Which 1955 C.S. Lewis book describes his early life and intellectual journey?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s 1955 autobiographical book about his early life and intellectual journey. It follows his childhood, education, literary development, and movement toward Christianity.

Lewis uses the idea of “joy” to describe intense, fleeting experiences of longing or desire awakened by imagination, nature, literature, and myth. In the book, these experiences are not simply moments of happiness; they point beyond themselves and become part of his account of spiritual searching.

The autobiography discusses Lewis’s childhood in Belfast, his relationship with his brother Warren, his time at school, his service in the First World War, and his years as a student and scholar. It also describes intellectual influences that shaped his eventual return to Christian belief.

Surprised by Joy is often confused with A Grief Observed, which records Lewis’s response to Joy Davidman’s death, or with Mere Christianity, which presents arguments associated with Christian apologetics. The 1955 book is specifically the autobiographical account of his formative journey.