I found this book not only interesting but funny. Lewis knows how to convey serious reflections on human behavior in a humorous way which doesn't reduce their solemn significance. He weaves out of fiction an ultra-insightful analysis of the silly reasons why we are often hell-bent on NOT going to heaven. Recognizing those reasons and concentrating on overcoming some of them changed my life for the better. Über-recommended!!

On an artistic level I would personally rate this work by C.S. Lewis very poor. Characters are two-dimensional. Plot is developed from the perspective that Christianity is the only truth, Heaven and Hell exist for a certainty, and that there is justification for eternal damnation for those who won't see the light. Due to the heavy moralizing, this is more like a religious pamphlet than a work of fiction. Then, why four stars? Despite what I perceive to be flaws in this book,there are some extremely penetrating representations of rationalizing, manipulative behavior. These little vignettes of lost souls willfully denying joy to themselves and trying to deprive others of it also, leaves a haunting impression that Lewis has truthfully revealed the modus operandi of much of mankind. We are allowed to eavesdrop on some conversations between the saved and the damned in which it is obvious the lost souls actually prefer remaining in the Hell they have created for themselves rather than give up their obsessive behavior. Whether or not we agree this is grounds for eternal damnation, I think there is a good lesson here, illustrated quite effectively, to work toward honest relationships free of game-playing. On further reflection, I think this title more worthy of three stars due to the dreary blend of moralizing and fiction.

On an artistic level I would personally rate this work by C.S. Lewis very poor. Characters are two-dimensional. Plot is developed from the perspective that Christianity is the only truth, Heaven and Hell exist for a certainty, and that there is justification for eternal damnation for those who won't see the light. In many ways this is more like a religious pamphlet than a work of fiction. Then, why four stars? Despite what I perceive to be flaws in this book,there are some extremely penetrating representations of rationalizing, manipulative behavior. These little vignettes of lost souls willfully denying joy to themselves and trying to deprive others of it also, leaves a haunting impression that Lewis has truthfully revealed the modus operandi of much of mankind. We are allowed to eavesdrop on some conversations between the saved and the damned in which it is obvious the lost souls actually prefer remaining in the Hell they have created for themselves rather than give up their obsessive behavior. Whether or not we agree this is grounds for eternal damnation, I think there is a good lesson here, illustrated quite effectively, to work toward honest relationships free of game-playing.

With each and every book I read by C.S. Lewis, I become an ever more admiring fan. While I cannot say this is my favorite of his works (for that spot, I reserve "Mere Christianity," followed by "A Grief Observed"), it is as fascinating and insightful a ride as any of his. C. S. Lewis is exceptional in his ability to take the most complicated human issues and make them understandable.

Blending into a queu awaiting a bus ride without fully understanding to where or why (how many of us blend sheepishly with the masses this way?), the narrator, George, takes a fantastical ride through heaven and hell. Just two possible end points on this trip, and with that, Lewis makes it clear: as much as we try to rationalize and wiggle, there is no gray area in life, or, in this case, the after life. You choose. Black or white, good or evil.

With a cast of colorful characters, ghostly figures and helpful angels who only wish to give the undecided one final chance to decide, we ride along with those who, we soon realize, resemble everyone we know. Including you and me. The whiner and the complainer, the cheater and the liar, the rationalizer, the egotist, the shortchanger. Even the overly devoted mother, who, upon closer examination, clings to her son more to serve her own selfish needs than to let him go in a loving manner for his wellbeing is not the marytr she believes herself to be.

It is not in the big falls that we lose our way to heaven. It is, more often than not, in the petty details of our lives, all those grand intentions come to nothing, all those shortcomings and shortcuts taken, all those more challenging routes avoided, where we take wrong turns that will land us only in hell. A stern Father reminds us, "Your will be done," rather than His. And so, for all who did not trust in Him, but stubbornly held to their own willful ways, the bus has only one last stop.

As amusing as this little tale (novella) is to read, the message is heavy duty. If you don't recognize yourself in at least a few of these lost souls, look harder. And then give your future bus stop some careful thought...

I have found the Great Divorce to be a book for all time. I saw so many people on that bus that I recognized and after a while, I recognized most all of them were a part of me or my life. I got some great insight into how we think when we think of others and how others must see me. Often we think in terms of who will be going to Heaven and who will not in our own human and limited way of thinking. C.S.Lewis puts an interesting and very introspective point of view on this often discussed theme using Christian theology in allowing us to ride in and off the bus with so many others. I think I saw how narrow we can be in our judgement concerning who will or will not be allowed beyond the gates of Heaven. Great book and one I recommend hightly.

CS Lewis great theologian or great Christian apologist as some would say was one heck of a writer.

