Journey Into Narnia

Narnia... the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter... a magical country waiting to be set free. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the Professor's mysterious old house. At first, her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Great Lion, Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.

Title: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Author: C. S. Lewis

Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 1 or Book 2 (see below)
Illustrator: Pauline Baynes (original)
Published: 1950
Pages: 198
Genre: Fiction- Fantasy

I had never read any of the books about Narnia before, although I loved Disney’s film adaptation made a couple of years ago. So when my online reading group, The Children’s Books of Yesterday decided on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as December’s group read I figured it would be a good time to at least try it and I’m so glad I did! I know there is a bit of controversy over the order the series should be read but I decided to go with the order they were written (which is the order the Disney film adaptations appear to be coming out as well).

I just adored the land of Narnia and it’s (good) inhabitants! It’s one of the most wonderful, magical places ever written about. Forget Wonderland and Neverland! I’d much rather go to Narnia and meet all my favorite characters. Especially Mr. Tumnus the Faun and Aslan although Lucy and Peter are interesting as well. Could you imagine having supper in the Beaver’s cozy little den?

I think the reason why most children (and adults!) still find The Chronicles of Narnia so compelling is not just because of the imaginativeness of the stories but because C. S. Lewis put so much of his friendly personality into the books. Well that and who wouldn’t want to read stories about adventure? Here is one of my favorite passages:

That ride was perhaps the most wonderful thing that happened to them in Narnia. ...He [Aslan] rushes on and on, never missing his footing, never hesitating, threading his way with perfect skill between tree trunks, jumping over bush and briar and the smaller streams, wading through the larger, swimming the largest of all. And you are riding not on a road nor in a park not even on the downs, but right across Narnia, in spring, down solemn avenues of beech and across sunny glades of oak, through wild orchards of snow-white cherry trees, past roaring waterfalls and mossy rocks and echoing caverns, up windy slopes alight with gorse bushes, and across the shoulders of heathery mountains and along giddy ridges and down, down, down again into wild valleys and out into acres of blue flowers.

Wikipedia has many articles on the Chronicles of Narnia including one on C. S. Lewis and this book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. There is also a great site called Into the Wardrobe which is run by Lewis' stepson.

Publication Order:

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Horse and His Boy
• The Magician's Nephew
• The Last Battle
  

Chronological order:

• The Magician's Nephew
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
• The Horse and His Boy
• Prince Caspian
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
• The Silver Chair
• The Last Battle

Related Reviews:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Prince Caspian: Return to Narnia (2008)