If you liked the film of _Sense and Sensibility,_ you'll probably love this book. It's profusely illustrated with black-and-white pictures of both scenes from the movie and off-camera, and has two lush sets of color plates (which don't look quite right in the paperbck version, but which do communicate the beautiful cinematography of the film). This book inclues the shooting screenplay, heavily edited so neophytes can read it without confusion, an introduction by the film's producer, and, most notably, a series of diaries by Emma Thompson during the shooting. While the entries are usually quite brief, they provide a small but revealing windows onto the process of moviemaking, often quite a contrast to the seamless product seen on-screen. Disappointingly, they're not very detailed about the screenwriting process itself, nor about the five-year-long struggle Thompson endured to write the screenplay (when she began it she was a little-known actress and the two leading parts were originally written with real-life sisters Natasha and Joely Richardson in mind, but this detail is nowhere mentioned in the book). Those interested in personal details will be frustrated: although Thompson reportedly began dating Greg Wise, who played Willoughby, during the shooting, it's not mentioned. But there are remarkable insights into Jane Austen, the film, and the process of moviemaking itself, and the diaires help explain how Thompson managed to create such a faithful but lively adaptation of Jane Austen's novel. Thompson's bawdy English wit is also brilliantly displayed. This is a welcome look into the mind of a fascinating, articulate, intelligent actress, and a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at an already-beloved movie. Highly recommended

If you read Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" before or after seeing the 1996 film version then I think it is pretty easy to conclude that Emma Thompson's Oscar for Best Screenplay adaptation was richly deserved. After writing and performing a series of short skits for British television, Thompson was approached by producer Lindsay Doran to write the screenplay. Thompson began by dramatizing every scene in the novel, which resulted in 300 hand written pages to be followed by 14 drafts as the 1811 novel was crafted into the final script. The result was a script that manages to be not only romantic and funny, but also romantic and funny in the best Austen sense of both words.

Be aware that this is the Original Script, not to be confused with the Shooting Script. This should be clear as soon as you beginning reading, because originally Thompson had the scene shifting back and forth between Mrs. Dashwood and Elinor/John and Fanny Dashwood (credit for this revision must go, I believe, to Film Editor Tim Squyres, who recut the scene so that we get all of one side and then the other instead of alternating back and forth as in the original script). Overall the strengths of Thompson's script are in two main directions. First, she manages to convey the scope of the novel in a two-hour screenplay, no mean task. Second, the little details she adds to Austen's story are simply marvelous. For example, her use of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 ("Let me not the marriage of true minds"), which Marianne and Willoughby share to their great mutual delight and which Marianne repeats standing in the rain looking at Willoughby's new estate. In fact, Thompson revised the first scene to make it even better, having Willoughby misquote a key word in an elegant bit of foreshadowing. Thompson also makes one nice little change at the end. While Austen has Elinor bolt from the room to cry outside during the happy ending. Thompson creates a wonderful moment by having her stay in the room and having the rest of her family flee. There are not too many scenes where you are crying and laughing at the same time, but Thompson certainly created one (and has the added virtue of relying on herself as an actress to nail the performance as well). All of these are marvelous examples of playing to the strength of the cinema to bring Austen's novel to the screen.

But we get much more than just the screenplay in this volume, because Thompson includes excerpts from her diaries kept during both the writing of the screenplay and the actual production of the film. It would be nice if there was more insight into what she was thinking when writing the screenplay as I am always interested in how decisions were made and where inspiration comes from, but Thompson makes up for that with her little tales of working with director Ang Lee and the rest of the cast in making the film. Finally, in the Appendices, there is a very choice little treat, namely Imogen Stubbs' Prize-Winning Letter, written to Elinor from Lucy. Do not worry; by the time you read it you will understand why it is so hysterical. There is also a list of the fine homes and estates where "Sense and Sensibility" was filmed if you happen to be roaming around England and are interested in looking for such things.

