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The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
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The Screwtape Letters (edition 1996)

by C.S. Lewis

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17,300153293 (4.12)49
Fiction. Christian Fiction. HTML:

A timeless classic on "Hell's latest novelties and Heaven's unanswerable answer"

A masterpiece of satire, this classic work has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C. S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptationâ??and triumph over itâ??ever written, offering insights on good vs. evil, repentance, grace, and more… (more)

Member:PuddlePirate
Title:The Screwtape Letters
Authors:C.S. Lewis
Info:Scribner (1996), Paperback, 128 pages
Collections:Your library
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The Screwtape Letters / Screwtape Proposes a Toast by C. S. Lewis

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» See also 49 mentions

English (150)  Italian (1)  All languages (151)
Showing 1-5 of 150 (next | show all)
Outstanding classic! Tough to read and understand if small parts of the book are dipped into at random on occasion. But by taking time to understand the premise before beginning and concentrating on that premise through the first few letters (very short chapters), it's a richly rewarding, sometimes humorous, and thought provoking experience. ( )
  dlinnen | Feb 3, 2024 |
Screwtape is a senior devil whose job is to increase the store of malice and misery on Earth. He achieves this by carefully targeting humans and then providing them with an array of temptations that can take their minds away from God. Under Screwtape's charge is his nephew Wormwood, a novice devil. The letters between them record their efforts to turn a young man from his newly-adopted Christianity back to 'Our Father Below' (Satan). Wormwood receives detailed instructions on how to exploit the man's weaknesses and bring him permanently around to sin. Both shocking and amusing, C S Lewis's satire The Screwtape Letters was a bestseller in its day, selling over half a million copies. It was a brilliant riposte to the creeping atheism, existentialism and materialism of Lewis's time, attracting the smart reader who normally may have dismissed Christianity as a moral guide; Lewis's Screwtape works relentlessly not simply to turn the victim towards sin, but to a fashionable resignation about the 'way of the world' that denies human progress. The book is quite a challenge to understand, because everything is morally in reverse. You have to remind yourself that the 'Enemy' referred to is God, and that the way of life advocated by Screwtape is the exact opposite of a good Christian life. For instance, Screwtape bemoans that that the Enemy has given human beings free will to choose the Good, and that God actually loves 'the human vermin'. Each chapter deals with a different temptation such as a lack of neighborly love, smugness, lust, and identifying with non-believers because they are clever and witty.
1 vote StFrancisofAssisi | Dec 26, 2023 |
A creative look into how the demonic works in the lives of Christians. This book reiterated the fact that we don't always smack right into sinful things--if so, we'd recognize sin more often and say no from the beginning. More often than not, sinful things begin with a little attitude, a little grievance, something small...and fester and grow into something big. How unfortunate that a sinful thought would just need a tiny seed--that we are so willing to water, when a pure and holy thought needs God's constant reminding and coaxing and prodding in us for us to allow it to flourish. Praise God that he does remind us and coax us and prod us--he really does deeply love us all! ( )
  classyhomemaker | Dec 11, 2023 |
A one sided conversation between Wormwood and "Your affectionate Uncle Screwtape." Screwtape responds to letters written by Wormwood, we never see the letters the nephew has written. This book is very well written and surprisingly is still relevant today, especially towards the end with some of Screwtapes comments. ( )
  foof2you | Jan 1, 2023 |
Excellent book on how a devil is trying to think how to fool humans. This leads to great little sermonettes in the form of letters. ( )
  kslade | Dec 8, 2022 |
Showing 1-5 of 150 (next | show all)
Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963), hoogleraar literatuurgeschiedenis, schrijver van kinderboeken (de Narnia-verhalen) en apologeet van het christelijk geloof, heeft grote naam gemaakt met zijn 'Brieven uit de hel', waarin oom Schroeflik tegenover zijn neef de waarheden van het christelijk geloof omdraait en ze beschrijft als belemmeringen voor inlijving in het rijk van de duivel. Op paradoxale wijze en in een stijl die nog niets van zijn levendigheid heeft verloren, wordt hier een klassiek geworden apologie van het christelijk geloof gegeven. Toegevoegd is 'Schroeflik heft het glas'. Het nawoord en de aantekeningen zijn van de vertaler. De laatste vertaling dateerde uit 1947; deze vertaling is uit 2002 en sluit dus beter aan bij het hedendaagse taalgebruik. Paperback; normale druk.

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Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
C. S. Lewisprimary authorall editionscalculated
Cosham, RalphNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Schreuder, J.A.Translatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
'The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn.'
-- Luther
'The devil . . . the prowde spirite . . . cannot endure to be mocked.'
--Thomas More
Dedication
To J.R.R. Tolkien
First words
My dear Wormwood, I note what you say about guiding your Patient's reading and taking care that he sees a good deal of his materialist friend.
Quotations
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Disambiguation notice
Please do not combine this LT work with any abridged edition, or with any edition that omits Lewis' additional piece, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast." Each of these variants should be combined only with similar LT works. Thank you.

Please note that some works titled simply "The Screwtape Letters" also contain "Screwtape Proposes a Toast". If your edition is combined here and should not be then please be certain to check and, if need be, correct your ISBN before separating. The following ISBNs are of editions titled "The Screwtape Letters" but known to also contain "Screwtape Proposes a Toast":
  • 0060652896
  • 0060652934
  • 0684831171
  • 0805420401
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Canonical DDC/MDS
Canonical LCC

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Fiction. Christian Fiction. HTML:

A timeless classic on "Hell's latest novelties and Heaven's unanswerable answer"

A masterpiece of satire, this classic work has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C. S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptationâ??and triumph over itâ??ever written, offering insights on good vs. evil, repentance, grace, and more

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Book description
"Our war aim is a world in which Our Father Below has drawn all other beings into himself; the Enemy wants a world full of begins united to Him but still distinct."

Thus is the eternal war for the soul of man explained by Screwtape, a professional devil and  self-described undersecretary of the department of temptation. His brilliantly conceived letters to his nephew Wormwood - a "junior temptor" - sparkle with the suavity of satanic logic and resound with the lofty, near cynical humor which invaluable accompanies a deep-sated knowledge of the human psych.

The Screwtape Letters gradually unfolds as  series of explicit directions adn plans through which Wormwood - may subvert and twist human soul to his own diabolical ends. Fascinating in its cunning and incredibly acute awareness of the flaws and foibles of man, this small masterpiece had been by millions since C S Lewis wrote the first letter for a newspaper during World War Two.
Haiku summary
Dearest Diablo,
Hope this letter finds you well.
Your servant, Screwtape.
(LeBoeuf)
Listen, young demon:
Get us fresh souls to eat, or
You’ll be food yourself.
(Carnophile)

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