By the next book, Jill has become skilled at orientation thanks to time in the Girl Guides. Are there non-white Narnians or are we to understand that all Narnians are white?
Clearly there are moments when Lewis feels he needs to clarify what he or his characters mean and moments when he does not. The apologist arguments do not take account of this and instead take liberties in assuming what they think he means elsewhere in an attempt to defend his work from the accusations of racism and sexism. We must also consider the double-standard on the apologist side in that they are willing to take the text at face value where it suits them but insist on our consideration of extensive extra material where they are on the back foot.
We are supposed to think these are arguments are sophisticated and nuanced, but they read as presumptive, convoluted and wishful. This relative difficulty faced by the defenders in making their case is the second failing.
There is no need for Lewis to adhere to a factual and authentic reality as he would for a historical novel. There are plenty of novels that intentionally contain racist or sexist elements in order to be consistent with a real time and place. There is no such requirement of Lewis in The Chronicles. Nor is he able to distance himself from his creation.
Again plenty of novels contain villains, anti-heroes or complex characters with less than admirable qualities, but, depending on the book, we can feel confident that the author is not expressing their own views or condoning their behaviour but has other intentions in mind; authenticity or thematic considerations most of all.
If the stories contain racist and sexist elements without explanation or clarification, he probably did not notice them, did not think twice about including them or did not think he needed to clarify. My conclusion on this matter is that The Chronicles of Narnia do contain sexist, racist and other elements and that the defensive and apologist counterargument is unconvincing.
Which leaves us with one argument, which is not an excuse but an explanation — it is a product of its time. That is, enjoyed for what they are, but taken with a grain of salt for where the standards of their time have been left behind. Why still read The Canterbury Tales? Because it is an impressive and influential work. That being said, Narnia does require extra care because it does proselytise and it is aimed at children.
Enid Blyton , a contemporary of Lewis , whose works are also aimed at children, also with modern accusations of racism, sexism and xenophobia; have received strong censure, even modern revision. The apologists and defenders, I feel certain, will not concede. My suspicion is that their vigour is due less to a love for the text or author, or a consistent defendable theory, but to adherence to a complementary worldview.
As I said, as a child I enjoyed those Narnia stories I read, in ignorance of their message or source material and, before the age of reason, I simply enjoyed adventure stories with child protagonists. For about five-and-a-half novels, that was true, and as I said I had written a whole review with a different conclusion.
But The Last Battle was the last straw. I had also hoped in the beginning that I may read these to my daughter, not yet one-year-old, when she is old enough.
That is no longer the case. I also hope that, since she will not be indoctrinated in a worldview, when she reaches the age of reason, she will notice the areas where The Chronicles leave much to be desired. By then she may be old enough to take a look at the works of others such as JK Rowling and Philip Pullman. Both inspired in part by Narnia, both excellent, both no less magical and containing battles between good and evil. I made it through the whole review!
I felt like the kids were being shamed all the time. Thanks for this thorough review! I hope we can follow each other and continue a conversation about books! Like Like. Thanks for your comment and for reading my loooong post!
Happy to follow you! Because of its Christian themes, Narnia is today far, far, more popular in America than anywhere else. Current generations of American kids will find it harder to miss! Like Liked by 1 person. My review of it already contains all I really want to […]. But positive reviews can also contain something that will turn me off the book. A common example […]. Lewis wrote these books as an easier way for children to understand the Christian message and the Christian morals.
The true morals behind the stories is the loss of faith and innocence that one has as they grow up and Lewis uses the classical elements as themes to display this. Jesus did know what would happen when he died, he knew that he would rise again, similarly did Aslan.
This does not negate the fact that it was a sacrifice. They still both gave up their lives for another undeserving person and put themselves through pain and fear in order to save someone. Just because you know something good will come out of it, does not mean that it is no longer a sacrifice. While it may be different punishment per circumstance, all sin gets punished.
The easiest way to show this to young children is a visual punishment so they understand. Avaris did something wrong, and she knew that the slave would be whipped for it it says so when she explains her escape to Shasta. I found your arguments reasonable and compelling. Olivia Age I have all seven and enjoy reading them often.
I read them a while ago and I must say that these are beautiful books and one of my favorites. My least favorite is The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The Chronicles of Narnia were actually among the first chapter books that I read as a child, though I've re-read them many times since. The writing is excellent for children of an appropriate age range; they are considered classics for good reason.
As a disclaimer, I may be unusual in two ways. For one, I first read these books at an unusually young age years old. For another, although I was raised in a Christian Protestant church, I drifted into atheism over time something which these books neither helped nor hindered, except that in a vague sense they were part of what made me feel positively about Christian culture.
