After *The Chronicles of Narnia*, you can explore other works by C.S. Lewis, such as: - *The Space Trilogy* (*Out of the Silent Planet*, *Perelandra*, and *That Hideous Strength*) - *Till We Have Faces* - *The Screwtape Letters* - *Mere Christianity* - *The Great Divorce* - *The Chronicles of Ransom* - *The Problem of Pain* - *A Grief Observed* - *The Abolition of Man* - *The Four Loves* - *Perelandra*

The first three form the Space Trilogy. They are out of print but easy to find second-hand and in libraries.

You liked the humour and the wry perspective of the narrator

1. The Screwtape Letters (1942). Letters from an old demon, Screwtape, to his nephew Wormwood, who is tasked with ruining the soul of a young Englishman. Funny, biting, and remarkably insightful about our little weaknesses. One letter per day for a month, and you will never see your small faults in the same way. It is the best first step away from Narnia.
2. The Great Divorce (1945). A bus shuttles between a grey town and the outskirts of heaven. Passengers can stay if they accept to let go of what holds them back. George MacDonald plays the role of guide. It is available in French under the title The Pilgrim's Regress (Empreinte, 2025).
3. Demons Wormwood (EBV, Basel, 1985; new edition by Empreinte, 24 April 2025). The collection opens with The Screwtape Letters (1959), where the old demon gives a banquet speech, and includes seven other texts.

You want to understand Lewis's faith

1. Mere Christianity (1952). The book is drawn from Lewis's wartime BBC talks. A former atheist explains what Christians believe, with the logic of a professor and many images.
2. The Problem of Pain (1940). If God is good and all-powerful, why pain?
3. Miracles (1947). Can we still believe in miracles? A recent French edition, translated by Daniel Verheyde, is presented by Suzanne Bray (Empreinte, 2018).
4. The Abolition of Man (1943). A short book on education and morality, often cited far beyond Christian circles.
5. God in the Dock. Short essays and articles, easy to dip into.

Only God in the Dock has appeared in French (Gallimard, 1965), and it is out of print. For the other three, we have found no French translation. They read well in English for those with a good level.

You want to meet the man

1. Surprised by Joy (1955). His childhood in Belfast, the death of his mother, hated boarding schools, war, books, and the long path to faith.
2. The Four Loves (1960). Affection, friendship, Eros, and charity. It reveals the friend of the Inklings and the man who discovered love late in life. The book was only translated into French in 2005, by Raphaël, as announced on the old website.
3. A Grief Observed (1961). The journal of his grief after the death of Joy, published first under a pseudonym. Brief, moving, to be read at the right time.

You are curious about literature

• The Allegory of Love (1936), on courtly love and medieval poetry.
• A Preface to Paradise Lost (1942), on Milton.
• The Discarded Image (1964), the key to the medieval heavens, planets, and spheres found in Narnia.
• An Experiment in Literary Criticism (1961), a gem on what it means to read well.

Only An Experiment in Literary Criticism has been published in French (Gallimard, 1965), and it is out of print. For the other three, we have found no French translation. They read well in English for those with a good level.

Second way: according to the moment in your life

“I only have one evening”

The Great Divorce (The Pilgrim's Regress, Empreinte, 2025): one hundred and fifty pages, one strong idea, unforgettable characters. Another possibility: the sermon The Weight of Glory, half an hour of reading, available in French in Demons Wormwood (1985) or in English.

“I am 12-15 years old and I loved Narnia”

The Horse and His Boy: an abduction, a spaceship, an unknown planet, friendly creatures. Then Letters to Children (Téqui), Lewis's letters to children, full of writing advice.

“I am a believer and want to go deeper”

The Four Loves (Téqui) for relational life, Letters to Malcolm for prayer (second-hand), Reflections on the Psalms (Empreinte) for the Bible.

“I don't believe, but I'm curious”

Mere Christianity, to understand what Christians believe, presented by a former atheist who knows your objections. More literary, The Great Divorce gives voice to a woman revolting against the gods, without easy answers. On education and morality, The Abolition of Man speaks to everyone.

“I am grieving”

A Grief Observed (Cerf, pocket edition). Lewis does not console; he accompanies. Read it when you feel able to, possibly in fragments.

“I am suffering, or someone close to me is suffering, and I wonder why”

The Problem of Pain (Téqui), but read it when you are rested: it is a book of reflection. If the pain is acute, prefer A Grief Observed.

“I want to know the man”

Surprised by Joy, the autobiography up to 1931 (second-hand). Then our portrait “From Belfast to the Wardrobe” and the two-part biography.

“I am a student of literature or a teacher”

An Experiment in Literary Criticism in the library; in English, The Discarded Image, considered by many professors as one of the best introductions to the Middle Ages, and Of Other Worlds for children's literature.

“I read English without difficulty”

Take advantage: The Pilgrim's Regress, The Discarded Image and most of the letters have no French translation listed. The Weight of Glory exists in French, but only for the sermon-title and some texts. English pocket editions are cheap.

Arranged in a table

• Book — Difficulty — Reading time — Available in French today
• The Great Divorce / The Pilgrim's Regress — easy — 3 h — yes (Empreinte)
• The Screwtape Letters — easy — 4 h — yes (Empreinte)
• The Horse and His Boy — easy — 5 h — second-hand
• A Grief Observed — easy — 2 h — yes (Cerf)
• Mere Christianity — medium — 8 h — to check (LLB)
• The Four Loves — medium — 5 h — yes (Téqui)
• The Abolition of Man — medium — 3 h — to check
• Surprised by Joy — medium — 8 h — second-hand
• The Problem of Pain — difficult — 8 h — yes (Téqui)
• Outward Looking — difficult — 7 h — second-hand

The times are approximate, for an average reader.

The role of a Swiss publisher

Many French-speaking readers discovered Lewis through the Raphaël editions, in Mont-Pèlerin, above Vevey. Their director, Denis Ducatel, has also been the translator of at least seven of Lewis's books: Surprised by Joy, Reflections on the Psalms, The Abolition of Man, Letters to Malcolm, and The Four Loves at Raphaël, between 1998 and 2005, then The Problem of Pain and Letters to Children at Pierre Téqui, in 2020. The house has also published Into the Heart of Narnia by Colin Duriez. In February 2006, the fourth podcast of the old website, dedicated to Lewis's work beyond Narnia, had invited him with Steve Tanner and Kirsten Stirling (see the text below). To find out what exists in French and why some titles change, see “From Neuchâtel to Our Bookshops”.