Changing cultures of grief, 1850-1970: from Archbishop Tait to C.S. Lewis

Abstract

Fifty years ago C.S. Lewis's book, A Grief Observed (Lewis, 1964), became a bestseller among bereaved people, and it still has a profound impact today. In contrast, the widely read book of consolation published by Archbishop Tait in 1879, over 80 years earlier, is forgotten today. These two consolation volumes describe experiences of grief in the 1850s and 1960s, over a century apart. Show more