Most for-sale screenplays are just that -- screenplays. Emma Thompson, who wrote the screenplay for the delightful Jane Austen film "Sense and Sensibility," chose to include journal entries throughout the filming of the movie as well, in addition to the winning entry of a contest to see who could write the best letter from Fanny to Elinor.

There is wit in the descriptions and the photos, all well-captured. The journal entries are entertaining and a good look into the making of a movie. Although be forewarned -- because they dress like the characters of S&S, they do not talk like them. There is definitely some verbal crudeness in the book, men and women alike, but if you can overlook that (or are used to it) then this book will be a delightful read for any Jane Austen fan.

This is one of Lewis's more difficult-to-find academic works. However, if you find it and read it, you will not be disappointed. I read the book on my own initiative while taking a master's class in Medieval literature. I probably learned as much from his book as I did from the whole class, and it opened up countless delightful possibilities for future enquiry. It also gave me a great idea for my final paper, which I'd been lacking the inspiration to write.

What's more, this work is still respected in academia. Recently I was reading a Cambridge thesis on the subject of early printing (The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe by Elizabeth L. Eisenstein) and came across a quote from _The Discarded Image_ (an uncited quote, which was annoying, but that's another story). Eisenstein quotes most authors in order to disagree with them, but she didn't disagree with Lewis (added to him, qualified him, but didn't disagree), which was unusual. Lewis was one of the few authors in her field that Eisenstein did not attack! I also passed _The Discarded Image_ along to one of my previous college professors and he decided to include ideas from it in his Survey of English Literature course.

If you want to know how medieval men and women saw their world-their belief in supernatural beings intermediate between angels and devils, their admiration for all kinds of organization, their heavy reliance on the snippet of Plato to which they had access-read this book. You will never see the Middle Ages quite the same way again.

I liked the book. I was nice. read it.

Table of Contents:

Preface

I The Medieval Situation

II Reservations

III Selected Materials: the Classical Period

A The "Somnium Scipionis"

B Lucan

C Statius, Claudian, and the Lady "Natura"

D Apuleius, "De Deo Socratis"

IV Selected Materials: the Seminal Period

A Chalcidius

B Macrobius

C Pseudo-Dionysius

D Boethius

V The Heavens

A The Parts of the Universe

B Their Operations

C Their Inhabitants

VI The Logaevi

VII Earth and Her Inhabitants

A The Earth

B Beasts

C The Human Soul

D Rational Soul

E Sensitive and Vegetable Soul

F Soul and Body

G The Human Body

H The Human Past

I The Seven Liberal Arts

VIII The Influence of the Model

Epilogue

Index

In his "An Experiment in Criticism", Lewis suggests that the heart of literary experience is the surrender by the reader to the work being read; that good reading is the entering into the views of others and going out of ourselves.

With regard to medieval literature, this requires two things: the facts behind a host of unfamiliar references, and even more importantly, a remake of how to think of reality. Readers who insist on reading works of the period with their modernism intact are "as travellers who carry their resolute Englishry with them all over the continent, mixing only with other English tourists, enjoying all they see for its 'quaintness', and having no wish to realise what those ways of life, those churches, those vineyards, mean to the natives." While Lewis says "I have no quarrel with people who approach the past in that spirit", he also says of them, in a somewhat chilling echo of the Sermon on the Mount: "They have their reward."

It is to those who want a much greater reward that Lewis directs "The Discarded Image." While he provides the reader with hard information concerning medieval philosophy, cosmology, biology, education and literature, imparting the individual facts is the lesser part of his purpose. What he really aims at is to completely detach the reader from all of the unconscious beliefs and attitudes that a lifetime spent in modern culture brings, and substitute for them those of the educated medieval man.

