Inside The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Myths, Mysteries, and Magic from the Chronicles of Narn

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The Last Battle It seems that there is a hot dispute going on about the order in which the books should be read. After reading them in the chronological sequence, I would advise reading them in the sequence of publication. More about that later. Aslan the Lion is Christ - this becomes evident in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe itself view spoiler [ he sacrifices himself to save Edmund Pevensie, and is immediately resurrected hide spoiler ].

I was a bit surprised that there was no sign of the gentleman with the horns and the forked tail. Evil is entirely feminine - that too, with a perverse sort of sexual attractiveness. It seems Lewis was genuinely frightened of woman's sexuality: Susan becomes a "non-friend of Narnia" the moment she becomes a nubile young woman.

Lewis's protagonists, like that of Lewis Carroll, are prepubescent girls. The Christian world view is evident from the word go - for example, the animals and birds can all be killed and eaten, provided that they are not "talking animals"! They have been specially blessed as such by Aslan, we are told, in the story of the creation of Narnia in The Magician's Nephew. This evidently comes from the Bible where Man is given dominion over every living thing on earth. In case we don't get it, Aslan continuously addresses the boys as "Sons of Adam" and the girls as "Daughters of Eve" and says that only they can rule over Narnia.

As the story progresses, it becomes more prevalent - and now racism and intolerance of the heathens also come into play. The Calormenes - dark-skinned foreigners who worship a savage god Tash, wear turbans and carry scimitar-like swords - are an Englishman's fantasy of the bloodthirsty and lecherous Turk. In their country, young girls are routinely married off to old codgers, and they wage war on the free countries like Narnia to rape and pillage.

Their God Tash, however, is a pagan deity who is loosely associated with the gentleman I mentioned earlier - the guy with horns. The unlikeable brat Eustace Scrubb is the son of liberal parents who are pacifists and vegetarians. He studies in a school which does not have corporal punishment and which does not teach the Bible - and is therefore full of bullies who are encouraged by the Principal! However, Eustace reforms after a visit to Narnia, and returns back to the school and hammers the living daylights out of the bullies.

The Principal is removed from the school and ultimately becomes a Member of Parliament, where she lives happily ever after note the point: It is in the last book that Lewis outdoes himself. There is an ape who presents a donkey as Aslan. The ape is part of a conspiracy with the Caloremenes who present their God Tash and Aslan as the same, but don't believe in either. Also, the ending is patently silly view spoiler [ all the friends of Narnia being killed in a train accident so that they can inhabit Aslan's timeless paradise hide spoiler ] and for me, it was disgusting.

Then why the three stars? Well, if you can ignore the allegory and the preachiness, there are some pretty interesting adventures here. The first three books are rather well-written although a bit simplistic and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is your classic sea adventure. The Magician's Nephew is extremely funny in parts. One advise to prospective readers though - please give the last book a miss. View all 43 comments. Len Evans Jr just wanna be clear that my "like" is for an well written thorough review and not for the books themselves.

Having read Lewis' Space Trilogy which has just wanna be clear that my "like" is for an well written thorough review and not for the books themselves. Having read Lewis' Space Trilogy which has very similar issues of Christian bias I choose not to even bother with Narnia. Olivier Delaye Len wrote: Having read Lewis' Space Trilo Len wrote: That is, if Fantasy is your cup of tea. Favorite books ever when I was a kid! View all 4 comments. Mar 20, Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it Shelves: Read this as a kid and re-read later on, these 7 books were a great form of escapism despite the somewhat overbearing Christian symbolism that is pervasive throughout.

A must for kids. Mar 30, Christian Guzman rated it liked it. Overall I would give this book 3 stars. At first I was skeptical about reading the book in chronological order as opposed to publication order. Now that I look back at it, it works well both ways. I also had some trouble at first with the way the style of writing was presented, but I got used to it pretty quickly. The world of Narnia is well written and detailed thanks to C. I can safely say that I liked the introduction of e Overall I would give this book 3 stars.

I can safely say that I liked the introduction of every story. This book nonetheless will be someone else's treasure, not mine. Such an original plot! I enjoyed every minute of it. Getting to know the backstory and how Narnia was created was interesting to me.

