Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Perelandra (The Space Trilogy, #2)” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Perelandra

(The Space Trilogy #2)

C.S. Lewis

3.98 · Rating details · 46,631 ratings · 2,880 reviews

The second book in C. S. Lewis's acclaimed Space Trilogy, which also includes Out of the Silent Planet and That Hideous Strength, Perelandra continues the adventures of the extraordinary Dr. Ransom. Pitted against the most destructive of human weaknesses, temptation, the great man must battle evil on a new planet Perelandra when it is invaded by a dark force. Will Pere

...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 288 pages

Published December 5th 2005 by HarperCollins (first published 1943)

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Perelandra, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Best Christian Fiction

2,770 books — 2,908 voters

Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

7,690 books — 23,097 voters

More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 3.98 ·

Rating details

· 46,631 ratings · 2,880 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Perelandra (The Space Trilogy, #2)

Dec 05, 2008 Manny rated it it was ok

Shelves: science-fiction, transcendent-experiences, story-review

"James, does the name 'Perelandra' mean anything to you?"

"Yes, I believe so. Poetic name for the planet Venus. Inhabited by two analogues of Adam and Eve, living in a state of prelapsarian bliss. All sounds rather pleasant."

"Very good, James. However, we've received intelligence that SMERSH have infiltrated an agent, who is going to try to tempt the Eve-analogue. We want you to stop him."

"Well, as a boy, I always did enjoy stealing the odd apple."

"Don't be flippant, James."

"I find it's the most ...more

flag 82 likes · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2010 Stephen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science-fantasy, sf-alien-planets-and-societies, audiobook, 1930-1953

5.0 stars. I thought this was an AMAZING book. After liking Out of the Silent Planet, this novel blew me away. The theme of the book is a re-telling of the "Fall" of Adam and Eve using Venus (called Perelandra) as the setting. You can tell that C. S. Lewis was really "feeling" the prose as he wrote this and his passion for the work was evident throughout. I thought it read like lush poetry that was both powerful and emotional.

I was deeply impressed by this story and now look forward to reading ...more

flag 57 likes · Like · see review

May 26, 2021 Lee (the Book Butcher) rated it it was ok

Perelandra the second in C.S Lewis' space trilogy is mostly Christian theology in sci-fi guise. After breaking the fourth wall in out of the silent planet. Lewis sends his "IRL" friend Dr. Ransom (fake name) to Venus to battle evil on behalf of all that is good. that's the interesting hook.

But soon you will realize that it's just a retailing of the garden of Eden and want to spit the hook. I stuck with it because i am apparently a masochist and determined to finish the series like i was the Nar ...more

flag 59 likes · Like · see review

Aug 21, 2021 Phrynne rated it it was ok

I loved Out of the Silent Planet and rated it five stars so I was really looking forward to this second book in the trilogy. For me it was a big, big disappointment.

Perelandra features the same MC, Ransom, who has now visited and returned from Venus (Perelandra). Whilst there he has fought a battle with the forces of evil to save this Eden like planet from the same fall which occurred on Earth when Eve was tempted by the apple. This is all good providing a great story, lots of opportunity for ...more

flag 39 likes · Like · see review

Aug 14, 2011 Michael rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

It is difficult to write a review about “Perelandra”. There is so much that could be said that it is hard to know where to begin. Its story is so rich, the imagery so beautiful, the underlying themes so profound and complex, its theology so full that no summary can do it justice. I would rather simply encourage everyone to read it and let each discover its joys for themselves. But since there is no reason for anyone to merely take my word for it, I will do my best to support my recommendation.

Th It is difficult to write a review about “Perelandra”. There is so much that could be said that it is hard to know where to begin. Its story is so rich, the imagery so beautiful, the underlying themes so profound and complex, its theology so full that no summary can do it justice. I would rather simply encourage everyone to read it and let each discover its joys for themselves. But since there is no reason for anyone to merely take my word for it, I will do my best to support my recommendation.

Though the characters and names are different, the story of “Perelandra” follows the basic outline of Milton’s “Paradise Lost”. Creatures made in the image of God arise on a world newly made. They live in the joy of sinless obedience until two visitors arrive from outside their world; the first to warn them of impending evil, the second to tempt them to disobey and fall. But whereas Milton’s herald is the immortal angel Gabriel, Lewis re-introduces his reluctant hero from “Out of the Silent Planet”, the very human Dr. Elwin Ransom.

