What was the name of C.S. Lewis’s autobiographical book published in 1955?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s autobiographical book, published in 1955.

The book traces Lewis’s intellectual and spiritual development from childhood through his return to Christianity. It discusses his early reading, his love of mythology, his education, his experiences in the First World War, and the friendships and books that influenced his changing outlook.

In the book, “joy” is not simply happiness or pleasure. Lewis uses the word for a recurring experience of intense longing, often connected with beauty, imagination, and the sense that something desired lies beyond ordinary satisfaction. He describes this idea as central to his spiritual journey.

The title can be confused with A Grief Observed, which records Lewis’s response to Joy Davidman’s death and was published under a pseudonym in its first edition. Surprised by Joy is instead a retrospective account of Lewis’s earlier life and conversion.