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    The Great Divorce
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    The Great Divorce
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    The Great Divorce
    Audiobook3 hours

    The Great Divorce

    Written by C. S. Lewis

    Narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    C.S. Lewis’s dazzling allegory about heaven and hell – and the chasm fixed between them – is one of his most brilliantly imaginative tales, as he takes issue with the ideas in William Blake’s ‘The Marriage of Heaven and Hell’.

    In a dream, the narrator boards a bus on a drizzly afternoon and embarks on an incredible voyage through Heaven and Hell. He meets a host of supernatural beings far removed from his expectations, from the disgruntled, ghostly inhabitants of Hell to the angels and souls who dwell on the plains of Heaven.

    This powerful, exquisitely written fantasy is one of C.S. Lewis’s most enduring works of fiction and a profound meditation on good and evil.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateAug 21, 2014
    ISBN9780008103071
    Author

    C. S. Lewis

    Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a fellow and tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954 when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement.

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    Reviews for The Great Divorce

    4/5

    1,871 ratings54 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Incredibly uplifting. However, you must spend time on the warning in this book.
      There is much to be said about the hope of glory- open to all and accepted by a few.
    • 5/5
      Excellent voice acting and thought provoking story. Great combination.
    • 5/5
      It was amazing to listen to this story. It's fascinating how the author managed to put so much insight into an easy to understanding little story
    • 5/5
      Very interesting how he creates characters for the book
    • 5/5
      Fantastic read! C.S Lewis has done it yet again ? An absolutely beautiful experience from beginning to end. And such wonderful voice acting as well! Would definitely recommend. ??
    • 5/5
      An incredible story & terrifyingly wonderful adventure filled with all manner of spiritual lessons & edification.
    • 3/5
      This was a pretty good and deep book. I would have liked Lewis to keep going in his description and be more like a Dante's Divine Comedy. However, you can see why he stops where he does. His characters are well thought of and you can see the great illustrations he gets from his cast of characters. I found myself a bit confused at times with what was going on so this will definately need to get a second reading. Overall I enjoyed the book and Lewis' character and humor shine through even here. Overall grade - B
    • 5/5
      A lively fable about choice and eternity.
    • 5/5
      This book is part of my C.S. Lewis collection. I went through a huge phase where I was just obsessed with anything and everything by him. While I don't agree with all of his theology, I do love his writing style and the things he has to say about faith. He was a good one.
    • 5/5
      The book is a wonderful image of Heaven, despite the unfortunate title, which refers instead to the multitude of weaknesses and issues that humans can cling to (and cannot repent and divorce) rather than to seek the Model that Jesus gave us. The book describes a dream of leaving earth and traveling to Heaven, where Lewis sees old acquaintances. Highly recommended, you will enjoy thinking of Heaven this way,
    • 3/5
      I've read many of Lewis' works and find his religious bent interesting. As a not particularly religious person myself, though having grown up in a very strictly religious home, I still find his work quite interesting, particularly in that it reflects much of what I have also observed about people's behaviors (never mind my religious beliefs.) The Great Divorce does not disappoint in that respect. Often those who think that they are better than, or less sinful, or more morally upright, or whatever thing we use to prop ourselves up in comparison of "Others" are often the ones outsiders look upon as being not very good people.

      Although I enjoyed the Screwtape Letters more, The Great Divorce is much along that same vein, not pointing the finger at the obvious sinners (such as myself) but providing a reflection for those who are striving to be righteous and do not see their sins, or minimize them for the sake of their religious pride. Even for those who are not religious, we can see ourselves doing the same if we look deep within. And at a time where people seem so determined to be divided by their moral/ religious/ political causes, this is a good read to remind us to look inward first and to ask ourselves if our behavior is just, or just to prop ourselves up?
    • 1/5
      One of the few Lewis books I can honestly say I did not like.

      The rather obscure and and confused conclusions of the book make for a rather unrewarding read.
      Most troubling however, were the implied beliefs in purgatory and universalism on the part of the author.

      Such apparenly drastic deviation from scripural teaching and doctrine on the part of such a respected and influential Christian author could be shocking, to say the least.