So consider the review in that light. In total, C. Lewis wrote seven Chronicles of Narnia. There is much debate over what order the books should be read; some people suggest reading them in chronological order, while others suggest publication order.
See the illustration below for the differences. Narnia is a fantasy world inhabited by lots of strange creatures, including Witches, Giants, Boggles, Minotaurs and others. Magic is present throughout the series, with the "only way" to get to Narnia being by magic. The whole world is said to be governed by magic, and the "deeper magic from the dawn of time" is mentioned in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Children's Books Wiki Explore. What to Read After If you're looking for more fantasy For those who enjoy the snow For those seeking a snowy fantasy setting, Alex Bell's The Polar Bear Explorer's Club provides the strong female lead that Narnia 's Lucy might have become in other circumstances, and a journey to the mysterious Icelands for Stella Snowflake Pearl and her gang of unlikely adventurers.
For readers ready to explore a new world For keen readers looking for new worlds to immerse themselves in, Twelve Nights by debut novelist Andrew Zurcher tells the fantasy-rich tale of Kay and the mysterious Removers who have stolen her father away as if he never existed. For those who like Narnia 's folklore Children drawn to the folkloric elements of C.
Your suggestions As always, when we asked you for some ideas about What to Read After The Chronicles of Narnia, you came up with some fantastic ideas! The Bartimaeus Sequence by Jonathan Stroud This series of books came highly recommended by BadnessJonathan , who told us it is 'the best young adult fantasy series' he's read since Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials which, by the way, was also recommended by lots of you!
Abi Elphinstone's books First up to suggest Abi Elphinstone's brilliant stories was Alibrarylady , who suggested that Moll and Gryff in the Dreamsnatcher trilogy reminded her of Lucy and Aslan. The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix This one came highly recommended by writestorybooks , who said: 'It may not have an appearance from Father Christmas or fauns, but it is the pinnacle of world-building and features the only feline character that could ever give Aslan a run for his money.
Love this series. It's a good recommendation though; as Ruth says, it involves 'talking animals, a creepy fantasy world and a significant wardrobe'. DerbyshireLibs explained: 'It has a fantastic old-school fantasy feel to it - really enjoyed that one and it gave me Narnia-nostalgia!
Add a comment. Sign up for our newsletter Stay up to date with BookTrust by signing up to one of our newsletters and receiving great articles, competitions and updates straight to your inbox. I figured that out when I was 9. But who cares? If you can't enjoy these books at all, there is no child alive inside of you.
And if you've got no child inside you, you're not very much fun at all, are you? View all 87 comments. Sep 17, Charlotte May rated it it was amazing Shelves: favourites , childrens , page-plus , epic-fantasy.
I love Narnia! Of course it's not perfect, but they are such wonderful stories, paving the way for so many other fantasy worlds that followed.
Sure they've got the allegorical Christian background, and some of Lewis' wording and phrases wouldn't pass as politically correct now. But if you can look past these small details, Narnia is a truly magical place, the stories iconic, I will never forget them. Young Polly and Diggory are swept up in the experiments of a magician attempting to find other worlds. In doing so they discover the beginning of Narnia, and so start off the tales.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But he's good. He's the king, I tell you. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy discover Narnia through the back of a wardrobe. Their battles with the white witch are legendary. The Horse and his Boy "Do not by any means destroy yourself, for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike. Having both run away - they seek a better life in Narnia, becoming involved in a battle between the Narnians and the Calormenes.
Prince Caspian "But things never happen the same way twice. It has been hard for us all in Narnia before now. They aid the rightful heir to the throne in his attempts to stop his evil uncle from destroying Narnia.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader A swashbuckling tale full of adventures! Only Edmund and Lucy return this time, taking with them their dreadful cousin Eustace. They land on the deck of a ship with Prince Caspian - on a journey to find 7 missing dukes. The Silver Chair "He was not a perfectly enormous giant; that is to say, he was rather taller than an apple tree but nothing like so tall as a telegraph pole.
To find the missing Prince whose disappearance has led to numerous others going missing in search of him. Their journey takes them to the land of giants and to the world underground. Also the best character - Puddleglum the Marsh Wiggle is in this one. I love him! The Last Battle "All worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy.
An evil ape is using trickery and deceit to cause the Narnians to live in fear. This is the battle to end all battles and none will be the same again! Narnia is a wonderful place with the most incredible cast of characters.