The Great Divorce C.S Lewis good as a stand alone story or as a more deeper spiritual book. I continue to be blown away by how good C.S Lewis is one of those authors where sometimes you get the strangest sensation that he is actually speaking directly to you.

The Great Divorce serves to remind all of us that while sin does indeed have an eternal penalty the first commandment for all Christians is love.

I read a review on here that said: "If you read this book HONESTLY, you will find pieces of yourself as well."

This statement cannot be more true. This book is an adventure, a page turner, an experience of self-inquiry and self-reflection, and shows human nature and egoic nature in the most recognizable forms.

This is one of only two books I usually re-read annually (the other is Elizabeth Goudge's "The Dean's Watch"). As the official review says, some of the vignettes hit quite close to home. I have a couple of them engraved in my mind such that I can catch myself when I am tempted to succumb to selfish behavior.

C.S. Lewis always fascinates. In this easy-to-read small volume, he takes us through a fictional dream about the afterlife. Starting in a dark, rainy and grimy town, he boards a bus that takes him and a number of grumbly souls for a trip to heaven. There, they meet relatives and friends who try to get them to stay. It's Lewis's perceptive genius that his lost souls are rarely inherently wicked, but have turned back on themselves and away from the ultimate source of love. There's the mother who demands to see her long-lost son; the wife who intends to continue improving her husband in the afterlife; the well-meaning religious person who is more interested in lecturing about God than experiencing God firsthand. To the saved, the dark town is only a purgatory - the place where they finally shuck their human attachments. To the lost, even heaven itself seems like hell, and they long to return to their gray and dismal existences.

Other than a line or two here and there, as with the mention of Purgatory, there is little to indicate that this work was written by a committed Catholic. Frankly, you don't even have to believe in the afterelife to apprecciate Lewis's ability to see through human illusions and attachments. An interesting exploration of human frailty by a subtle and gifted writer.

It took me a long, long time to get through this short book. I had difficulty following all the thees and the yees, tracking the differences between the spirits and the ghosts, deciphering the solid beings from the translucent ones.

I can sit through an amount of philosophizing; I don't think I can sit through much theologizing.

But there are times when something--and the gift of this book is you feel it is addressed to you. . .the meddlesome wife. . .to you the vain artist. . .to you the knowing teacher--is said just right. Listen:
"We met several Ghosts that had come so near to Heaven only in order to tell the Celestials about Hell. Indeed this is one of the commonest types. Others, who had perhaps been (like myself) teachers. . actually wanted to give lectures about it: they brought fat notebooks full of statistics, and maps, and (one of them) a magic lantern. Some wanted to tell anecdotes of the notorious sinners of all ages whom they had met below. . . `You have lead a sheltered life!' (these teachers) bawled. `You don't know. . .We'll tell you. We'll give you some hard facts.' . .All alike, so far as I could judge. . .were wholly unreliable, and all equally incurious about the country in which they had arrived. They repelled every attempt to teach them, and when they found that nobody listened to them, they went (away)."

If you are a teacher--as I am--you should be arrested by the truth of that scold. So I plodded--at times reluctantly along a paragraph a day, a page a day--to get to the next bit of truth. And--at times--I was similarly arrested. Here, about the consequences of habitual "small" sin, listen:
"I am troubled, Sir," said I, "because that unhappy creature doesn't seem to me to be the sort of soul that ought to be even in danger of damnation. She isn't wicked: she's only a silly, garrulous old woman who has got into a habit of grumbling."
". . .The question is whether she is a grumbler, or only a grumble. If there is a real woman--even the least trace of one--still there inside the grumbling, it can be brought to life again. If there's one spark under all those ashes, we'll blow it till the whole pile is red and clear. But if there's nothing but ashes. . .they must be swept up."
"But how can there be a grumble without a grumbler?"
"The whole difficulty of understanding Hell is that the thing to be understood is so nearly Nothing. But ye'll have had experiences. . .it begins with a grumbling mood, and yourself still distinct from it. . .Ye can repent and come out of it. But there may come a day when you can do that no longer. Then there will be no you left. . .just the grumble itself."

I benefited from these, and similar insights, disappointed, though I was, in the book.

CS Lewis has forwarded his theory on sin, redemption & punishment with clarity, imagination & his trademark logic & reason - the proof in the book's success is its acceptance by atheist & religious communities alike. Whether you are religious/spiritual or not, Lewis challenges us at the universal level of human nature & this through our most common relationships: neighbors, children, spouses, parents. Lewis suggests that our relationships & attitudes within them reveal who we are & what we are becoming. Indeed, seemingly harmless, little attitudes & habits shape actions & character which then determine destiny.