There were a few metaphors between Adam, Eve, and the tree of wisdom. Digory and Uncle Andrew were my favorite characters, even though at times the uncle seemed quite cynical. My favorite moment would have to the fight at the lamp post and how they escaped.

One quote that stood out to me was: It also depends on what sort of person you are. My favorite character were the two youngest ones: They seemed to always have something going on with them. Again, there are several religious metaphors present in this story too.

It was pleasurable reading and seeing all the symbolism. We also get to see more of the magical world of Narnia in this story so that is exciting. I had fun with this story! The Horse and His Boy: The desert scene felt eternal to me and unexciting. The backstory about him and finding out how he commences his journey is interesting. I seem to enjoy the introductions of each story quite immensely, this one being one of my favorites. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Even though he was portrayed negatively at first it was interesting viewing how he slowly changed.

The dragon scene was enjoyable to me. They are sent on a mission and we read about their journey. I found many parts dull. View all 11 comments. Apr 20, Mansoor rated it liked it. The Magician's Nephew is easily the best story of the Chronicles.

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First of all, it's the least overtly religious. There is a creation-of-the-world element, but it's not our world so it seems more fantastic than religious. Not only is there a veil over the religiosity, there's so much creativity in this story: And because of the talking, fighting animals, the fantasy seems aimed at children.

I might have enjoyed it more at age The next story in the series, The Horse and His Boy , takes a dark, ethnocentric turn with its unfavorable depiction of the Arab-like "Calormen" shoes turned up at the toe, scimitars, suffixed phrases of praise, "son of" lineage declarations. They bowed most politely to Caspian and paid him long compliments When the Dawn Treader stops at Dragon Island, the boy passenger Eustace wanders off, encounters a magical spell, and is turned into a dragon. This raises all kinds of serious issues about how to keep Eustace the Dragon with them, but none of these problems matter because, within 24 hours, Aslan just changes Eustace back to a boy.

To save Edmund's soul, Aslan sacrifices his life. But it wasn't Aslan's only life, he had another one ready. One thing I found especially creative about The Chronicles is how a story involving talking animals justifies eating animals. View all 17 comments. Apr 19, Jaclyn rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: I can't even begin to count how many times I've read "The Chronicles of Narnia. Sure, I followed the story, but the deeper meaning was completely lost on me.

Someone later told me that it was a Christian story and when I read the I can't even begin to count how many times I've read "The Chronicles of Narnia. Someone later told me that it was a Christian story and when I read the book again as a young teenager, I picked up on that element of it.

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In the many times I've read the books as an adult, I've come to find that the underlying meaning - not just of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," but of the other books as well - becomes gradually clearer until you can't believe you didn't see it all along. The books are like Narnia itself, unfolding like an onion, layer upon layer, Narnia upon Narnia, but each layer is bigger and better than the one above it. In order of the events that unfold in the story but not in the order that the books were published , the Chronicles of Narnia include: Two children living in London are magically transported to other worlds and witness the dawn of Narnia.

The story incorporates such familiar elements as a Tree of Knowledge and the fall of man. With the help of Aslan, the great Lion, they seek to free Narnia.

This is the most obvious Christian parable, as Aslan represents Jesus and the story parallels the Resurrection story. Shasta, a Calormene fisherman's son, runs away when he hears his father negotiating to sell him into slavery. Together with two talking horses and a noble Calormene girl running away from an arranged marriage, he tries to get to Narnia. The book is a meditation on faith and the concept that God helps those who help themselves. It's also my favorite of the seven books. Not the most overtly religious of the stories.

It doesn't seem all that religious until the end of the book, which encourages people to seek God in their own lives. The book is a parable of the End of Days, with chaos, confusion, war, unbelief and the worship of false gods. Tirian, Eustace, Jill and their friends can only hope that Aslan returns to Narnia to deliver them.

Read them, then read them again and again and again. You won't be sorry. View all 5 comments. The film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was what made me want to read this thick, heavenly book. Little yet valiant Lucy was very close to my heart, as well as her siblings who occasionally thought she was crazy. I was so enthralled by the movie, and I asked my parents if they could buy me the series for my birthday. My uncle in the US was the one who granted my wish. Hence, this book literally traveled to my hands.

