I originally planned to read The Magician’s Nephew before reading this novel because that is how Lewis preferred the order to be, but changed my mind because the former was just not capturing my attention. I never read this novel or the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia as a child. Instead, my first encounter with Lewis’ classic tales was through the movie, and the advertisements for the latest movie adaption spurred me into reading the series.
The story introduces readers to the Pevensie siblings — Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy — and to the land of Narnia, which is under the control of the odious White Witch. The White Witch tells Edmund that one day he can been the King of Narnia, but only if he brings himself and his siblings to her castle. The Pevensie siblings are the long awaited Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve and they, along with Aslan, are a major threat to the White Witch’s power.
Dedicated to his goddaughter, this classics children’s book is a fantastical tale filled with much imagination. As I knew what was going to happen because of how true the most recent movie adaption is to the book, I spent most of the time paying attention to the descriptions and writing style. I still managed to capture the sense of adventure and wonder I think a child would get out of the book.
And that’s one of things I liked best about the book. A reader can get a certain amount of depth out of the book despite it appearing to be fairly simple. I have heard people call this book Christian propaganda, but I didn’t read it that way. I don’t think readers have to read it this way; it can be read for the religious connotations or for a child’s fantasy or for the adventure.
Book Mentioned:
- Becky’s Book Reviews
- Erin Reads (includes The Magician’s Nephew; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; and Prince Caspian))
- In the Shadow of Mt. TBR
- Jules’ Book Reviews
- A Literary Odyssey (includes all books in the series)
Book Mentioned:
- Lewis, C.S. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2006. First published 1950. Print. 189 pgs. ISBN: 0060234822. Source: Library.
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7 comments
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January 14, 2011 at 8:19 am
3m
I LOVE this series. I’ve read them all 5 or 6 times!
January 15, 2011 at 9:35 am
Christina
First timer Herr but I do plan on reading e rest of the serires when I get back home again in May and have access to a public library.
January 15, 2011 at 9:41 am
Christina
Er. That should say here and not Herr. Stupid autocorrect on iPad.
January 14, 2011 at 8:43 am
Erin
I never read these as a child, either, but I did see the movie of this one and was surprised by how true to the book it was. (And I agree that The Magician’s Nephew is tough to get into…I didn’t really like that one much, aside from finding out where the magical wardrobe comes from!) In some of the later books the Christian themes get pretty blatant (especially The Last Battle), but I do think it’s possible to read them on many levels. They are wonderful fantasy stories, no matter what else they are!
January 15, 2011 at 9:40 am
Christina
I honestly didn’t expect the movie to be true to the book either simply because the movie isn’t covering all the books and, from what vie heard, is mashing books together into one movie.
I know there is some controversy about the Christian themes and whether they are suitable for children who are not Christian. But honestly I think you really have to know biblical stories to get the Christian themes in this one. I have friends of other religions who loved these books as a child and had no idea how much of Christinaity plays out in this book until we started discussing them. But thats just my two cents on an (off topic) tangent.
January 22, 2011 at 1:48 pm
kiss a cloud
My 8-yr-old is currently reading this and he’s almost at the last chapter. I’m so happy that he’s loving it. I had to throw these in his way, lol. I had him read The Magician’s Nephew first because as it was the least fun, better to get it out of the way. I was surprised to find out he actually liked that, so am sure he’s going to love the rest even more. As for you, you might like The Magician’s Nephew even less after having read all the other better ones. But I hope that’s not the case.
November 10, 2011 at 8:18 am
@prayerchristian
You know, I didn’t read this book as a child. But what a wonderful book it is! And yes, there are many levels that the book reaches: fantasy, adventure, and truth-telling. It’s no wonder this book has become a beloved classic. Thanks for sharing this post.