The writings of C. S. Lewis often stir in readers a profound sense of spiritual longing, a desire known to the Romantic tradition by the German word Sehnsucht. Bright Shadow of Reality, first published in 1974, remains the best available study of this idea of spiritual longing, especially as it functions as a key to understanding Lewis's writings. Corbin Scott Carnell explores Lewis's life, theology, and literary legacy, and evaluates Lewis's own reflection on the concept of Sehnsucht and its relation to the human quest for joy.