It is 'suffused' by some sort of magical glow which infects the cat, but magical glows do not a life philosophy make. Lewis does give us a house which disgusts the devils and redeems the sinful, but this perfect representation of Christian values is just a lack of badness, not a profusion of goodness. There are scarcely words of alternatives, let alone improvements. However, one begins to develop the impression, slowly at first, that Lewis has nothing to offer in return. The sharp weapon of Lewis's rhetoric tears down humanity through all its self-righteous hubris, denial, misdirected hopes, and easy mistakes. If this book improved my view of Christians it was only because it points out that all the faults conspicuous in the rabidly faithful are equally well-represented in the uninformed agnostic, if less readily apparent-Lewis does his best to drag everyone down to a common level. If not for the fact that this is a satire in earnest, it would serve as a powerful absurdist invective against humanity itself. As you read the book, you are in a constant introspection of your own life, and the things that are put before you daily that lead you away from what we all desire - a close, personal, consistent, and deep relationship with God, that leads to happiness now and the hereafter. Lewis has thought deeply about the things we do each that lead us away from God, and he articulates them very well. You cannot read this book and not think of how extremely pertinent it is to your life.

In fact, they seem to prefer the more subtle means of leading people astray, as they sense that this is a more hidden and thus secure way to accomplish their ultimate design. Ultimately, the tempters in this story do not care what sins are committed by their subjects - so long as they accomplish their goal of separating people from God, and leading them to the adversary. Instead, the tempters focus on much more subtle forms of sins - vanity, pride, distraction, insincerity, forgetting God, and how these can achieve the same effect as more obvious sins. What is truly excellent about the book, though, is that the cunning plans are not centered around obvious sins, that so often are what we think about when we think about temptation and sin. Through the letters, you are constantly reminded and made to think about how the adversary tempts us. In the letters, Screwtape gives Wormwood adivce and counsel on how to best tempt his 'subject' - a young man who converts to Christianity, and then falls in love with a Christian woman. For those who have not read it, the book is written as a compilation of letters from a 'tempter,' Screwtape, to his nephew, a 'junior tempter' named Wormwoood. I love this book - it really makes you think.

The screwtape letters