Which C.S. Lewis book about grief was published under the name N.W. Clerk?

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A Grief Observed was the C.S. Lewis book about grief published under the name N.W. Clerk.

The book appeared in 1961, shortly after the death of Lewis’s wife, Joy Davidman, from cancer. Written as a series of reflections, it records Lewis’s anger, doubt, loneliness, and changing understanding of mourning. Its directness makes it notably different from his more systematic theological works.

Lewis initially used the pseudonym N.W. Clerk because he wanted the book to be read without the expectations attached to his public reputation. The author’s identity later became known. The work is sometimes treated as a straightforward autobiography, but it is more accurately a candid record of grief and spiritual questioning.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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