His vision of Heaven & Hell are credible in as far as they advise us on the benefit and detriment of daily choices. Lewis seems to believe that all sin is never really initially sin - it becomes sin when some attitude consumes us & controls us - Heaven & Hell are merely the continuation and magnification of the attitudes we chose to pursue in life. Righteousness is not a function of religion, but rather a function of true humanity & real life. Indeed he suggests that life isn't life at all without the honesty, humility & forgiveness we are offered & should offer. Qualities & ideals that no one would argue against.

Finally, this book is an explanation of how God's love works. It can be the hardest thing to accept & yet is the greatest thing to accept. Lewis continues to offer the balance of God's responsibility & man's responsibility. He never leaves us enough room to blame anyone else for our choices but doesn't leave us without Divine help. A good book for the Christian Apologist or the person who is simply in pursuit of a better way of being.

One of C.S. Lewis's most striking traits is his ability to instruct with such a light hand that his touch is almost unfelt. This book is no exception. It lightly leads the reader from one thought to another; it shames, and it uplifts, and it entertains. After I finished it I sat and thought about it a while; it left me with a calm delight. Yes, I saw where I was lacking; but it also left me with the realization that I had a power to change my own future, if I changed some of my wayward behaviors.

It's hard to leave a much longer review about it, in some respects. It is a short thing, but very powerful; I would suggest it to any Christian who wants to examine himself. Lewis seems to see clearly what others never see, and reveals important elements that I would never have thought two seconds about on my own.

Try it. It may bore some readers; for others, it is an inestimably valuable little gem.

Great story of imaginary trip to heaven by folks from the other place. Give humorous account of people who find the alternative of living in a heavenly place offensive and insist on returning to hell. Get character sketches.

In this book C.S. Lewis sets out to present a picture of the nature of heaven and hell through the device of an allegorical journey - by bus! - from hell to a place called the valley of the shadow of heaven. This book reads more like an expose than a traditionally plotted novel. Nevertheless, it's one of the most memorable books I've read. Among the most memorable notions of this book: the dense and material nature of heaven, as contrasted with the ghostly and insubstantial nature of hell; the inability of the damned to be joyful and their ultimate preference for hell over heaven; the surprising characters who come to inhabit each realm (for example, the murderer in heaven, and the mother consigned to hell because she loved her child too much). There are also some interesting bits about salvation operating backwards and forwards in time, and how the best and loftiest angels, if they fall, become the worst of devils. There is a lot to think about in this small book. Well worth it!

I first heard of this book in passing by a guy giving a talk on "getting out of hell". An essay on getting over yourself. During that rant he kept making references to this book, so, having nothing better to do with my time, I bought and read it.

A few months ago I doubt I would have gotten any of it. Even now I doubt I understood half of it, but the half I did understand was just amazing. I'm not a Christian, but it made sense in everyday life.

I am a huge fan of parables, of stories with meaning. This is one of the few books I have boughten for the sole purpose of giving to family and friends.

C.S. Lewis was a gifted writer, and it is evident in The Great Divorce. I read some of the reviews on this site, and I think that the people writing the negative ones are not in a place where they can read the book with some imagination. It is not meant to be a factual account of heaven and hell (who could write that?), but it is meant to make you think about yourself and the things that are keeping your heart from being ready to meet the Lord. Give this book a shot. I don't believe that you will be disappointed.

Not only does "The Great Divorce" contain too many abstract allegories, but what makes it worse is these allegories are also inaccurate and in some cases false considering this book is written by a Christian author, who seems to believe in hell as being equivalent to annihilation, as alluded near the end of the book. This book talks about C.S Lewis trying to describe the characteristics of people who are supposedly in heaven and hell, much too-humanized ones to the point that they sound bland and dull; those in hell represented by the characters called "the Ghosts"; and those in heaven represented by "the Spirits" by contrasting their joy and misery; happiness and sorrow; love and hatred; charity and malice, respectively. He is trying to put together the secular and biblical views into these characters and the result is ugliness and awkwardness. Even for readers with a great imaginative power to interpret what the true meaning behind the conversations and events surrounding these Ghosts and Spirits is, I still doubt they would be able to resolve the ambiguity. Heaven and hell are the subjects that require more careful and studious efforts to illustrate than what Lewis has done here. For those who are interested in them, I have not read any good fictions about them, but I would suggest Jonathan Edwards' "Heaven: A World of Love", and "The Justice of God in the Damnation of Sinners" or his famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," that readers could access online free of charge. Among many other books that Lewis wrote, some of which are excellent ones, but this one is to be avoided.

IMHO, this is Lewis' 2nd greatest book (behind Mere Christianity). Every Christian or aspiring Christian should read/listen to this book!

