All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis, 1922-1927
by C. S. Lewis
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"A repackaged edition of the revered author's diary from his early twenties--a thought-provoking work that reveals his earliest thinking about war, atheism, religion, and humanity. While serving his country in the Great War, C. S. Lewis--the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, and Christian apologist--made a pact with a close friend and fellow soldier. If one of them died, the survivor would take care of his family--a promise Lewis honored. Developing a deep show more friendship with his fallen friend's mother, Jane King Moore, Lewis moved into the Moore household after the war. Returning to Oxford, the twenty-three-year old Lewis--then a staunch atheist--struggled to adapt to life in post-war England. Eager to help the tormented young man, Jane encouraged him keep a diary of his day-to-day life. Those reflections are collected in this illuminating journal. Covering five remarkable years in Lewis's life, All My Road Before Me charts the inspirations and intellectual and spiritual development of a man whose theology and writing--including Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics--has had immense influence on the Christian world"-- show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Mainly for hardcore Lewis buffs
I think that few people who aren't serious students of C. S. Lewis will find this item very interesting. Although Lewis was urged to write it by "his adopted mother" Mrs. Moore, it really appears to be a typical diary, filled with a lot of mundane details of life. For example, a substantial amount of space is devoted to recounting the routes Lewis took in walking the family dog, Pat. Of course, Lewis was a professional writer, and his descriptions of the weather and landscapes he encountered on his walks are not completely without interest, but they'd probably be of a lot more interest to people familiar with the Oxford area than the rest of us.
Nevertheless, I think that people with a deep interest in show more Lewis's life will be glad they read this diary. It certainly helped correct my faulty impression that all those affiliated with Oxford a century ago were members of the leisure class. Lewis, the intellectual, spent a lot of his life being Lewis, the household laborer--scrubbing floors, painting rooms, preparing food, mowing the lawn, cleaning the kitchen, etc. And walking wasn't just a form of recreation for Lewis's household, it was a major form of transportation (as was bike riding). Furthermore, there's a lot of data in this diary that ought to be taken into account when analyzing the nature of Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Moore. I think I understand that relationship even less after reading this diary than I did before, but at least my previous impressions have been proven to be rather simplistic.
Finally, interspersed among the day-to-day details are accounts of some remarkable events, most notably that of Dr. John Hawkins Askins' descent into madness. Quite harrowing. show less
I think that few people who aren't serious students of C. S. Lewis will find this item very interesting. Although Lewis was urged to write it by "his adopted mother" Mrs. Moore, it really appears to be a typical diary, filled with a lot of mundane details of life. For example, a substantial amount of space is devoted to recounting the routes Lewis took in walking the family dog, Pat. Of course, Lewis was a professional writer, and his descriptions of the weather and landscapes he encountered on his walks are not completely without interest, but they'd probably be of a lot more interest to people familiar with the Oxford area than the rest of us.
Nevertheless, I think that people with a deep interest in show more Lewis's life will be glad they read this diary. It certainly helped correct my faulty impression that all those affiliated with Oxford a century ago were members of the leisure class. Lewis, the intellectual, spent a lot of his life being Lewis, the household laborer--scrubbing floors, painting rooms, preparing food, mowing the lawn, cleaning the kitchen, etc. And walking wasn't just a form of recreation for Lewis's household, it was a major form of transportation (as was bike riding). Furthermore, there's a lot of data in this diary that ought to be taken into account when analyzing the nature of Lewis's relationship with Mrs. Moore. I think I understand that relationship even less after reading this diary than I did before, but at least my previous impressions have been proven to be rather simplistic.
Finally, interspersed among the day-to-day details are accounts of some remarkable events, most notably that of Dr. John Hawkins Askins' descent into madness. Quite harrowing. show less
“All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C.S. Lewis 1922-1927” by C.S. Lewis
Tedious throughout with the minutiae of his daily studies, there is - nevertheless - enough jewels to make it worth the read. This is especially true of the written portraits of colleagues from Oxford, in an appendix at the end.
This was the first time I’ve ever read anything of Lewis when he was still an atheist. It shows. His apathy and selfishness battle against each other and it becomes clear why he was a bachelor for so long.
Tedious throughout with the minutiae of his daily studies, there is - nevertheless - enough jewels to make it worth the read. This is especially true of the written portraits of colleagues from Oxford, in an appendix at the end.
This was the first time I’ve ever read anything of Lewis when he was still an atheist. It shows. His apathy and selfishness battle against each other and it becomes clear why he was a bachelor for so long.
Inscription shows this was my Christmas gift to Dave 1991 - oops!
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Author Information
528+ Works 522,965 Members
C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, "Jack" to his intimates, was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. His mother died when he was 10 years old and his lawyer father allowed Lewis and his brother Warren extensive freedom. The pair were extremely close and they took full advantage of this freedom, learning on their own and frequently enjoying show more games of make-believe. These early activities led to Lewis's lifelong attraction to fantasy and mythology, often reflected in his writing. He enjoyed writing about, and reading, literature of the past, publishing such works as the award-winning The Allegory of Love (1936), about the period of history known as the Middle Ages. Although at one time Lewis considered himself an atheist, he soon became fascinated with religion. He is probably best known for his books for young adults, such as his Chronicles of Narnia series. This fantasy series, as well as such works as The Screwtape Letters (a collection of letters written by the devil), is typical of the author's interest in mixing religion and mythology, evident in both his fictional works and nonfiction articles. Lewis served with the Somerset Light Infantry in World War I; for nearly 30 years he served as Fellow and tutor of Magdalen College at Oxford University. Later, he became Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. C.S. Lewis married late in life, in 1957, and his wife, writer Joy Davidman, died of cancer in 1960. He remained at Cambridge until his death on November 22, 1963. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Todo Meu Caminho Diante de Mim
- Original title
- All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C. S. Lewis
- Original publication date
- 1991
- People/Characters
- C. S. Lewis (Jack)
- First words
- Saturday 1 April: I walked to Iffley in the morning and called in at the Askins.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Is there never to be any peace or comfort?
- Original language
- English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
Classifications
- Genre
- Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 828.91203 — Literature & rhetoric English & Old English literatures English miscellaneous writings English miscellaneous writings 1900- English miscellaneous writings 1900-1999 English miscellaneous writings 1900-1945 Diaries,journals, notebooks, reminiscences
- LCC
- PR6023 .E926 .Z463 — Language and Literature English English Literature 1900-1960
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 509
- Popularity
- 58,843
- Reviews
- 3
- Rating
- (3.88)
- Languages
- English, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal)
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 10
- ASINs
- 7