Like I said it certainly has flaws but its achievements overcome those big time! View all 43 comments. Jul 18, Ahmad Sharabiani rated it it was amazing Shelves: fantasy , 20th-century , childrens-young-readers , classics. Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels by C. It is considered a classic of children's literature and is the author's best-known work, having sold over million copies in 47 languages.
Written by Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and originally published in London between and , The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, the stage The Chronicles of Narnia Chronicles of Narnia , C. Written by Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and originally published in London between and , The Chronicles of Narnia has been adapted several times, complete or in part, for radio, television, the stage, and film.
Set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a fantasy world of magic, mythical beasts, and talking animals, the series narrates the adventures of various children who play central roles in the unfolding history of that world. Except in The Horse and His Boy, the protagonists are all children from the real world, magically transported to Narnia, where they are called upon by the lion Aslan to protect Narnia from evil and restore the throne to its rightful line.
The books span the entire history of Narnia, from its creation in The Magician's Nephew to its eventual destruction in The Last Battle. View all 10 comments.
Feb 14, Kat Kennedy rated it it was amazing Shelves: leaves-awesomeness-behind , kat-s-book-reviews. I discovered The Chronicles of Narnia when I was six years old halfway through my first year of school. It was the lowest shelf, the one that rested on the ground and I had to crouch down to wiggle the book out from amongst its peers.
By the time I'd finished first grade I'd read them all and searched high and low for any book series that could be a I discovered The Chronicles of Narnia when I was six years old halfway through my first year of school. By the time I'd finished first grade I'd read them all and searched high and low for any book series that could be as wonderful and magical as this one had been. Now I could dismiss my love of these books as some quaint, childhood memory that I was unwilling to let go of.
Certainly that is a factor. However, the magic has never faded. I've read them all so many times that I've memorized them. I've memorized them so thoroughly that I've told them as bed time stories to children that I've done baby sitting for. It's not just children, either. My husband and I read a book, a proper book for half an hour for our son every night. For the past month that has been The Chronicles of Narnia. It's gotten to the point where he doesn't want to stop.
Our son's bedtime comes and goes and my husband insists on reading just a little bit more. He says things like, "I wish I'd read these as a child! They're fantastic! The Last Battle is a hard and frustrating read. The Magician's Nephew is a little awkward. But they're so, so worth the read. To me, there's a magic to these books that time and life has never managed to dim. View all 17 comments. Quick review Terrific fantasy setting and storyline spoilt by extremely unsubtle allegory and as the story progresses excessive Christian preachiness.
Warning: Racial stereotypes abound and may offend. Recommended for adults who thrive in a Christian religious environment or those who can overlook these aspects totally and enjoy the story.
Not for gullible children, unless accompanied by a discerning adult. Detailed review I won't insult the intelligence of respected GoodReaders by giving Quick review Terrific fantasy setting and storyline spoilt by extremely unsubtle allegory and as the story progresses excessive Christian preachiness. Detailed review I won't insult the intelligence of respected GoodReaders by giving a synopsis of the Narnia stories - I don't think there will be many here who do not know this story, even if you have not actually read the books.
The stories of the four Pevensie children who discover the magical land of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe is the stuff of legend in literary circles - a land which they rule over as kings and queens after freeing it from the enchantment of the White Witch, under the benign yet firm supervision of Aslan the lion. As fantasies for children go, this is a terrific universe filled with possibilities.
There are talking animals, magical creatures from Greek mythology and English fairy-lore, and suitably satisfying and mysterious landscape worthy of exploration again and again. So one feels that if only the author in C. Lewis had let himself go he could have produced something similar to the The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, he does not do that.
The author sublimates himself to the Christian, so that the story becomes allegory - and mostly allegory. The spirit of gung-ho adventure is coated over with sickly-sweet preachiness which becomes so cloying towards the end that one almost feels like throwing up.
The Magician's Nephew 2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 3. The Horse and His Boy 4. Prince Caspian 5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 6. The Silver Chair 7. The Last Battle However, the actual order in which the books were published is: 1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2. Prince Caspian 3. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 4. The Silver Chair 5. The Magician's Nephew 6. The Horse and His Boy 7. The Last Battle It seems that there is a hot dispute going on about the order in which the books should be read.
After reading them in the chronological sequence, I would advise reading them in the sequence of publication. More about that later. Aslan the Lion is Christ - this becomes evident in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe itself view spoiler [ he sacrifices himself to save Edmund Pevensie, and is immediately resurrected hide spoiler ].
I was a bit surprised that there was no sign of the gentleman with the horns and the forked tail. Evil is entirely feminine - that too, with a perverse sort of sexual attractiveness.
