The Four Loves

by C.S. Lewis

{ 1960 | Harvest Books | 156 pgs }

I’ll come right out and say it: I hate C.S. Lewis’s non-fiction writing style.

It isn’t necessarily a bad writing style, it just doesn’t work for me. And The Four Loves is a decent-sized work of nothing but this particular style. Bleh. Perhaps as a result, I found the subject matter to be dull as well.

Wow, am I a really horrendous person for that?

The Four Loves discusses how each type of love can bring us closer to God, and also how the three earthly loves – affection, friendship, and Eros (romantic love) – can move us away from God. I certainly didn’t agree with all of Lewis’s arguments, but I did enjoy his chapter on charity. He felt that this heavenly love allowed us to be the most Christlike. Well said, sir.

I tried reading The Four Loves a few years ago, but couldn’t get into it. I only picked it up again for one of my classes this semester. Honestly, I feel ok not recommending this to you. Try The Great Divorce instead – or if for some reason you’ve never read the Chronicles of Narnia, what are you waiting for? Hop to it!