Which C.S. Lewis book is an autobiography of his spiritual development?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s autobiography of his spiritual and intellectual development.

Published in 1955, Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life traces Lewis’s childhood, education, literary influences, and changing religious outlook up to his return to Christianity. The book is not a complete account of his entire adult life; it concentrates particularly on his early development and the experiences he associated with “joy.”

Lewis uses “joy” in a specialized sense for an intense, often fleeting longing connected with beauty, literature, and imagination. He discusses writers and experiences that influenced him, including George MacDonald and Norse mythology. The narrative also covers his time at school, military service, and academic formation.

A Grief Observed is different: it is a meditation on bereavement after Joy Davidman’s death. Mere Christianity develops Christian arguments from radio talks, while The Problem of Pain addresses suffering. Surprised by Joy is the autobiographical title among these works.