It seems Lewis was genuinely frightened of woman's sexuality: Susan becomes a "non-friend of Narnia" the moment she becomes a nubile young woman. Lewis's protagonists, like that of Lewis Carroll, are prepubescent girls.
The Christian world view is evident from the word go - for example, the animals and birds can all be killed and eaten, provided that they are not "talking animals"! They have been specially blessed as such by Aslan, we are told, in the story of the creation of Narnia in The Magician's Nephew. This evidently comes from the Bible where Man is given dominion over every living thing on earth. In case we don't get it, Aslan continuously addresses the boys as "Sons of Adam" and the girls as "Daughters of Eve" and says that only they can rule over Narnia.
As the story progresses, it becomes more prevalent - and now racism and intolerance of the heathens also come into play. The Calormenes - dark-skinned foreigners who worship a savage god Tash, wear turbans and carry scimitar-like swords - are an Englishman's fantasy of the bloodthirsty and lecherous Turk. In their country, young girls are routinely married off to old codgers, and they wage war on the free countries like Narnia to rape and pillage.
Their God Tash, however, is a pagan deity who is loosely associated with the gentleman I mentioned earlier - the guy with horns. The unlikeable brat Eustace Scrubb is the son of liberal parents who are pacifists and vegetarians. He studies in a school which does not have corporal punishment and which does not teach the Bible - and is therefore full of bullies who are encouraged by the Principal!
However, Eustace reforms after a visit to Narnia, and returns back to the school and hammers the living daylights out of the bullies. The Principal is removed from the school and ultimately becomes a Member of Parliament, where she lives happily ever after note the point: M. It is in the last book that Lewis outdoes himself. There is an ape who presents a donkey as Aslan. The ape is part of a conspiracy with the Caloremenes who present their God Tash and Aslan as the same, but don't believe in either.
Also, the ending is patently silly view spoiler [ all the friends of Narnia being killed in a train accident so that they can inhabit Aslan's timeless paradise hide spoiler ] and for me, it was disgusting. Then why the three stars?
Well, if you can ignore the allegory and the preachiness, there are some pretty interesting adventures here. The first three books are rather well-written although a bit simplistic and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is your classic sea adventure. The Magician's Nephew is extremely funny in parts. One advise to prospective readers though - please give the last book a miss. View all 48 comments. Mar 20, Michael Finocchiaro rated it really liked it Shelves: fiction , englishth-c , kids , fantasy , classics.
Read this as a kid and re-read later on, these 7 books were a great form of escapism despite the somewhat overbearing Christian symbolism that is pervasive throughout. A must for kids. View 1 comment. Mar 30, Christian Guzman rated it liked it. Overall I would give this book 3 stars.
At first I was skeptical about reading the book in chronological order as opposed to publication order. Now that I look back at it, it works well both ways.
I also had some trouble at first with the way the style of writing was presented, but I got used to it pretty quickly. The world of Narnia is well written and detailed thanks to C.
S Lewis. I can safely say that I liked the introduction of e Overall I would give this book 3 stars. I can safely say that I liked the introduction of every story. This book nonetheless will be someone else's treasure, not mine.
Such an original plot! I enjoyed every minute of it. Getting to know the backstory and how Narnia was created was interesting to me. There were a few metaphors between Adam, Eve, and the tree of wisdom. Digory and Uncle Andrew were my favorite characters, even though at times the uncle seemed quite cynical.
My favorite moment would have to the fight at the lamp post and how they escaped. It also depends on what sort of person you are.
My favorite character were the two youngest ones: Lucy and Edmund. They seemed to always have something going on with them. Again, there are several religious metaphors present in this story too. It was pleasurable reading and seeing all the symbolism. We also get to see more of the magical world of Narnia in this story so that is exciting.
I had fun with this story! The desert scene felt eternal to me and unexciting. It was ok. Prince Caspian: 3 stars In this story we are introduced to Prince Caspian and I must say he was a well written character.
The backstory about him and finding out how he commences his journey is interesting. I seem to enjoy the introductions of each story quite immensely, this one being one of my favorites. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: 3 stars My favorite part of this story was the involvement of the new character Eustace. Even though he was portrayed negatively at first it was interesting viewing how he slowly changed.
The dragon scene was enjoyable to me. The Silver Chair: 2 stars The beginning of the novel was fun, which is when Eustace and Jill embark on their new adventure. They are sent on a mission and we read about their journey. I found many parts dull.
View all 11 comments. Apr 20, Mansoor rated it liked it.
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