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Perelandra
(The Space Trilogy #2)
by
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
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Paperback, 288 pages
Published
December 5th 2005
by HarperCollins
(first published 1943)
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Start your review of Perelandra (The Space Trilogy, #2)

"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
"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

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

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
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

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
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

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 ...more
Th ...more

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Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement.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

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
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

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
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

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
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

“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 ...more
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 ...more

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
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

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 ...more
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 ...more

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
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

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

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 ...more
Ransom, the hero of the trilogy, has a ...more

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

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

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
"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

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
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

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 ...more
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 ...more

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
========
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

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
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

"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
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

“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

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

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.
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.
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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
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)
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