What the description I've just given you of this book does not do is to describe what the experience of having that done to you is like. I found it compelling and disorienting. One by one, the familiar intellectual landmarks were stripped away from my mental image of the world, and strange new ones put into their place. Vertigo is the word that comes closest to describing the feeling; I found I had to stop reading every couple dozen pages to give myself time to recover. This was so even though my familiarity with the philosophy, theology, and cosmology of the period was, by any non-specialist standard, quite high. The reason, I think was not so much that my knowledge was inferior to Lewis' (although of course it certainly was) as that I had only thought of these matters from an external "objective" point of view - I had never before tried to actually enter into that view of the world before. The result of Lewis' instruction on the matter was a combination of delight at the new insights so gained and humiliation at the revelation of the deep limitations of the "knowledge" I had possessed before.

In sum, I found reading "the Discarded Image" to be an extraordinary experience, and its value in no way depends on my using the information gained to identify some off-hand reference of Chaucer's. What Lewis describes in "An Experiment in Criticism", he demonstrates here - how completely different reading is when it is done well compared to when it is merely done.

The last of the four Sherlock Holmes novels, and one of the two best. It contains more detection in its first section than The Hound of the Baskervilles, with Holmes (off-stage for much of The Hound) actively investigating the murder at Birlstone, and drawing his ever-fascinating deductions from raincoats and dumb-bells; indeed it is the only pure detective story among the four, with the reader given every opportunity to solve the crime. Although the solution is justly famous, it is but a variation on "The Norwood Builder," at much greater length. The second half of the tale concerns the doings of the Pinkerton agent Birdy Edwardes in the eponymous Valley, terrorised by the Freemasons, a gripping and powerful account which is perhaps of greater interest than the detection.

'The Valley of Fear'. A real page turner but what makes it most memorable for me is not that Holmes is at his best, but Conan Doyle is. After reading this book I recommend you to read this book because it was a suspense story. The whole story moves around Mcginty who was a big criminal in the valley of vermisa also called the valley of fear. There was only one person who could face to that criminal and his name was Jack McMurdo. He behaved as a gangster and he had taken many risks in his life and he was not afraid to take more risks. Don't miss 'The Valley of Fear'. It's terrifying, exciting, and best of all, real.

I have read all of the Holmes tales many times, and I think this one reigns supreme. I believe that was also Doyle's opinion. It is the finest detective story I have ever read, masterfully composed. The Vermissa Valley section builds to the most shocking moment I've ever experienced in literature.

My husband died 4 weeks ago after a long illness. My priest gave me a copy of this book to read. It was as if I were reading my own love story. In the days that have followed, I have struggled with the concept of the severe mercy, the loss so great that words cannot define it. I saw no mercy in it, only the severity. But the message is that this horrible, unfathomable loss came as a result of the most exquisite and profound love - truly a mercy - that, by the grace of God, I was allowed to have if only for a short time. My husband and I often described our coming to Christ and our faith as a journey. God allowed us to go to the depths of despair in preparation for this time, almost a cleansing that we might better understand His infinite wisdom and mercy. I recently watched "Shadowlands" for the 2nd time and found it said so much more to me - a reference to CS Lewis's own journey and discovery are a part of this story. I look forward to now reading "A Grief Observed" as I continue my journey without my husband. This book gave me a place to start.

A Severe Mercy is a masterfully crafted autobiography and the story of an intensely deep love relationship, a profound introspective on their path to finding God, and the utimate bereavement the author experiences as his thirty-something wife dies of a terminal illness.

Along the way, their paths cross with C.S. Lewis; personal correspondence with him peppers the book, as does a collection of superb poems written by Vanauken. It explores complex theological, philosophical and aesthetic issues with deep insight and profoundly sharp perspective. I can't recommend it highly enough, it's truly one if the best books I've ever read - a work of art which crosses many dimensions.

Practically speaking, A Severe Mercy explores a number of crucial life issues with breathtaking clarity. First, the second chapter, "The Shining Barrier" distills more insight into the true workings of a wonderful marriage relationship than a dozen garden-variety relationship books from the self-help section of a bookstore. Anyone who wants to understand why their romance has cooled off after five or ten or twenty years of marriage (including myself) could use this chapter alone as a manual for re-kindling the fire.

