The first half plus of the book I found enchanting and enriching. It was eye-opening to me as an on-looker at the beauty of relationships between man and woman, of the mystery of God’s drawing grace and penetration of skepticism (with some real kickers from Lewis about the threshold or leap of faith…see pg. 88). There is true depth and a special resonance with much of Vanauken’s musings for me, such as his thoughts of beauty. It seems to strike a human tone—many things in his book. After Davy’s death, some of his thoughts were beyond my experience and not as enthralling. These included his philosophizing of what would have happened if Davy had not died, etc. At times I felt cheated, since he seemed to rely on Lewis’ name; at times I felt like a buyer being coaxed into a business deal I wasn’t interested in. But nonetheless, the final chapter about the “second death” of grief itself dying was a fascinating and deep journey for me. I find the book overall an excellent read, especially for my season in life. Should I ever grieve, which someday I truly will, this should be a comfort, though a painful one, perhaps.