Possibly the first fantasy world I was introduced to, aside from fairytales, was Narnia. I met Aslan thanks to BBC’s version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But it was my aunt’s collection of leather-bound editions that introduced me to the full collection of The Chronicles of Narnia.
C. S. Lewis introduces the reader to a young girl named Polly Plummer and her new neighbor friend, a boy named Digory. Seeing as they are just a couple kids on summer holiday, they had plenty of time for playing, though rainy weather forced them to play indoors. This led them to explore an attic tunnel that connected a whole row of houses together. And that exploration caused them to stumble upon Digory’s Uncle Andrew’s mysterious study.
Through trickery Uncle Andrew convinced Digory and Polly to try on magic rings which sent them to a wood with little pools as far as the eye could see. It is from this Wood Between the Worlds that the children make a discovery that will forever change the lives of several children in the years to come. From the dying world of Charn, to the newly created world of Narnia, they play an important role in the history of a fantastic world.
I will confess when I learned about the new Narnia movies being made (especially once I saw they were actually good), I started looking forward to seeing this classic coming alive on screen. I am saying this simply because this is an amazing book. Although this was the sixth Narnia book that C. S. Lewis wrote, it is meant to be the first when placed in chronological order. The reader gets to witness the creation of Narnia and learn the origins of the White Witch Jadis. The reader also discovers how one of the most famous pieces of furniture (to my fantasy knowledge) came into being.
C. S. Lewis wove an amazing tale, depicting the earlier adventures of an old professor and how he first discovered the land of Narnia. He wonderfully contrasts the ruin of the wicked Charn to the beauty of the innocent Narnia. He even manages to show how a boy grows to be wiser in his decisions when faced with temptation.
This is yet another tale that I would highly recommend to any reader. The style is older, but once you settle into the rhythm of the tale, you can find yourself lost in it. Alongside it, I would also highly recommend Focus on the Family Radio Theater’s dramatization by the same name. Though abridged, it follows the book extremely close, capturing the charm and beauty from the page and translating it for one’s ears.
The story is fifteen chapters long with roughly 100 pages, but I am basing this number off a seven-in-one book that placed all seven Narnia books together and sadly removed most of the lovely black and white illustrations. And yes, I do enjoy the simple yet detailed illustrations by Pauline Baynes.
I suppose what seems to draw me to this tale is that it is a tale of beginnings, of Creation. When one looks carefully, he/she can discover parallels to the Biblical account. Not throughout the entire book necessarily, but there are traces once one arrives in the black void that will soon become Narnia. An easy five dragons out of five.
So, whether you are a Narnia fan, a fantasy reader, a classics reader, or a Christian reader, I encourage you to pick up this book and allow yourself to be transported into another time and place.
Until next time. Farewell.
Other Narnia stories:
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