A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Week 2: Section One — "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear"
Read Section One (Notebook 1) of A Grief Observed by C. S. Lewis.
Previewing Week 2 of A Grief Observed
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 6-week guide when you’re ready.
In the first notebook, Lewis describes grief not as a noble sorrow but as a physical, disorienting assault — and begins to notice what grief is doing to his image of God.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Lewis opens with one of the most arresting sentences in the book: "No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear." What does he mean by that? Have you ever felt the physical sensation of grief — the hollow, the restlessness, the inability to concentrate? How would you describe it?
2.Lewis describes going to places he and Joy used to frequent and finding them painful — but also describes how, when he is in company, he feels "an invisible blanket between the world and me." Which of these two experiences — avoidance or numbness — do you find more recognizable in your own experience of loss?
3.In this section, Lewis imagines going to God in his grief and finding "a door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double bolting on the inside." This image is shocking, especially coming from a celebrated Christian. What do you think he is really describing? Is this a statement about God, or about Lewis's own state of soul?