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Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis by Patti Callahan
lizjames's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
randikaye's review against another edition
4.0
To be 100% honest, if this were a completely fictional story with made up characters, I likely wouldn't have enjoyed it quite as much. It's certainly not your typical Christian romance novel type of love story. When the story begins, Joy is married to someone else---and while he is far from a loving and devoted spouse himself, she did start to develop feelings for C.S. Lewis (whom she called Jack) while still married. Again, if this were an entirely fictional story, I perhaps wouldn't have read any further. But it's not. It is a fictionalized story of the real relationship between the two... and real life? Well, it's a lot more messy than fictional love stories. It might not be quite what I was expecting... but it is life.
Despite that rather rocky start, I must admit I really enjoyed reading their story. As I said, I didn't know the first thing about C.S. Lewis's personal life and nothing of Joy even by name, and so it was really interesting to get that little glimpse. I was drawn into their world thanks to the author's fantastic storytelling through Joy's perspective. Yes, it is fictional, but it was well researched, as the added resources in the expanded version allow us to see. More than anything, I enjoyed their great friendship and watching it grow slowly throughout the year until it would eventually become more.
I don't believe this will be everyone's cup of tea, as I have said it doesn't read like your typical book from the genre. It's clean in that there are no graphic descriptions, but still more implied than perhaps is typical in Christian works and again does deal with adultery and divorce. While I still enjoyed it myself, I can certainly see where some more conservative readers might not. Still, if you are a fan of C.S Lewis (or Joy Davidman, of course), this is one that is definitely worth checking out.
**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own.
beaureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
cedarwinterberry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
adk_read_hitherto's review against another edition
sydneydismukes's review against another edition
3.0
The book is clearly well-researched regarding important events in the lives of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis. Having never read biographies about either, I loved reading about the true events that so heavily influenced some of their greatest works. The author connected us to the characters well and made them – especially Jack (C.S. Lewis) – appear more human and real.
When describing the various settings in the book, the author has a keen ability for making you wish you were there, too. While at times her seasonal imagery became repetitive, it was so descriptive and inviting. Her description of Oxford and the Kilns especially made me want to travel there ASAP. It gave me the same sense of coziness that I felt in many Narnia scenes.
The author does a great job of detailing the story of a woman who decides to take her life into her own hands. I am truly shocked to see the reviews of those saying they disliked the book because Joy seemed too selfish and should have tried to make her marriage with her first husband work. After the torment she endured, it was empowering to read how she prioritized her well-being, her work, and her children over the preservation of a marriage that had justifiable grounds for divorce. The book did a great job of highlighting the courage and determination Joy must have had during such a difficult time for women.
Where the book missed the mark...
I often struggle with books from the first-person POV because more often than not, it seems the author projects too much of his/her own personal thoughts, experiences, and personality onto the character. Many times, this book suffered from such a dissociative identity disorder. There were many times when I thought, ‘There is NO way Joy, a child prodigy who graduated high school at age 14 and broke the IQ test scale, would say something like that.’ Too often it seemed too like I was hearing the author’s voice, not Joy’s.
On the other hand, sometimes the dialogue felt too contrived and clunky. Our main characters often launch into monologues that are totally unlike any conversation ever produced by a human being. In many of these portions, I think the author was trying so hard to make the conversations appear deep and intellectual that the dialogues became unnatural, disjointed, and far more flowery than even those of a literary genius.
I almost did not finish the book because of the first chapter. Here the author introduces us to Joy, a wife thrown into hysterics (and rightfully so) after she cannot find her drunken husband who calls her in the midst of a PTSD episode. All within one singular page of text, Joy is characterized as a staunch atheist, then realizes she’s powerless in this situation, she decides to pray, and then “God came in…I felt fully known and loved. There was a solid sense that he was with me, had always been with me.” I feel like for such a revelation to occur and for us readers to recognize its weight, we needed a deeper understanding of Joy’s atheism and background first. It was just too many vital character points unloaded in one singular page of text.
Joy’s childlike desperation for requited love from Jack grated on my nerves. She came off as groveling, obsessive, and needy. I feel like the author could have done a better job of expressing this desire for Jack’s love without making Joy behave like I did in 7th grade.
Read this book if you want to learn more about the personal experiences that contributed to the development of two great literary geniuses and the works we’ve all come to know and love. Keep in mind, however, you will not hear as much God-talk as you probably anticipated. If there is any god present in this book, it is mostly Joy’s perception of Jack and her occasional nod to the “capital-G” God in times of despair.
mrsmisko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
bcroyle23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
amandabshero's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0