Which C.S. Lewis book was published in 1955 as his autobiography?

C.S. Lewis’s 1955 autobiography is titled Surprised by Joy.

The book traces Lewis’s intellectual and spiritual development from childhood through his conversion to Christianity. Rather than presenting a complete chronological life story, it focuses on experiences of longing, imagination, reading, friendship, and belief that shaped his inner life.

Lewis describes “joy” as a distinctive form of intense longing that repeatedly came to him through literature, mythology, and other experiences. He distinguishes this feeling from ordinary happiness and treats it as an important clue in his spiritual journey.

The title is sometimes confused with Lewis’s later reflective work A Grief Observed, which concerns his response to the death of his wife, Joy Davidman. Surprised by Joy predates their marriage and was published in 1955.