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Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Presents an analysis of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, covering such topics as symbols, hidden meanings, and missed details from each chapter.
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2005
11 people are currently reading
277 people want to read
About the author
Devin Brown
49 books48 followersDevin Brown (PhD, University of South Carolina) is a Lilly scholar and professor of English at Asbury University. A C. S. Lewis aficionado, Brown has written, taught, and lectured on Lewis extensively for more than ten years. He has written a number of books related to Lewis, including Inside Narnia and Inside Prince Caspian, and lives in Kentucky. In 2008 Brown was invited to serve as scholar-in-residence at the Kilns, Lewis's home in Oxford.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
August 26, 2023
3.5 stars
My annotations:
Spoilers for the Chronicles of Narnia
“Paul Ford, a leading Narnia scholar, has suggested that Lucy is the character "through whom the reader sees and experiences most of Narnia" and that through her Lewis expresses his own "religious and personal sensibilities" (1994, 275). Colin Manlove notes that Lucy is the most spiritually perceptive and suggests that "not for nothing is her name Lucy," a name which comes from lucidity or lux, meaning light (1987, 135).” “Faith like a child”
“Peter as the upbeat chleader; Susan as sympathetic but also motherly and pretentious; the misen ves Edmund as negative, rebellious, and argumentative; and Lucy as good-natured and seeking to please.” Introductions and how you introduce your characters are just as important as the characters themselves. It sets up your readers initial perception of a character. “Second, we also begin to see some of the motivation that will be a part of Edmund's character. He is described as "tired and pretending not to be tired" (4), and the narrator tells us that this always "made him bad-tempered." like, this about The characters which are brought to life throughout the Narnia books, both the human and the imaginary, will be quite believable. One of the ways Lewis achieves this is by always giving his readers reasons for the ways the characters behave, and thus we can say they are motivated and not simply one-dimensional like characters in some children's stories are.” I like this about Lewis
“Perhaps because Lewis gets to the action so quickly in TLWW and uses the children's own words
and actions rather than descriptive passages to reveal what kind of young people they are strategies which are typically thought of positively-he misses the chance here at the beginning to tell us anything about how the children look.” I really like that because it allows room for reader’s imaginations.
“Each of the early chapters in TWW will end wi the one foot in whatever action comes next, a device which keeps readers reading.” I really enjoyed that.
“All who enter Narnia are called, but none are compelled to stay.”
He also points out how the White Which is only an imitation of human and evil is only an imitation of goodness, not the real thing. He points out “the witches lack of ability to create” and compares it to Tolkiens Sauron. We are told in The Two Towers “Trolls are only counterfeits, made by the enemy in the great darkness in mockery of Ents, as Orcs were of Elves.” We are also told that “The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real things of its own.” Brown also points out that the Witch’s plan for Edmund is also a false imitation of Aslan’s plan. “However, Aslan’s conception of being king or queen is radically different from the Witch’s. Rather than being a position of endless privilege, Aslan will tell King Frank, Narnia’s first ruler, that to be king means being “first in the charge and last in the retreat”.
“The robin who appears here can be viewed as ‘the first bird of spring’, a small but perceptible evidence that the witch’s power has begun to crack”
“Tolkien used a similar fulfilled-prophecy s within a story in The Hobbit. On the final page of the book, Bilbo exclaims, "Then the prophecies of the old songs have turned out
answers,
to be true, after a fashion!" (Tolkien 1994b, 255). Gandalf a "Of course! And why should not they prove true? Surely you don' disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself?"
In his essay "On Stories" Lewis describes a class of stories which "turns on fulfilled prophecies" and mentions The Hobbit as one of them (1982d, 14). According to Lewis, such stories produce "a feeling of awe, coupled with a certain sort of bewilderment such as one often feels in looking at a complex pattern of lines that pass over and under one another. One sees, yet does not quite see, the regularity" (15).”
“Besides borrowings Lewis also included allusions in the Chronicles. These are places where we find a brief, unexplained mention of a literary, historical, or biblical character or event. An allusion seeks to draw upon a commonly shared background knowledge- perhaps one less present in readers today than it was during Lewis's time-to economically evoke an emotional resonance. For example, the use of the terms "Son of Adam" and "Daughter of Eve" are allusions to the creation story found in the first four chapters of Genesis. Lewis's mention of these names may elicit a number of responses from readers who are familiar with the story. They might be reminded of another time when life was lived in a gardenlike world, a time when humans and animals were closer. Or they may remember another world which was created good but which fel under the power of evil.” Very interesting point
“ Readers may find a parallel or an echo between the Witch's attempt to kill the children here before they can take the throne from her as has been prophesied and the biblical account of King Herod's effort to kill the young Jesus, who was also prophesied to become king. In both cases the ruler's henchmen are instructed to carry out widespread killing, and both attempts to stop the prophecy's fulfillment fail.”