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I was overwhelmed with happiness when it finally arrived. After all, it was the first series I had ever owned. After caressing it for a long time, I tucked myself into bed and got down to business. Little did I know that this would be the series that would transform me into a devoted booknerd. At the age of 12, I managed to fly through each novel because they were just so beautiful and fantastic. The perfect mix of magic, adventure, and biblical allusions captivated me from start to finish.

In totality, The Chronicles of Narnia will always have a special place in my heart and library.

The Chronicles of Narnia

Just looking at Aslan's face on the cover fills me with much happiness and nostalgia. If I were the Ruler of Books, I would require everyone in the planet to read this timeless series. Jul 18, Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing Shelves: I pined for Narnia in the most broken, sad way when I was a little girl. I remember devouring them in much the same way that children are now tearing through the Harry Potter series.

Lewis's lavish descriptions of fauns http: Lewis's lavish descriptions of fauns and dragons and giants have burned themselves permanently into my memory. Ten year old Mer's desire to live in that world and shoot arrows and eat Turkish Delight and befriend those magical talking beasts was all-consuming.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Most of all, I wanted to know Aslan. To be cuddled and loved by that big, fierce, lovable lion. But in the end, I had to let go of him and his realm. I remember being so disconsolate, in fact, that my parents let me stay home from school for a day! So weird, remembering that. There were just so many aspects of that world that made me feel, well, BAD, somehow. Guilty, or ashamed, or just plain uncomfortable. Remember when Susan didn't come back, basically because she discovered her sexuality? Those dark-skinned people with really intense garlic breath who wore turbans and worshiped a Satanic "false god" who demanded blood sacrifices from his followers?

There was SO much blame being laid out in that world. A lot of finger-pointing and shaming going on, a lot of damning and excluding. It was all very black and white, us or them, good or evil. In the end, I rejected the Narnia books for that reason. Later, finding out Lewis was a devout Christian and Aslan was basically supposed to be Jebus in a lion suit, I wasn't at all surprised. Nowadays, I recommend Miyazaki movies especially Kiki to every tween girl I meet to cleanse their palate of some of the more despicable Disney depictions of femininity, and I happily gift kids and adults!

All that being said, these books are a memorable part of my childhood, and I still recall parts of them with fondness and longing. View all 10 comments. Aug 16, Jarod rated it really liked it. A mostly well-written, very imaginative, thoroughly enjoyable read. The narration is warm and witty, the protagonists are well developed and likable but not perfect written perfectly, but with flaws that give the stories depth , and the settings are vivid and fantastic remember those loony one-footed invisible things that hop around?

I'm always annoyed when people confound the qualit A mostly well-written, very imaginative, thoroughly enjoyable read. I'm always annoyed when people confound the quality of this series as literature with the quality of the worldview it allegedly expounds, as if the literary world is some kind of neo-Stalinist monolith where the only legitimate art is that which edifies us by propounding a correct ethical system. It's just a story, and a good one at that.

Furthermore, as an atheist, I think 1 the religious content of the novels is overstated, and 2 even if it isn't, oh fucking well, that doesn't detract from the novels one whit. The books really don't have any more to do with Christianity in particular than does any other story with a character who gives up his life to save others. See Harry Potter 7; see also, religious archetypes in general. As for the Calormen, I think it's highly possible that the garb was just supposed to convey the exotic, and this particular nation just happens to be bad in the world of the book.

Everything is not a political statement. In sum, it's a good story, and even if all the criticisms of the book-- it's racist, it's Christian, etc. Mar 28, whalesister rated it it was amazing Shelves: I read the entire series, one right after another, eight times in a row when I got them for Christmas in fourth grade. Obviously I loved them then. Just finished reading them again to Eric, my 8-year-old, and loved them maybe just as must as I did as a year-old.

Eric couldn't stop giggling through the last pages of Horse and His Boy, which we had to reread when we finished the rest, since it was his favorite. We're starting Prince Caspian again, too--another favorite. I realized this go aroun I read the entire series, one right after another, eight times in a row when I got them for Christmas in fourth grade. I realized this go around how much these books shaped my entire world view, and especially my perspective on religion, though I never knew it as a kid.

