Though C.S. Lewis is mainly known for his writings on Christianity, he sure knew how to spin a great kids' fantasy yarn. I HIGHLY recommend these seven books for anyone who is looking for something new to read. I also agree with Director Lad that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the place to begin the series, even though now the publishers are putting The Magician's Nephew first in the series. I think The Magician's Nephew works best in flashback, as it was intended. There are a lot of characters and a lot of interactions in the saga, but let's face it: the central human character in the series is Lucy, and she deserves to be the focal point of that first book.
I think my fave book is still The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Christian overtones and all,) but A Horse and His Boy is certainly a lovely, lovely tale.
My favorite moment is when Lucy finds the book of magic in the upstairs hall of the magician in Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Especially the story she reads there that she can never remember again. Lyrical, beautiful stuff, and we never even get to find out a word of it.
My least favorite character is probably Jill. I just never felt for her like I felt for the other children. My favorite character is Reepicheep. And the eventual fate of Susan is one of the saddest things ever to be found in a book. I hope somehow she found her way back to Narnia in the end.
Narnia is just great.
-------------------- White. A blank page or canvas. His favorite. So... many... possibilities.
From: Birmingham, AL | Registered: Jul 2003
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Faraway Lad
Senator of the UP. Permanent Ambassador to the Court of Saint James
posted
Narnia is a great place. Written in a simpler time and, especially in the LWW, the four are definatly upper middle class British. This series introduced me to fantasy and led ultimatley to the Lord of the Rings. Both are fully rounded worlds with a history and background that informs and colours the stories.
One thing I liked was the way in which the "evil" races are not totally evil (like the orcs in LOTR) but indivduals make choices between good and bad.
Also there is, in Horse and his boy I think, a plea not to hate other religions, for if a good perosn worships the devil figure then he is worshiping Aslan and vice Versa an evil person worshiping Aslan, is really worshiping the devil. (Now whats was that bird headed deity called?)
-------------------- Faithfull
From: Newcastle upon Tyne England | Registered: Jul 2003
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posted
i loved "TLTWATW" as a kid, and cried when ASLAN died !!! although i didn't read any of the other ones, and i haven't seen the BBC version, only the animated one !!!
if this new version has a good budget, it should be really good !!!
i remember as a child climbing into my parents wardrobe [ many times ] in the hope it would lead me to NANIA .....
Matthew.
From: Manchester United Kingdom | Registered: Jul 2003
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I got chills down my back reading some of the other responses on here! Its fanatastic to know that other people were as deeply affected by these books as I was. I think 'The Magicians Nephew' was probably the first book that I can conciously rememeber reading on my own without my mother there to help me. And I loved it! I loved them all! And I loved them just as much the second time I read them a couple of years ago. SOOOOO worth taking the time to read them if anyone here hasn't yet!
My favourite is still probably 'The Magician's Nephew' (and I'm not sure if I agree with those comments that this book shouldn't be read first - I liked seeing how all the little elements of this one came into play in the later ones) with 'Voyage of the Dawn-Treader', 'A Horse and his Boy' and 'The Last Battle' all coming in a close second.
This comment by Prime stands out to me -
quote:Originally posted by Prime: And the eventual fate of Susan is one of the saddest things ever to be found in a book. I hope somehow she found her way back to Narnia in the end.
- I couldn't agree more! I was heart-broken by what happened to Susan! It was so, so utterly sad and yet so horribly true-to-life. We do all grow up and forget the magic of our childhoods. Its the huge injustice of life. But the last book was just really sad all round. You know there's not going to be any more books when...
. . . S P O I L E R S . . .
... everyone dies!
I'm really looking forward to the films!
From: Australia | Registered: Dec 2003
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posted
They start out simplistic (TLWW) but grow as the reader would. For HAHB, we readers have to form some of our own conclusions on morality, as well as learn to question the status quo. And in the Last Battle, we learn that good things do come to an end. And that growing up doesn't mean losing some of the wonder of youth.
It's said that Lewis wrote these for himself. He wanted to recapture the joy he felt reading as a kid. I can't imagine anyone doing a better job.
From: Denver, CO | Registered: May 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Zombie STU: I would really, really like to try Turkish Delight one of these days.
It's actually kinda gross. It's like overly dense marshmallows, flavored with an almost sickly sweet syrup. Perfect for Edmund and quite sickening in large quantities.
From: Los Angeles, CA | Registered: Nov 2003
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Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Strangely enough, I've read all of Lewis's other fiction, but never read the Chronicles of Narnia.
I highly recommend Till We Have Faces, his retelling of the Cupid-Psyche story, however.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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And the eventual fate of Susan is one of the saddest things ever to be found in a book. I hope somehow she found her way back to Narnia in the end.