There are other differences between Milton’s poem and Lewis’ novel. “Paradise Lost” is set on the Earth during the time of Genesis. Perelandra takes place long after the fall of Adam and Eve on a planet named Perelandra. Milton’s tempter is Satan in the form of a serpent. Lewis’ is the brilliant, but twisted Dr. Weston, the physicist from “Out of the Silent Planet”. But these are superficial and only thinly disguise the many similarities between these two great works of literature. It may be fair to say that just as “Paradise Lost” is a retelling of Genesis, “Perelandra” is a retelling of “Paradise Lost”.

Both Milton and Lewis dwell on what it might be like for men and women to live prior to the fall from grace. Such is the genius of both authors that they not only create a convincing image of pre-fallen humanity, they are able to communicate that image to their audience. Their understanding of what we lost in the original fall was so deep, and their longing to return so keen, that unspoiled worlds seem to flow from their pens as smoothly as ink. In one way, though, Lewis was able to do his great predecessor one better. Lewis was not constrained by the nature of Earth as Milton was. Lewis’ Perelandra is a world of many and varied delights, an otherworldly Eden. There are trees, the fruit of which are huge, shimmering, transparent orbs that burst at the lightest touch, bathing the passerby in a thrilling shower. Other trees bear fruits that are achingly beautiful to taste, both savory and sweet. There are fantastic and extraordinary creatures that rival the whimsy of Hieronymus Bosch. Perelandra is easily the most glorious world CS Lewis ever created.

Lewis and Milton also focus on the female as the vector of attack. Lewis wisely avoids speculation as to why this should be. There is no indication that the female is somehow inferior to the male. It is simply a matter of fact that in the history of Earth Eve was deceived, not Adam. It stands to reason that the tempter will follow the same plan.

The last great similarity between “Perelandra” and “Paradise Lost” I want to mention is the way language is used in the temptation of Eve and her Perelandrian counterpart, Tinidril. Both authors give their tempters brilliant speeches with which to seduce their prey. They are eloquent and persuasive, flattering but not obsequious. Their arguments are successful in making that which is forbidden seem attractive and disobedience seem heroic. The tempters are so eloquent that the reader is nearly moved to agree with them.

Which brings me now to two real and remarkable differences between “Paradise Lost” and “Perelandra”. First, unlike Eve, who’s story was carved in history long before Milton lived to set it to verse, Tinidril has a champion in the form of Ransom. He is by her side, fighting constantly against the influence of Weston. It is in their subsequent philosophical battle of words and ideas that Lewis explores a powerful theme. Ransom and Weston fight on uneven ground, with the advantage going to Weston. Ransom has reason and truth on his side, but is constrained by the absolute morals of Christianity and the rules of reason itself not to stray from those ideals. Weston is seductively irrational. He is utterly immoral and can lie in any and every way, twisting and distorting the truth to suit his ends. As the war becomes hopeless, Ransom is faced with a terrible conclusion; reason alone cannot defeat non-reason. A person who is dedicated to being irrational cannot be argued out of their position. There is no example strong enough to persuade them, no beauty in reason sweet enough. In the end, for truth to win over a lie, something extraordinary is necessary. The great example of our own world is the Cross. This is reflected in Perelandra in a surprising way.

The second great difference is the end. Ransom is successful in overcoming Weston, and Tinidril overcomes her temptation. She, along with the Tor, the Perelandrian Adam, passes the test that Adam and Eve failed. Together they “step up that step at which [our] parents fell.” Lewis takes the theme of unfallen humanity and extends it beyond what Milton conceived. He contemplates what life might have been like had we not fallen, for ourselves and the rest of creation. What would our stewardship of the world and its creatures have been like? How would our relationship with God and the spiritual realm been different? How would our transition from the physical realm to the Heaven have been different? These questions, and others like them, are asked, and answers are hinted at as the book ends with a verbal fugue that would rival the musical fugues of Bach.