Secondly, it explores the nature of a difficult spiritual journey in a most articulate way - the emotional, philosophical, theological and personal implications of the claims of Jesus Christ. This book is not in any way a Bible-thumping promo for Christianity; rather it examines the claims of Christ and their implications from logical, historical, aesthetic and personal viewpoints -- in a way that no thinking person can easily dismiss.

I gave this book to friends of mine, a highly educated married professional couple, before they went on a camping trip. They were struggling mightily to reconcile Christianity with their modern worldview and the book was instrumental in helping them accomplish a breakthrough.

Third, it delves into the difficult interior world of a person who is bereft of the love of his life and who must feel the sorrow and loss and yet go on.

A Severe Mercy plumbs the depths of all of these issues via beautiful prose, expertly crafted perspective, and provocative poetry. Highly recommended.

After several readings of this book over the past few years, I can conclude without any hesitation that it is the most moving and unforgettable memoir I've ever read. It is relevant to note that all 29 of the other ... reviewers (at the time of my own writing) rate it a solid 5 stars... it really deserves a sixth. Not only for it's amazing true content, but for the beautiful way in which the author lays it all out. This book will literally captivate your imagination, sweep you away, and tug you towards a deeper understanding of the depths of "inloveness" (a Vanauken term) possible in God-ordained marriage.

Sheldon and Jean Vanauken were living the dream of togetherness that most people only.... well, DREAM about... until they came face to face with the fact that perhaps "perpetual springtime is not allowed." Those words were from their personal friend, the Oxford don C.S. Lewis and addressed to Sheldon as he tried to make sense of his overwhelming grief.

This is the story of a profound love between two people... a love that has its genesis, consummation, and terminus in heavenly places. If your eyes are dry all the way through this book... well, never mind... they won't be.

If you can, get the deck as well as the book. While the book does a good job of telling the reader about the history and symbolism of the tarot, it is intended to be a guide for using the deck that Barrett created. If you can't find the cards on Amazon, I think you can still buy the deck and book set directly from the author, plus you can get him to autograph the book for you. The author uses ancient Egyptian symbolism, and ties this in with the cabbala, astrology, and traditional tarot systems. The book is a good guide for using his deck, but ultimately you will have to let the cards speak to you and your own intuitive interpretations -- since both the major and minor arcana are illustrated, you can let the pictures speak directly to the right side of your brain. I also own the Rider-Waite, Morgan-Greer, and Crowley decks, and although I have had good results with Rider-Waite and Morgan-Greer, I feel the Ancient Egyptian Tarot deck speaks more to me. I have used this deck to do readings for myself and my friends, with very favorable results.

If the Netjer call to you at all, or if you are just interested in ancient Egyptian myths and/or symbolism, you need to get this deck. Children of Ausar and Auset especially, as well as Bast, Heru, Het-hert and Sekhmet will be pleased at the treatment of their Netjer in the deck. The Netjer are featured prominately in the major arcana, and at places in the minor arcana as well.

The spiritual journey of the Fool in this deck is based on the classic Rider Waite system,which makes this an easy deck to read with if you are already used to that system. This is the second deck which spoke to me, the first being the Mythic deck. The art is pleasing and those in love with the neteru will find them in the Major Arcana. Isis represents the High Priestess, Maat for Justice, Osiris the Hierophant to name a few. This deck will speak to you on both the spiritual and mundane levels - both can be used with this deck and easy for beginners.

As an Isian, I would never part with this deck. While I don't use this particular deck for readings, I do use it to help me understand my beloved neteru ... or I should say, the neteru use this deck more than I do to help me understand them!

The book that comes with the set is well written and easy to understand and I find it a necessary addition to my Egyptian mythological library. Tarot does not just discuss the myth, it is the human journey. The myths of Ancient Egypt are still relevant and being acted out today.

