miguel-se7

Screwtape Proposes a Toast is the first book I actually read this year, and while overall I liked the contents of the book, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed by it. Although to be fair, I believe that most of my issues with this book lie with the particular edition that I read and not the original work itself.

You see, I try to read books in their original language, and when that's not possible I usually spend some time researching for the best available translation. However, this book was a gift I received during the holidays and as such I didn't had a say on the edition I got.

Let's just say that the translator didn't have much of an idea of what he was doing, the language felt pretty forced and at some point he even invented and old proverb due to his misunderstanding of the original text.

Regarding the book itself, it consists of a few short essays in which Lewis explains his positions on democracy, faith, science, among other important topics.

Screwtape Proposes a Toast is a sort of continuation to his previous work The Screwtape Letters and was, by far, the most engaging of the essays in my opinion. It shows how 'democracy' and the idea of 'equality' can be warped into the extremes, destroying our sense of individuality. This is all explained to us through the viewpoint of a demon, making for a fun but thought-provoking read, which feels like it could have been written the past year.

Other notable essays from this collection are The Inner Ring and Good Work and Good Works. The rest of them can be a bit on the dull end, specially if you do not have a high interest on religion.

Coil Subscribers can continue reading for some interesting quotes and a little extra

Continue reading with a Coil membership.