What is the subtitle of C.S. Lewis’s memoir Surprised by Joy?
Answer
The Shape of My Early Life
The subtitle of C.S. Lewis’s memoir Surprised by Joy is The Shape of My Early Life.
Published in 1955, the memoir traces Lewis’s childhood, schooling, service in the First World War, literary education and eventual conversion to Christianity. The subtitle signals that it focuses mainly on formative years rather than providing a complete account of his adult career.
Lewis uses “joy” as a technical term for sudden, intense longing triggered by beauty, literature or imagination. He distinguishes this experience from ordinary happiness and describes it as a major clue in his spiritual development.
The book ends before his mature public fame and before his marriage to Joy Davidman. It is therefore best read alongside biographies for later events, rather than as a full cradle-to-grave autobiography.