I highly recommend this excellent deck for meditation, spiritual journey work, kemetics, Isians, tarot readers (old and new), tarot collectors and those who love Ancient Egypt.

This is my first tarot deck (after searching for over a month), so I can only comment based on first impression. The deck's appearance is enough to just gaze at each card for hours. The artistry is amazing. Each card looks like it took hours of painstaking research and attention. The colors are vivid, and the characters are so expressive and realistic (no Barbie doll or palid figures). The characters seem to gaze back at you. Each card is a window into ancient Egyptian life, what they wore, how they lived and how they viewed their deities. What's great is that they're labeled according to the standard tarot deck, (i.e. High Priestess, Death, etc.) But if you look closely there's more symbolism unique to Ancient Egypt (ie. the lotus, ibis, papyrus, etc.). I'd imagine you can use this deck for years and still find new ways of interpreting the cards.

The book included is straightforward and easy to read. It does a good job explaining the cards and details unique to the deck. For complex spread arrangements, do get a supplemental book on the tarot.

If you're looking for a deck that's a little more "ethnic" and easier to understand (vs. the New Orleans Voodoo Deck) get this one. At any rate, if you're into collecting tarot decks or just looking for something new, get this one. You won't be disappointed. I love this deck so much that I don't see myself getting another one anytime soon.

Few authors become more relevant as time passes. Lewis, who died in 1963, is more relevant now than ever before. This collection of 38 essays and letters is not only enjoyable to read over and over since Lewis is a master at prose and image, it is food for your mind and soul, helping us to see reality more clearly. His sharp intellect and readable style help show the results of various codes of ethics, the joy of reading old books, the ultimate meaning of Christ, the logic of miracles, the logic of monothiesm, his doubts about animal experimentation, the morality of punishment, the nature happiness, and much more. Since each essay stands on its own, this is a convenient read for those who don't want to read a whole book or want something to ponder throughout the day.

Essays are: PART I 1)Evil and God 2)Miracles 3)Dogma and the Universe 4)Answers to Questions on Christianity 5)Myth Became Fact 6)'Horrid Red Things' 7)Religion and Science 8)The Laws of Nature 9)The Grand Miracle 10)Christian Apologetics 11)Work and Prayer 12)Man or Rabbit? 13)On the Transmission of Christianity 14)'Miserable Offenders' 15)The Founding of the Oxford Socratic Club 16)Religion without Dogma? 17)Some Thoughts 18)'The Trouble with X...' 19)What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ? 20)The Pains of Animals 21)Is Theism Important? 22)Rejoinder to Dr Pittenger 23)Must our Image of God Go?

PART II 1)Dangers of National Repentance 2)Two Ways with the Self 3)Meditation on the Third Commandment 4)On the Reading of Old Books 5)Two Lectures 6)Meditation in a Toolshed 7)Scraps 8)The Decline of Religion 9)Vivisection 10)Modern Translations of the Bible 11)Priestesses in the Church? 12)God in the Dock? 13)Behind the Scenes 14)Revival or Decay? 15)Before We Can Communicate 16)Cross-Examination

PART III 1)'Bulverism' 2)First and Second Things 3)The Sermon and the Lunch 4)The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment 5)Xmas and Christmas 6)What Christmas Means to Me 7)Delinquints in the Snow 8)Is Progress Possible? 9)We Have No 'Right to Happiness'

Part IV Letters

Have you ever wanted to read C.S. Lewis' thoughts on a variety of subjects? If so, then this book is for you. There are 48 separate essays, which vary in length from a few pages to around 12. Such topics include "Religion and Science," "Is Theism Important?" "The Decline of Religion," and the actual essay entitled "God in the Dock." The latter essay is about how we put ourselves on the bench and God in the dock. We will believe in God only if he answers the hard questions for us, and then we may actually "acquit" God. Like Lewis' other works, it is very thought prokoving. There are also 12 letters which Lewis wrote that cover a variety of topics including capital punishment and singing hymns. These letters show both Lewis' personality and intellect. When I first checked this book out of the library and read a few of the essays, I had to buy it. For a long time I have asked myself, "What does Lewis think of this or that issue?" This book is a good way to find out basically what he believes. I don't think reading these essays is an excuse not to read his longer works (such as the utterly amazing "Great Divorce), but they do give a broad picture of what Lewis thinks.