My annotations:
Spoilers for the Chronicles of Narnia
“Paul Ford, a leading Narnia scholar, has suggested that Lucy is the character "through whom the reader sees and experiences most of Narnia" and that through her Lewis expresses his own "religious and personal sensibilities" (1994, 275). Colin Manlove notes that Lucy is the most spiritually perceptive and suggests that "not for nothing is her name Lucy," a name which comes from lucidity or lux, meaning light (1987, 135).” “Faith like a child”
“Peter as the upbeat chleader; Susan as sympathetic but also motherly and pretentious; the misen ves Edmund as negative, rebellious, and argumentative; and Lucy as good-natured and seeking to please.” Introductions and how you introduce your characters are just as important as the characters themselves. It sets up your readers initial perception of a character. “Second, we also begin to see some of the motivation that will be a part of Edmund's character. He is described as "tired and pretending not to be tired" (4), and the narrator tells us that this always "made him bad-tempered." like, this about The characters which are brought to life throughout the Narnia books, both the human and the imaginary, will be quite believable. One of the ways Lewis achieves this is by always giving his readers reasons for the ways the characters behave, and thus we can say they are motivated and not simply one-dimensional like characters in some children's stories are.” I like this about Lewis
“Perhaps because Lewis gets to the action so quickly in TLWW and uses the children's own words
and actions rather than descriptive passages to reveal what kind of young people they are strategies which are typically thought of positively-he misses the chance here at the beginning to tell us anything about how the children look.” I really like that because it allows room for reader’s imaginations.
“Each of the early chapters in TWW will end wi the one foot in whatever action comes next, a device which keeps readers reading.” I really enjoyed that.
“All who enter Narnia are called, but none are compelled to stay.”
He also points out how the White Which is only an imitation of human and evil is only an imitation of goodness, not the real thing. He points out “the witches lack of ability to create” and compares it to Tolkiens Sauron. We are told in The Two Towers “Trolls are only counterfeits, made by the enemy in the great darkness in mockery of Ents, as Orcs were of Elves.” We are also told that “The Shadow that bred them can only mock, it cannot make: not real things of its own.” Brown also points out that the Witch’s plan for Edmund is also a false imitation of Aslan’s plan. “However, Aslan’s conception of being king or queen is radically different from the Witch’s. Rather than being a position of endless privilege, Aslan will tell King Frank, Narnia’s first ruler, that to be king means being “first in the charge and last in the retreat”.
“The robin who appears here can be viewed as ‘the first bird of spring’, a small but perceptible evidence that the witch’s power has begun to crack”
“Tolkien used a similar fulfilled-prophecy s within a story in The Hobbit. On the final page of the book, Bilbo exclaims, "Then the prophecies of the old songs have turned out
answers,
to be true, after a fashion!" (Tolkien 1994b, 255). Gandalf a "Of course! And why should not they prove true? Surely you don' disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself?"
In his essay "On Stories" Lewis describes a class of stories which "turns on fulfilled prophecies" and mentions The Hobbit as one of them (1982d, 14). According to Lewis, such stories produce "a feeling of awe, coupled with a certain sort of bewilderment such as one often feels in looking at a complex pattern of lines that pass over and under one another. One sees, yet does not quite see, the regularity" (15).”
“Besides borrowings Lewis also included allusions in the Chronicles. These are places where we find a brief, unexplained mention of a literary, historical, or biblical character or event. An allusion seeks to draw upon a commonly shared background knowledge- perhaps one less present in readers today than it was during Lewis's time-to economically evoke an emotional resonance. For example, the use of the terms "Son of Adam" and "Daughter of Eve" are allusions to the creation story found in the first four chapters of Genesis. Lewis's mention of these names may elicit a number of responses from readers who are familiar with the story. They might be reminded of another time when life was lived in a gardenlike world, a time when humans and animals were closer. Or they may remember another world which was created good but which fel under the power of evil.” Very interesting point
“ Readers may find a parallel or an echo between the Witch's attempt to kill the children here before they can take the throne from her as has been prophesied and the biblical account of King Herod's effort to kill the young Jesus, who was also prophesied to become king. In both cases the ruler's henchmen are instructed to carry out widespread killing, and both attempts to stop the prophecy's fulfillment fail.”
