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Perelandra Audiobook
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(3.00) - 17,206 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy, of which Perelandra is the second volume, stands alongside such works as Albert Camus’s The Plague and George Orwell’s 1984 as a timely parable that has become timeless, beloved by succeeding generations as much for the sheer wonder of its storytelling as for the significance of the moral concerns.
Readers who fall in love with Lewis’s fantasy series The Chronicles of Namia as children unfailingly cherish his Space Trilogy as adults; it, too, brings to life strange and magical realms in which epic battles are fought between the forces of light and those of darkness. But in the many layers of its allegory, and the sophistication and piercing brilliance of its insights into the human condition, it occupies a place among the English language’s most extraordinary works for any age, and for all time.
Perelandra is a planet of pleasure, an unearthly, misty world of strange desires, sweet smells, and delicious tastes, where beasts are friendly and naked beauty is unashamed, a new Garden of Eden, where the story of the oldest temptation is enacted in an intriguingly new way. Here, in the second part of C. S. Lewis’s acclaimed Ransom Trilogy, Dr. Ransom’s adventures continue against the backdrop of a religious allegory that, while it may seem quaint in its treatment of women today, nonetheless shows the capability of science to be an evil force tempting a ruler away from the path that has produced a paradisiacal kingdom. Will Perelandra succumb to this malevolent being, who strives to create a new world order, or will it throw off the yoke of corruption and achieve a spiritual perfection as yet unknown to man?
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"May actually be the best book I have ever read. This is the second book in C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy, and is beautiful both in story and in symbolism. Elwin Ransom (based on Lewis's good friend J.R.R. Tolkien) is sent on a mission by his friend (the) Oyarsa of Malacandra (Mars) to Perelandra (Venus)to protect a new Adam and Eve in a new garden of Eden from the corrupting forces brought to Perelandra by Professor Weston (one of the villains from the first book, Out of the Silent Planet). The beauty of this new world, or Earth as it should have been and was before the Fall is strikingly beautiful. It is a book in which fallen man protects purity and innocence from fallen man, a book of redemption, and a book that reminds us that there is hope for us imperfect human beings."
— Aaron (5 out of 5 stars)
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“Mr. Lewis has a genius for making his fantasies livable.”
— New York Times -
“A powerful, discriminating and poetic mind, great learning, startling wit, an overwhelming imagination.”
— Saturday Review -
“Writing of the highest order. Perelandra is, from all standpoints, far superior to other tales of interplanetary adventures.”
— Commonweal -
“[Ralph Cosham’s] skilled narration keeps the listener riveted. His scholarly handling of the text minimizes characterization, while easily distinguishing the players. [Cosham’s] respect for the subject matter equals Lewis’ own and entices the listener to address serious questions of temptation and morality.”
— AudioFile -
“[Ralph Cosham] provides a lively narration about the pleasure planet.”
— Reviewer’s Bookwatch
Perelandra Listener Reviews
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Ansric, 2/14/2023
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Marek Krzywdzinski, 1/29/2022
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jrb, 7/3/2021
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Umai Kakudo, 6/25/2021
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" Didn't understand it. "
— Sue, 2/17/2014 -
" Excellent writing. Provocative ideas, dark at times. Mind-spinning, paradigm shifting, soul-searching... Lewis asks the questions we've all asked about the universe, the human mind and condition. "
— Jaclyn, 2/12/2014 -
" This book is a literary masterpiece. I read this book for simply a good read, but I have never been so spiritually inspired by a book in my life. As I finished this book, I closed it in tears from the magnitude fo the story. This is currently my favorite book of all time. "
— Chris, 2/7/2014 -
" Because it is C.S. Lewis there are some interesting philosophical and theological insights. "
— Don, 2/6/2014 -
" Although I read this long ago I didn't appreciate it as it deserves, as evidenced by my lack of memory of it. It is the clearest articulation of I've seen of how the Serpent's temptation and Eve's decision to be like God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil entails sin and death. This is important because being like God and knowing good and evil can sound reasonable even to the Christian but at its heart is disobedience that reduces freedom rather than increasing it. That's a lot of theme for a trip to the planet Venus but Lewis is a master. "
— Jason, 1/27/2014 -
" have to read a couple of times to get everything you can out of it. "
— Alicia, 1/20/2014 -
" I read it years ago and I liked it just as much this time. "
— Karol, 1/18/2014 -
" I like that Lewis doesn't require the reader to remember the first book perfectly to enjoy the details in this continuation of the series. "
— Gabriel, 1/14/2014 -
