''A Severe Mercy'' is an autobiographical book by

Sheldon Vanauken Sheldon Vanauken (August 4, 1914 – October 18, 1996) was an American author, best known for his autobiographical book ''A Severe Mercy'' (1977), which recounts his and his wife's friendship with C. S. Lewis, their conversion to Christianit ...

, relating the author's relationship with his wife, their friendship with C. S. Lewis, conversion to

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...

, and subsequent tragedy."Severe Mercy, A"
.

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News ...

. Retrieved 2012-07-28. It was first published in 1977. The book is strongly influenced, at least stylistically, by the

Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...

novel ''

Brideshead Revisited ''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...

''. It was followed by a sequel, ''Under the Mercy'', first published in 1985. The book is, in a sense, made up of two distinct parts: the first chronicles the love story of Vanauken and his wife, a love which he refers to as pagan. The couple pledged always to put their love before all else, and the intensity of their devotion to one another and their exclusivity makes up the early chapters. However, Vanauken (or "Van") and his wife Jean Davis (or "Davy") explore Christianity and are gradually converted, and the primacy of their love for one another comes into question for both of them—though Vanauken's conversion is somewhat slower and more reluctant. His analysis is aided by a correspondence with C.S. Lewis, then an Oxford Don, and some of Lewis's letters are reprinted in the book. Vanauken's circle of Oxford acquaintances includes other recognizable names as well, including Catholic priest Julian Stead, who went on to author books of religious poetry and a noted text on St. Benedict's rule of life. ''A Severe Mercy'' is undoubtedly Vanauken's best known and most successful book. However, his first published work was a small booklet called "Encounter with Light", written about 1960 and available only from Wheaton College in Illinois today. Vanauken's only novel, ''Gateway to Heaven'', was published by Harper & Row in 1980."About the Author"

. Retrieved 2012-07-28. A Severe Mercy won a Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association in 1977. ''A Severe Mercy'' won a 1980 U.S.

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

in the one-year category Religion/Inspiration."National Book Awards – 1980"

National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...

. Retrieved 2012-03-08. This was the award for paperback Religion/Inspiration.
From 1980 to 1983 in National Book Award history there were dual awards for hardcover and paperback books in many categories, including several nonfiction subcategories. Most of the paperback award-winners were reprints, including this one. The 1985 sequel ''Under the Mercy'' spans many years after the death of Vanauken's wife, years during which he first fell away from "the obedience" and then returned and eventually converted to Catholicism. In May 2013
Origin Entertainment
purchased the rights to begin development on the screenplay by Barbara Nicolosi (''Fatima'' (2020)) with plans of taking the film into production in 2021 .> A Severe Mercy"">"Origin >> A Severe Mercy"
Origin Entertainment. Retrieved 2012-07-28.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Severe Mercy American autobiographies National Book Award-winning works 1977 non-fiction books Harper & Row books