Other than a very good portrayal, as Lewis imagines it, of the sort of people who may likely inhabit Heaven or Hell, this book is not very uplifting or enlightening as compared with other of his books I have read (Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity). His doctrinal suppositions, woven together in a fanciful tale of a bus full of visitors to Heaven from Hell, are nonsensical. The whole book reads much like a bad dream, with no clear direction or point, except for the basic premise that human beings ought to love one another and learn to get along together. And, I suppose that is his main point in writing it, although the reader is left to himself to decide that.

Lewis begins The Great Divorce by talking about Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, a marriage which Lewis finds impossible. Heaven and Hell must be divorced and all of his readers considering one or the other as an ultimate destination must realize that they won't be able to have it both ways. The two places are, by definition, different one from the other. You must embrace the joy that is heaven without reservation and you must renounce absolutely that which partakes of hell. The book itself, of course, is absolutist but it is also suffused with joy. Lewis' method of description/delineation of these alternate destinations is fantasy/allegory. His story moves along briskly and his arguments are sharply etched as they are embodied in spirits and those spirits' dialogues. This is not my favorite book of Lewis' but it is a nice introduction to his ways and his thought. It is also a very quick read.

Of the many C.S. Lewis books I have read I find this one to be the most gripping and fascinating. If someone is looking for a picture of how a good God can let people go to Hell, this analogy is incredibly powerful. The wisdom some of the conversations that are held in heaven contain is enormous, and I will never forget Napoleon pacing in his gloriously unfulfilling mansion in hell.

Some people may be not like Lewis' writing in general because he does use quite a large vocabulary so my advice is do not be afraid to learn some new words, its good for you.

Doesn't matter if you are young or old you can read this again and again

Take your time with this one. Its dynamics, allegory and symbolism--if you catch them-- will illuminate your mind and soul with a sobering and healthy thought-proving self-reflection. It consumed my mind, for sure. What an author....what can one say? I am speechless.

Wonderful, spectacular, outstanding and highly recommended.

Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of: It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

CS Lewis in this book proves once again why he is a favorite of so many Christians today!

He gives a picture of what those in hell would do if they ever actually got into heaven, and how our personal problems are really caused by ourselves. But, it is often difficult to see that. And, truly, only by seeing through Christ's eyes can we see the truth of who we are!

The book is an AMAZING read, and a wonderful picture of humans, God, heaven, and hell.

Again, this book is not intended to be accurate to the Bible, nor is it theology (CS Lewis states this himself), but a wonderful literary fantasy! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to this classic work on CD! It was given to me in book form when I first began exploring Christianity almost 30 years ago. It is a lively, non-stuffy introduction to great theology. The allegories by Lewis are able to come alive especially as heard on CD. This is a work that can be listened to (and read) multiple times to get new layers of meaning. As an Episcopalian, I especially found the story of the bishop to be hilarious and very timely. The production values of the CD are top-notch.

The Great Divorce is a light, one-night read. However, as usual, Lewis manages to meditate on weighty topics. He highlights that the core of faith is based on knowing God and Christ, in contrast to a philosophical understanding of or assent to God's methods and requirements. Permeating this entire fantastical account is the idea that we must die to ourselves in order to really live and to be free. Ultimately, I think the message of the story is that faith is not a matter of hedging our bets. As Lewis points out in this fantasy, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.'" There is no marriage between Heaven and Hell, hence The Great Divorce!

Some people claim that the process of "speculating" about certain things that are not mentioned in the Bible (when it comes to discussing Christian theology) is dangerous at best and heretical at worst. This is probably because it's usually done poorly. That is not the case in this parable/allegory of the afterlife written by one of the great writers of the modern era. Lewis does a masterful job at not only describing some of the dangers of the Christian life, but also gradually revealing them in a way that allows for the reader to discover the important points of each argument as his/her own place. This is truly one of the best books I've ever read, and I learn something every time I re-read it. Highly, HIGHLY recommended.

I'm not quite sure what I had in mind when I picked this book up, but a full length analogical story definitely was not in my mind when I started. But that really didn't matter, because that's exactly what Lewis wrote in "The Great Divorce".

In it, Lewis used a rather interesting vision of what heaven and hell are (not) like. I say "(not) like" because Lewis admits in his introduction that this was intended from the first to be a moral story, not an exploration of what might be. He explains his purpose in a clarity that only a writer of his caliber can explain - and I highly recommend reading the introduction, because it is short and simple, but sharply insightful.

The great divorce which Lewis is writing about is that great separation between Heaven and Hell. To me, it seems, the primary concern is with personal priorities and values. How much value do you place in your children, your friends, your personal opinions and soapboxes thereof? Lewis deftly and surgically dissects these and exposes their inherent danger.

