The Four Loves

The Four Loves is based on the four Greek words for love: agápe, éros, philía, and storgē. Lewis defines each of these types of love and how they affect our lives. It was a short, lovely read. It was at times a little highbrow, but remember that it was written in the 40's by a Cambridge professor. Still Lewis has a wonderful way with words, and some of the reflections and quotes were quiet resonant. Such as this one: “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” I wish parts of it had flowed a little smoother, however I did enjoy it. There were also tiny bits of snark that keep it from being too stuffy. The segment on friendship was my favorite.

This book is deceptively short (80 pages) but took forever to get through. C.S. Lewis’s philosophy reads very differently than his fiction. It is a slog but also clear and logical, whereas, in his novels, you have to extrapolate the learnings yourself. So many lines I had to end three times, even four, to begin grasping the meaning. This book is profound and insightful - all the wisdom of a remarkable intellectual and devout Christian - what more could one ask for?

I am a slow learner and every single time I come back to a C.S. Lewis book I learn a bit more and forget a bit more as well. The Four Loves is, for me, one of the more difficult books to read by Lewis because the way in which he approaches the subject of love is very detailed and you come to the realisation that love in the normal human sense is difficult to break down and analyse and in the sense that God is Love it goes beyond what I can understand for now so I will wrestle with this one for some years to come. Lewis opens the final chapter in this book (on charity) with these words: 'William Morris wrote a poem called “Love Is Enough” and someone is said to have reviewed it briefly in the words “It isn’t.” Such has been the burden of this book . . .' That's the one thing I took from this book. Our own loves aren't enough, we need something more.

Very very good!!

Un ensayo muy fácil de leer, a ratos entretenido y a ratos tremendamente viejuno, sobre la naturaleza del amor y la amistad.

This is the kind of stuff I think C.S. Lewis is really great at. This book is pretty dense, but I love his way of attacking dense matter in a clear and entertaining way without sacrificing the truth as he sees it.

Once again, all I can say is "Wow." Lewis is so clear-sighted. This book is a must-read, for in my opinion "love" is one of the most misused words in our language. We'll often equivocate upon it and misunderstand it, but this book clarifies it meaning from a Christian perspective. It make me think a great deal, and will make you too. It gives topical examples of the places all the different loves should be in, and brings up the important idea of "Ordo Amoris," Latin for "The Ordering of the Affections." Incredible important ideas expressed in a masterful way. I listened to Lewis reading his lecture notes himself, which is one of the few existing recordings of Lewis, which just added to the experience. Definitely would recommend!

“Amar del todo es ser vulnerable. Ama cualquier cosa y tu corazón seguramente será estrujado y posiblemente roto. Si quieres asegurarte de mantenerlo intacto, no debes darle tu corazón a nadie, ni siquiera a un animal. Cúbrelo cuidadosamente con pasatiempos y pequeños lujos; evita cualquier enredo; guárdalo bajo llave en el ataúd o el féretro de tu egoísmo. Pues en ese féretro -seguro, oscuro, sin movimiento y sin aire- cambiará. No lo harán pedazos; se volverá irrompible, impenetrable, irredimible… El único lugar a parte del cielo donde puedes estar perfectamente seguro contra todos los peligros… del amor, es el infierno.” Para mí no hay muchas maneras de reseñar a Lewis con estas obras. O te gusta o no. O aprendes algo o no lo haces, pero sí tengo que hablar de la forma tan madura, natural y segura en que habla de estos temas. Se nota que le importaba realmente darse a entender, explicarse de forma que todo el que lo lea reciba eso que él mismo había aprendido, reconociendo que seguía sin saberlo todo. Me pareció un libro sencillo a la vez que profundo, y se me hizo un poco largo solo por la cantidad de ejemplos que ponía, pero eran necesarios para ilustrar sus ideas.