 First edition | |
| Author | C. S. Lewis |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 1961 (Faber and Faber) |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Paperback |
| Pages | 160 |
| ISBN | 978-0816401376 (1961 US paperback) |
| LC Class | BV4905.2.L4 |
A Grief Observed is a collection of C. S. Lewis's reflections on his experience of bereavement following the death of his wife, Joy Davidman, in 1960. The book was published in 1961 under the pseudonym N.W. Clerk because Lewis wished to avoid the connection. Though republished in 1963 under his own name after his death, the text still refers to his wife as “H” (her seldom used first name was Helen).[1]
The book is compiled from the four notebooks used by Lewis to vent and explore his grief. He illustrates the everyday trials of life without Joy and explores fundamental questions of faith and theodicy. Lewis' stepson (Joy's son) Douglas Gresham pointed out in his 1994 introduction that the indefinite article 'a' in the title makes it clear that Lewis' grief is not the quintessential experience of the loss of a loved one but just one individual's perspective among countless others.
The book helped inspire a 1985 television movie, Shadowlands, as well as a 1993 film of the same name.
- ^ Hooper, Walter. C.S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide. San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1996. Page 196. Print.