March 9, 2019
I have no idea why it took me so long to read this book because it was utterly fascinating. Highly recommended to fans of TLWW.
October 11, 2015
This edition I had has a fairly cheesy cover (it has since been updated to a more pleasing design), so I could just kick myself that it sat on my shelves unread for so many years. I picked it up as a bargain book, no doubt at Lifeway, perhaps around the time the movies began coming out, and had read several good, but not all that engaging, books on the spiritual allalogies in the Chronicles of Narnia.
This was unlike almost anything else I've read on the subject. Academic but readable, this was a literary approach down to almost every detail Lewis included. Brown drew connections I had never seen, referred to connections with other literature, and deepened my enjoyment and respect for Lewis' intelligence.
Excellent volume, and I immediately ordered Brown's other "Inside" the Chronicles. I hope he publishes the rest of the series.
This was unlike almost anything else I've read on the subject. Academic but readable, this was a literary approach down to almost every detail Lewis included. Brown drew connections I had never seen, referred to connections with other literature, and deepened my enjoyment and respect for Lewis' intelligence.
Excellent volume, and I immediately ordered Brown's other "Inside" the Chronicles. I hope he publishes the rest of the series.
March 23, 2025
I liked the concept of this book and many of the descriptions and analogies given. However, I grew tired of the comparisons made with other authors and their writing styles. I fully enjoyed visiting Narnia again, with 'new' eyes!!
December 20, 2015
This is an engaging, in-depth analysis of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It covers symbols and allusions, unexplained parts, and inconsistencies. It's well-researched and goes chapter-by-chapter. It also references the other Chronicles of Narnia (spoiler alert!) and many of Lewis’ other works.
Brown makes a few minor criticisms, but is mostly positive and defensive of Lion, Narnia, and Lewis. He explains why reading Lion as the first book in the series preserves its novelty and mystery, and allows readers to share in the children’s sense of curiosity and wonder.
I read this because I’m a fan of Narnia, and curious about its allusions and meanings. There are many references to Tolkien, which I enjoyed (as a huge Tolkien fan).
Brown explains that
Notes
Lewis as author
Lewis met illustrator Pauline Baynes through Tolkien. She had illustrated Farmer Giles of Ham.
During WW2 a group of schoolgirls stayed at Lewis’ home, the Kilns.
The Professor is the character closest to Lewis himself.
The Professor is partially inspired by Lewis’ tutor William Kirkpatrick.
Lewis wrote negatively about schools in Chronicles because of his own bad experiences in his school years.
Words and meanings
“Tumnus” may be from Latin “tumulus,” for “hill.”
Lewis may have gotten the name “Narnia” from an ancient Umbrian city in Latin literature.
Lilith is a demon of Babylonian and Hebrew mythology who kills children.
Lewis left inconsistencies between the Witch’s origin story in Lion and The Magician’s Nephew.
Cair Paravel may come from “kaer,” an old British word meaning “city,” and from “par aval,” Old French for “down,” and “ad vallem,” Latin for “to the valley.” So Cair Paravel is “city in the valley. An alternative explanation is “paravail,” one who is in a position below another but who holds another beneath. In Lion, the kings and queens rule over Narnia, but are in submission to Aslan.
Wooses correspond to Tolkien’s Woses, and orknies (from Beowulf) are similar to Tolkien’s orcs.
Aslan’s breath may represent the Holy Spirit.
Select Narnia books referenced
• Companion to Narnia, by Paul Ford
• Past Watchful Dragons: A Guide to C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, by Walter Hooper
• C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide, by Walter Hooper
• The Christian World of C. S. Lewis, by Clyde Kilby
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Patterning of a Fantastic World, by Colin Manlove
• A Guide through Narnia, by Martha Sammons
• Reading with the Heart: The Way Into Narnia, by Peter Schakel
Brown makes a few minor criticisms, but is mostly positive and defensive of Lion, Narnia, and Lewis. He explains why reading Lion as the first book in the series preserves its novelty and mystery, and allows readers to share in the children’s sense of curiosity and wonder.
I read this because I’m a fan of Narnia, and curious about its allusions and meanings. There are many references to Tolkien, which I enjoyed (as a huge Tolkien fan).
Brown explains that
Narnia is intentionally a hodgepodge collection of widely diverging elements, often with no relation to each other, giving it a dreamlike quality. At the same time Narnia is also a blend of more specific, intentionally chosen pairs of opposites: ‘the ordinary and the fabulous, the contemporary and the medieval, the childlike and the adult, and the secular and the religious.’
