** spoiler alert ** I found this a frustrating book. Although the language is very good, and some of the religious allusions in the story are quite interesting, the plot is phenomenally pedestrian both in pace and content. This is a shame, because Perelandra could have been a really great story. However, Lewis has opted to regurgitate some hackneyed and (now) old-fashioned apologist themes. Taken with the amazingly limited depth of story and character, the result is tedium.

I imagine a great many readers will give up within the first 30 pages or so. Soldier on, and the middle sections give some relief, at least in the imagery. Lewis is quite disingenuous in his own introduction to the book, which states that there is no allegorical message. I'm sorry, but it's pretty plain to see to me! The ending is a huge let-down, and contains no interesting message.

It pains me to say this, but even Dan Brown's quasi-religious nonsense counts as light, if comic, relief to this over-weening Christian prissyness. Lewis' other writing is much better.