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A review by chemistreader
A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy and Triumph by Sheldon Vanauken
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.5
Wow. This book is so deep and rich. It is worth reading for the letters from and insight into C.S. Lewis alone. The poem on the dedication page had me in tears before I even began.
And yet, I have very mixed feelings on it. Van’s reflections on marriage, eternity, his and Davy’s conversion, and grief are so profound and deep. Surprisingly, esp given his direct allusions to Elliot’s very abstract Four Quartets, I found his writing to be very accessible. Having said that, I found Van very self-absorbed, or maybe a better word would be “couple-absorbed”. While I appreciate how self effacing and honest he was, his jealousy of God was presumptuous and pompous. Furthermore, his insistence on shared experiences with Davy was taken to such an extreme that was misguided at best and hypocritical at worst. Though this may be the product of his initial paganism coupled with his academic mind and environment at Oxford and the like, it was hard to let those points go.
I think where this book falls short is in its format as a memoir. Particularly, Van and Davy’s conversion story and explanation of the Shining Barrier could’ve been enriched by a more autobiographical background on their past particularity their upbringing and childhood. For example, in finding out more about Davy’s background, their unsound decision to not have children made much more sense. The lack of recognition of their privilege and freedom to live the life they lived and pursue their endeavors was also a weakness.
Having said this, I think I can appreciate this memoir for what it is. An understanding that this represents the beginnings of his conversion which wasn’t fully complete until much later is also a necessary lens to appreciate this book. It was evident that Van did not yet fully understand all that Lewis was saying to him especially the workings of God’s Grace in his life.
Overall, despite its shortcomings, I think this book is a valuable read and should especially provide hope for the conversion of academics and intellectuals.
And yet, I have very mixed feelings on it. Van’s reflections on marriage, eternity, his and Davy’s conversion, and grief are so profound and deep. Surprisingly, esp given his direct allusions to Elliot’s very abstract Four Quartets, I found his writing to be very accessible. Having said that, I found Van very self-absorbed, or maybe a better word would be “couple-absorbed”. While I appreciate how self effacing and honest he was, his jealousy of God was presumptuous and pompous. Furthermore, his insistence on shared experiences with Davy was taken to such an extreme that was misguided at best and hypocritical at worst. Though this may be the product of his initial paganism coupled with his academic mind and environment at Oxford and the like, it was hard to let those points go.
I think where this book falls short is in its format as a memoir. Particularly, Van and Davy’s conversion story and explanation of the Shining Barrier could’ve been enriched by a more autobiographical background on their past particularity their upbringing and childhood. For example, in finding out more about Davy’s background, their unsound decision to not have children made much more sense. The lack of recognition of their privilege and freedom to live the life they lived and pursue their endeavors was also a weakness.
Having said this, I think I can appreciate this memoir for what it is. An understanding that this represents the beginnings of his conversion which wasn’t fully complete until much later is also a necessary lens to appreciate this book. It was evident that Van did not yet fully understand all that Lewis was saying to him especially the workings of God’s Grace in his life.
Overall, despite its shortcomings, I think this book is a valuable read and should especially provide hope for the conversion of academics and intellectuals.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: War
Minor: Animal death