SURPRISED BY JOY - THE SHAPE OF MY EARLY LIFE (First impression - no dustwrapper)

C. S. Lewis (Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford)

Published by Geoffrey Bles, 52 Doughty Street, London, W.C.1, 1955

First impression of the true first edition. With a one-page preface written by C.S. Lewis. ***Very good in silver-grey boards with silver titles to the spine on a golden-yellow panel. The yellow colour is slightly rubbed. Head and tail of spine slightly creased. Corners sharp. There are a couple of very small creases along the bottom edges of the boards. Boards clean - just slightly marked due to age and handling over the years. Top edge of page block stained yellow by the publisher - still clean just slightly darkened. Fore-edge of page block slightly foxed. Internally also very good with a neat contemporary ownership name and date at the top of the front free endpaper. There is some offsetting and foxing to the first and last couple of pages - pages otherwise clean. Spine tight. No dustwrapper with this copy. ***224 pages. 224mm x 145mm. Contents: Preface, I. The First Years, II. Concentration Camp, III. Mountbracken and Campbell, IV. I Broaden My Mind, V. Renaissance, VI. Bloodery, VII. Light and Shade, VIII. Release, IX. The Great Knock, X. Fortune's Smile, XI. Check, XII. Guns and Good Company, XIII. The New Look, XIV. Checkmate, XV. The Beginning. ***'A poem by Longfellow, Beatrix Potter's "Squirrel Nutkin" and a miniature garden fashioned on an old tea tray - these, says C. S. Lewis, were the three landmarks in his childhood which first brought him a sense of that indefinable desire which he describes as "joy". In this book he tells of his search for joy, a spiritual journey which led him from the Christianity of his early years into atheism, and then, by way of theism, back to Christianity. In his Preface Dr Lewis emphasizes that this is the "kind of thing I have never written before and shall probably never write again". It is a "conversion story" and has been written in the hope that one man's experience may be of help to others who have embarked on a similar journey.' (Quote taken from the front flap of the dustwrapper of another copy we have on sale). ***First impression of the true first edition, in very good condition, but without the dustwrapper. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Seller Inventory # 8552

Bibliographic Details

Title: SURPRISED BY JOY - THE SHAPE OF MY EARLY ...
Publisher: Geoffrey Bles, 52 Doughty Street, London, W.C.1
Publication Date: 1955
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
Edition: First Edition