The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewisby C.S. Lewis
Shares rank 74 of 122 novels by recommenders
People recommend it for its insight into the human condition and moral principles that apply beyond Christianity, even for readers who are not Christian.
People recommend it for its insight into the human condition and moral principles that apply beyond Christianity, even for readers who are not Christian.
3 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 3
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 3 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Insight into the human condition
“I don't think one needs to be Christian to pick out its insightful bits on the human condition.”
Comment from 19 Oct 2026 in “William Gibson and the trademarking of cyberspace” Moral principles apply to any framework
“appreciated it even more. Although it's written from a Christian point of view, the principles are applicable to any moral framework.”
Comment from 26 Dec 2025 in “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” Considered Lewis's best work
“'The Screwtape Letters' being his best IMO”
Comment from 30 Sep 2026 in “Ask HN: What are you reading?”
Other novels people recommend
The four most recommended other novels, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crime and Punishmentby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 39 | 9 | 81% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Brothers Karamazovby Fyodor Dostoevsky | 28 | 8 | 78% | 5 | — | Approved |
| Infinite Jestby David Foster Wallace | 26 | 5 | 84% | 9 | 10 yrs6 owners | Approved |
| The Great Gatsbyby F. Scott Fitzgerald | 24 | 9 | 73% | 6 | — | Approved |
| The Screwtape Lettersby C.S. LewisThis page | 3 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
All 3 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I don't think one needs to be Christian to pick out its insightful bits on the human condition.”
“'The Screwtape Letters' being his best IMO”
“appreciated it even more. Although it's written from a Christian point of view, the principles are applicable to any moral framework.”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.