“Perelandra” is a work of startling beauty that stings the heart of the reader. It was one of Lewis’ personal favorites (one supposes it still is) and it is easy to see why. In it, there is a glimpse of Paradise that stands equal to the work of Milton and Dante. If there is any justice in the literary world, it will one day take its rightful place in the literary canon by their sides.
...more

flag 33 likes · Like · see review

Feb 23, 2009 Douglas Wilson rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

Great. Also read in January of 1990. And also read in April of 2009. Also read in January of 1985. Also read in July of 1980. Listened to it again on audio in 2015.

flag 33 likes · Like · see review

Nov 19, 2020 Jared Wilson rated it it was amazing

This was my 3rd or 4th time to read this. Needed another refresh in preparation of leading discussion on it in my writing class. Maybe my favorite novel. A masterpiece, truly.

flag 30 likes · Like · see review

Sep 26, 2012 Megan Baxter rated it liked it

C.S. Lewis, I'm disappointed in you. And that's the first time that has happened. I don't share your religion, but it's never kept me from enjoying one of your books before. I have been in love with the Narnia books since first I read them. I enjoyed the first book in this series. I even enjoyed the start of the theological discussions in these books. And then I hated where they went.

Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can ...more

flag 25 likes · Like · see review

Oct 31, 2009 Mike (the Paladin) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, favorites

My favorite of the trilogy. Excellent.

The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis is a classic early science fiction read while at the same time being a more than excellent allegorical story of Christian faith. I'd say that if you aren't a Christian that won't keep you from enjoying the books. The allegory aside you will still get wonderful time tested S/F classic.

This volume gives a sort of retelling allegorically of the Genesis story, but with a difference. This book is (in my opinion) more than simply we ...more

flag 21 likes · Like · see review

Jun 10, 2016 Lee rated it it was ok

2.5 Stars .

So here's a fun fact: C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were the best of friends (Lewis even dedicated The Screwtape Letters to Tolkein). Lewis wrote this series because of a contest him and Tolkien had, in which one of them agreed to write a trilogy about Space Travel, while the other would write a trilogy about Time Travel. For Lewis, this series was the result . . . Tolkien, unfortunately, never actually finished his book on Time Travel haha.

When they first met, Lewis was a staunc ...more

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Dec 11, 2019 Elizabeth Dragina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: on-my-shelf

I have finally fished this deep book. I'm still lost in the world and the depth of thought. . . .

It's not for the faint of heart or weak of mind. 😂

Perelandra is gorgeous and perfect fantasy/si-fi. I miss the world so much. ...more

flag 19 likes · Like · see review

May 19, 2021 Erin Clemence rated it liked it · review of another edition

“Perelandra” is the second novel in the Space Trilogy by C.S Lewis. After falling in love with the first book in this series, this novel disappointed.

After his return from Malacandra, Ransom finds himself again secluded on a strange and isolated planet that goes by the name, Perelandra. As he tries to adjust to his new surroundings, he faces a bigger obstacle when he runs into his former nemesis, Weston, who appears to have dark and seedy plans for the planet. Ransom soon discovers that he has “Perelandra” is the second novel in the Space Trilogy by C.S Lewis. After falling in love with the first book in this series, this novel disappointed.

After his return from Malacandra, Ransom finds himself again secluded on a strange and isolated planet that goes by the name, Perelandra. As he tries to adjust to his new surroundings, he faces a bigger obstacle when he runs into his former nemesis, Weston, who appears to have dark and seedy plans for the planet. Ransom soon discovers that he has been appointed to save Perelandra, and in doing so, may also save his home planet and his entire species.

Lewis’ descriptive prose is engaging and beautiful. Immediately, I was pulled into the bright and colourful land of Perelandra, with its strange creatures and landscapes. Lewis was incomparably able to bring a fantasy world to life, in the way that only he can. However, that aside, I found the story started extremely well, but started to drag in the middle. I was eagerly anticipating getting to the end (and not for the right reasons), and if Lewis had not been the author, I would’ve probably added this book to my DNF pile.

Ransom is a great character, eccentric and intelligent, admirably finding a way to survive in the strangest of surroundings. I love his adventures, and the calm and almost astute way he has of exploring the world. It was great to see “Weston” (of sorts) return as well, as he played the perfect villain.

Lewis is known for his devout opinion on religion and Christianity in particular, and he makes no secret of it. The theme runs rampant (sometimes subtly, sometimes less so) in a lot of his novels, and this one was no exception. The inner themes in this novel of Creation, the idea of God and life itself are deep and thought-provoking, but combined with the lengthy soliloquies and speeches from most of the characters, it was a thick topic to process (especially for such a small novel).