I fear to attempt to explain much more for two simple reasons. I think my explanations will confuse more than intrigue, for I don't quite have the talent of Lewis for simplicity. And secondly, I would rather you approach this book with an open mind and experience an allegorical journey which is even more piercing for yourself than the title character, one which is written by a master of the genre.

So yes, I absolutely recommend this book. To everyone. It challenges you to think. I recommend it for teenagers as well as for adults. It would be a great book to read through with your children. Just get your hands on a copy and dive in!

No one can write like CS Lewis. The ideas will challenge any conception of Heaven and Hell you have, not to mention eternity and our decision-making process. The narrator does a great job with varying the voices to follow the dialogue of the characters too. I honestly don't think I could read this selection and get as much out of it.

It is understandably difficult to offer an accurate depiction of any existence beyond that which humans experience on a daily basis. Fortunately for the reader of this text, Mr. Lewis claims to do no such thing. Yes, within this work the main character finds himself in Heaven, as well as Hell; however, it is this reviewer's opinion that the descriptions of these places are far from that which the work is intended to convey. Rather, it is that which this character observes and comes to understand while in these places that carries the weight of the message.

In his typical, albeit masterful, fashion, Mr. Lewis presents the reality of decisions made by every individual. In this case, such decisions expand beyond the temporal and into the realm of the eternal. Within this work, the point is clearly made that indecision is a decision in itself and that the decision to decide or not to decide must be made just as any other seemingly harmless decision if ultimate good is to be attained; perhaps in the form of a Heavenly existence. That is, there must be a complete and total surrender to good which can continuously lead to greater good, as opposed to evil or lingering indecisiveness which, while detrimental actions, behaviors, and/or perceptions can be rectified, can never transform into good simply by pressing onward.

Mr. Lewis vividly illustrates many of the snares which may disallow an attainment of that which is, ultimately, happiness through the means of intriguing character interactions and dialog incorporated within an extremely enjoyable and readable storyline. While Heaven and Hell might be little more than an abstract thought to many, if not most; Mr. Lewis has, yet again, applied a brilliant mind to difficult concepts in such a way that the message is made readily accessible to anyone that is fortunate enough to acquire a copy of this text. The message, however, could be easily missed, misunderstood, or lost by those that do not believe in the eternal consequences of decisions. Nonetheless, this is a must read for those that do subscribe to this belief and may prove to be, at least, thought provoking for those that do not.

I could not get past 20 pages of this oblique,boring nonsencical book of science fiction. Lewis is far overated as a writer.

In a world full of moral relativism, C.S. Lewis provides a view of the afterlife in stark contrast. A brilliant piece that will inspire anyone to be better.

I listened to the audio version and it was superbly done. The book itself is great, and then this reading really adds to it. The reader does a great job with the various British accents, fitting them well to each character. This is a great way to enjoy this book.

I am not a fantasy fan, much to the chagrin of many, and I still don't "get" the magic of the Narnia series (even though I am glad to see it have so much meaning for others). It was with this mindset that i finally picked up The Great Divorce, and I admit to being pleasantly surprised.

As some reviewers have pointed out, this probably shouldn't be used as a theology text. What it is is a thought generator and a conversation starter with those who have questions about eternity. And, beyond that, something that can be read--even thoughtfully--in only a couple of hours.

This is one of my favorite books. I've read it several times and I've had to buy new copies because I keep giving it away. The Great Divorce starts off a little slowly, but you have to hang in there through the first couple of chapters. It is NOT a book about marital divorce, but rather about letting go of the things you think you want or need in order to gain that which is of much greater value.

As one reviewer noted, many readers will not pick up a C.S. Lewis creation beyond "Chronicles of Narnia," "Mere Christianity," and "The Screwtape Letters." I was one of them, but I'm very thankful for having to check out a copy of Lewis' "The Great Divorce." Like his Narnia tales, there is a dash of both fantasy and truth in this volume, and the mix is delicate but profound. Built as a story of a bus ride to Heaven and Hell, "The Great Divorce" weaves a tapestry of assorted characters, facing immortal choices about their own harrowing predicaments. While Lewis' landscape visualizing the realities of Heaven and Hell are of course conjectural, each character's scene and dialogue with the Solid Spirits of Heaven are assuredly not. It's like looking in the mirror - there is someone who looks exactly like you, warts and all. It's a small book, something you can finish within a day. I still thought it was like a smack in the face, something we need in our materialistic and fickle lives now and again.

Pride, lust, idolatry, SIN, it's all represented here in the great style of Lewis' magical blend of imagination and vivid imagery. The book, of course, ends in hope, in salvation. As the mystical Teacher who advises the main character Lewis says, Hell would not be big enough to do any harm to the Real World, or the Truth.