It's hard to summarize a book that contains all essays. All I can say by way of summary that there are four parts: Part One contains twenty three essays, Part Two contains sixteen, Part Three contains nine. Part Four contains letters written by Lewis.

These essays deal with a lot of subjects written by C. S. Lewis, one of the most thorough and profound Christian writers that I have read. This book has influenced me beyond my ability to describe it. I've been a student of the Bible all of my life and of C. S. Lewis for more than 25 years -- and I can truthfully say that Lewis has helped me more than any other single Christian author, and I've read some good ones.

Of special interest to me were (and still are)Essay #13 on page 114 (Section one) Essay #1 on page 189 (Section 2) and Essay #3 on page 196 (also Section 2) which deal directly or indirectly with the subject of politics and religion. I won't tell you what Lewis says about it -- I'd be happier if you'd read it for yourself.

Even the articles I didn't agree with (and there were very few of those) still were worth reading and gave me a lot to think about.

If you're a thinking person, this will be some of the best money you will spend on any Christian book -- except for the Bible itself.

This was the first book that I've read of McNab's. Let's just say that based on the strength of this book I immediately went out and bought Remote Control, his first non-fiction book. And seeing how that's going so far I'll be buying more.

I had finished reading Firewall in a few days. It was that good. Great detail on how Intell operations work, tactics, strategies. fantastic for realism.

Other books of this nature that I found great were 'Dogs of War' and of course, 'The Day of the Jackal'. Both excellent books for Forsyth.

I should have started to read McNabs books years ago. I had falsely assumed that the books would be all bravado a la Rambo-style but its not like that at all.

Constant action, realism, and just an all around great read. What you also discover is that McNab is also a really good writer for someone of his background.
Keep up the great work Andy. I'm looking forward for your latest book.

Andy McNab's done it again !! Firewall, the latest in the Nick Stone saga is the best yet. McNab delivers in a no-nonsense style, his gritty realism brings home the endurance of the deniable ops personel, giving the reader little gems of knowledge along the way. I doubt, for example, whether i'll ever need to soften up plastic explosive in a tub of hot water but at least I now know how it's done. Such insights together with the vivid accounts of location, conditions, treatment from and of captors expertly draw the reader into the world of covert op's to the extent that it's extremely difficult to put the books down once started. I would suggest you buy Firewall (but the others first if you haven't already) and begin to read it early in the day. Or you could buy in lots of caffeine. I can't imagine it'll take Hollywood too long before they turn Nick Stone into a celluloid hero. . .  

I heard of this book on the TV, being a fan of McNabs previous novels I eagerly awaited it. This week I got hold of it and never before has any single book deprived me of such sleep. I could not put this down and in some way I'm glad the ordeal is over before I lose my job from being too tired!

This is a very gripping tale, very well set. Clearly McNabs 'regiment' (SAS) background gives much credibility to the storyline, but it hasn't stopped here and I can respect the lengths McNab must have gone to in his background research.

McNabs writing and storytelling is awesome. There is no point in being pretentious about this, it doesn't need it.

One thing I have to say...if you read McNabs Immediate Action (autobiography) he makes reference to not doing very well at school. It's clear Nick Stone, the character in Firewall IS McNab (or a McNab clone type) as similar references are made. I don't think McNab needs to concern himself about his success at school though. This guy has done more in life than most, as an SAS hero and as one of the best modern novelists around.

I hope the people in hollywood have picked up on McNab. Is Nick Stone the new James Bond?

