Entertaining (there's some sharp social commentary), and I found having to reverse the psychology, as it were, a useful intellectual exercise that worked my brain nicely (and, I think, helped me get the theological points Lewis was making). My copy ends with a "Screwtape Proposes a Toast," which I found *quite* tedious, unfortunately. Well worth a read, even if you're disinclined (as I am) to take the religious aspects.... religiously. *looks askance at LW3* ( )

Outstanding classic! Tough to read and understand if small parts of the book are dipped into at random on occasion. But by taking time to understand the premise before beginning and concentrating on that premise through the first few letters (very short chapters), it's a richly rewarding, sometimes humorous, and thought provoking experience. ( )

Screwtape is a senior devil whose job is to increase the store of malice and misery on Earth. He achieves this by carefully targeting humans and then providing them with an array of temptations that can take their minds away from God. Under Screwtape's charge is his nephew Wormwood, a novice devil. The letters between them record their efforts to turn a young man from his newly-adopted Christianity back to 'Our Father Below' (Satan). Wormwood receives detailed instructions on how to exploit the man's weaknesses and bring him permanently around to sin. Both shocking and amusing, C S Lewis's satire The Screwtape Letters was a bestseller in its day, selling over half a million copies. It was a brilliant riposte to the creeping atheism, existentialism and materialism of Lewis's time, attracting the smart reader who normally may have dismissed Christianity as a moral guide; Lewis's Screwtape works relentlessly not simply to turn the victim towards sin, but to a fashionable resignation about the 'way of the world' that denies human progress. The book is quite a challenge to understand, because everything is morally in reverse. You have to remind yourself that the 'Enemy' referred to is God, and that the way of life advocated by Screwtape is the exact opposite of a good Christian life. For instance, Screwtape bemoans that that the Enemy has given human beings free will to choose the Good, and that God actually loves 'the human vermin'. Each chapter deals with a different temptation such as a lack of neighborly love, smugness, lust, and identifying with non-believers because they are clever and witty.

A creative look into how the demonic works in the lives of Christians. This book reiterated the fact that we don't always smack right into sinful things--if so, we'd recognize sin more often and say no from the beginning. More often than not, sinful things begin with a little attitude, a little grievance, something small...and fester and grow into something big. How unfortunate that a sinful thought would just need a tiny seed--that we are so willing to water, when a pure and holy thought needs God's constant reminding and coaxing and prodding in us for us to allow it to flourish. Praise God that he does remind us and coax us and prod us--he really does deeply love us all! ( )

A one sided conversation between Wormwood and "Your affectionate Uncle Screwtape." Screwtape responds to letters written by Wormwood, we never see the letters the nephew has written. This book is very well written and surprisingly is still relevant today, especially towards the end with some of Screwtapes comments. ( )