Religion aside, I wanted more space exploration and less self-exploration. Perhaps it is the times we are living in, but deep reading was not what I expected going in. I absolutely will finish the trilogy off, as I’m curious to see where Ransom explores next, and I adore Lewis’ beautiful language. Lewis is a classic author for a reason, and I will forever be a fan. Perhaps next time, I will try and lower my expectations.
...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Sep 27, 2017 Paul Christensen rated it liked it

Shelves: novels-and-sagas

Speculative theology, in the shape of a trip to the Morning Star
With a portrait of the devil that reminds of Poe’s M. Valdemar.

Part of me sees this devil trope as a vile, obnoxious leftist
Bent on destroying folkways (for he derides the Venusian deftness

Which makes them avoid a certain island, something the Left would call
‘Essentialist’). But, really, hard to know how Lewis would scrawl

If he’d lived to the current era. Would he have been a Christian cuck,
Or would he have gone full Fourteen Word ...more

flag 18 likes · Like · see review

Nov 08, 2010 David Mosley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Read in the following years:
2007
2010 (January 31)
2012 (23-25 April)
2013 (29-31 March)
2014 (2-6 August)
2015 (19-27 August)

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Oct 28, 2013 Kris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-owned, c-s-lewis-related, favorites

February 2021 Review
Still one of my all-time favorites of Lewis. In this read I was looking for themes to write on. There's so much. The paradox of temptation amidst free will and providence. The effects of Malacandrian history. The interactions between good and evil. The beginning considers the spiritual from a very fleshy and earthy perspective, and by the end Lewis is deep into the etherial, numinous, and timeless. Of course, this book is a proto-The Magician's Nephew. This novel was writ February 2021 Review
Still one of my all-time favorites of Lewis. In this read I was looking for themes to write on. There's so much. The paradox of temptation amidst free will and providence. The effects of Malacandrian history. The interactions between good and evil. The beginning considers the spiritual from a very fleshy and earthy perspective, and by the end Lewis is deep into the etherial, numinous, and timeless. Of course, this book is a proto-The Magician's Nephew. This novel was written around the same time as A Preface to Paradise Lost. Much has also been written about how this is Lewis's answer to Milton's Paradise Lost. There is also much of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in here. I now also see whispers of Frodo and Golem's fight in Mount Doom. More a thought experiment than a novel, I love this fantastical depiction of paradise.

February 2014 Review
Absolutely amazing, life-changing book. Full of beautiful descriptions in tightly packed prose, built to hold great philosophical questions, all inside of science-fiction. I really felt it deserved quiet, meditative surroundings in order for the reader to properly take in all the ideas. I often grew impatient and frustrated because I wanted to finish it in this sort of surrounding, but I could never have that while reading for college.

While I can see how some readers might feel bogged down with the description, Lewis never failed to surprise me with his new ideas and brilliant approach to everyday conundrums. People have pointed out that the plot is weak, but I don't think it's supposed to be built around plot. The preface to this story is Ransom telling the character Lewis about his adventures, and I think it kept this tone throughout. There's obviously going to be down time during the plot, or chapters full of only thoughts, or long dragging conversations with no ending. That's life. But it's the critical approach to deep ontological/theological/naturalistic questions that kept me going. Ransom felt like an everyman character, because he is. The Lady seemed like an overtly innocent child who wanted to please her master, because she is. Weston as the Unman truly creeped me out, because I think Lewis wanted him to have that effect upon us.

The book has a setting that reflects its purpose: long rambling thoughts full of seemingly small questions, like the soft islands gently floating about in an always-changing sea; broad sweeps of description containing tiny bits of detail, like Weston plucking out words to twist them to his purpose while at the same time sweeping aside all else he sees fit. I don't know how else to describe this book, because I've literally (correct usage of the word) never read anything quite like it.

An eye-opening and awe-inspiring piece that definitely outdoes the previous book: Out of the Silent Planet, and I'm wondering how in the world he can top this with That Hideous Strength. Everyone should read this book, especially if you believe in Christianity. Especially if you love fantasy and myth. Especially if you love great questions. ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Jul 22, 2011 Nicholas Kotar rated it it was amazing

Whatever you might think of the quality of the currently popular fantasy books, comic books/movies, and long-form TV offerings, one thing is for sure. Dark and grim is king right now.

