The Chronicles of Narnia (Hardcover)

by C.S. Lewis (Author), Pauline Baynes (Illustrator) "This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child..." (more)
Key Phrases: stone table, talking horse, last sea, Uncle Andrew, Dawn Treader, Cair Paravel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
All seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia are now available together in a hardcover volume which includes an essay by C. S. Lewis, "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," where he explains precisely how the magic of Narnia first came to life.

From the Back Cover
A hardcover adult edition of this seven-book classic series by C. S. Lewis

Since its release in the middle of the last century, the Chronicles of Narnia have enchanted over sixty million readers—children, as well as adults. This new hardcover edition for adults includes all seven books, plus C. S. Lewis’s essay, "On Three Ways of Writing for Children."

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 784 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (October 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060598247
• ISBN-13: 978-0060598242
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (139 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,201 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

363 of 390 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Chronicling the Chronicles, October 10, 2004

By	E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In the first half of the twentieth century, two drinking buddies wrote vastly different fantasy series -- one was the classic "Lord of the Rings," and the other was the "Narnia" series. A close pal of J.R.R. Tolkien's and a fellow "Inkling," C.S. Lewis was one of the first widely-read fantasy writers, and his books are still widely read and enjoyed by children and adults alike.

"The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" opens as four children (Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter) are being shipped to the English countryside at the beginning of World War II. While exploring the vast house where they are staying, Lucy accidently ventures into a winter-locked world called Narnia, which is ruled over by the evil White Witch. The king Aslan is about to return -- but the Witch quickly gets a hold on Edmund's soul.

"Prince Caspian" takes place long after the events of "Lion" (though in our world, only a short time has passed). Young Prince Caspian escapes his uncle's castle when his life is threatened, and he finds refuge with the hidden races of Narnia -- dwarves, talking animals, dryads, centaurs and many others. And to help Caspian regain the throne, the two kings and two queens of Narnia are called back...

"Voyage of the Dawn Treader" begins when Edmund, Lucy and their obnoxious cousin Eustace are sucked through a painting into Narnia, where their pal Caspian is now king of Narnia (and an adult to boot). Caspian is heading toward the end of the world to find several knights who were banished, and vanished into the perilous islands along the sea.

"The Silver Chair" heads into slightly darker territory when Eustace returns to boarding school. He and outcast girl Jill Pole are drawn into Narnia, where Jill must perform a task to redeem herself for a stupid act. She must find the dying Caspian's son Rilian, who vanished many years before. The search will send the two children across Narnia with the pessimistic Puddleglum, to carnivorous Giants, creepy underground creatures, and an enemy worse than they could have imagined...

"Horse and His Boy" shoots back in time to the middle of "Lion." Shasta lives with the man he thinks to be his father in a hovel by the sea, but when a Calormene warrior purchases him, he escapes with the man's talking horse, Bree. He meets the escaping noblewoman Aravis (who also has a talking horse), and the two are planning to escape to Narnia and freedom. But in the capital city, there is a conspiracy brewing against the visiting Narnian kings and queens...

"Magician's Nephew" clears up many of the questions about Narnia, Aslan and the White Witch. Digory and Polly end up in very serious trouble when they encounter Digory's weird, slightly nutty uncle, a magician who has created magical rings that send the user to other worlds. The two kids end up in the "wood between the worlds," and venture into a dying land where they set loose the evil Queen Jadis -- who follows them to the newborn world of Narnia.

"The Last Battle" is definitely the end of the series, where Narnia decays slowly into the final battle between good and evil. Humans are destroying the trees and killing the dryads, and a false Aslan is appearing to mislead the inhabitants of Narnia. Old and new friends will band together as the true Aslan prepares to lead them to a new land.

If you don't like allegory (religious or otherwise), then steer clear of the Chronicles. While Lewis's beliefs are presented in a more complicated and subtle manner in his other fictional works, here the parallels to basic Christian beliefs are very obvious. Reportedly even Tolkien, one of Lewis's best pals, found the allegory annoying.

