What I’m Reading: A Grief Observed

 In books

GriefObservedEver since the tragedy of losing my daughter this past November, I have been recommended one book more than any other. The book is “A Grief Observed” by C.S. Lewis. I finally took everyone’s advice and started it just this past week.

To give you a little back story, this book is really more of a journal than anything. C.S. Lewis lost his beloved wife to cancer in 1960, and these are the thoughts and struggles he faced in his time of bereavement. In fact, the book is so personal, that the book was originally published under a pseudonym, because Lewis did not wish to be known as the author. It was republished under his name following his death in 1963.

I have truly never read such an intimate and thorough journey of grief, as the one I am encountering on these pages. This is not supposition. Lewis felt deeply after the loss of his wife, and it’s all here on the pages of this book, a sneak peek into the soul of a man in mourning.

Needless to say, this is not a light read. This is a heavy book that will resonate with your own emotion and loss on the deepest of levels. It is, however, a brilliant read, a quick read, and something that has brought comfort and understanding to countless hurting lives over the years. If you are in a time of loss or grief, this is a wonderful book. It comes from a brilliant mind, but reminds us that not even the most intelligent are exempt from pain and loss. We all feel hurt and grief, and, if nothing else, this reminds you that you are not alone in the things you are facing.

This is a dark and beautiful book that offers hope to the hopeless.

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