A grief observed

[Gill]

Has anyone read, i am sure many of you have
'A grief observed' ?
I have just finished it and i thought it was really well written and liked reading his many thoughts and views on things. I especially enjoyed these thoughts

"Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything" and

"Reality never repeats"

What are other peoples thoughts on this book. Which was first published under the pseudonym of N.W. Clerk and the authors true id. not revelaed until after CS. death in '63. BTY - who gave authority for it to be publised after his death? Doe's anyone know?

Also note the use of article 'A' grief. (not just grief observed) - he was writing this observing the grief as anyones grief not just his.

[A#minor]

I really liked how completely honest Lewis is in this book. Of course, he's honest and realistic in all his works, but this book is so much more personal.

Isn't that the book where he talks about the house of cards (denying reality) that keeps falling and he patiently begins again to put together his little view of his world, rebuilding his house of cards?
That always fascinates me, b/c I do that all the time. I refuse to see life as it really is because it's too painful.

[Sven]

Which was first published under the pseudonym of N.W. Clerk and the authors true id. not revelaed until after CS. death in '63. BTY - who gave authority for it to be publised after his death? Doe's anyone know?

A Grief Observed was first published in 1961, while Lewis was still alive. The first edition under his own name was published in 1964. According to Hooper's Companion, the decision to do so was made at the request of the publisher, Faber and Faber, and made by the Lewis estate trustees, Owen Barfield and Cecil Harwood. They didn't have an easy decision, as they thought Lewis himself probably wouldn't have wanted to do so. However, in the end, they thought the book would be available to help a lot more people in despair if Lewis' name was attached to it.

Oh, and if you didn't happen to know, the 'N. W.' in the pen name stands for 'Nat Whilk', Anglo-Saxon for 'I know not whom' and 'Clerk' refers to the medieval term for scholar.

[magpie]

This is a book which has helped me to get over some very rough things in my life, and I doubt that I would have read it if it hadn't been for the fact that it was written by Lewis. I'm glad the estate decided to publish it that way.

[Lara]

This is a book which has helped me to get over some very rough things in my life, and I doubt that I would have read it if it hadn't been for the fact that it was written by Lewis. I'm glad the estate decided to publish it that way.

I agree, Magpie. I have practically memorized it, because I have found that it has been a comfort to me not just during times of grief but also during any number of heartaches, depression, ect... I probably would never have been exposed to it, let alone read it, if it didn't have Lewis's name on it. Therefore, I'm very grateful to those who did indeed pulblish it that way in 1964.

[Pete]

I really appreciated Lewis's honesty in A Grief Observed. I think the thing that sticks out to me from that book - more than any other of his books is that there's so much real emotional reflection in that book. I'm not saying there's not emotional reflection in his other books, but for the most part his other books seem to be more intellectual reflection.

[ALoneSoldier]

I haven't read everything C.S Lewis has written, but I have read quite a bit and A Grief Observed will always hold a special place in my heart. It has been said over and over again but I must say his brutal honesty in the book was profound and amazing. That book actually changed me, alot can be learned from it.

[JasoninMemphis]

I had read portions of the book here and there, but I never read it in its entirety until tonight. I have to say it's among the most poignant books I've ever read. Although I think The Problem with Pain is an excellent work, I prefer A Grief Observed because rather than dealing with pain in a somewhat detached, philosophical way, Lewis lays bare all his thoughts and emotions as he wrestles with pain. As someone who spends a lot of time pondering various theological conundrums, I find it comforting and convicting that Lewis's ultimate peace didn't come from speculating answers to those sorts of questions, but from humility and an understanding that perhaps the best things aren't known. Here are just a few of my favorite passages:

"Can a mortal ask questions which God finds unanswerable? Quite easily, I should think. All nonsense questions are unanswerable. How many hours are there in a mile? Is yellow square or round? Probably half the questions we ask--half our great theological and metaphysical problems--are like that."

"Heaven will solve our problems, but not, I think, by showing us subtle reconciliations between all our apparently contradictory notions. The notions will all be knocked out from under our feet. We shall see that there never was any problem."

"We cannot understand. The best is perhaps what we understand the least."