Customer Reviews

Further Up & Further in: Understanding C. S. Lewis's the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

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"An unliterary man may be defined as one who reads books once only." Said C.S. Lewis in his essay, "On Stories." Not every book is worth reading more than once, and some aren't worth even the first read. But when it comes to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, one of those classics is found that begs us to return on many occasions. How is it possible to read the same story countless times and not grow weary of it? One way is to broaden our understanding of it by approaching it from different perspectives.

In Further Up & Further In, Bruce Edwards gives a walkthrough to this enchanting story. He begins by introducing the reader to C.S. Lewis raising the question, "Who was Clive Staples Lewis that we should be mindful of him?" (2)

The bulk of this short book is dedicated to the story in which many have fallen in love with the great lion, Aslan. The seventeen chapters of Lewis' tale are grouped into 5 chapters in Dr. Edwards's book. First, the story is narrated with attention drawn to the emotions of the characters and reader as it progresses. After the story as been explained some background information is offered on various subjects relevant to the material covered, such as "The Wardrobe," "The Beavers," and "Deep Magic." At the end of the book are a series of study questions for each chapter and a suggested bibliography for going even further up and further in.

The greatest strength of Bruce Edwards's book is that he never lectures the reader. He is more of a guide, or a fellow reader, pointing things out as the story progresses. Rather than analyze isolated aspects of the story, he takes us into the story itself with witty and whimsical comments along the way.

There are always things of which more could be said in any book, but at times it felt like more should have been said. And so, the greatest weakness is the book's brevity. The best example is on the final page of the book where points are made of the story in light of Grace, Redemption, Resurrection, and Restoration. Only two to five sentences were written under each heading, though this would have made for a powerful conclusion had it been expanded upon.

Aside from its brevity, the book is a welcome companion to reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; whether it's for the first time or the tenth time. Bruce Edwards succeeds in showing us another way to view the story, to find our selves in it, and leave us wanting more.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

My only complaint is the retelling of the story in each chapter. In some cases it was insightful but most of the time it felt overbearing to reread the basic storyline when I already knew it.

It isn't the best book on Narnia that I have read but it is definetly worth your time.

All C.S. Lewis fans are excited about the forthcoming movie soon to be released based on the work by C.S. Lewis, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." Understanding the symbols and hidden meanings in this writing enhances the read and certainly will enhance the enjoyment of movie viewing. This book is your key to both.
In this work by Bruce Edwards you will find an extremely in-depth overall of the different messages and their meaning. He takes his time, carefully going over the work in chapters, giving much insight and helping the reader to connect with the inward working of this read. I found it extremely interesting and entertaining at the same time, easy to digest and enjoyable.
He gives study questions that will cause you to rethink much of what you have mentally stored and cause some thought provoking questions within you as you realize that you didn't understand as much as you thought you did. I really enjoyed reading this book; it was insightful, informative and enlightening. I recommend it and encourage you to pick up your copy and keep it handy for continual reference or just pure reading enjoyment.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

If you are into Narnia and its theological implications, this book is for you! It is a very fun read, and not too long. C. S. Lewis rules!