his resoluteness and faithfulness, but would always view him as a matter of time and number of temptations no matter what the case.Overall, I thought The Screwtape Letters was an intriguing read. It was a very unique book that isn't really like much of anything else I've read so far. Lewis has his demons make some good observations about humanity and Christians, but there is also a good amount I had a hard time connecting with. The ending of the book was also a bit underwhelming. It was enjoyable, but I wouldn't call it amazing or one of my top favorites.
jkclemen's review
3.0
3.5 stars
I liked it over all was worth a read, the concept was very thought provoking and led me to try reflect on how things might apply to me. It did come off very hard to understand with dense convoluted language but I think that’s more of failing on my part or me being to tired when reading.
I liked it over all was worth a read, the concept was very thought provoking and led me to try reflect on how things might apply to me. It did come off very hard to understand with dense convoluted language but I think that’s more of failing on my part or me being to tired when reading.
_emma_rose_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Lewis really seems to understand the human condition, I'd say.