One odd little detail that I noticed this time reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Lewis never comes right out and says it, but in addition to being snooty holier-than-thous that nobody can stand, the parents don't drink, don't smoke, and wear a funny kind of underwear. A nice little under-handed slam at a faith that loves to quote him in General Conference. I'll still keep quoting. I love his writing. View all 3 comments. Mar 28, Ruth rated it it was amazing. I love how you can see Aslan as Jesus giving up his life for us.

And the greater power or deaper magic that brings him back to life. Sep 16, Werner rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Back in the early 70s, I encountered this wonderful series through the first of the books to be written, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Below, I quote most of my review of that book, insofar as it applies to the whole series. I subsequently discovered the whole series, and in the 90s read it to my wife, who loved it as much as I do. We didn't read it in this omnibus edition, but as individual books; and for a long time, I intended to eventually review each book separately.

But since th Back in the early 70s, I encountered this wonderful series through the first of the books to be written, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But since the series has so much commonality, I decided that reviewing it as a single entity is more practical. This omnibus volume lists the seven books of the series in their internal chronological order, starting with The Magician's Nephew , which describes Aslan's creation of Narnia; and this is the order in which Lewis himself recommended that they be read.

Barb and I, however, read and experienced the series in the order in which the books were written. Lewis fans debate which order is preferable, and I can see both sides of that. Usually, my preference is to read a series in internal chronological order. But the way that we read this one probably provides for more of a feeling of resonance in the later ones, as certain things that were mysterious before fall into place later. Most people know that C. Lewis was an effective Christian nonfiction apologist, using the tools of reason and logic to build the philosophical case for Christian faith.

But he ultimately became convinced that an even more effective apologetic is available through the "truth of art," the instinctive and emotional appeal that stories exert -- especially the kinds of stories that draw on the deep, mythical archetypes of fantasy to illuminate the real universe. The Chronicles of Narnia, his classic fantasy series, was the fruit of that discovery, set in Narnia, a magical land whose world lies in another universe, in which magic works and time moves differently than it does here, and in which Christ is incarnate as the great talking lion Aslan.

The first book of the series presents one of the most powerful symbolic literary presentations of the Christian gospel ever written. Although the intended audience, in Lewis' mind, was children and his various direct addresses to the readers as author presuppose this , there is nothing invidiously "juvenile" about the quality of the writing; it can be enthusiastically appreciated by anyone who loves tales of imagination and adventure, fantasy and wonder; and the truths here, like those in Jesus' parables, are simple enough to speak to children but profound enough to challenge adults.

The Christian message is an essential part of all of the books in the Narnia series. We all react to fiction based partly on how we feel about the message s it conveys, and that's appropriate. So readers whose view of Christianity, or of religion in general, is highly negative could hardly be expected to give the Narnia series unqualified praise. The converse applies, of course, to books like the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, who avowedly seeks to be the "anti-Lewis;" it isn't surprising that his work is less appreciated by readers who hold a very negative view of militant atheism.

That's a subjective assessment, and fair enough as such. Some other criticisms of Lewis' series, though, are intended to be more objective, and can be debated objectively. This discussion might contain some "spoilers. But if this is so, then the theistic view of real life is that it has no real conflicts either, since God has miraculous power to resolve them.

But no theists that I'm aware of view real life in that way, least of all Lewis, as his other writings indicate and insights from all of his writings are valuable in interpreting the Narnia books, since his thought was highly unified. As his writings on miracles make clear, he believed that God can intervene in the natural order miraculously --but doesn't do so very often, because intervening on a wholesale basis would negate the predictability of natural law and leave us unable to recognize a miracle when one did happen! And, very importantly, God doesn't make people's choices for them; they exercise free will, which requires that their choices have meaningful consequences --good or bad.

So in Narnia, as in the real world, Aslan doesn't intervene very often; and most readers observe quite a bit of conflict. Bad things happen, and they aren't always deserved; evil isn't automatically and instantly punished; and good characters suffer and inevitably die, some well before their time.