      Due to this, 'The Great Divorce' is not a book I would recommend.
    • 4/5
      C.S. Lewis is always a favorite of mine so I enjoy most everything I read by him. This story started off well but was sort of boring in some parts and hard to follow. But I still walked away from the story with good points to think about and moments where I evaluated my own beliefs and ideas about the afterlife. Glad this was a short read and I still enjoy Mr. Lewis' writings.
    • 2/5
      The Great DivorceAuthor: C. S. LewisPublisher: TouchstonePublished In: New YorkDate: 1974Pgs: 125REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERSSummary:Heaven and Hell on a bus ride from London’s rainy streets to the core of good and evil. Expectations and realizations and the challenging of philosophical suppositions. Life. Death. Forever.This is Lewis’ response or riposte to William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.Genre:AdventureClassicsCultureFictionReligionSocietyWhy this book:Heaven and Hell in juxtaposition.______________________________________________________________________________Favorite Character:The narrator and his sense of wonder as we experience these realms through his eyesLeast Favorite Character: The Evangelical Apostate who is so sure of his rightness and his wanting to hold onto his influence and rights that he fails to see what is being offered. Reminds me of every televangelist that I’ve ever seen.The Feel:There is a feeling of the other shoe about to drop, possibly on the narrator’s head throughout this story.Favorite Scene:The Big Man/Ghost’s argument with the murderer who used to work for him who had come to collect him and led him to the mountains.Pacing:Well paced.Hmm Moments:Right off the bat, the people wandering the shutdown town at neverending twilight and the bus station with people jumping in and out of the queue is an excellent metaphor for modern religion. The gray city might be limbo, a waiting room between death and heaven and hell. Or it might be hell, going with the idea that hell is other people. It’s Hell. Interesting.The desperate Ghost woman who wants to be put back in charge of her long suffering husband. She wants to guide him and bend him and make him into whatever she wants him to be, just like she did in life. The poor bastard.Why isn’t there a screenplay?Not sure how this would translate to the screen. Could be awesome in a What Dreams May Come sense. With as much internal dialogue as there is, there would be some major stumbling blocks.__________________________________________________________________________Last Page Sound:A dream...really?Author Assessment:This was okay.Knee Jerk Reaction:real classicDisposition of Book:Irving Public LibrarySouth CampusIrving, TXDewey Decimal System: 236.2 LEWWould recommend to:no one______________________________________________________________________________
    • 5/5
      In this slim allegorical tale, Mr. Lewis illustrates the idea that "no unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God" in a very concrete way. Over and over we see "ghosts" who are bid to enter heaven but will not if it requires them letting go their earthly attachments. I especially liked the introductory passage by the author and how he conceives of this idea. Lots to think about.
    • 4/5
      I'm not a great fan of allegory...
    • 5/5
      Some very interesting theological ideas and a brilliant allegory.
    • 2/5
      I tried to get into this literary classic and just couldn't quite understand it. It came highly recommended to me by a friend of mine because he knew I had just read and enjoyed Rob Bell's, "Love Wins". Apparently Lewis and Bell think similarly on issues relating to Heaven, Hell, and the afterlife. But, there was just too much use of allegory and symbolism in "The Great Divorce" that I couldn't bring myself to finish it simply for a lack of understanding on my part. If I can't understand a book then I don't see the sense in continuing to read it. And, so I reluctantly stopped reading this one about halfway through. If you have no problem understanding allegory, then I recommend this book. But, if you are like me and find it difficult to understand allegory, then save yourself the time and read Love Wins instead.
    • 3/5
      An interesting book, even though there are many things I don’t agree with in it. It’s overly preachy, full of straw man arguments, and generally full of the idea that you should never question or stray from strict Christian dogma or you are a damned fool. Other than that it has some good, thought provoking ideas that you can take in ways the author may not have intended. It is very short, and that’s a good thing, I wouldn’t have wanted too much of it.
    • 5/5
      Here are some quotes I took away from this read: "Thirst was made for water; inquiry for truth. What you now call the free play of inquiry has neither more nor less to do with the ends for which intelligence was given you than masturbation has to do with marriage""Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakeable remains." "There is but one good; that is God. Everything else is good when it looks to Him and bad when it turns from Him." This is a thought-provoking read, easily done in the span of an afternoon. As stated in the preface, it is to be read as a fantasy, but it of course has an intentional moral. One of the biggest things I took from this novel is the natural error we often make of confusing means and ends. We do this with many activities/hobbies: we collect albums, but forget to listen to them; we do homework quickly and negate learning; we study the Bible and forget to love the Word as the living breath of God. I do this quite often. My heart is prone to switch from delighting in God to delighting in the methods that I use bring me this pleasuring in Him. This is idolatry. It is a sinful snare that takes people away from what makes them truly happy. True happiness is only ever achieved when God is the end.
