C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia

by Harold Bloom (Editor)

British scholar and author Clive Staples Lewis (1898 - 1963) wrote more than 40 books, including science fiction, literary criticism, Christian apologetics, and poetry, but his most popular works remain the seven children's books that constitute "The Chronicles of Narnia", published between 1950 and 1956. Drawing on biblical symbols, Greek and Roman mythology, and English and Irish fairy tales, Lewis was able to create the enchanted setting of Narnia, a fictional world where magic meets reality. Today these novels continue to sustain an immense and wide readership, and have inspired an impressive body of literary criticism. The first published book in the series, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", is a perennial children's favorite. C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" is an ideal resource for those who want to gain a deeper understanding of the epic topics and ethereal imagery presented in the works, and is a perfect guide for students composing compare-and-contrast essays on this enduring and endearing classic.

236 pages, Library Binding

First published August 14, 2006

About the author

Harold Bloom was an American literary critic and the Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. In 2017, Bloom was called "probably the most famous literary critic in the English-speaking world." After publishing his first book in 1959, Bloom wrote more than 50 books, including over 40 books of literary criticism, several books discussing religion, and one novel. He edited hundreds of anthologies concerning numerous literary and philosophical figures for the Chelsea House publishing firm. Bloom's books have been translated into more than 40 languages. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1995.
Bloom was a defender of the traditional Western canon at a time when literature departments were focusing on what he derided as the "school of resentment" (multiculturalists, feminists, Marxists, and others). He was educated at Yale University, the University of Cambridge, and Cornell University.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume has a range of critical perspectives on C. S. Lewis, including some of the biggest names (as well as some much less significant, like myself). Bloom did his homework--or had his grad students do it, since it is clear from the introduction that he holds Lewis, the Chronicles of Narnia, and the critics in the highest contempt. Reading the scathing introduction, one wonders why he let himself be roped into putting his name on this volume. Luckily, my article, which is a reprint, escapes relatively intact. I was stunned.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good explanatory/critical essays about The Chronicles of Narnia.

Spoiled Goodness: Lewis's Concept of Nature - Kathryn Ann Lindskoog
C.S. Lewis's Narnia and the "Grand Design" - Charles A. Huttar
The Parallel World of Narnia - Chad Walsh (about Lewis' children's stories he wrote as a teen)
Further Up and Further In: Chronicles of Narnia - Margaret Patterson Hannay
The Chronicles of Narnia, 1950-1956: An Introduction - Donald E. Glover (themes and techniques in the Narnia stories)
C.S. Lewis: The Later Fantasies - Lee D. Rossi
The Romancer (II): The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-56) - Joe R. Christopher
Images of Good and Evil in the Narnian Chronicles - Kath Filmer
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - Colin Manlove
Children's Storyteller - Lionel Adey
ecoLewis: Conservationism and Anticolonialism in The Chronicles of Narnia - Nicole M. DuPlessis