C.S. Lewis' very short book is a fictional work that follows the journey of a group of people in Hell who take a trip to Heaven. Like his "Screwtape Letters," this book provides some excellent insights into the psychology of humankind.

During this trip to Heaven, the inhabitants of Hell are given a chance to repent and enter the kingdom of God. Each person upon arrival is eventually greeted by a person from Heaven who tries to convince the unrepentant to receive salvation. It is almost painful to read as these inhabitants of Hell steadfastly refuse to repent. It is painful to see the characters accept Hell and reject Heaven, but it is even more painful because it is easy for us to see our own flaws represented by these unrepentant people.

Lewis' construction of Hell as a place where the unrepentant wander around and never achieve satisfaction or fulfillment is conspicuously lacking searing flames and torturing demons. And although Lewis may not have meant for "The Great Divorce" to be a systematic description of the nature of Heaven and Hell, I think that he is certainly on to something. The vision of Hell found in this book is, I think, closer to the reality of Hell than the traditional Dante-esque version of torture and pain. But the primary accomplishment of "The Great Divorce" is that it shows us the psychology of unbelief, even when manifested in ourselves.

This little book is a total joy to read. I know that the author makes it very clear that one should not suppose that he is factually presenting details of the afterlife, yet, in the end he has created a most satisfying image of a plausible afterlife. As for the title, he is referring to the poet-mystic William Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell. He points out that this is a synthesis that can never be, for to do so would compromise the absolute Goodness of Heaven, thereby making a Hell of both. Perhaps there can one day be a marriage of Heaven and Earth (thereby showing both to really have been Heaven all along), but never of Heaven and Hell.

I loved the imagery of Hell being very much like a never-ending city on Earth where it is always twilight and eternal night always on the verge. Yet, it is not a crowded city for people keep moving apart because they cannot stand each other's presence. That's just it. People dwell in Hell by their own choice. It is the obsessions that separate them from God and the highest reality that keep them from leaving. It is even shown that such higher impulses as love and pity, if unhealthily indulged in for their own sake and for nothing higher or transcendent, can keep you in Hell. Yet, this Hell is also Purgatory for those who workout their obsessions. In fact, there is a regular bus service to Heaven for fieldtrips that serve just that purpose (I always suspected that the omnibus originated in Hades.)

As for Heaven, it is perpetually just the moment before dawn and eternal day. The idea that Heaven is actually more substantial than Hell, or Earth, is reasonable, since it is after all the more Real of the two being closer to the Creator. Indeed, the visitors from Hell appear as pale and insubstantial deformed ghosts who find the adamantine hardness and density of the higher plane physically painful (even walking upon the grass.) The residents of the realm however are radiant spirits who do everything that they can to point out the mistakes and illusions that the ghostly visitors still cling to- and which are the only thing keeping them from traveling higher up and farther in to the one true goal. The most detailed and believable of these tutelary spirits is Lewis' own spritual mentor, George Macdonald.

I gave this book three stars because while it is entertaining, there is a significant potential for people to try and get theology from it, which for the most part I don't recommend. The author makes sure to make that point at the end of the book, though. But I'm sure it's too late for a lot of people by then.

The primary theological point that C.S. Lewis is actually intending to make is that one goes to hell as a consequence of rejecting God and "loving" self. It is the person's rejection of God, not the other way around. However, in trying to make this point in a novel, a lot of the theology seems to get messed up.

I enjoyed this book. Lewis patterned this fairly short novel on Dante's Divine Comedy with a dream visit to Hell/Purgatory and what he describes as the "Valley of the Shadow of Light" or Heaven's front yard if you will. Most of the book is concerned with various "ghosts" from Hell rejecting the offer of Heaven for selfish reasons. Lewis makes a lot of good points about Hell being the rejection of God's love. Doctrinally the book can be a bit fuzzy, such as having Hell and Purgatory be the same place, but it was not supposed to be a book of theological doctrine but rather a story. I wish more time had have been spent in Hell but that wasn't the point of the book. I would recommend this book, and highly recommend Lewis' Screwtape Letters as well.

I remember enjoying this book because it opened a door. You must understand that I view religion as an important tool for giving people a since of security and moral foundation. Religion hands people comforting answers to questions that can be difficult to take without support (i.e. What happens when we die? and Why are we here?). It also helps to setup responsibilty over and above the laws of the land. When you are held before your maker you will be more caitous than if you were to break a traffic law and are judged by your next door neighbor. This book shows that there is a wide array of possible scenarios for life after death. My belief is that it doesn't matter what you choose as your answers. It matters that you do believe in your answers to give you the security to live your life. I happen to like C.S. Lewis' view of Heaven and Hell. It makes me wonder if some of the Bible could have been someone's answers put down on paper.

