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19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chronicling "Narnia", October 25, 2005
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. Both men had a shaping influence on the fantasy genre, and were the first of the widely-read fantasy writers.
Many years later, C.S. Lewis is still a classic, much-read author, and his books are about to hit the big screen, with "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" debuting in December. So, consider it time to dust off the Chronicles and reread the adventures in the alternate world of Narnia.
"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 god-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? Why are there humans in Narnia? Where did Reepicheep go? All questions, more or less, are answered.
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."
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great books, but meant for children, January 14, 2006
I love The Chronicles of Narnia and have read them 20+ times since second grade. However, they are children's books, plain and simple. They can be enjoyed by someone older, of course, but they are by no means the battle-filled sagas that the new movie makes them out to be. Comparing them to Tolkein is just downright ridiculous: Lord of the Rings is a complex, violent, vocabulary-laden epic. Narnia is a beautiful and charming dream. My loyalty to Narnia as the first chapter books I ever read is immense and I would reccommend them as required reading for any child, but I don't want anyone to buy this series expecting an adult fantasy and find to their dissappointment the pure, truly magical world that is Narnia.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Further Up And Further In", January 16, 2008
Without a doubt, C.S. Lewis' wonderful children's fantasies, collectively known as "The Chronicles of Narnia," deserve the numerous accolades they have received over the years. When Disney and Walden Media produced the film version of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," a number of new editions of the Chronicles were released in book form. The books were published individually and in omnibus editions such as this one. Some were collected in the order they were originally written whereas others were gathered in a more chronological order to enhance the reader's experience. This particular edition follows the latter scheme.
The first tale we encounter is "The Magician's Nephew." Newcomers will quickly recognize that there is no Lucy, Edmund, Peter or Susan in this particular story. This is essentially the "creation story" of Narnia seen through the eyes of young Digory and Polly. From there we are given "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," which introduces us formally to the four children so many of us already know so well. After that, "The Horse and His Boy" focuses on Shasta, Bree, Aravis and Hwin, among others. The four children are there also, but not the central characters of the tale. "Prince Caspian" is next, bringing Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy back to the forefront on a wonderful adventure that is now soon to be a major motion picture. After that, Edmund and Lucy, along with their cousin, Eustace Scrubb, join "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," in which Caspian travels to the end of the world looking for the domain of Aslan. "The Silver Chair" introduces us to Prince Rilian, Puddleglum, and Glimfeather, as well as revives a once thought dead enemy. "The Last Battle" is exactly that, the end of a wonderful collection of tales. It lets us know what happens to just about everybody who ever makes an appearance in any of the tales, including the wonderful Reepicheep, a mouse who's giant heart more than made up for his small stature.
All of these stories are excellent to read to children as well as for adults to explore. The good characters will easily win you over and the wicked ones, especially the White Witch and Tash, will make you cringe at moments.
Some of the tales can be rather violent, with multiple deaths that are vividly described. There are also very obvious allusions to the Bible, especially the New Testament. These are most evident, in my opinion, in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian" and "The Last Battle." These Christian overtones are excellent triggers for children to begin studying the Bible. If you are a Christian, I highly recommend using these tales in that manner. If you are not a Christian, do not let the Christian aspect of these stories deter you. They are wonderful regardless of this.
Overall, I highly recommend these stories. My personal favorite is "Prince Caspian," with "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" a close second. Whether you read them in the order presented here or in the order they were originally published, check these tales out.
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