Lewis, C. S. (2004). The chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollins.
The series:
While the content of C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia may be more attractive to an audience of children, the quality of Lewis’ writing and the depth of his imagination makes this series about the adventures of various children in a magical land a must-read for all ages. The Christian allegorical content is evident, which may alienate other religions, but the allegory is informed much more by the Western philosophical tradition than by the specifics of Christian theology. On the other hand, though he mostly keeps girls out of battles, allegations of sexism and racism are largely unfounded. The characters are all interesting and well-developed, and school-age boys and girls will enjoy the magic and adventure. The narrative style works well as a read-aloud, but competent novel readers can also enjoy it by themselves.
Series rating: 4.5/5
The magician’s nephew: Though one of the last to be written, this book explores the origins of Narnia and introduces the characters of Polly and Digory (both later appear in The last battle, and fans of The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe will recognize Digory as the old professor). Adapting various creation story mythologies, Lewis entangles his characters in an experiment that propels them to other worlds, where they witness Aslan’s creation of Narnia and accidentally release an evil force into the young world. This is one of my favourite books of the series; though Polly and Digory are considerably aged before reentering Lewis’ mythology, they are both likeable but flawed characters, as compelling as the more famous Pevensie children of later books.
5/5
The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe: This book was the first written, and the most well-known in years to come. It introduces the four Pevensie children who, stumbling into Narnia through a wardrobe, defeat the white witch to become kings and queens of Narnia. Like all of Lewis’ books, the world and characters are richly drawn, but the most compelling aspect of the book is the redemption of Edmund Pevensie. Edmund, a selfish disagreeable child, starts out in league with the white witch; he is seduced by the witch’s promises into betraying his siblings, but after realizing his mistake devotes himself into defeating the witch. I would argue that Edmund is one of the most well-developed and likeable characters in children’s literature.
4.5/5
The horse and his boy: Of all the books in the series, The horse and his boy is by far the most dispensable. Having little impact on Narnian mythology as a whole, the book’s events take place in Calormen and Archenland, two neighbouring countries to Narnia. Lewis once again reprises a boy and girl character team as the main characters, but Shasta and Aravis are less vivid than they could be, if only because the reader (and most likely the author) has less investment in their story.
3.5/5
Prince Caspian: This is my favourite book of the series. The Pevensies return to Narnia to help crown the rightful king, Caspian, whose throne has been usurped by his evil uncle. Prince Caspian depicts a Narnia in despair, but the low beginnings only increases the final payoff, and at times it is also the most joyful of the books. The four children, having returned to Narnia, are all more experienced and mature, and therefore their characters are more stable. However, this book would not be a good entry point to the series, because it requires the reader to be familiar and interested in Narnian mythology from the start. I enjoy it for its familiarity and its Narnia “inside jokes”, but those very qualities would alienate it from new readers.
4.5/5
The voyage of the Dawn Treader: Lucy, Edmund, and their cousin Eustace return to Narnia, as they and (now King) Caspian sail to the edge of the world on a quest to find seven lost Lords. Lewis’ imaginative powers are at a height in this, the fifth book in the series, as all sorts of other lands are explored by the characters. The allegory here is downplayed, and children will delight in the odd wonders that Lewis envisions, reminiscent of Gulliver’s travels. Additionally, this may be the most emotionally resonant of the books, as each land brings new challenges and feelings, and it echoes at times the structure of a dream.
5/5
The silver chair: Critics of Lewis’ overall portrayal of women will enjoy the character of Jill from The silver chair who eschews the more feminine qualities of Lucy and Susan Pevensie. The silver chair explores a darker side of the Narnians; much of the plot is built around the power of small mistakes and the strength needed to make up for them. While the Pevensie children verge at time on archetypes, Eustace and Jill, who star in The silver chair are flawed but strong, and from an adult perspective, are the characters that most resemble actual children. The story rests on Eustace and Jill’s quest to find Caspian’s lost son with only a few clues to guide them and a warning that things are not always as they seem.
5/5
The last battle: Though a critical success, the final apocolyptic entry to the series may be too dark for some younger children who have become attached to the various characters. While Lewis does assemble a kind of happy ending, the fates of the characters are not always what readers have come to expect, and I would recommend this volume only to mature, older children. Attempting to give the series satisfactory closure, Lewis reunites all the principal characters from other volumes in a final battle that literally pits good vs. evil. Though the stakes are higher than in past books, the large cast size prevents any significant time spent with any one character, which is the book’s main weakness.
4/5
Buy the series in one convenient volume here.
Reading Log 