"The Great Divorce" is a strange allegorical novel written by the well-known Christian writer C.S. Lewis, who was also a friend of J.R.R. Tolkien. "The Great Divorce" is also my favorite work by Lewis, alongside the classical children's story "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe".

The novel is about Heaven and Hell. Hell turns out to be a boring, great city, where the sun never really rises. An angel operates a bus that takes people from Hell to Heaven. Anyone who likes can go onboard the bus. In Heaven, the denizens of Hell are met by angels who call upon them to enter. The offer of salvation is (almost) free. Despite this, most of the bus-passangers voluntarily decide to go back to Hell!

On first reading, the story might sound completely absurd. Who would be so stupid as to voluntarily remain in Hell, if you are offered an eternity in Heaven instead? The story makes more sense if read as an allegory about why people reject the Church here on Earth. For instance, one of the main characters is a heretical priest who refuses to accept the truths of traditional Christianity, even when confronted with hard evidence. Another character is some kind of bohemian left-wing artist. They both retun to "Hell", i.e. the meaningless, grey, secular world outside the Church.

The story could also be read as a criticism of modern society. The people in "Hell" live in houses that slowly but steadfastly move away from each other, making the inhabitants more and more socially isolated from each other, and more and more preoccupied with their own negative feelings, rather than turning towards what C.S. Lewis believed was the best source for Meaning in life: traditional Christianity. (Poor Napoleon is held up as a particularly bad example of a meaningless, self-preoccupied denizen of "Hell". Lewis was British.)

But the story is also theologically interesting. Indeed, Lewis seems to have believed that his allegorical description of Heaven and Hell reflected something real. It's not just a story about modern man rejecting the Church, or modern society becoming increasingly meaningless. It's also a story about the actual, supernatural realms known as Heaven and Hell.

Lewis felt extremely uncomfortable with the traditional idea of Hell. Small wonder. The traditional idea is deeply immoral: Jesus throws most of humanity in Hell, for eternal torture, simply for disbelieving in him and his mission. Christian groups who believe in this, claim that everyone who disbelieves *them* will end up in Hell. "Ultra ecclesiam nulla salus". And once you've been cast into Hell, let go of hope, for there is no turning back, not even an "Arbeit macht frei".

Modern Christians have tried to mitigate the hellish ideas of traditional Christianity somewhat. Some say that people who go to Hell choose to go there voluntarily. Others claim that even non-Christians can go to Heaven, at least if they act as Christians. Still others, who really believe in Hell, refuse to discuss the matter if a critic gets to close to comfort. For instance, did the victims of 9/11 go straight to Hell? Most of them weren't born-again Christians.

Lewis felt so uncomfortable with Hell, that he went one step further still. He essentially identified Hell with Purgatory, and claimed that those who want to leave, can do so. He thus rejected the idea, based on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus in the New Testament, that denizens of Hell cannot leave their place of habitat. Lewis created a more humane, rational and logical view of Hell. What a pity that main-stream Christianity took millenia to come around to this position! Indeed, many still haven't.

At the same time, Lewis couldn't accept universalism, the idea that everyone gets saved in the end. What if people don't *want* to be saved? And this is precisely the main point of the novel, a point I first frowned at, but a point that's actually very poignant and clever. Why would a person voluntarily reject Heaven, even if given unlimited chances to enter? Why indeed? Many people here on earth refuse to get helped. They refuse to listen even to the most kind, loving advice. In fact, we all do, to a greater or lesser extent. What makes us think that angels or God himself could change this? Yes, many people would be changed, but the greater the love, the greater the rejection might be, the more supernatural the love, the more supernatural the rejection. Hence Heaven and hence Hell. And at a certain point in time, people get so ingrained in their real or imaginery insults, that they are simply beyond redemption.

I'm not saying I believe in Lewis' supernatural speculations. I'm not a Christian of any kind, but rather a functional atheist. But I must say that I was stinged by the novel. Indeed, Lewis has put a finger on an unfortunate human trait, a trait we perhaps don't want to see, being so optimistic about human nature.

And yet, Lewis simply couldn't end his book on a sombre, pessimistic note. He was no Albert Camus. Good old Jack seems to have been quite a party-animal, perhaps even a bit too hedonistic for his fellow high churchmen. So in the novel, he lets one of the characters discover that the seemigly endless City of Hell is actually just a pinprick compared to the vastness of Heaven.

In his heart, I think Lewis might have been a universalist after all.

Goodspeed, Jack, wherever you are.

Five stars!