And characters experience a good deal of conflict in struggling to decide on the right course of action --or on whether or not to do what they think is right, when all the rewards would appear to gained by doing wrong. In one of the books, Eustace is indeed changed back from dragon to boy --but only after he learns a lesson about the value of human friendship; and that doesn't come easily to him. And in the first book, yes, Aslan will be resurrected after giving his life for Edmund --but his death is still an awful experience that he undergoes for someone whose welfare, viewed from a coldly objective standpoint, is nothing to him; most of us wouldn't undergo it, even with the guarantee of resurrection.

Will the story be as good? At least not without serious rework. The published order is: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 2. Voyage of the Dawn Treader 4. The Silver Chair 5. The Horse and His Boy 6. The Magician's Nephew 7. The Last Battle less. Should I try this Narnia series? I have not watched the movies, as I found them not-so-interesting..

So I want to know whether I can try the books. Would I like it? If yes, whether I can finish off the entire series over a period of 1 month?

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Cher Depends on how fast you read. I found The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in the city library as an elementary student and fell in love with it. Not …more Depends on how fast you read. Not until I was in my late 20s did I find out that there were more in a series! I found them, bought the paperback series and enjoyed them as a treasure found. I loved Harry Potter series and own it too.

I enjoy reading teen and young adult fiction. I enjoy fantasy, sci fi and time travel books. I did not have a clue about the religious overtones. BTW I"m 70years young. See all 61 questions about The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe…. Lists with This Book. Nov 20, Patrick rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is the first book where I chronicled my thoughts as I read through it with my son.

I don't know how easy it is for y'all to access the record of those here on Goodreads, but if you're looking for a detailed account of my thoughts on the book, you can look there. I've read a lot of books to my little boy these last couple years, and I can honestly say that This book is among the best. Good, tight writing, good description. Also there's not a lot of dead space or tr This is the first book where I chronicled my thoughts as I read through it with my son.

Also there's not a lot of dead space or trashy empty dialogue that just seems to be there to take up space. That's become a particular peeve lately. And when you're reading a book aloud, it becomes really obvious. The British slang will be a stumbling block to some. But it's not too bad. And there were a few slight pieces of sexism that I ignored, skipped over, or re-worded on the fly. But honestly, this book was written 60 years ago, and you need to cut it a little slack because of that. And in my opinion, it only needs a little slack.

Truth be told, I've read books written this year that have ten times the sexism this one does. This is where you start the series. I'm sorry if you read them in the wrong order, but if you did, it's better than you admit it now, come to grips, and move on with your life knowing the truth. View all 59 comments. Feb 14, Bookdragon Sean rated it it was amazing Shelves: So humans create fantasy as a means of escape. We watch movies or go to the theatre to see something more interesting than the standard realities of the everyday.

We paint pictures and gaze up at the stars. We play video games and roleplay. S Lewis and J. K Rowling show us this miserable world; they show us its tones of grey. Then underneath it all they reveal something spectacular: So we have four rather ordinary children about to embark on an extraordinary adventure. As a child I used to always daydream. I still do this as an adult. And this is why I love fantasy so much because it is so immersive; it literally takes my mind away.

Lucy, Susan, Edward and Peter are the lucky ones. When they stumble across the wardrobe, the gateway into a more interesting realm, they experience something spectacular. For in Narnia there is also Aslan and a whole bunch of interesting characters.

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There is hope, magic and companionship. The wise old Aslan though is the star of the show. He sacrifices himself for his friends, for his people. Though one issue I have with the book, and one that makes me very much aware of the text as a construct, is the questions over why Aslan actually needed to the four children. He pretty much deals with the problems by himself. Now I find this somewhat stupid. This book is, undeniable, full of Christian dogmatism. Read this with an open mind, as an English Literature student, I read the bible. And this story is no different.

Take it for what it is. I do, however, much prefer the works of Tolkien. I feel that his writing is more universal in terms of age audience. I love Narnia but I can, at least from my perspective, objectively say that Tolkien was a better writer. Though what Narnia does have is Aslan. Could you imagine the stories those two could share? View all 22 comments. Apr 24, J. Keely rated it it was ok Shelves: My greatest disappointment in 'The Screwtape Letters' was that Lewis was not able to demonstrate what made his good people good or his bad people bad.

