The Great Divorce

C.S. Lewis once more proves his theological and allegorical writing chops in "The Great Divorce." Written in response to a piece on the marriage of heaven and hell, an idea to which Lewis takes exception, this story takes the short and basic form of an allegorical journey of one soul from hell to heaven where many conversations are had between lost souls and their heavenly counterparts who seek to persuade them of the folly of their decision. Taken literally, several theological problems arise, but Lewis is intelligent enough to frame all this as a dream where fantasy and fact collide. As with much of his myth (looking at you "Until We Have Faces"), it is interesting to note the themes often deal with fundamental human and spiritual truths set against backdrops which may not be factually accurate. My point is that to take "The Great Divorce" as a fact, to assume Lewis had some special knowledge of the afterlife, would be a massive error. Rather, his imagery seeks to distill the essence of heaven and hell (as he, no doubt so inadequately, understands them) into concrete, understandable concepts, and the dialogue emphasizes fundamental differences in thought and worldview between Christians and those non-Christians. Lewis excels in these respects; though much of the volume is light theological discussion, I still found it hard to put down. I have no doubt Lewis would admit errors snuck into his work, but it still performs admirably to show at least one man’s understanding of the difference between Christians and those not saved, between heaven and hell, and why those differences matter. I recommend putting this quick read on your list to entertain as well as enrich.

The great divorce has nothing to do with marriage. It has everything to do with one man's journey to divorce his way of thinking. He's on a journey to discover hoe been wrong in the way he's thought about life & others his whole life. He also gets to see others on their stuggle trying to find peace & make peace with the past. Many of these people choose to stay in their hateful ways instead of forgiving & letting go. You will identify many people you know in this book. You will probably identify yourself as well. If you're like me you'll will say Lord I'm ready to change I want to be the light take me to the mountain. I've given my book away & repurchased it to give to others & I think I will several times over. It's an easy & delightful read. I highly recommend.

Absolutely a lovely work on heaven, selfish love, and God’s love.

As Lewis explains in his preface, The Great Divorce is a response to the attitude of William Blake, among others, that someday there will be an ideal union of the secular and divine, or Heaven and Hell. Unable to see how this could ever be, Lewis wrote The Great Divorce to explore the issue further. The result is a religous allegory of the highest caliber and impeccable, nearly frightening, insight.As with all allegories, The Great Divorce relies on symbolism to make its point. Lewis admits his book is not to be taken literally as a tour guide of either Heaven or Hell, but merely as an artistic expression of his ideas. And the plot device works well--Lewis's intensely brilliant yet readily accessible and familiar writing style makes it easy to imagine oneself in the narrator's shoes on the uneasy bus ride out of Hell, hunkering under the great mountains of Glory, or even talking uncertainly with Ghosts or Spirits (oh yes, there is a big difference!). The Great Divorce is a fine read for anyone, believer or unbeliever. The former will find many challenges and assurances; the latter will discover new insights into the Christian faith not readily available from other sources. Above all, The Great Divorce is a Dante-esque tour of not only the Worlds Beyond, but just as importantly one of the often unexplored metaphysical World within us all.

Only C.S. Lewis can write a story like this. A man takes a bus ride through Hell, then Heaven and witnesses the choices made by others in their lives.The vivid stories within the story show that indecision is still a decision... it underscores the petty things in our lives that we allow to dominate us, things that will still plague us in Hell for eternity if we don't abandon them.Lewis' concepts (fantasized, of course) of the substance of spirit versus the substance of flesh and blood are incredibly thought provoking. There are mental images I got from reading this book that I will never forget.It is basic truth - you choose life, you choose death, or you choose not to choose. You will either give up the things that are holding you down (whether they be bitter resentments, anger, material gain, control, etc.) or you will cling to them until they become your master and you their slave.The book presents these concepts in such a non-threatening way that you've gotten a life lesson that you don't realize until you've finished this short, yet vibrant book.

Although this book is written as a novella, it contains TONS of thinly disguised theological truths and brain-shaking ideas. This is one of those books where everything means something. Every bit of the scenic description of Heaven and Hell reveals something that Lewis believes to be true about the two places and how people respond to them. Other fascinating things about this book are the fictional characters and seeing how different types of people respond to being in Heaven. There is one man who realizes that now that he is in Heaven, and in the presence of God, he is no longer useful. But he doesn't want to start feeling useless, and so cannot enter the presence of God--because in Heaven God provides for everyone's needs. This book really makes you contemplate whether Christianity is more about the journey or the destination. It's entertaining and full of wisdom, and is a must-read.