The Screwtape Letters

Well, it's good to be back, my dear readers. However, my schedule being what it is, you can only expect more erratic posting from me. I finished said title almost 2 weeks ago, and I am finally just getting around to reviewing it. Unfortunate, I know, but such is the life of a missionary!

"Let's," as John Wayne would say, "git to the rat killin'."

Review of The Screwtape Letters penned by C (clive). S (staples). Lewis. First of all, I'm an idiot, because I didn't really know his name. Anyways, inside cover reads:

"A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life 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 ddecvil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordianry young man. the Screwtape Letters is the most engaging and humorous account of temptation- and triumph over it- ever written.

Reaction:

Initially, I allowed myself to pass this book practically every day during the summer at the St. Joseph the Worker Retreat Center (home of CYE www.cyexpeditions.org). It sat, all by its lonesome, on the coffee table in Club Genesius. I happened to make up my mind about it one day when I had the rare occasion of having nothing to do in the evening but sit by the roaring fire in the Florian room. A few technicalities: this book is an extremely alacritous read; I probably could have polished it off in a few hours, had I the time to sit down and read it straight.

Secondly, I love satire. Any form of satire (especially Oscar Wilde) will totally trip my trigger. I love Lewis's sarcasm and the beautiful way in which he allows us to see things from the other side. However, I'm becoming redundant and sound like anyone else who has read this book. Since I no longer reside in a classroom, nor do I ever plan to teach again professionally (except to homeschool my own children), I would recommend this to anyone who is struggling with the faith. It's a gentle and humorous prod from the author to take a deep look at your own life, especially in the areas where you may be under attack by the armies of darkness, especially those of us who grow slack in zeal or are perfectly comfortable being lukewarm.

I think the most poignant part of the work is the last section, "Screwtape proposes a toast." It brings you a little too close to the feindishness of Hell, and the result is, naturally, a realistic and holy Fear of the Lord. I love it. I also happened to read The Loser Letters by Mary Eberstadt (http://www.ignatius.com/promotions/loser-letters/), and the two really play well off of one another. I enjoy reading things written from an antithetical perspective. This one definitely wins the Word Nerd Seal of Approval, especially for the dedication to Tolkien in the beginning.


Quotes:

"I've looked up this girl's dossier and am horrified at what I find. Not only a Christian but such a Christian- a vile, sneaking, simpering, demure, monosyllabic, mouse-like, watery, insignificant, virginal, bread-and-butter miss. The little brute. She makes me vomit. She stinks and scalds through the very pages of the dossier. It drives me mad, the way the world has worsened. We'd have had her to the arena in the old days. That's what her sort is made for. Not that she'd do much good there, either. A two-faced little cheat (I know the sort) who looks as if she'd faint at the sight of blood and then dies with a smile. A cheat every way. Looks as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth and yet has a satirical wit. The sort of creature who'd find ME funny! Filthy insipid little prude- and yet ready to fall into this booby's arms like any other breeding animal. Why doesn't the Enemy blast her for it, if He's so moonsturck by virginity- instead of looking on there, grinning?" (117-118). BAHAHAAHAH Sounds like a pretty accurate description of myself.

"Music and silence- how I detest them both! how thankful we should be that ever since Our Father entered Hell- though longer ago than humans, reckoning in light years, could express- no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to either of those abominable forces, but all has been occupied by Noise- Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all... that is exultant, ruthless, and virile- Noise alone which defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples, and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth. The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end. But I admit we are not yet loud enough, or anything like it" (119-120)

That's it for now. More on A Tour of the Summa soon!