The Screwtape Letters

The Screwtape Letters (1942) is a satirical novel in the form of letters written from one demon to another. Senior demon and hellish administrator Screwtape shares advice and lessons with his nephew, Wormwood, who is tasked with tempting his “patient” away from God and toward Satan. As such, readers see the ordinary troubles and temptations of human life depicted from a devil’s point of view.

• Satire lovers with an interest in Christian theology
• Non-Christians with a self-deprecating streak
• Narnia fans who want to sample another of Lewis’s works

S. –⁠ that is, Clive Staples –⁠ Lewis was a British writer born at the turn of the twentieth century. He taught English literature at both Oxford and Cambridge, fought in the First World War, and had a well-known friendship with fellow writer J. R. R. Tolkien. His most famous books are those making up the fantasy series The Chronicles of Narnia, but his writings on Christian theology, including Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain, are also notable.