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A Grief Observed was the first book that I was able to read after my beloved cat of 19 years passed away. I knew that it wouldn't be exactly applicable to my situation, but I was looking for a story of grief from a Christian's point of view.

Some sections of the memoir worked very well for me, while others (particularly Chapter 2, when C.S. Lewis has lost his faith) do not. I found Chapter 3, where a great healing is taking place, to be the most helpful as I also learn how to heal. The evolution of Lewis' grief is what I think most people will find useful in this book, as it may give other readers hope that we will come out of the depths eventually.

The honesty of this memoir impresses me. It shows such bravery for this Christian man to display his loss of faith so openly to the reader. If nothing else, A Grief Observed showed me quite clearly that I did not lose my faith during the time of my own grieving. That did give me a significant amount of comfort.

The version that I read has a lovely and honest introduction by Madeline L'Engle. ( )

Too intellectual to be of any real use or comfort. Might be better to read it when you aren't actively grieving. ( )

CS Lewis is my all-time favorite author. The breadth of his talent and depth of his knowledge are breathtaking. Growing up, I loved the beautiful imagery and suspenseful adventure in his tales of Narnia. But there is a profundity and vulnerability to his writing in his apologetic works that both challenges and thrills me. I have read this little tome before and yet I still find new veins of gold every time I go back through.

This book, owing to its powerful emotions, can be difficult to follow at times. It is absolutely worth the effort, especially for those who may be grieving or trying to support someone through profound grief. It’s only 76 pages but it will change the way you view and (I would venture to guess) experience grief. Highly recommend. ( )

A gem that I am sure to revisit. I am grateful for Lewis’ capacity to write so vividly of his experience of loss even in the midst of it. It makes the rest of us feel less alone. ( )