    • 5/5
      Lewis' story of a bus trip from hell to heaven is one of Lewis' most quotable books, and contains a number of fascinating insights into human nature. The book is perhaps best summed up in the quote, "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,” and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in Hell, choose it." It is one of those books you can easily read from cover to cover in one night.
    • 4/5
      This classic Lewis book was fascinating, interesting, and moving.
    • 4/5
      A fable about what it means to get to heaven. Done very well with the imagery of a "solid" heaven. Lewis did a good job of describing Hell not as a demon-filled inferno; rather as a dreary town where no one gets along and no one is happy. Kind of reminded me of the novel "Hell". Especially meaningful were the scenes where the phantoms would not shed their earthly vanities for the chance of heaven. I also liked Lewis' interaction with George MacDonald - his self-proclaimed inspiration. Jack never disappoints.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting and thought provoking! Lewis' dream fantasy of what Heaven is/will be like and what keeps someone (and allows another) from entering it. Addresses what role sin plays in our lives and how God and Hell coexist.
    • 5/5
      I confess that I've come to love C.S. Lewis. He's got a way of fleshing out Christian teachings that not only touches the heart, but also helps me understand them better. In the Great Divorce, he looks at the nature of our sinfulness by recounting a visit of the outskirts of Heaven by citizens of Hell. In it we can see where our petty (but deadly) foibles will lead us and how God endeavors to save us from ourselves. The ending, I must also confess, is rather weak. But it's still worth checking out.--J.
    • 4/5
      When Blake wrote of the Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Lewis thought it would eventually end in a Great Divorce. In this book, Lewis shows Heaven and Hell, but in a way, they are subjective. If you choose the Earth over Heaven, you find the Earth is a suburb of Hell. If you choose Heaven over Earth, you instead find that Earth is a neighborhood on the outskirts of Heaven. Kinda. Likewise, those in Hell can visit Heaven whenever they like, and can stay in Heaven, only they have to give up all of their Earthly ways, and realize what's really important.While not a Biblical view of the afterlife, I found that Lewis' depiction of this afterlife to be quite imaginative and interesting: Hell is a place that you make your own, but what you make is not real, while Heaven, to a denizen of Hell is so real that you cannot even move the blades of grass or make ripples in water. I'm not sure how I feel about it from a theological point of view, but as a story that raises intrigue and thinking, especially of metaphysical things, it certainly does that fairly well.I would recommend this book alongside others by Lewis, specifically those theological fictions of his, such as Screwtape Letters (though, not necessarily, alongside Narnia). It may be too radical for some Christians, and too preachy for some non-Christians, but for everyone else, it's definitely thought-provoking.
    • 5/5
      If "The Screwtape Letters" demonstrates various ways that humans may be led toward sin and hell, then "The Great Divorce" is its complement, demonstrating what might happen to these benighted souls if given one more chance after death. A chance that the souls, currently living in the grey town, must choose to attempt by boarding a kind of celestial bus that takes the passengers as far as the outskirts of Heaven. Here, instead of being influenced by invisible and inaudible demons, they are approached by bright beings (souls already admitted to Heaven) and even angels intent upon them taking the last few steps to salvation.The tale is told from Lewis' POV as if he were dead and, finding himself in the grey town, decided to board the bus. His guide, as it turns out, is George MacDonald. I love every one of the encounters on the doorstep of Heaven That Lewis observes. Even though I've read this book many times, I find myself rooting for each of the spirits visiting from the grey town to make the right decision.
    • 5/5
      "No, there is no escape. There is no heaven eith a little bit of hell in it-- no plan to retain this or that of the devil in our hearts or our pockets. Out Satan must go, every hair and feather." --George MacDonald [1824-1905]This slim volume may not be that starling today, when many believe in Universal salvation, but I imagine it provoke many theological discussions when first published in 1946.I especially enjoyed the end, when Lewis reference Julian of Norwich; 'hungry ghosts' and bodhisattvas of Buddhism; and free will. The vignettes prior to the theological exposition were fun and thought-provoking, though the faint feminist streak in me was disappointed that the men were, in the main, arguing from logic, which the women were petty and desperate in their desire to attach themselves in such a needy manner to others. But this was written in 1946.
