What is the name of C.S. Lewis’s Christian autobiography?

C.S. Lewis’s Christian autobiography is titled Surprised by Joy. Published in 1955, the book describes his intellectual and spiritual journey from childhood belief through atheism to Christianity.

The title refers to Lewis’s idea of “joy,” a powerful longing or fleeting experience that he associated with imaginative literature, especially Norse mythology and romantic poetry. He did not use the word merely to mean ordinary happiness. Instead, joy became a clue in his account of the desire for something beyond the world.

Lewis explains how books, friendships, and philosophical reflection influenced his movement toward belief. Important figures in the story include his brother Warren and his friend Owen Barfield. Lewis became a theist in the late 1920s and returned to Christianity in 1931.

Readers sometimes confuse the book with Mere Christianity, which grew from wartime radio talks and presents an argument for shared Christian belief. Surprised by Joy is the personal memoir, while Mere Christianity is primarily an apologetic work.