Notes
Lewis as author
Lewis met illustrator Pauline Baynes through Tolkien. She had illustrated Farmer Giles of Ham.
During WW2 a group of schoolgirls stayed at Lewis’ home, the Kilns.
The Professor is the character closest to Lewis himself.
The Professor is partially inspired by Lewis’ tutor William Kirkpatrick.
Lewis wrote negatively about schools in Chronicles because of his own bad experiences in his school years.
Words and meanings
“Tumnus” may be from Latin “tumulus,” for “hill.”
Lewis may have gotten the name “Narnia” from an ancient Umbrian city in Latin literature.
Lilith is a demon of Babylonian and Hebrew mythology who kills children.
Lewis left inconsistencies between the Witch’s origin story in Lion and The Magician’s Nephew.
Cair Paravel may come from “kaer,” an old British word meaning “city,” and from “par aval,” Old French for “down,” and “ad vallem,” Latin for “to the valley.” So Cair Paravel is “city in the valley. An alternative explanation is “paravail,” one who is in a position below another but who holds another beneath. In Lion, the kings and queens rule over Narnia, but are in submission to Aslan.
Wooses correspond to Tolkien’s Woses, and orknies (from Beowulf) are similar to Tolkien’s orcs.
Aslan’s breath may represent the Holy Spirit.
Select Narnia books referenced
• Companion to Narnia, by Paul Ford
• Past Watchful Dragons: A Guide to C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, by Walter Hooper
• C. S. Lewis: A Companion and Guide, by Walter Hooper
• The Christian World of C. S. Lewis, by Clyde Kilby
• The Chronicles of Narnia: The Patterning of a Fantastic World, by Colin Manlove
• A Guide through Narnia, by Martha Sammons
• Reading with the Heart: The Way Into Narnia, by Peter Schakel
January 1, 2017
Devin Brown, professor of English at Asbury University, is a long-time C S Lewis expert. In addition to teaching a course on C S Lewis at Asbury, he has contributed many scholarly articles about Lewis to various publications. He is also a member of the advisory board for the C S Lewis Bible, which is scheduled to be released by HarperOne next month. (For more, see his Bio on the Asbury University website.) Taking advantage of the buzz surrounding the first Narnia movie in 2005, Baker Books published Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe just before the film release.
Inside Narnia is more than a cursory look at the themes of the book; that had been done before. As Brown tells us in the Preface, he had certain goals in mind in writing the book that would distinguish it from other Narnia commentaries available at the time. He notes that most books about Narnia were devotional in nature, the ones which were literary in their approach usually devoted only one chapter to each of the seven chronicles.
By devoting an entire work to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I hope to provide the kind of close literary analysis it warrants and also supply a good deal of supplemental information from Lewis’s life and other writings. In addition, I offer a wide selection of comments and opinions from other scholars, here for the first time collected in a single work. (p.7)
The book is a kind of “running commentary,” giving various views about the details of the book, and letting the readers make up their own minds about the issues. However, Brown’s high view of Lewis’s literary skill is evident, and I found myself coming away with a broader respect for Lewis’s abilities as a writer. For example, the way Lewis gradually introduces important aspects of the story was an eye-opener for me. The concept of “gradualness” also applies to how the characters are developed. Edmund does not just suddenly decide to betray his siblings. He gradually slips to that point, and Lewis shows us how it happens. While not making excuses for Edmund, Lewis helps us to understand “where he’s coming from.”
Brown is extremely thorough, actually taking time to examine the illustrations of Pauline Baynes and the affect they have on the interpretation of the story. His thoroughness will lead to many “spoilers” – not only from this story, but from the other six books as well. With this in mind, I do not recommend this book to a novice. The details will destroy the sense of discovery Lewis has built into the series as it was written.
As Brown indicates in several places in the book, the Chronicles are best read in publication order* the first time through. Which brings up a Catch 22. In order to convince someone they should read the books in the order they were released, you need to provide details which would spoil the surprises. (You’ll just have to take my word for it!) In any event, it would be to the readers’ advantage to read the entire series before reading Inside Narnia if they wish to avoid spoilers. A good knowledge of the seven chronicles will also help in understanding the points Brown makes.
Inside Narnia is more than a cursory look at the themes of the book; that had been done before. As Brown tells us in the Preface, he had certain goals in mind in writing the book that would distinguish it from other Narnia commentaries available at the time. He notes that most books about Narnia were devotional in nature, the ones which were literary in their approach usually devoted only one chapter to each of the seven chronicles.