" Lewis' retelling of the Fall is brilliant. I loved Out of the Silent Planet, but this book blew it out of the proverbial water. Great read, rich theological and philosophical depth, can't wait to read number 3. "
— Dwight, 12/20/2013 -
" Really excellent!! I can't say enough about Lewis' ability to expose the absurdity and twistedness of sin alongside the beauty of God. This book really empacted my thoughts on the sanctification process. "
— Towens23, 12/18/2013 -
" Love it as much as "out of the silent planet." "
— Chardell, 12/8/2013 -
" Loved the reanimated but broken body pursuing the main character relentlessly. Still overly heavy on exposition but only early on. "
— Erik, 11/9/2013 -
" Good but weird. Possibly the weirdest thing by Lewis that I have read. "
— Arwen, 9/14/2013 -
" What everybody says is right. The trilogy is alright, but not amazing. I really did like the third one though. "
— Joel, 9/4/2013 -
" Along with the third book of the series, That Hideous Strength, a contender for my favorite book of all time. Just incredible. Any subsequent treatment of the fall of humanity--fiction or not--must deal with it. "
— Kyle, 8/18/2013 -
" I've read this trilogy several times and enjoy it more each time. I've added Chapter 11 - where Ransom wrestles with Maleldil over the terrible thing he must do - to my list of all-time favorite chapters in literature. "
— Gregory, 7/1/2013 -
" This may be favorite of the trilogy. Its a beautiful picture of creation before the fall and how sin taints and destroys man, beast, nature, climate, etc. "
— Tina, 4/20/2013 -
" Good, but not as interesting overall as "Out of the Silent Planet." More philosophical. "
— Greg, 9/10/2012 -
" I had a hard time getting through this one when I first read it, I barely remember most of it. It possibly could be that it's the second in the trilogy when I should've started with the first. Maybe someday I'll be able to get a whole of the whole trilogy and read through it. "
— Connie, 7/5/2012 -
" Brilliant and chock-full of the deeply philosophical. Sometimes over my head, but always entertaining. "
— Dell, 7/5/2012 -
" Our intrepid hero goes to Venus..if I remember correctly. "
— Andrew, 4/12/2012 -
" I liked the 2nd book, too. "
— Leigh, 2/10/2012 -
" Best book in the series! "
— Emily, 2/10/2012 -
" Amazing!! Once again, Lewis has blown my mind & proven himself one of the best of authors. I highly recommend this book! "
— Jessica, 12/19/2011 -
" This book had some really neat moments when the Satan character was tempting the Eve character. However, the book was all description before and after that. Nothing else interesting happens after that, not even what is supposed to be the climax. "
— Jonathan, 12/16/2011 -
" As always, CS Lewis writes amazing stuff. I really got into all three books. "
— Barb, 6/2/2011 -
" great metaphors and a very intense story! "
— Brenton, 5/10/2011 -
" These are my favorite C.S.Lewis books. The writing is rich, the critique of materialism is brilliant, and the weaving of the stories are just brilliant hands down. "
— Justin, 4/28/2011 -
" This is my all-time favourite read (besides Phillip Pullman's Dark Materials). The entire trilogy is pure fantasy awesomeness. This is a series I re-read every couple of years. "
— Ally, 4/23/2011 -
" I'm a sucker for trilogies, and this stands as my favorite to date. It combines sci-fi and philosophy, two of my favorite things which happen to be Clive Staple's strengths. "
— Lynette, 3/18/2011 -
" Didn't like it enough to finish listening too it. Too many other books I want to read... "
— Kimberly, 3/14/2011 -
" my favorite Lewis. i have read all three a number of times and get something new each time. "
— Jessica, 3/12/2011 -
" Probably should re-read as although I enjoyed these 3 books, I did read them at a very young age and thus had difficulty understanding them. "
— Ryan, 3/5/2011 -
" I hated the last book in the trilogy; it wasn't very good. The first two were fairly interesting though. "
— Elaine, 1/28/2011 -
" A great Science Fiction trilogy by Lewis. Book 2 is my favorite, but there isn't much that I don't like about any of these books. "
— Jstrick, 1/26/2011 -
" CSL at his wordiest. Beloved by millions, but my wife and I weren't fans. "
— Adam, 1/4/2011 -
" I read these when I was young as well. Really remember liking them and want to reread them. "
— Jared, 1/3/2011 -
" Superb! A great "adult" version of the Chronicles of Narnia. "
— Matt, 12/27/2010 -
" I would like to read them again. The first time through was in high school and they didn't make much sense to me. "
— Jimmy, 12/10/2010 -
" Profound, thought provoking, its C.S. Lewis, what more can you say. "
— Karen, 11/22/2010 -
" This collection really gets your imagination going. Amazing description throughout! "
— Adam, 11/9/2010
About C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. He was a fellow and tutor in English literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. His major contributions to literary criticism, children’s literature, fantasy literature, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. Lewis wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include the Chronicles of Narnia, Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity.
About Geoffrey Howard
Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) was a stage actor and an award-winning narrator. He recorded more than 100 audiobooks in his lifetime and won the prestigious Audio Award for Best Narration and several AudioFile Earphones Awards.