Book Review: The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that’s been on my reading list for years but for whatever reason, I never got around to picking it up. I needed a quick read to amp up my reading list, so I finally read it. I have to say, this book was not what I was expecting. I know a bit about C.S. Lewis, mostly from his association with the Inklings, and I’ve read The Screwtape Letters, which was rather interesting. This book was interesting, as well, but it was a bit of a disappointment. I have to remind myself that Lewis was writing in a different time period, and some of his ideas are antiquated. The apologetic tone throughout the book is sort of irritating, too; he keeps stating that he’s not an expert and that his opinions aren’t strong. I understand writing a preface and stating that, but to continue to state the same thing throughout the book makes me wonder why he bothered writing about the subject at all if he felt so insecure. The book is definitely about his personal opinions and not a scholarly work, which actually made the book more about C. S. Lewis himself and how he viewed the world, which was fascinating. I’d recommend this if you’re a fan of C.S. Lewis.

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