Why people recommend it
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis is a profoundly honest and intimate journal-like reflection on the agonizing stages of grief, written following the death of the author's wife, Joy Davidman, from cancer. The book has earned a lasting reputation as a comforting and unflinching guide for those navigating devastating personal loss. On The Ezra Klein Show, Kyla Scanland explicitly recommended the book during her appearance, noting that it serves as a wonderful and deeply resonant read because the isolating nature of grief can make individuals feel profoundly lonely during their darkest moments. On The Book Review, Judith Newman cited Lewis's famous observation about how no one ever properly warned her that grief felt so intensely like fear, utilizing the quote to contextualize Claire Bidwell Smith's work. Additionally, Kathryn Schulz discussed Lewis's masterpiece on the same podcast, positioning it as an essential literary counterpart and conversation partner to her own writing, while acknowledging its distinct focus on the death of a partner rather than a parent, framed through a deeply Christian yet universally relatable reckoning with sorrow.
Who recommended it
- Kyla Scanland Recommended
- Judith Newman Discussed
- Kathryn Schulz Discussed
Kyla Scanland — 1 mention
“and then I'd also recommend a grief observed which is by him also um it's like a really nice read on grief cuz grief can feel very lonely when you're going through it”
Judith Newman — 1 mention
“the CS Lewis wrote in a grief observed that no one ever told me that grief felt so like fear”
Kathryn Schulz — 1 mention
“but but I think if there's one book that this book is sort of obliquely in conversation with it's probably CS Lewis's a grief observed which is about the death of a partner not the death of a parent and which is a profoundly Christian Reckoning with grief”