The closest he got to defining goodness was that you could tell the good people from the vague aura of light that surrounded them--and which even shone in their cat. In this book, the cat is much bigger. Aslan had no character, he was just a big, dull stand-in. Lewis often tells us how great he is, but never demonstrates what it is that makes him g My greatest disappointment in 'The Screwtape Letters' was that Lewis was not able to demonstrate what made his good people good or his bad people bad.

Lewis often tells us how great he is, but never demonstrates what it is that makes him great or impressive. Sure, he helps the kids, but all that makes him is a plot facilitator. He also has his big Jesus moment, but that has the same problem as the original: But then, Aslan isn't based on the original fig-cursing, church-rejecting, rebel Jesus, but the whitewashed version.

Like Mickey Mouse, Jesus started out as an oddball troublemaker with his fair share of personality, but becoming the smiling face of a multinational organization bent on world domination takes a lot out of a mascot, whether your magic castle is in California or Rome. Such a visible figure must become universally appealing, universally friendly and loving, lest some subset of followers feel left out. And it's this 'Buddy Christ' tradition from which Aslan springs.

Devoid of insight, wisdom, or charm, Aslan is just here to do all the things that our protagonists can't do. This also beggars the question: Why did all the animals and fairies and giants have to suffer the pain of an endless winter? We're never given any good reason Aslan had to wait for the kids--since in the end, he does it all on his own, anyways. Sure, Lewis mentions something vague about a prophecy, but in fantasy, prophecy is always a bandaid authors stick over their plot holes: The only thing the kids do is help run the battle, but this is only necessary because Aslan is absent, and he's only absent because the kids screwed up, meaning the entire thing would have gone off without a hitch if they had never showed up in the first place.

In that regard, I have to say Lewis did an excellent job boiling down Christianity into a fable, and leaving the problem of evil completely intact. Some readers suggest that Aslan lets the queen take over to teach the kids a lesson, but is it really worthwhile to let all the inhabitants of a kingdom suffer a century of misery just to teach a few kids about the true meaning of friendship? The villain is just as poorly-constructed, and seems less concerned with defeating her enemies than with being pointlessly capricious. She manages to trick one of the children, but instead of taking advantage of this fact, she immediately makes it clear that she tricked him.

I mean, how did someone that incompetent take over in the first place? Selectively stupid characters are silly and convenient, especially as villains, because this completely undermines their role as foil. It is impressive when characters overcome challenges, but not when challenges simply crumble before them. The children are lucky the Queen was more of a fart-stealing Old Nick than a Miltonian Satan, otherwise they never would have stood a chance. It is interesting to look at how many Christian authors have tried to reconcile their faith with complex fairy mythologies; not that Christianity doesn't have its own magical fairy tales , but these other traditions are not exactly compatible.

Dante has Virgil lead him through hell, the Buddha was made into a saint , holidays were given new meanings even if they often kept old symbols and names , and magical monsters were also given a place in the new faith. In the Middle Ages, monks compiled 'Bestiaries' , which described the roles of dragons, unicorns, and real animals in Christian synbolism; there were even century-spanning debates about whether dog-headed men were descended from Adam. These books were rarely accurate, but allowed Christian theology to adopt many stories and superstitions from earlier periods; for instance, the connection between unicorns and virginity or the belief that pelicans fed their own blood to their young, in imitation of communion.

So Lewis' attempt to take myth and adapt it to a Christian cosmology is hardly new--there is a long and storied tradition explored throughout the Chivalric period and recognizable today in books like The Once and Future King , but Lewis doesn't do a very good job of reconciling these disparate mythologies.

Like most Protestants, Lewis' religion was a modern one--not magical and mystical, but reasonable and utilitarian. He did not draw on the elaborate, convoluted apocrypha of hallucinatory monsters and miracles that mystics obsess over, instead, he made a small, sane, reasonable magical world--which rather defeats the point. It is unfortunate that many of today's readers think of Lewis' writings as defining English fairy tales, since his late additions to the genre are not original, nor are they particularly well-executed examples.

Many authors have come to the genre with much more imagination, a deeper sense of wonder, and a more far-reaching exploration of magic. Lewis, like Tolkien, may be a well-known example, but both are rather short-sighted, and neither one achieves as much as the many talented authors who came before.

