A Grief ObservedA Grief Observed
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1960 C. S. Lewis's wife, the writer Joy Davidman, died of cancer only a few years after they married. In the weeks that followed he filled notebooks with what grief was actually like: the fear, the laziness, the anger at God, the way her memory was already slipping into something less real than she had been. He first published them under a pseudonym.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the most honest books ever written about loss, and it's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. Lewis, famous for explaining faith with confidence, lets himself doubt here, which is why grieving readers keep passing it to one another.
You'll love it if you liked
The Year of Magical Thinking
When Breath Becomes Air
The Lion, the Witch and the WardrobeGood to know
It's very short, readable in an evening. It's Christian in outlook, but readers of any faith or none find it true to their own grief. The film Shadowlands tells the love story behind it.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving
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Quick answers
Is A Grief Observed worth reading?
Yes. It's one of the most honest books ever written about loss, and it's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. It ranks #544 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 77.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Grief Observed about?
In 1960 C. S. Lewis's wife, the writer Joy Davidman, died of cancer only a few years after they married. In the weeks that followed he filled notebooks with what grief was actually like: the fear, the laziness, the anger at God, the way her memory was already slipping into something less real than she had been. He first published them under a pseudonym.
How long does it take to read A Grief Observed?
About 3 hours (116 pages), or about 6 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Grief Observed?
If you liked it, try The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis.