Which C.S. Lewis work records his journey from atheism toward Christianity?

Surprised by Joy is C.S. Lewis’s autobiographical account of his journey from atheism toward Christianity.

Published in 1955, the book traces Lewis’s intellectual and spiritual development from childhood through his conversion. It discusses his reading, friendships, changing beliefs, and the experiences he associated with a distinctive longing or “joy.” Lewis presents that longing as an important feature of his inner life rather than simply as ordinary happiness.

Lewis had abandoned Christianity in his adolescence and described himself for a time as an atheist. His return to belief developed gradually. Influences included conversations with writers such as J.R.R. Tolkien and Hugo Dyson, as well as his own study of Christian ideas. He later became an Anglican and a prominent Christian writer.

Surprised by Joy is not a conventional diary or a complete theological treatise. Mere Christianity develops arguments for Christian belief, The Problem of Pain addresses suffering, and The Four Loves examines kinds of human affection.