"In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God...perhaps the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Thus C.S. Lewis describes the beginning of his transformation from atheist scholar to brilliant Christian apologist in SURPRISED BY JOY. In this classic autobiography, Lewis provides an engrossing account of his spiritual quest for an elusive yet ever beckoning "Joy", which he followed from childhood through Romanticism and "hard-boiled" atheism to its culmination in Christian conversion. The story features vivid accounts of Lewis' inner life and motivations, his experiences in the English public school tradition, and decisive influences on his journey towards Christian faith, such as the writings of G.K. Chesterton and friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien. Lewis brilliantly involves the reader in the twistings and turnings of his intellectual development, leading toward the crisis of faith that was to determine the shape of his entire life and career.