Of course, judging by the news, there are good reason for this. Things are not going so well in places like Ukraine, Syria, Iraq. This election is more a cheap reality show than the choosing of the leader of the free world. Suicides and drug use are on the rise. There are few heroes to look up to, and most of our w ...more

flag 16 likes · Like · see review

Aug 15, 2007 Charles H rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: everyone

Perelandra is the second of C.S. Lewis's space trilogy. In that universe, it is the name of the planet Venus - a beautiful sinless planet with life at its dawn. Perelandra is a passionate and fierce ocean world with awesome storms, golden sunlight, millions of floating islands, and critters to inhabit them. On Perelandra live only two sentient creatures: the King and the Queen. They rule the world as Adam and Eve. A philologist named Ransom is sent from Earth as God's representative with an unkn ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Oct 01, 2018 Celeste rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian, classics-i-ve-read, sci-fi

Wow. Lewis crafted something so incredibly special in Perelandra. The theological depth found in Out of the Silent Planet, the first novel in this trilogy, was expanded and deepened in this second installment. However, the density of Lewis’s writing was much easier to navigate here, making for a more enjoyable story all around. It’s rare for a second book in a series to so far surpass the first book, but that is exactly what occurs in Lewis’s Space Trilogy.

Ransom, the hero of the trilogy, has a Wow. Lewis crafted something so incredibly special in Perelandra. The theological depth found in Out of the Silent Planet, the first novel in this trilogy, was expanded and deepened in this second installment. However, the density of Lewis’s writing was much easier to navigate here, making for a more enjoyable story all around. It’s rare for a second book in a series to so far surpass the first book, but that is exactly what occurs in Lewis’s Space Trilogy.

Ransom, the hero of the trilogy, has already visited Mars. While that visit was against his will, he gained so much from the experience that he leapt at the chance when the angelic being he met on the Red Planet issued a request for Ransom to explore the heavens once more, this time heading for Venus. What Ransom finds when he lands on Venus, or Perelandra as it is called by the angelic beings known as eldila, is unlike anything he could have imagined. Mars, or Malacandra, was a planet at the end of its life cycle, as evidenced by the harsh environment and the disappearance of an entire species of cognitive beings. Earth, or Thulcandra, is somewhere in the middle of its life cycle. Perelandra, on the other hand, is in its infancy, or at least at the beginning of a brand new stage.

Ransom enters into this beautiful, Edenic planet to find that only two cognitive beings residing on its surface, a male and a female. When he arrives, Ransom meets only the Queen, because she and the King have been separated for a time. As it turns out, that separation opens the woman up to be tempted and tested by another member of Adam’s race, sent to the planet due to his possession by a much darker force. Ransom watches in horror as Venus becomes like Eden in more ways than one. He does his best to counter the temptations and plead with the woman not to give in, but the decision is ultimately hers. Will this world’s Eve succumb?

Lewis’s world building here was stunning. The floating islands, the mighty waves, the flora and fauna completely unlike those of Earth in every way, the almost magical fruit, and the gorgeous golden dome of the sky were all intensely beautiful in their descriptions. Lewis creates in such a way that his creations are easy to visualize, even when they’re utterly alien in every way. I found the similarities and differences between Perelandra fascinating, both in appearance and in the form temptation takes. The man and woman on Perelandra are also the first new race to be created since the coming of Christ on our planet, which was an event that radically changed the universe. How will that coming effect the new life beginning on Perelandra? Because have an effect it certainly shall.

I love the idea of the human race not being alone in the universe, but instead being one cognitive group among many. How do our stories impact each other? It is so easy to let ourselves become the center of the universe and the star of the story when neither of those views have ever been true. We were created out of love and imagination, not necessity. When we remember that we are merely a small part of a much bigger story, God’s story, life takes on so much more meaning and depth and excitement to see where the story will take us. I think that the idea of other planets being peopled is a great way to remind ourselves that we aren’t the focus. Lewis presents that idea beautifully, and I can’t wait to see how he wraps up this tale in its final installment. ...more

flag 13 likes · Like · see review

Mar 08, 2016 Brenton rated it really liked it

Shelves: c-s-lewis, 2016-books

I continue to think that Perelandra is one of the best things that C.S. Lewis has written and makes for a strong philosophical novel of the era but with an entirely unique atmosphere. It is a book full with meaning. Though it isn't my favourite thing to read and reread, it is always a rich experience when I do. ...more

flag 17 likes · Like · see review

Sep 23, 2020 Jerry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The great story that started in Out of the Silent Planet continues here. Though C. S. Lewis may be best-known for his Narnia stories, he proves here he isn't a one-trick pony. ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Aug 25, 2021 Cindy Rollins rated it liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, 2021, reread

Probably my least favorite of Lewis’s books. But I read it to prepare for my Patreon reading of That Hideous Strength during this school year.

