Customer Reviews

Companion to Narnia

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I have read and re-read all seven of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia many times in my adult life. And plan to do so again and again. The remarkable thing is that the stories still seem fresh and alive. They never seem to get boring and there are always new insights waiting to be discovered. Even for the adult reader. I would highly recommend the stories to all young readers, even though I myself did not read them as a child. I think I was so bent on trying to read the entire works of Enid Blyton at the time, that I failed to notice anything Narnian about my local library.

"New insights" are what the Companion To Narnia is all about. Paul F. Ford has done a wonderful job of assembling all of the myriad of characters, places, themes; all the rich history and lore of Narnia and beyond, into this one encyclopedic book. I really cannot see how it could be improved upon. It is massive in scope. I have read it and "used" it for years now.

The book is arranged alphebetically and all topics are meticulously cross-referenced (an asterisk follows any word or phrase which is an entry elsewhere). Even though this is not the type of book that is commonly read from cover to cover, picking it up and starting from any topic will surely tempt you to the reading of the asterisk-linked articles. In Narnian terms, I think of this as the hidden "Turkish-Delight" feature of the book. Let it take you where your curiosity and interest leads.

At the end of the articles, Ford has placed in parentheses an abbreviated reference to the specific book and page number that coincides with the topic being discussed. This sends us back to the original source of the material if necessary, and allows Ford's book to be not only a companion, but a sort-of concordance as well. It is a very useful feature.

The copious footnotes will definitely appeal to those who are interested in learning more about the creator of Narnia. These notes clearly show that Paul Ford is an expert in his knowledge of the man C.S. Lewis. (A good example is the numerous footnotes to the article entitled "Digory Kurke").

Another great feature of the book is that not only are characters and place-names discussed, but also the IDEAS and THEMES of the Chronicles are examined. For instance there are comprehensive articles on such things as: Dreams, Knowledge, Fear, Privacy, Sounds, Music, Obedience, Birds, Ecology, etc. Of particular worthy mention is the great five page section on Biblical Allusions.

The final thing I will mention is that there are wonderful illustrations throughout the book, and these serve to take the imagination even further into the world that is Narnia.

The book is appropriately titled. My desk-dictionary has, as one of its definitions for the word companion... "one of a pair of matching things". In my opinion, any bookshelf that has its Narnia, ought to have its Companion.

I first entered Narnia as a child, simply pushing the fur coats aside and stepping through the wardrobe into the snowy world near the lamp post. I didn't need a guide book. Things just unfolded and I went with the flow of wonders. I came back for an extended visit when I was expecting my first child. There were concepts there that I had not noticed before as "concepts". I felt inspired and doubly moved by its beauty. Now, I'm at the "grandma" age if not yet in that reality. I've popped back in to visit old friends and this guide book is truly a "companion." I realize that the word "companion" in the title refers to the fact that this volume is a companion to the Narnia books, but for me the title has a double meaning, in that it is also my companion on the journey to Narnia, my tour guide, so to speak.
This book takes you by the hand and encourages you to look closer, gently pointing out the secrets of the locale that only the natives might know. It gives insights and provokes thought and dialogue. It is a neat holistic view that encourages an appreciation for the big picture by illuminating the subtle details. It is also the kind of tribute to the minute of one's heroes that all "fans" love to pour over. If you are a young person just let Lucy help you find your way into Narnia and I assure you that you will have a splendid time, but if you are a bit older I recommend this travelog and the company of this wonderfully helpful and insightful book.
This book also contains an insightful foreward by Madeleine L'Engle, author of "A Wrinkle in Time".

I've adored this series since grade school and I reread it periodically, but until the last few times I never understood the allegory in the book. I bought the companion just because I collect books that go along and I just finished reading it. I was not disappointed....it answered so many questions that I had about characters and themes and the maps/timeline were excellent in helping to understand the geography and time of Narnia vs Earth. I plan on using it as a reference the next time I read the series despite having already read it straight through. This is a must have for any Narnia enthusiast.