An excellent book. I read this even before I became a Christian and it really spoke to me. "The Great Divorce" is pretty much the story about a group of people in hell taking a one day vacation to the "entrance" of heaven. In it, Lewis paints a vivid image of what the "truth" of heaven would look like from the point of view of the weak and faiding souls who are too scared to leave the pitiful "comforts" of hell. Lewis, as always, gives deep insight and clear understanding of the various tactics and lies we use daily to "protect ourselves" from hearing, seeing, and believing the Lord's Truth.

This is just what I needed and it works great.

This is one of the little known but POWERFUL books by CS Lewis. He has a way of making you really think about your life and what you're letting control you. As he points out in this book, amazingly things that annoy and torment us we tend to cling to and keep around. Hmmmm, why do we do that? You will ponder this book and its message for years to come.

I'm not a Christian. In fact, I'm a fairly resolute atheist, and I bear a particular grudge against Christianity.

That said, no author has ever made me wonder about the possible truth to Christianity, nor appreciate the religion as a potentially beautiful thing, more than C.S. Lewis.

In this book, The Great Divorce, and in his non-fiction Mere Christianity, Lewis presents a Christianity that is both sensible and moral. The Great Divorce brilliantly answers a non-believer's moral objections to Christianity. How can a moral God condemn man to Hell? He doesn't; instead, God invites all to come to Heaven--it is man who chooses Hell, despite God's repeated invitations. Lewis shows portraits of people that most atheists and agnostics usually feel are "harmless," and certainly not deserving of Hell... and then he shows how they are not harmless at all. In short, he makes an excellent case for Christian ethics. All of Lewis' many character portraits here have the ring of truth to them. The plot, having some lost souls take a trip from Hell to Heaven, is a wonderful device.

This is a highly charged and profound philosophical read. As such, it's probably best for those who have a philosophical bent; it's not the same kind of fiction as Lewis' Narnia, etc.

While this book didn't "convert" me, I must confess that no one but Lewis has come closer. And even though it didn't change my belief system, it did give me some insight into and new found respect for views that I do not share. A wonderful read. My highest recommendation.

Incidentally, regarding the other reviewer who complained about "Purgatory" being in this novel, it isn't. Instead, Lewis postulates that even those in Hell have choices, and opportunities to be saved, and that those who finally graduate from Hell to Heaven will feel that the place they came from--Hell--was actually Purgatory. Lewis is making the case that what we label Heaven and Hell depends a lot on our perspective. Besides being insightful and sophisticated in its own measure, this is Lewis' way of presenting an ecumenical Christianity, without trying to force one sectarian view down peoples' throats. Lewis feels that the important part is bringing people to Christ... not promoting one particular view on, say, the existence or absence of Purgatory. Whether Christian, or atheist, or whatever you are, reading this book well requires an open mind.

C.S. Lewis had a knack of titling his works with either extreme modesty or with seemingly unrelated terms. This is the case with "The Great Divorce," which sounds like a romance novel, but is meant to reveal the separate nature of the two realms of Heaven and Hell, yet speaks very little to the actual content of the work.

The short fictional piece is a fantastic journey through, what at first could be taken as any dreary British town, complete with gray architecture and quarreling citizens. Until the point when the bus on which these citizens are riding is lifted off the ground, the reader may take the setting to be home. The setting is definitely not home, but the personalities are the same. The characters throughout are used as a way to illustrate good and bad behavior and that which would get you in to the grand and beautiful Heaven or leave you in the small, pointless, and gray Hell.

Lewis is entertaining and thoughtful and once again comes up with brilliant points about human nature and the moral law, including Christianity (though this is but a subtle underlying theme). One interesting point Lewis makes that people will relate to is that given the clear choice between going to Heaven or Hell based on their beliefs, people will insist on maintaining their irrational beliefs and actually choose a pointless and brutal, yet familiar, Hell.

This is a great one-day read and part of a collection of Lewis' work that cannot be overestimated.

Writing style was interesting enough and content mysterious enough to make me keep turning the pages, but just as I hit the 5th chapter, I started to wonder if they were in a "Purgatory", and SURE ENOUGH... CS Lewis says "PURGATORY", that was enough for me! What an unbiblical notion!!

BE CAREFUL CHRISTIANS!!

Short and sweet allegory that can be read in a day. I know that it's intended as fiction, but it really said a lot about human nature and hinted at what heaven might be like. It's been a struggle throughout my life to find a description of heaven that makes any sort of sense to my post-modern mind, and I think this comes really, really close. And in the end, I think the question it's asking the reader is, "So what character are you going to be like?" It's a book I recommend to readers from all kind of backgrounds if they've ever wondered about the afterlife.

I love CS Lewis and had never read this one but it has now become my favorite. He gives an intriguing and insightful look into the afterlife and into the possibility that the most recognizable sins are quite possibly not the most difficult to overcome. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially Lewis fans.