What 1955 autobiography did C.S. Lewis publish about his journey from atheism to Christianity?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s 1955 autobiography about his journey toward Christianity.

Published in 1955, Surprised by Joy describes Lewis’s intellectual and spiritual development from childhood through his conversion. The title refers to experiences of intense longing or “joy,” a theme Lewis associated with moments that seemed to point beyond ordinary satisfaction.

The book discusses Lewis’s early religious upbringing, his movement into atheism, his return to belief in God, and his eventual embrace of Christianity. It also records the influence of literature and friendships, including J.R.R. Tolkien and Owen Barfield.

Surprised by Joy is not the same kind of book as Mere Christianity, which developed from wartime radio broadcasts, or A Grief Observed, which reflects on the death of Lewis’s wife, Joy Davidman. Its focus is Lewis’s earlier intellectual and spiritual formation.