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Jan 18, 2022 Tim Michiemo rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, re-read, favorites, sci-fi-fantasy

4.8 Stars

"Perelandra" is the second book in C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy and a marvelous adventure. I enjoyed this book far more than "The Silent Planet." The Silent Planet was a story of discovery, of exploring a new world (Mars/Malacandra) that was much different than ours and unstained by sin. But "Perelandra" is an epic story of good versus evil that is masterfully filled with Biblical imagery and themes of redemption. Perelandra is a parable of Genesis 1 and the temptation of Eve. The central ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2020 Cori rated it liked it

Shelves: audible-listens, sci-fi

I don't know if I was accurately anticipating what the contents of this book would be. The planet, Perelandra, is Venus. Lewis's world-building circulated around the concept of femininity and graceful beauty. And the plot recreated a rendition of Satan's temptation in the Garden of Eden.

The concepts and prose were gorgeous, as usual. And Lewis gives the reader so much to chew on. Honestly, this is a fairly slow book for a fiction/sci-fi novel, though not disappointing. Well worth the read. It j ...more

flag 11 likes · Like · see review

Dec 29, 2010 Kat Hooper rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook

Originally posted at FanLit.

Perelandra is the second volume of C.S. Lewis’s SPACE TRILOGY and I liked it even better than Out of the Silent Planet, its predecessor. Cambridge professor Dr. Elwin Ransom is back on Earth and has told his friend Lewis about the adventures he had on the planet Mars and the supernatural beings he met there. When Ransom explains that there’s an epic battle between good and evil, that the planet Venus is about to play an important part, and that he’s been called to Ven Originally posted at FanLit.

Perelandra is the second volume of C.S. Lewis’s SPACE TRILOGY and I liked it even better than Out of the Silent Planet, its predecessor. Cambridge professor Dr. Elwin Ransom is back on Earth and has told his friend Lewis about the adventures he had on the planet Mars and the supernatural beings he met there. When Ransom explains that there’s an epic battle between good and evil, that the planet Venus is about to play an important part, and that he’s been called to Venus to do some unknown task, Lewis begins to worry about his friend. Yet he decides to help him get to Venus anyway, so Ransom goes and eventually returns to tell his tale, which Lewis has transcribed for us.

Venus is gorgeous — a lush conglomerate of archipelagos where the land floats on top of the water, so that walking on it is like walking on a waterbed. The sky is full of stunning colors that Ransom has never seen before; exotic trees delight the eye and yield delicious fruit. Other than the strange but friendly animals, Ransom seems to be alone in this world — until he sees a beautiful naked woman waving from a neighboring island. When he finally meets her, he discovers that evil lurks in this seemingly perfect world.

If you were able to ignore the Christian allegory in Out of the Silent Planet, you won’t be able to do so in Perelandra — it’s a parallel version of humanity’s awakening in the Garden of Eden and Eve’s temptation to sin. Evil is trying to gain a foothold and Ransom suddenly realizes what it would mean to bring “the knowledge of good and evil” into a sinless paradise. Ransom discovers that the Biblical admonition to resist temptation may be a spiritual truth on Earth, but at this time on Venus it’s a real physical battle and he has been sent to fight it, both with words and fists.

C.S. Lewis, a lover of words and mythology, writes beautifully about the alien paradise of Venus and the possibility that what is myth in one world might be truth in another. He also has much to say about good and evil, sin and obedience, madness and sanity, loneliness and companionship, science and the supernatural, predestination and free will, the nature of God and man, and humanity’s purpose in the universe. Some readers will accuse Lewis of preachiness, I’m sure, and that’s something that usually annoys me, but though Ransom’s introspections go on a little too long, I found it impossible to resist the beauty, logic, and concision of his philosophizing.

