Signature Classics reading order?

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On a Facebook group, a new reader of Lewis had just bought the Signature Classics collection of C.S. Lewis’ works and was asking in which order they should be read. Now, Now, obviously there’s no “official” order, but here are my thoughts on the matter…

Publication Order

One perfectly reasonable choice would be to read these books in the order in which Lewis wrote them:

  1. The Problem of Pain (1940)
  2. The Screwtape Letters (1942)
  3. Mere Christianity (Separately in 1942, 1943, and 1944 and together in 1952)
  4. The Great Divorce (1945)
  5. Surprised By Joy (1955)
  6. The Four Loves (1960)

However, I wouldn’t suggest that a newcomer to Lewis read these books in publication order.

Newcomer’s Order

I would instead recommend a reading order which arranges the books roughly from the easiest to the hardest:

  1. The Screwtape Letters
  2. Mere Christianity
  3. The Great Divorce
  4. Surprised By Joy
  5. The Four Loves
  6. The Problem of Pain
  7. Miracles

Here’s my rationale…

The Screwtape Letters is a great place to start – not only is it profound, it’s also very fun and accessible.

Mere Christianity was written for the general public. It would also give readers an outline of Lewis’ Christian thought, which would stand them in very good stead for the remaining books.

Then I think it’s a good time to read The Great Divorce. Although some people trip up over it, it’s still my favourite. It also happens to be a very short book, which will help the reader build up a head of steam for the next book…

Surprised By Joy was actually the first Lewis book I read as an adult, but I wasn’t ready for it so I abandoned it about a third of the way through. However, by this point, I think the reader is well-prepared for it!

On the whole, The Four Loves is very readable, but I find the first two chapters harder going, which is why I place it next. It’s also a good training ground for Lewis’ more philosophical works…

…such as The Problem of Pain, which contains rather weighty material, and finally Miracles, which I think is the most philosophically dense book in the collection, so I saved that for last.

Further Discussion

A while ago I interviewed Matt Nelson on this subject following an article he wrote, C.S. Lewis for beginners: A Guide.

What do you think? In which order would you recommend a newcomer read these books?

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David

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After working as a Software Engineer in England for several years, David moved to the United States in 2008, where he settled in San Diego. Then, in 2020 he married his wife, Marie, and moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin. Together they have a son, Alexander, who is adamant that Narnia should be read publication order.

One Comment

  1. Your list is a very good starter order for newcomers to Lewis. Perhaps moving The Great Divorce towards the end might make it more intriguing after reading some heavier stuff. What age do you think is appropriate to start reading the list?

    The order I first read his books was quite different (all within two years).
    A Grief Observed
    The Problem of Pain
    The Chronicles (in right order)
    Surprised by Joy
    Miracles
    Mere Christianity
    The Four Loves
    The Screwtape Letters
    The Great Divorce (a wonderful bookend to A Grief Observed)

    Starting off with A Grief Observed was the key to unlocking my stubbornness to learn or do anything about suffering. After Jack gave me that gift, I relished in everything else he wrote. It took me another twenty years to read Til We Have Faces.

    Thanks David,

    Mo

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