Lewis gives us excellent insight and perspective on the nature of temptation and how Satan works. The work is set up as correspondances between a beaucrat in hell and his nephew Wormwood. The letters are advice and training for Wormwood who is given charge of luring certain people down to Hell. The book is entertaining, humorous, but also deep and should strike a chord with those expiriencing strong temptation in their life towards some form of evil. The best way to fight your enemy is to know him, and this book is an theory on how the devil and his angels might work to take souls away from God. The book is also very easy to read, and without the pretentious philosophical jargon that theologians use. It's down to earth, common sense theology taught in story form. An excellent work!

Witty, brief (no chapter more than four pages, the book easily read in an afternoon), timeless Truth presented with refreshing satire aimed where it should, C.S. Lewis' legendary "Screwtape Letters" is at once soul and brain food.

Lewis tells his story through the title character, an experienced devil instructing his apprentice nephew to lure a young man to condemnation. The apprentice, Wormwood, tempts with everything from family (distancing prayers for the man's mother from behavior toward her) to social circle (flippant friends stray him from his new life, a new girlfriend moves him closer to it) to work and even worship.

Lewis then flips God's love and law into effective, ironic Satanic reverses. He shows temptation most effective and deadly in its smallest doses: prayer posture, creation and consideration of an Historical Point of View (including an historical Jesus as opposed to One of faith). Lewis redefines gluttony, defends Puritanism, shows the misunderstanding of romantic feelings in love and sex, and misperception of the large ever-broken promise, "The Future." (This book must be read if only to debunk one of Henry Ford's most famous quotes and the cliched, selfish phrase "impose on my time.")

Lewis shows (and Screwtape plants) the landmines of an early Christian walk: the role of a Church, of humor and the temptation inherent in its roots, Christian truth made trivial and a commodity beside social causes. He even dissects everyday, mundane pleasures (books, walks, music, wine, dated references to cigarettes) for their own sake and not as means to follow an ever more mediocre crowd.

Lewis' final Screwtape letter is his most moving. Sarcasm joins sanctification as we learn target's and tempter's final fate. It ties to themes present throughout Lewis' letters and providing fodder for his conjoined, equally humorous essay, Screwtape Proposes A Toast: "The safest road to Hell is the gradual one...without milestones, without signposts..." This absolutely essential book is just such signpost; "The Screwtape Letters" is joyful, instructional, fun reading for anyone wishing to know what forces fight for the human soul.

One of the best, and most influential, Christian authors of any time, C. S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters" is a compelling, and chilling, fictional look at what goes on behind our back in the demonic spirit world.

Screwtape, an upper level demonic spirit, often writes his subordinate, Wormwood, a demonic spirit assigned to misguide and misdirect a human on earth. The letters explain to Wormwood how he would best accomplish his mission of keeping the human our of the Enemy's (God's) hands and ensure that when he dies he goes straight to blazes.

What is most chilling about "The Screwtape Letters" is that, even after all of these years, how much a person can see of themselves in them. Letter after letter seemed to be talking about me directly. Time and time again I saw one demonic trap after another I had fallen into being explained in a letter.

I have to caution you, however. This book is not an easy read. C. S. Lewis did not attempt to write a book that everybody could understand. You will probably have to spend some time re-reading many letters and looking up words in your dictionary and/or concordance for a better understanding of what is being said. This can become quite frustrating, but when you are able to break through and understand a letter you will be able to see how it can apply to your own life.

If you were ever interested in getting a better understanding of how the Enemy and his demonic spirits work, this is a great book to do it with. But be warned: you will learn something about yourself in the process.

C.S. Lewis's "A Grief Observed" is a brief book -- only about 70 pages-- but it contains some of the best metaphors for faith I have ever read. Like his challenging work "The Problem of Pain," this book is unsparing in its belief that a good God can will awful things on people. Like death, for instance. Why would an all-powerful God allow people to suffer and die, especially those well before their prime? Lewis went through this questioning himself when his wife died, and his journal of questions and answers fill the pages of this book.