By devoting an entire work to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I hope to provide the kind of close literary analysis it warrants and also supply a good deal of supplemental information from Lewis’s life and other writings. In addition, I offer a wide selection of comments and opinions from other scholars, here for the first time collected in a single work. (p.7)
The book is a kind of “running commentary,” giving various views about the details of the book, and letting the readers make up their own minds about the issues. However, Brown’s high view of Lewis’s literary skill is evident, and I found myself coming away with a broader respect for Lewis’s abilities as a writer. For example, the way Lewis gradually introduces important aspects of the story was an eye-opener for me. The concept of “gradualness” also applies to how the characters are developed. Edmund does not just suddenly decide to betray his siblings. He gradually slips to that point, and Lewis shows us how it happens. While not making excuses for Edmund, Lewis helps us to understand “where he’s coming from.”
Brown is extremely thorough, actually taking time to examine the illustrations of Pauline Baynes and the affect they have on the interpretation of the story. His thoroughness will lead to many “spoilers” – not only from this story, but from the other six books as well. With this in mind, I do not recommend this book to a novice. The details will destroy the sense of discovery Lewis has built into the series as it was written.
As Brown indicates in several places in the book, the Chronicles are best read in publication order* the first time through. Which brings up a Catch 22. In order to convince someone they should read the books in the order they were released, you need to provide details which would spoil the surprises. (You’ll just have to take my word for it!) In any event, it would be to the readers’ advantage to read the entire series before reading Inside Narnia if they wish to avoid spoilers. A good knowledge of the seven chronicles will also help in understanding the points Brown makes.
December 2, 2011
Now, I was drawn to this book, because I love the Narnia books and the front calls it 'A guide to exploring the Lion, the witch and the wardrobe', and one of the quotes on the back refers to it as 'encyclopedic'. To be honest, guide and encyclopedic may be used a little too liberally here. Every time I thought the Author was going to explain something about the Lion the Witch and the wardrobe, they started quoting Lord of the Rings as examples. I just felt like there was too much comparison of other works for this to be a 'guide' in the strictest sense. I thought I was going learn a heap of undiscovered meanings and allusions, and instead felt like I should go reread Lord of the Rings. What was there and explained properly was great, but I'd change the title to 'A comparison of Narnia and Lord of the Rings, and getting off subject'.
October 3, 2020
Honestly, this was amazing.
Each time I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I learn something new. This time, I read it for a book study and decided to finally read this guide that's been sitting on my shelf since I picked it up in a thrift store. (Total sidenote, the book is signed! Cool! But it's also signed "to Paul with my best wishes" so I'm incredibly curious who Paul is or was and how I ended up with his book.)
This guide has a short preface and introduction and then it dives straight into LWW for a chapter by chapter--and almost line by line--breakdown. Mr. Brown pairs a literary approach with tidbits of relevant and intriguing background information from Lewis's life to lay out elements of Lewis's classic story. He pulls in theories from other sources and makes connections within the book I have never considered before. He considers style and themes and the effects of Lewis's real life experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. But even as he draws his own most likely conclusions, he leaves the concluding ultimately up to us. Mr. Brown gives us the tools, information, and dignity to form our own thoughts regarding the work, but to do so in an educated manner.
The book is an easy read, an interesting one (at least, for nerds like me XD). I chose to read a chapter of LWW and then the corresponding chapter of the guide, back and forth. It kept the original story fresh in my mind. But the guide also had clear indications of where Mr. Brown had drawn his sources from--books and pages and etc. if you'd rather just read through it and reference the original book as necessary.
The guide does include spoilers! So, don't read this first! It even includes spoilers for the other books in the series, so again, know that going in! That said, I thought this was an absolutely fascinating guide and I am very glad to have read it. (Evidently this author is a teacher!? It must be amazing to sit in on one of his Lewis classes!!! That sounds like a bucket list item to me!) Mr. Brown writes clearly, explains well, and organizes the book excellently. I'm honestly not at all surprised he's a teacher. I'm very keen to read the others in the series! I sure hope he's done them all!
If you're at all a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, I'd most highly recommend this companion guide.
Each time I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I learn something new. This time, I read it for a book study and decided to finally read this guide that's been sitting on my shelf since I picked it up in a thrift store. (Total sidenote, the book is signed! Cool! But it's also signed "to Paul with my best wishes" so I'm incredibly curious who Paul is or was and how I ended up with his book.)
