A Field Guide to Narnia (Paperback)

by Colin Duriez (Author) "Dunluce Castle is an imposing ruin that juts out against its Atlantic backdrop..." (more)
Key Phrases: pagan insights, talking lion, inconsolable longing, White Witch, Green Witch, Eustace Scrubb (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
No matter if this is your first visit to C. S. Lewis's wonderful fantasy world or if you've been there many times, you'll want to bring along this handy companion to the landscape and inhabitants of Narnia, including an A-to-Z guide to characters, places, objects and events. From Narnia expert Colin Duriez you'll learn more about the mind behind Narnia how Narnia relates to other imaginative worlds and children’s literature about the history within the stories of Narnia how Narnia fits into Lewis's other work Duriez also takes up some the sticky questions that you may be left wondering about, such as the destiny of Susan. His book will help you dig deeper into the series and its implications for understanding the Christian life.

From the Author
IVP: Describe your first experience with the Chronicles of Narnia.

Colin Duriez: I was a young adult when I discovered Lewis and started reading the Chronicles not long after discovering C. S. Lewis's writings. As soon as I followed Lucy into the snowy woods I was enchanted and quickly read the series. I immediately sensed the deeper meanings below the surface but enjoyed the stories as brilliantly told stories. IVP: What inspired you to write A Field Guide to Narnia?

Duriez: In the past I had written several books on Lewis or his friends, especially J. R. R. Tolkien. Increasingly it dawned on me that The Chronicles are perhaps Lewis's greatest achievements, likely still to be read in 50 or 100 years. Though written for children, they embody perhaps more than any other of his books the whole Lewis--the scholar as well as the storyteller. They are an outstanding example of an imaginative and gripping portrayal of Christian theology, in a league with John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: InterVarsity Press (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830832076
• ISBN-13: 978-0830832071
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #461,696 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Field Guide to Narnia by far, March 22, 2005

By	C. Catherwood "writer" (Cambridge UK and Richmond VA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Colin Duriez is one of the world's leading experts on both Lewis and Tolkien - people who have watched the extended DVDs of Lord of the Rings will recognise his Hobbit style features instantly. Now he has written THE essential field guide to Narnia, CS Lewis's wonderful Christian allegory and novel for children, and in plenty of time for the Disney film coming out in December. This makes it both reliable and essential reading for any Lewis buff, and also the ideal gift for anyone you know who becomes interested in Lewis after seeing the movie this Christmas (2005) and beyond. Make sure your church bookstall has 20 copies, and make sure too that you give this essential reading to your friends and family at Christmas. You will not get a better guide, both in terms of spiritual content and literary knowledge, than this splendid book by Colin Duriez. He has pulled off yet another amazing book to add to the many other definitive works on Tolkien and Lewis that he has written already. Christopher Catherwood (author of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL CREATED MODERN IRAQ), son of one of CS Lewis's pupils at Oxford and great-nephew of an Oxford friend and contemporary of Lewis.

42 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly work, July 31, 2004

By	Christian Book Previews.com "Christian Book P... - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

In A Field Guide to Narnia, Colin Duriez digs into the worldviews, myths, and people who played important roles in C. S. Lewis' creation of Narnia. This scholarly work is written for adults, but the explanations don't remove the magic of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Beginning with a short biography of Lewis' life, Duriez continues with the books from various periods that influenced Narnia's unique attributes. He points out the parallels between the Chronicles and Christianity, followed by concepts borrowed from other worldviews. The chapter titled "Literary Features of the Chronicles" discusses genre, perception, and the books' sometimes visible but never intruding narrator. The first section of the book ends by further expounding on the themes, concepts, and images found in Lewis' books.

Part Two is an encyclopedia for the Chronicles, giving a brief overview of each book, a history of Narnia (complete with a timeline), and a chapter on its geography. Then Duriez shows Lewis' other writings in the context of Narnia, and the people who influenced Lewis' life and works. Part Three, a dictionary, covers Narnia from Adam to Zardeenah. Extensive notes, a chronology of Lewis, and a detailed bibliography end the book.

Though repetitive in places, A Field Guide to Narnia adds depth to the Chronicles without reducing them to theological tomes or classics merely to be analyzed. Without a hint of overt suggestion, Duriez makes you long to read the Chronicles once more. -- Katie Hart, Christian Book Previews.com

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Field Guide..., February 28, 2005

By	Amanda Killgore (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

*** Millions of people of all ages have read and loved the Chronicles of Narnia. For the most part, they comprehended the message- but there are spots that leave most of us guessing as to what the intent was. It is clear that the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe allegorizes the Gospels; the Last Battle retells Revelation, and the Magician's Nephew refer to the beginning of Genesis. However, one is left scratching one's head when trying to pin down what events the Silver Chair lines up with or the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. In short, you need a guidebook, and this fills the bill. Illuminating what the books refer to and how they fit not only into Christian theology, but also how they relate to Lewis' own life, the author helps readers appreciate the depth and scope of one of the great classics in fantasy literature. ***