One of my favourite books that I have read, which really challenges me is The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This is a fiction book in which a Senior Devil writes letters to a Junior Tempter advising him on the best ways to tempt his human to vice and thus secure his soul for eternity. If you read it on the surface, it is an interesting book. The character of Screwtape is so delightfully vile. I'd like to read the letters that Wormwood, the young tempter writes that prompts these answers but sadly not!
On a deeper level, it contains a lot of C.S. Lewis's theology and beliefs about Christianity, God, the Devil etc. Even if you don't have a faith, it's a seriously interesting book. As you read of Screwtape's disparaging comments on the conduct of Wormwood, it does make you think about moments in your life and thoughts that go through your head and make you wonder and think "But that's exactly what happens to me, or what I end up thinking!" and actually wondering just how much temptation and thoughts are put into your mind and what is from you and actually start to think about the temptations that come your way.
It also makes you think about and look at death in a different way. How love is viewed by someone who just doesn't understand it, how all that is noble and beautiful could be abhorrent to someone with a depraved mind and quite simply, no matter what your beliefs, you can read this book in so many ways and still enjoy it!!! Let me know if you give it a go, I'd be delighted to know what you think!
Image comes from the great www.foyles.co.uk where you can buy this book. I am still anti-Amazon until they start paying their tax
Sounds interesting... I like a book that makes me think.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to put this book on my holiday reading list! Thanks for posting about it. Jx
ReplyDeleteI have read this book about a year ago and I have to say it was definitely intense. And what I thought was interesting about the book was the fact that when humans near death they begin to believe as before they had not interest. It is definitely a good read with some psychology insights! I just finished reading lord of the flies and I don't know what to read next! I am thinking of Lord of the Flies
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I haven't read this but it sounds like it is worth reading. Glad you like the cotton grass, I've just been out there again and came home with the most beautiful setting-sunlight-on-cotton-grass picture. It's at the end of the post I've just published.
ReplyDeleteinteresting! i love cs lewis, so it would be fun to read something a bit different by him!
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