Which C.S. Lewis book is a memoir about his experience of desire and longing?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s memoir about his experience of desire and longing.

Published in 1955, the book describes Lewis’s intellectual and spiritual development from childhood through his conversion to Christianity. Its title refers to “joy,” Lewis’s term for an intense, often fleeting longing triggered by experiences such as literature, mythology, nature, and imagination.

The memoir covers Lewis’s early life, education, service in the First World War, return to Oxford, and friendships with fellow scholars. It also recounts how his outlook changed from atheism toward Christianity. Lewis’s conversion was gradual, and he later described important conversations with J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson in 1931.

Surprised by Joy is not the same as A Grief Observed, which reflects on Lewis’s mourning after the death of his wife, Joy Davidman. The shared word “joy” can cause confusion, but the two books have different subjects and historical settings.