ANHOW Review of Books: "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis -- Adilbrand Noblesword's Hall of Warriors

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Date Posted: 19:54:38 08/22/03 Fri
Author: Mt. Healthy Mntneer, the reviewer formerly known as "Prince"
Subject:

ANHOW Review of Books: "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis

Published: 1982 by Collier Books (copyright 1961)
Genre: Fiction / essay

I've hedged on the genre of this classic novel and called it Fiction / essay because of its very nature. It is supposed to be 31 letters discovered by an author who has sorted them and compiled them. The letters are from an older, experienced devil (Screwtape) who is writing advice to his newphew, a devil named Wormwood who has only recently graduated from the academy and has been assigned to his first human to tempt. In reality, the book is a clever way for Lewis to make more of his well thought out commentary on the nature of God, Satan and man. My copy also includes a shorter piece that was written for a magazine entitled "Screwtape Proposes a Toast" in which Screwtape praises modern man's tendency to be Politically Correct rather than achieve and demand personal excellence.

The book was well written and conceived but I would have preferred a straight essay and to have dispensed with the literary game of the letters. He wrote several great essays for his book that I previously reviewed "Mere Christianity" and here is a link for all of those who are interested.

I give this book a "C+" - at first it was enjoyable, but by the last 50 pages it was kind of a chore to read. (the Toast I would rate seperately as a "B+".

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