I listened to Geoffrey Howard narrate Blackstone Audio’s version of Perelandra which is just under 8 hours long. Mr. Howard narrates rather than performs the story, which I think is suitable. I’ll certainly be listening to him read the concluding volume: That Hideous Strength. ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Jan 31, 2014 Julie Davis rated it really liked it

Shelves: a-good-story-is-hard-to-find-podcas

Good Story 204. Julie and Scott were supposed to do whatever God asked on Perelandra, but they were distracted by apples and fixed lands. They are now waiting for a new assignment.

========

Just as with Out of the Silent Planet, I found the beginning of the book fairly uninviting. However, also just as in that book, having the audio helped me past that to the point where I was amazed at C.S. Lewis's imagination in the world of Perelandra. Simply astounding. I am also caught up in the story for its ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Mar 29, 2016 Olivia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: religious-fiction, c-s-lewis, science-fiction

I reread Out of the Silent Planet so that I could reread Perelandra. That’s how much I remember loving it.

Unfortunately, however, while Silent Planet raised its initial rating by half a star and rounded up on this reread, Perelandra lowered its own by two.

Don’t get me wrong: It’s not that Perelandra is so much worse than I remember it being. It’s just that I no longer find the elements that blew me away the first time all that astonishing anymore.

For context, Perelandra explores what could ha ...more

flag 12 likes · Like · see review

Jun 15, 2013 Alex rated it really liked it

Shelves: sci-fi

"In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost, here goes--I mean, Amen!" --Dr. Ransom, before throwing a rock in Satan's face.

The second book in C.S. Lewis' "Space Trilogy" was overall better than the first. My one caveat for tackling this trilogy is to prepare yourself for some hardcore contemplation of Christianity and its relationship to outer space--it's definitely not for everyone, but I'm enjoying it. Perelandra sees Dr. Ransom traveling to Venus (which is actually called Perelan ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Jul 25, 2013 Tori Samar rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christian-fiction, classics, 20th-century-literature, own-print, 2022-reading, part-of-a-series, fiction, favorites, own-digital, science-and-speculative-fiction

“In vain did his mind hark back, time after time, to the Book of Genesis, asking ‘What would have happened?’ But to this the Darkness gave him no answer. Patiently and inexorably it brought him back to the here and the now, and to the growing certainty of what was here and now demanded. Almost he felt that the words ‘would have happened’ were meaningless—mere invitations to wander in what the Lady would have called an ‘alongside world’ which had no reality. Only the actual was real: and every ac ...more

flag 10 likes · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2019 raffaela rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-for-b, present-age, inklings, read-19, sci-fi

I had a similar experience with this one as I did with Out of the Silent Planet, which is to say I really enjoyed it. It was definitely slower and more intense than the first book, and had a very different flavor, but still very good in its own right. There's more here than can be grasped on a first reading, and so I will definitely be revisiting this at some point. ...more

flag 9 likes · Like · see review

Feb 08, 2022 Todd Miles rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, science-fiction

Lewis is a master with language.
The temptation sequence was strangely difficult for me to listen to - I was troubled by it. Perhaps because of what the first sin wrought in our own world.

flag 8 likes · Like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
The World of Tolk...: Perelandra: Book Two in the Space Trilogy.	3	5	May 11, 2021 11:28AM
Goodreads Librari...: Add reciprocal ACE info	3	13	Nov 17, 2018 07:09PM

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Genres

Science Fiction

1,403 users

Fiction

1,331 users

Fantasy

859 users

Christian

421 users

Classics

339 users

Christian Fiction

229 users

Science Fiction Fantasy

181 users

Religion

118 users

Religion > Christianity

112 users

Adventure

88 users

See top shelves…

About C.S. Lewis

C.S. Lewis

37,716 followers

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge ...more

Other books in the series

The Space Trilogy (3 books)

Books by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)

The Chronicles of Narnia (Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)

Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia, #2)

More…

Loyalty, Love, and Jealousy: Books on the Complexity of Friendships

Author Lydia Denworth is a science journalist who has written about everything from Alzheimer’s to zebrafish. In her latest book,...

Trivia About Perelandra (The S...

25 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

Quotes from Perelandra

“Whatever you do, He will make good of it. But not the good He had prepared for you if you had obeyed him.” — 223 likes

“Be confident small immortals. You are not the only voice that all things utter, nor is there eternal silence in the places where you cannot come.” — 64 likes

More quotes…