But if you can get past the slightly ham-handed treatment, it's a fantastic read. Lewis reshapes typical mythical elements like dwarves, nymphs, talking animals, centaurs and wicked witches into shape in his invented world. And Narnia is an inviting place -- it isn't always fun or pleasant, but there is always the feeling that the good guys will ultimately -- if not immediately -- come out on top.

Lewis's writing can become a bit precious at times, in the tradition of many British authors writing for children. But he puts plenty of detail and mystery in his stories, sprinkling them with little mysteries and questions that are explained as the story goes on. Where did the lamppost come from, for example?

While not quite as well known as his pal Tolkien's work, C.S. Lewis's Narnia series still a fun and dramatic fantasy story. For a bit more insight into the origins of fantasy as we know it, check out "The Chronicles of Narnia."

101 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Classic Chronicles, May 11, 2005

By	Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is "The Chronicles of Narnia" like you've never read or seen them before--all in one hardbound set, in the chronological order Lewis preferred that they be read. To top it off, it's beautifully illustrated.

"The Chronicles" are C. S. Lewis' beloved children's fantasy series loved also by adults. In them, Lewis chronicles the battle between good and evil, God and the Devil, Aslan the Lion (the Christ Figure) and the White Witch (the Satan Figure).

Lewis' turn of a phrase is worth the price of the book with gems describing evil's hold on Narnia as "always Winter but never Christmas" and Aslan's description of his "resurrection" as "magic from before the dawn of time."

The stories are beautifully told and captivating in and of themselves. Add to that the subtle allegories, images, and parables of good versus evil, and you have a book that will capture your children's imagination and perhaps change their lives forever--for the better.

Buy it now, before everyone else does, because come December 2005, "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" will be released as a big screen Hollywood epic with the same mass marketing, incredible story telling, and awesome special effects of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Reviewer: Dr. Robert W. Kellemen is the author of "Soul Physicians: A Theology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," and the forthcoming "Sacred Companions: A History of Soul Care and Spiritual Direction."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Million Word Project, April 2, 2006

By	Michael Garcia - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The first time I read these books I was about 8 years old in the third grade. At the time they were nothing more than fantasy books that we would read together as a class. When we completed the last book we simly set it aside and moved on to other projects and to be completely honest I havent thought about these books since. That was nine years ago.

After seeing the new movie based on one of these books I had an urge to re-read them all. After re-reading them I realized that I totally missed some major underlying concepts the first time around. Mainly, the Christian undertones and the remarkable similarilty to The Bible.

The Magician's Nephew (the first book in the series - well, the sixth actually) reads like the first Book of Genesis. In this book Aslan creates Narnia in the same manner as our own Earth was created by God, with the Apple of Life being a parallel to the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. As well as King Frank and Queen Helen (the first rulers of Narnia) as Adam and Eve.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe contain characters who prominantly "resemble" Bible characters: Edmund being a Judas of sorts, Peter as St. Peter, and Susan and Lucy being Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (due to the fact that they are the first to see Aslan's resurrection). There are also parallels between the Last Supper, the cruxificiton and resurrection of Christ - with Aslan portraying Jesus as the "son of the Emporer beyond the Sea", i.e. God.

In the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Aslan appears as a lamb - an image of Jesus. When questioned by Edmund as to whether or not he exists in the real world Aslan states that "I am... but there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there". When put together with the image of the lamb this is evidence that in our world we know Aslan as "Jesus".

In addition three groups in the book seek out the Eastern Land; Aslan's land. As a parallel for the search of the Holy Grail, King Caspian (Lancelot) turned back in sight of the Last Sea, the Pevensie children (Percival) are sent back to the realm of men, and Reepicheep the talking mouse (Galahad) disappears into Aslan's country.

As The Last Battle concludes Aslan judges all those who remain in Narnia prior to him destroying Naria. Those who were loyal to him get to travel to his own country (Heaven) and those who were not must remain in Narnia. A prime interpretation of the Book of Revealations and Judgement Day.

While I never fully understood these books when I was younger I think, now, that they are a pretty good tool for teaching children the concepts of The Bible. I would recomment this book(s) for anyone who wants to learn about The Bible without having to actually read The Bible or anyone who just wants a good fantasy read.