Sonderbooks Book Review of Perelandra

Reviewed October 31, 2005.
Macmillan Publishing, New York, 1977. First published in 1944. 222 pages.
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005 (#2, Science Fiction Old Favorites)

Perelandra is the second book in C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, his science fiction series for adults.

In this book, Ransom, the philologist we met in Out of the Silent Planet, is sent to the newly inhabited world of Perelandra, known in our world as Venus. There he discovers a paradise of floating islands and meets a green lady, temporarily separated from her husband, but destined to be the mother of all the people of Perelandra.

The Lady and her husband live on the floating islands. They can enjoy the one fixed land in Perelandra, but they have been told not to spend the night there. Another human comes to Perelandra from Earth, and tries to convince the Lady that God only made this command so that she can grow more wise and beautiful and independent by disobeying it. How can Ransom keep her from giving in to his arguments, from suffering the same fall as our own world did?

This book is more of a showcase for C. S. Lewis’ spiritual wisdom than a gripping story. Though he does convince you that this is what a floating paradise would be like, and this is how a perfectly innocent woman would talk.

This is a beautiful discussion of sin and temptation and God’s work in the universe. There is also much wisdom about contentment and accepting the “wave that Maleldil sends” rather than looking for some other, remembered good or trying to hold onto something that was only meant to be here for a moment.

Reviews of other books by C. S. Lewis:
Out of the Silent Planet
That Hideous Strength
Till We Have Faces
The Great Divorce
A Year with C. S. Lewis
Of Other Worlds
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle
The Last Battle performed by Patrick Stewart

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****Perelandra*

by C. S. Lewis