How can God remain silent when the ill cry out in pain? Lewis compares God to a surgeon performing open heart surgery. The doctor, knowing best the full process required, can't relieve pain at every cry, or he would never complete the process, and the intended purpose of the pain would never come to fruition. This is a pretty unsparing description -- I wonder how many people in grief feel comfort reading such things. This is where faith comes in -- if you believe that the end result of pain and death is resurrection, and you trust in God's plan, you can find comfort knowing that every death is part of the plan.

Not an easy concept to grapple with -- I'm glad I read this book, but I can't help but flinch a bit at Lewis's viewpoint. It is lucid, poetic, and erudite -- and yet I still find myself uncomfortable with a God who would bring suffering on innocent people.

CS Lewis began writing this journal one month after his wife died of cancer. He was distraught, shocked, and confused, especially about the meaning of life. The journal rambles from one throught to another, reflecting his daze and despair.

As a widow, I can identify with his varied reactions to death; however I found the book rather difficult to read. It is only 72 pages long, but each sentence needs to be reread, and slowly, in order to follow Lewis' thought processes. He finds no answers to his questions (mainly: How could God take his beloved away from him?); he simply asks them.

For me, this was not a particularly helpful or insiteful book on grief, merely one person's thoughts on the subject. I am sure however, that admirers of CS Lewis would find it of interest.

After having read several of Lewis' books, I read "A Grief Observed" which quickly became my favorite. It is his journal - and almost too personal - where you bear witness to Lewis' progress as he sloughs his way through the deep mire of sorrow and grief.

In the first pages of the book, he tells of going to God, seeking relief from the agony he feels in his heart over the fresh loss of his beloved wife, Helen Joy, only to find - the door slammed and the sound of the door being bolted and doubled bolted from the inside.

He rails against God and his faith is stirred to its core.

In the end, he finds his way back to God, but it is not an easy journey or a primrose path.

For all of Lewis' intellectual reasonings and scholarly attainments, I find "A Grief Observed" to be his best work because it comes from the very heart of a man seeking to find the answers to life's hardest questions. It is not a philosophical insight or an intellectual wrangling, but a spirit-filled work that lays bare the heart of a man who loved his wife completely.

This is an important book. Read it. You'll be changed.

"Transposition" and "The Weight of Glory" are absolutely classic essays detailing a side of Christianity too rarely seen these days--the sheer joy one should get from thinking about our eternal home with God, and the longing--both in mind and heart--to share this joy with others. Mr. Lewis once again "hit the nail on the head," as it were, with this masterpiece. Great insight into some confusing moments in his fiction, too!

The Weight of Glory is a book that is comprised of a series of unrelated essays. I was not convinced it was very important among his writings, so I put off reading it. When I finally got around to reading it, I was ineffably impressed. It is my opinion that this book has been underrated by many casual readers.

The Weight of Glory has penetrating essays on pacifism, transposition, forgiveness and other paramount issues for Christians. His argument "Why I am not a pacifist" is profoundly moving (and reminiscent of the Screwtape Letters). Likewise, one of the latter essays entitled, "On Forgiveness" takes a mundane Christian experience and (for me, at least) revitalized my conception of such a profound practice that I rely on everyday.

Even though I read this after encountering most of Lewis' other books, this could easily be understood without having read any of Lewis' previous works. These essays will provide encouragement, joy, and clarity to any Christian.

"The Weight of Glory", "Transposition", and other essays in this volume have been warmly received in the years since they were first preached. "The Inner Ring," by contrast, is less often cited. This is a pity, since "of all passions the passion for the Inner Ring is most skillful in making a man who is not yet a very bad man do very bad things."

It is a frightening picture of ambition twisted and run amok, destroying the human person whom it infests. "Aristotle placed [friendship] among the virtues. It causes perhaps half of all the happiness in the world, and no Inner Ringer can ever have it."