In my new book, PASSPORT TO NARNIA: A NEWCOMER'S GUIDE, I try to put to rest the controversy about the order in which the books should be read, and for good reason: Lewis himself did not write these books as an interlocking whole, as did Tolkien (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and J.K. Rowling (the Harry Potter novels). Lewis wrote that he wrote the books as they occurred to him, which is why he himself had no preference in which the books SHOULD be read. My contention is that the important thing is to READ these novels, not worry about the reading order. Besides, HarperCollins, his publisher, has made a decision to publish the books with THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW first, followed by THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE because, as is stated on the copyright page of the one volume hardback & paperback editions, "Although THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW was written several years after C.S. Lewis first began THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. HarperCollins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred.
Regarding the seven novels themselves and their readability: Great books come from great writers who can not only are outstanding storytellers but also offer more than mere diversion: Lewis, a celebrated scholar, teacher, writer, and popularizer of the Christian faith, was a literary giant; and when we read the Chronicles of Narnia, we see the world filtered through his worldview. The books and the writer are in this case inseparable; the books come from the writer and are deep expressions of his humanity, his views on courage and sacrifice and honor, which are at the heart of these seven novels. Having sold 85 million copies since 1950 (when the first book in the series was published), you can rest assured that the books have stood the test of time, entertaining and illuminating five generations of readers.
The only complaint I have about this boxed set is that the production values are mismatched: the covers are gorgeously printed, but the interiors use very cheap pulp paper, with blotty ink printing that obscures not only the text but the wonderful Pauline Baynes artwork. Since mass market paperbacks are routinely printed on pulp paper, the problem here seems to be the presswork: The over-inking of these pages obscures the printing of the text and obliterates the artwork. Since the one volume editions are issued from the same publisher, with readable text and no glaring deficiencies in the presswork, I hope that the publisher takes the time to correct what is otherwise a handsome, affordable, boxed edition.
A few comments about the forthcoming movie: the trailer looks wonderful and captures the sense of wonder that is Narnia. Early reviews are positive and, from all indications, Disney Pictures has a winner of a film and the beginnings of a major, new franchise. To my mind, the best thing about the movie is that it will prompt a certain number of people to go into the bookstores and look for the principal texts; I came to the Narnia books late in life, but reading them did what good fiction is supposed to do: Those books took me out of this world and into C.S. Lewis's wonderful and enchanting world of Narnia, and isn't THAT what superb storytelling is all about?
Bottom line: Despite my reservations about the printing of the interiors of these books, this is the edition of choice because of its price and portability. If you haven't read these books, now is the time to start: After December 9, when the film is released, everyone will be rushing to the bookstore to see what is next.
I look forward to the film release and also look forward to re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia again, just as soon as I finish re-reading Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS from cover to cover (including the appendices).
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J.R.R. Tolkien 4-Book Boxed Set: The Hobbit and The Lord of the RingsMass Market Paperback$9.81 shipping
A Bit Heavier Than Expected
This is the heaviest paperback box set I have ever purchased. I purchased two different editions of this box set, the one with the classic art and the one with the movie art and the one with the movie art is much lighter weight. Anyway, I purchased this version as a gift so I can't review this specific set in more detail.I did however, read these books years ago. I remember not knowing they were Christian fiction as the books aren't full of quotes from the bible and mentions of God and people in the bible as is my usual experience, which is why I don't usually enjoy Christian fiction. The Chronicles of Narnia, however, are full of action, fantasy characters, and are a lot of fun to read though I will admit the first book is on the slower side and feels more like a prequel than the first book in a series though it's still an enjoyable read.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2005
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024
This is the heaviest paperback box set I have ever purchased. I purchased two different editions of this box set, the one with the classic art and the one with the movie art and the one with the movie art is much lighter weight. Anyway, I purchased this version as a gift so I can't review this specific set in more detail.
I did however, read these books years ago. I remember not knowing they were Christian fiction as the books aren't full of quotes from the bible and mentions of God and people in the bible as is my usual experience, which is why I don't usually enjoy Christian fiction. The Chronicles of Narnia, however, are full of action, fantasy characters, and are a lot of fun to read though I will admit the first book is on the slower side and feels more like a prequel than the first book in a series though it's still an enjoyable read.
I did however, read these books years ago. I remember not knowing they were Christian fiction as the books aren't full of quotes from the bible and mentions of God and people in the bible as is my usual experience, which is why I don't usually enjoy Christian fiction. The Chronicles of Narnia, however, are full of action, fantasy characters, and are a lot of fun to read though I will admit the first book is on the slower side and feels more like a prequel than the first book in a series though it's still an enjoyable read.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2024
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Excelente libro pero no en un muy buen estado
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