I'm not saying Lewis is bad, merely that he is unremarkable, and is hardly preeminent in fantasy, or even in children's fantasy. However, I do think his fundamental message is a bad one, even if he didn't realize he was creating it. In all his worlds, all his stories, he takes the sorts of people he dislikes, defines them as 'evil', then sets himself apart from them. There is no attempt to comprehend or to come to mutual understanding. I cannot respect a book which encourages people to vilify what they don't understand and to call isolation righteous.

If any worldview deserves the epithet of 'evil', it is the sort of willful, prideful, self-indulgent ignorance Lewis displays. My List of Suggested Fantasy Books View all comments. Jan 07, James rated it it was amazing Shelves: Lewis 's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I must have read it three or four times as a child.

Hits all the spots in my reading dreams. Every child should read it. Imagination runs free here. And the rest follow her. The book shows what happens when you don't lis 5 stars to C. The book shows what happens when you don't listen to one another. Aslan, the hero lion, helps show what sacrifice is all about.

I spent many a days looking for the secret world hidden somewhere in my closets. While I never actually transported to another world, this book is like its own Narnia - a transport into something magical. View all 12 comments. May 06, Manuel rated it it was amazing. I loved this book. It was first read to me in 4th grade.

We would all come in from lunch and our teacher would read to us for about 30 minutes before we would start class. I remember this book because it wasnt read to us by Mrs Graham, but instead it would be read by Mr Goodwin, her long-haired, bearded, Birkenstock wearing teacher's aid. Over the next few weeks we were enthralled by this story, we couldnt wait for lunch period to be over so we could hear what was happening in this magic kingdom I loved this book. Over the next few weeks we were enthralled by this story, we couldnt wait for lunch period to be over so we could hear what was happening in this magic kingdom, called Narnia.

From the begining we all identified with Lucy and her siblings. How was it possible that an English girl could transport herself to another place, simply by hiding in a wardrobe? And once through the wardrobe, there was this wonderful and friendly creature called a faun, Mr Tumnus. All this in only the first chapter. As the chapters progressed we got to know more about the siblings and the other creatures who inhabit Narnia. Some people critisize C. S Lewis for using too much Christian symbolism, but I was in 4th grade and to me this was the most wonderful and exciting book ever written for children.

When Mr Goodwin finished the book. I instantly went to the library so I could read it myself. I was very proud this was the first book I read "without pictures". To my joy, I discovered there were other books about Narnia and I eventually read all of them too. Evenutually I discovered other wonderful places in other books and I continue to look for them today.

I will always be grateful to Mr Goodwin, he started off by telling me about Narnia, but in the end, he introduced me to so much more through my on going love of books. Thank you Mr Goodwin, for everything. View all 19 comments. Jul 11, Debra rated it really liked it. What are you doing on that wardrobe? I read this book as a book challenge and adored it. I had not read this book before and did not know of its existence as a child. I would have loved it even more then, I imagine.

Four English children, removed from London for their safety during WWII, are sent to a country manor to live with a professor. Lucy is the first to enter the wardrobe and be transported into the secret world of Narnia. There she meets a talking faun who eventually wa What are you doing on that wardrobe? There she meets a talking faun who eventually warns her about the white witch who keeps Narnia in a constant state of winter. Once back home, she informs her siblings who do not believe her until they too eventually enter the wardrobe and the world of Narnia. Narnia is full of talking animals, magic, and the loathsome witch who turns animals into stone statues if they do not do as she pleases.

With the help of a Beaver couple, they escape in time and get to meet Aslan, who teaches them true bravery, sacrifice and teamwork. This is a great fantasy book for both children and adults alike. Suspension of belief and a desire for entertainment is all one needs to enjoy this book. The illustrations are precious and go perfectly with the story. Nov 26, Luffy rated it it was amazing. What's it with British literature? How from a relatively small pool of population can such creative writers emerge? I don't like C.

S Lewis's non fiction books, but here he knocked the ball out of the park. Aslan, whose antics and decision making and beliefs are difficult to map, is the way by which the children triumph. There are many shining examples of pause to let the tension play out, before a li What's it with British literature? There are many shining examples of pause to let the tension play out, before a little more of the adventure is revealed.