    • 4/5
      In this novella, C.S. Lewis investigates the eternal choice between Heaven and Hell, joy and despair. He structures the story as a dream: the soul of a man takes a journey, stopping at a place where there is a lot of empty space, where houses can be literally dreamed out of the ground and as people get into arguments they move farther and farther away from each other. Souls can choose to stay in this increasing wasteland or travel away from it. As the journey continues, the soul is met by George MacDonald, who becomes his teacher and explains more of what is going on.I generally love C.S. Lewis. He has an interesting mind, and an interesting way of explaining things. I have loved the Chronicles of Narnia since I was a kid; I loved his more grown-up story Till We Have Faces when I read it for the first time two years ago. Just about any time I have a chance to buy one of his books, I do, so when I came across this in the bargain books several years ago, I snatched it. The Great Divorce, though short and easy to read, was a heady trip. I liked, but did not love it; I'm not sure I understood half of it. I had a similar reaction to this story in its entirety that I did to the end of Perelandra - the points he were making became so philosophical and over my head that I lost track of the argument and what I even thought about it. Still, it passed an afternoon pleasantly.
    • 5/5
      In the preface, Lewis suggests that this book is a sort of response to Blake's "Marriage of Heaven and Hell." Now, I haven't read that particular book, so I can't say how adequate this particular response is, but overall, I really enjoyed the themes, presentations and thoughts brought out in this book.The basic premise is that Lewis finds himself in a strange gray town where he boards a bus with a number of other passengers. After a somewhat strange trip, he finds himself in a beautiful, but strange location. He follows some of the other passengers as they explore the new land and are met by the inhabitants. TO "spoil" the premise a bit, the "gray town" represents HELL and the shining land at the end of the bus ride represents HEAVEN. The passengers are ghosts who have taken a trip from Hell to Heaven...and as they are greeted by the brilliant beings in Heaven, we learn that the inhabitants from Hell are given the option of staying in Heaven. Naturally there are some rules in order to stay (they must give up remaining vices, pride, animosity and embrace the everpresent and all important love of God).The book is broken into a series of vignettes as the narrator watches the behavior of the visitors from Hell and their interactions with Heaven and with the angels they find there.At first, the narrator wanders alone through Heaven but after a time he encounters an angel who engages him in conversation. The remaining chapters then reminded me a bit of the interaction between Dante and Virgil while Dante wandered through the various levels of Hell/Inferno and made observations on the inhabitants there.This book is another great example of Lewis's thoughtfulness and insight into religion, heaven, hell, God's love and other elements of Christianity. It's not as scholarly as "The Four Loves" and isn't as allegorical as his Narnia series. It's more akin to his work with Screwtape and shares many similarities. We are again shown examples of how the human mind gets caught up with pride, offense, lust, greed and other elements that hold us back from attaining our eternal potential. Where Screwtape is very tongue in cheek and has the humorous voice of a devil, Divorce is humorous at times but also has a certain sadness in its poignancy. In Screwtape we were distanced from the actual temptation and fall of humanity. Here we get to see individual humans who have fallen from Grace and (sadly) hold fast to their fallen state even while sitting on the borders of Heaven itself.I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of very thoughtful segments and passages. I found real examples in each of the character sketches he presented. There are a few points of religion on which I vary quite significantly from Lewis's proposal, but from a high level, I found this exploration very intriguing, well crafted and (although certainly a fiction) of the general feeling and spirit of the concepts of Heaven and Hell.I want to share one particular passage really stuck with me in pointing out the importance of our own agency and choice: "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock it is opened."In God's plan for us, He truly wants us ALL to return to Heaven to partake of His presence, but He will not force us. The choice is always ours. But He cannot modify the laws that dictate who may and may not enter Heaven and His presence. If we choose the path that takes us away from Heaven, that is our choice. He will present us opportunities again and again to repent of our choices and choose His path. But in the end, it is a matter of choices and the consequences of those choices.I found this book very thoughtful, insightful and inspirational. It shows great insight into the human mind with relation to the eternal. It also does a great job of illustrating how our own failings may hold us back even if we don't acknowledge them.Well worth reading.