Let's Bust a Recap : The Great Divorce

The Great Divorce was not on my list for this year. As you may or may not know, I'm a big fan of C.S. Lewis and have slowly been making my way through his work, trying to read at least one of his books each year. My choice for 2019 is actually The Problem of Pain (which I haven't gotten to yet), but my husband brought The Great Divorce on our recent trip to Hawaii (post on that coming soon!), and after he devoured it on our 2 hour flight from Orlando to Cleveland (no surprise—he reads so fast) he convinced me I should just go ahead and read it so we could discuss it together. (It took me like, 3 days to read it in contrast to his 2 hours.) Now that you know how I ended up reading this book, let me give you my quick take on it.

The Great Divorce is a theological "dream vision" written by C.S. Lewis in 1944 and 1945. It was first printed as a serial in an Anglican newspaper and published as a book shortly after the serial was concluded. In it, Lewis employs his formidable talent for fable and allegory to reflect on the Christian conceptions of Heaven and Hell. The writer finds himself in Hell boarding a bus bound for Heaven and recounts observations he makes and conversations he has with other passengers on the bus. 

All things considered, this is the first book I've read by Lewis that I didn't love. It was a bit weird and some of the potential theological implications could lead you down some strange paths. Keeping in mind, though, that this is a book about Heaven and Hell and we won't know what either are actually like until we're there, I can't exactly disagree with Lewis about anything in the book. It's an interesting allegory, and the biggest takeaway from The Great Divorce is not about the physical realms of Heaven and Hell. The thing that Lewis does so well in this book and what impacted me most in reading it were the issues he pointed out that keep us from living the abundant Christian life, the things we love or prize more than Christ. Each chapter depicts a different scenario or conversation that highlights a different trait: pride, self-reliance, intellect, idols, and so on. That's where the value of this book lies. It was challenging to think about the subtle things that can creep in and take God's rightful place as lord of my life. 

If you're looking to wade into the world of C.S. Lewis for the first time, this is not the book I'd hand you (grab Mere Christianity or lose yourself in Narnia), but I would say it's worth a read if you're already familiar with his work or if you're a fan of books like The Pilgrim's Progress. And if you do read it, let me know what you think. Next up in my journey through the work of C.S. Lewis: The Problem of Pain—unless my husband throws another wrench in my plans. 

Have you read The Great Divorce? What is your favorite book by C.S. Lewis? What book needs to go on my list for 2020?