The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Screwtape Letters
Book Review: A devil of a book
Summary: 5 Stars
Entering the world of demons, gives perspectives from a darker side of religion. Mentor Screwtape instructs his devilish nephew, Wormwood in ways to lure people from God. The Screwtape Letters is creatively and intelligently written. C.S. Lewis definitely captivates his audience on every page. There is such realism in human nature within this work that I found myself relating, feeling at times embarrassed and even laughing at myself.
C.S. Lewis is a master at writing, not only captivating the imagination, but also stirs the reader to think and explore their own character.
A devil of a book.
Book Review: A different look at the definition of evil
Summary: 5 Stars
A previous reader called this book "shallow"... it's hard to believe that anyone would describe anything C.S. Lewis has written as shallow! This is a wonderful book that has such a unique way of describing evil and how it creeps into our everyday lives and actions.Book Review: A great book
Summary: 5 Stars
When one first sits down to read Screwtape Letters, they will usually be baffled. You are sent straight into the middle of the story, as it seems. Young Wormwood, a junior tempter, has been assigned to his first patient. Patients are humans who have tempters inside their brains, so everyone is a patient of someone. Wormwood's job is to tempt people away from god. There is supposedly a tempter in everyone's brain, undetectable, who offers up suggestions and advice on actions the person is about to commit. All suggestions and advice are made so the patient will turn away from God, and all that is good, and toward Satan, and all that is bad. This is the basic premise of the story, yet it is much deeper. It delves into ones intellect and shows them ways that Satan catches us and tempts us. Wormwood is the Nephew of an honored tempter, Screwtape. His Uncle Screwtape writes him letters on how to lead his patient away from God and toward sin, hence Screwtape Letters. He gives Wormwood ways to show his patient other ways of doing actions that could have bad consequences, though the tempter tries to block the thought of the consequences away from his patients thoughts. Screwtape answers Wormwoods questions about different scenarios and scolds him when he doesn't follow directions properly and lets the patient go toward The Enemy, or God.
In turn, this novel shows the reader how Satan is catching them and tempting one toward one of the seven deadly sins: anger, lust, gluttony, ect. After reading only a few chapters, one will soon come to realize their faults, which is why this book is so great. Screwtape Letters points out you wrong doings and tells of how Satan exploits them to his wishes. There really isn't a plot to this book, just a collection of letters and an underlying plot to make the understandable. It really doesn't require a huge plot though its so good. The theme Good vs. Evil is so strong it takes the plots place.
One will find this book quite enjoyable and truthful about human ways. Though in the end Wormwood does lose the patient to God, not saying how, it shows that you can fight temptation if you put your mind to it.
This novel deserves an 11 out of 10 and the Newberry Award in all categories, no matter if it even falls into them. This book is that good and everyone should read it. It will minimally change your life at least and help you recognize your own faults.
Book Review: A great first step into Lewis' heavier work
Summary: 5 Stars
It's easy to profess how wonderful an author C.S. Lewis is and then continue on without ever delving into Lewis's really dense, serious books. I'm the last to demean the Chronicles of Narnia, which I have adored and learned from my entire life. Instead, I just want to encourage you to take the plunge into books like "Till We Have Faces," "The Problem of Pain," "Miracles," and especially his most academic book "The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature." If you want to keep company with this brilliant and earnest disciple of Christ, these books are not to be missed.
The daunting challenge of the Lewis library is made easier by The Screwtape Letters, in which fiction and fact meet and collaborate. The Chronicles of Narnia and "Mere Christianity" are great books, in part because both are highly accessible to a general audience. If you want to swim out into deeper, more difficult waters, The Screwtape Letters are a fabulous collection for intermediate swimmers who wish to prepare themselves for more.
Book Review: A look-from the 'other' side
Summary: 5 Stars
With this book C.S. Lewis gives his version of what hell, demons, temptation, life, humans, God, look like from a demon's perspective. This book really shifts the paradigm of why things happen, to more, who or what causes these things to happen. The author does a masterful job of looking at human's and how they struggle through life, conversion experiences, change, success, failure and a wide range of human emotions. The thing that sets the Screwtape letters apart is the format of how Lewis accomplishes his task. He sets this book up as a series of letters from an mentor to a mentee, and it is all focused around one human who the mentee is trying to tempt and lead down the wrong path. The mentor does his best to show the mentee how humans can be tripped up.
This book is good for a wide audience, from skeptics to believers, from Christians to Hindus. It looks at the human spirit, and how God created us to function, and how we can easily screw it up. I highly recommend this work if you want an intellectual challenge and a clever read.