Which C.S. Lewis book is a Christian autobiography about his movement from atheism to belief?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s Christian autobiography about his movement from atheism to belief. The book traces his intellectual and spiritual development rather than offering a complete day-by-day memoir.

Published in 1955, it covers Lewis’s childhood, education, service in the First World War, literary friendships, and changing views about religion. He describes experiences of intense longing, which he associated with the German word Sehnsucht and called “joy.”

Lewis had abandoned Christianity in his teens and later described himself as an atheist for a period. His return to Christianity developed gradually through reading, conversations, and reflection. He became a theist before returning to Christianity in the early 1930s.

The title can be misunderstood as referring simply to happiness. In Lewis’s usage, “joy” is a fleeting desire for something beyond ordinary satisfaction. The book therefore combines autobiography with an account of how literature and longing shaped his beliefs.