I received Companion to Narnia, as well as a boxed set of the Chronicles themselves, as a birthday gift. I must say it was one of the best gifts I have ever received.

I initially read the Chronicles as a young child, then again in Jr. High. I'm afraid I let my passion for the stories slip through my high school years, just when I needed them most, but now, after my third year of college, I have renewed my interest in the works of Mr. Lewis.

The Companion is easy to use, extremely informative, and actually fun to read straight through, even without using it as a reference. The entries are encyclopedia-style, alphabetically listed, with the page numbers the entry appears on in the Chronicles, related entries, and often very extensive footnotes referring the reader to books and articles by Mr. Lewis and other renowned Fanstasy and Religious authors, as well as background into what specific uses could have meant to the author, or his inspirations for them.

There are annexes at the end on everything to how old the Pevensie children and others are in the books, Narnia time vs Earth time, the age of Lewis during the writing of the Chronicles, maps of Narnia and more. Wonderful illustrations are distributed throughout the book, just waiting to surprise you when you turn the page.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to any lover of Narnia, whether it's your first time around or your fortieth. A lot of questions I remember having when I was younger are answered, and you gain a deeper meaning of what it "behind everyone's story".

If you think that the Chronicles of Narnia ought to be required reading for children, then the Companion to Narnia ought to be required reading for us adults that fell in love with Narnia as children. Yes, I'm sure that if you had to write a paper or do a report on any of the Chronicles for school, this book would be invaluable. But the fact is, it goes far beyond that to a much broader audience...

C.S. Lewis's Chronicles represent some of the finest high-Fantasy novels ever written, period. But for most of us, at least at the first reading, this is all they were. As we grow older, and read the Chronicles again and again, we begin to discover more of the meaning behind the writing; this book guides you further along that path of discovery. It is well-organized and very thorough; I have had little difficulty finding any of the references I wanted to explore.

If you want a person to love the Chronicles, buy the series for them when they are a child. If you want them to appreciate it the way you do, buy them the Companion when they grow a bit older...

Is it strange to think that you need a companion for a set of books that take place in a world that doesn't even exist? No, not really. I read the companion thoroughly, then re-read the books, and I can say that they really did add something. There were some jokes (like in "The Magician's Nephew) that needed explaining, and some translations that brought the story a little closer to home. If you love Narnia, you'll love the companion.

This is a great book. It is arranged alphabetically, in encyclopedia form, and contains over 500 pages of entries. Every single obscure character is listed (remember who Lord Tarva was?), descriptions of places, ages, weaponry, even philosophers who had an impact on the author and the book are discussed and explained.

This book is a wonderful resource for those who are writing research papers on Narnia, or for those of us who just love the world and like to expand our grasp of Narnian trivia. Don't hesitate!

The Companion is Great!!! When ever your reading parts of the book and get to something that doesn't make a lot of sense just find it in the Companion! It has everything including Maps, Definitions, Charts, Graphs, Everything! This book is great and everyone who owns the Books or the Movies should have this!!!

When I read the Chronicals of Narnia years ago, I was not into fantasy-- I was a very stoic 9-year-old who lived only in the linear world and could relate to little else. The books were only OK to me-- a nice read on a rainy afternoon, ho-hum and who-cares. This is like having a good college professor sit down with the class for a fire-side chat before he gives his students a reading assignment, giving his students things to look for and appreciate. Now that I am much older and able to free-think, I occasioally have epiphanies on what C.S. Lewis was conveying. My own children are a bit on the linear side of thinking as well, and before I give them the Chronicals to read, I will be brushing up on this in order to whet their appetites! It should make great dinner time discussion. . .

I absolutely loved this book. It was priceless in writing a paper for my English class and got me an A! I was amazed by the throughness of this book. You can't get any better than this. I would suggest this book to anyone who has to do any kind of report on anything to do with the Chronicles. Also, this book tells you so much that it seems unreal. It makes you check on things and you see it is true and you also see things you missed. It is truly amazing and spellbinding. GET THIS BOOK! It will open up new worlds to you in Narnia.