What is the name of C.S. Lewis’s autobiography about his spiritual journey?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s autobiography about his spiritual journey.

Published in 1955, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life describes Lewis’s childhood, education, literary interests, movement toward atheism, and eventual return to Christianity. It is not a complete account of every period of his life; its emphasis is the development of his intellectual and spiritual outlook.

The title uses Lewis’s idea of “joy,” a term he applied to intense, fleeting experiences of longing or desire for something beyond ordinary satisfaction. He connected these experiences with books, nature, and imagination, and later interpreted them as part of his movement toward Christian belief.

Lewis’s account includes important figures and events from his early life, including his brother Warren, his schooling, and his experiences during the First World War. Readers sometimes confuse this work with A Grief Observed, which concerns the death of Joy Davidman and was published under a pseudonym. Surprised by Joy is the earlier autobiographical work.