Book Review: The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

"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."

The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis is essentially built on this premise.


The author takes a trip to heaven, by way of a bus that picked up him and his fellow travelers at a bus stop in hell.  Once there he and his fellow travelers have conversations with Spirits.  Men and women that have died and live in heaven.

I found this book very insightful and eye-opening. 

I have always loved Lewis' views on heaven.  As a place infinitely more REAL than the place we are in, so much more real that we realize the place we have been in all along is simply a shadowland.

I was captivated and somehow quickened at the same time when he described the difference between the passion of pity and the action of pity. 
The passion being "The pity we merely suffer, the ache that draw men to concede what should not be conceded and to flatter when they should speak truth...  a weapon by bad men against good ones..." 
And the action being "...a weapon on the other side.  It leaps quicker than light from the highest place to the lowest to bring healing and joy, whatever the cost to itself..."

I really can't even begin to describe how many things I learned from it, because I know there are so many more things I will learn as I continue to think about this book and read it over and over. 

As Lewis says:
"Thirst was made for water, inquiry for truth."