Curiously, along with wonder, it is with the realization that I read this book. It's very much Anglo Saxon in nature, yet it lends itself to translation so easily. Aslan certainly never mentions England to the Narnians. Until the final events in LB, the world of Earth presents a significant, unanswered mystery. From this mysterious world, people important to their history have come.

Lewis created a myth so powerfully developed with magic that the Narnians could not possess other stories quite of this caliber without the Deep Magic and transcendence, nor as fantastical as the ones presented. Now that the stories in The Chronicles of Narnia prove a viable myth according to the basis of C. The story as it happens tells only half the history…the second half of the story tells how the stories pass down: This method of storytelling to the very young occurs widely—while many people in the books do not believe the stories; nearly every character in the book has at least heard the tales.

Noticeably, many in Calormen have not heard the stories of Aslan, for Shasta and Aravis do not realize that the lions they encounter can protect them instead of eating them. In the Narnia controlled by the usurper Miraz, who wants to crush all knowledge of everything to do with Old Narnia, history lessons in schools and with tutors only allow coverage of the time period after the Telmarine invasion of Narnia in NT. Everything about the Old Narnia country lives covered up, denied, and forbidden.

Not everyone learns of Old Narnia, but the ones who do seem to know of it learn about it this way. Interestingly, unlike many oral traditions on Earth, Narnian myth does not change with the telling by many people or by age of the story. Tirian most likely learns the myths this way, although he, the son of the king, likely had a private tutor instead of a schoolroom.

The Narnia under Tirian regards the knowledge, forbidden under Miraz, as fact and history. Myth asserts itself using natural means in PC when Edmund delivers the proposal from Peter to Miraz for the one-on-one battle. Like a true Telmarine, Sopespian does not know the Old Narnian myth, or if he has heard it secretly, disbelieves it, nor does he know the true nature of the man standing before him.

But I think they would have known him anyway…there was something in his face and air which no one could mistake. This recognition of Rilian portrays another instance in which the truth of the Narnian myth and the rule of Aslan flutters down through metaphysical means. Tirian, like Rilian and Sopespian, grabs onto the truth of the myths without instruction by man or animal, and the myth reveals itself to them without needing physical means to spread itself. Shasta in HHB gives the prime example of an instinctual factor. Raised on the eastern coast of Calormen by a fisherman, Shasta feels unhappy and does not feel like he belongs.

Shasta constantly looks to the North and wonders greatly what lies there, over the mountains. Even though his body resides in Calormen, his soul lives over those mountains. He does not know about the princely blood that ruins through his veins, blood from the line of Archenland, located directly North of the eastern coast of Calormen, over the mountains. Caspian, on the other hand, comes from the lineage of Telmar, but despite growing up under Telmarine rule, longs to live in the time of Old Narnia.

Cornelius when he, too, tells Caspian stories of Old Narnia, but he does not. Caspian could easily disbelieve the stories about Old Narnia and seek employment as another mindless Telmarine drone, but he stands by his convictions and constantly asserted what he instinctually knows as truth, and for that faith, Aslan rewards him. Narnian myth passes down by prophecy, the third way. The other prophecy told by the Beavers involves the Pevensie kids potentially crowned the future Kings and Queens of Narnia, and will bring peace. Lewis used prophecy to tie the elements of Narnian myth together and give it a fantastical feel.

The prophecies reaffirm the facts of the myth by foretelling orally what will happen naturally. In this way, two of the methods of passing down myth unite. When Lucy Pevensie stumbled on the snow of Narnia for the first time, she stumbled upon a country with a life, history, and a myth of its very own. While children on Earth have reveled in the stories for over fifty years, the children of Narnia, also listening to the stories read by their mothers or nurses, have enjoyed the stories for many thousand years, and both sets of children remain equally entertained with the strong narrative myth of Narnia.

Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles. A Field Guide to Narnia. Mead, Marjorie and Leland Ryken. Reading With The Heart: The Way Into Narnia. The newsletter highlights recent selections from the journal and useful tips from our blog. Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines.

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