This guide has a short preface and introduction and then it dives straight into LWW for a chapter by chapter--and almost line by line--breakdown. Mr. Brown pairs a literary approach with tidbits of relevant and intriguing background information from Lewis's life to lay out elements of Lewis's classic story. He pulls in theories from other sources and makes connections within the book I have never considered before. He considers style and themes and the effects of Lewis's real life experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. But even as he draws his own most likely conclusions, he leaves the concluding ultimately up to us. Mr. Brown gives us the tools, information, and dignity to form our own thoughts regarding the work, but to do so in an educated manner.
The book is an easy read, an interesting one (at least, for nerds like me XD). I chose to read a chapter of LWW and then the corresponding chapter of the guide, back and forth. It kept the original story fresh in my mind. But the guide also had clear indications of where Mr. Brown had drawn his sources from--books and pages and etc. if you'd rather just read through it and reference the original book as necessary.
The guide does include spoilers! So, don't read this first! It even includes spoilers for the other books in the series, so again, know that going in! That said, I thought this was an absolutely fascinating guide and I am very glad to have read it. (Evidently this author is a teacher!? It must be amazing to sit in on one of his Lewis classes!!! That sounds like a bucket list item to me!) Mr. Brown writes clearly, explains well, and organizes the book excellently. I'm honestly not at all surprised he's a teacher. I'm very keen to read the others in the series! I sure hope he's done them all!
If you're at all a fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, I'd most highly recommend this companion guide.
March 12, 2025
The was an acceptable book.This book is called The Lion,the Witch and the Wardrobe a Narnia tale,and it was by Devin Brown.
What happens in this book is about a girl named Lucy hiding in a wardrobe,but it kept on going. Then she finds herself in a forest that was in the land of Narnia.Then she meets a faun named Mr Tuhmas,and he told her about Narnia.When Lucy goes back to the house through the wardrobe no time has passed.Then all of the siblings go into the world of Narnia to find trouble with the white which is trying to find the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.The siblings try to save the world of Narnia with also great betrayal,also they rule Narnia at the end of the book.
My favorite character in this book is Lucy,because she shows great bravery and gratitude,and at the begining of the book she trys to communicate with her brothers,and sister that Narnia is a real thing,but they don't belive her,because Lucy is the youngest kid in the family.Then at the end of the book she is the most trusted person.
I will rate this a four,because at some parts of the book it is very confusing to understand what is going on,and who is who.
What happens in this book is about a girl named Lucy hiding in a wardrobe,but it kept on going. Then she finds herself in a forest that was in the land of Narnia.Then she meets a faun named Mr Tuhmas,and he told her about Narnia.When Lucy goes back to the house through the wardrobe no time has passed.Then all of the siblings go into the world of Narnia to find trouble with the white which is trying to find the sons of Adam and the daughters of Eve.The siblings try to save the world of Narnia with also great betrayal,also they rule Narnia at the end of the book.
My favorite character in this book is Lucy,because she shows great bravery and gratitude,and at the begining of the book she trys to communicate with her brothers,and sister that Narnia is a real thing,but they don't belive her,because Lucy is the youngest kid in the family.Then at the end of the book she is the most trusted person.
I will rate this a four,because at some parts of the book it is very confusing to understand what is going on,and who is who.
July 7, 2023
In Inside Narnia, author Devin Brown dives into a compelling analysis of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, the first book released in The Chronicles of Narnia. Instead of just reviewing the spiritual themes or values in the story, Brown takes deeper by exploring the interesting symbols, deeper meanings, and fascinating details that often get missed. You also learn details about the life of C.S. Lewis that contributed to the story. While some books that do this type of literary analysis would be considered dry or uninteresting, this book makes the analysis engaging and understandable (as long as you have a basic understanding of literary analysis). As this book breaks down The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe chapter by chapter, you will come to see this beloved story in a whole new light and see how this fantasy world can teach us spiritual truths about our own world. If you are a fan of The Chronicles of Narnia or you have a research paper involving these topics, this is a book I highly recommend.
December 31, 2025
This guide to Lewis's first Narnia novel systematically goes through the chapters in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, providing analysis and insight as to Lewis's world. Brown quotes from other Narnia books, Lewis's letters, other Inklings' writing, and research on C. S. Lewis to provide a complete guide to this work of art.
This book is a great accompaniment to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to be read while reading the other or after reading it. Brown provides a thorough commentary that helps the literary-minded reader to think more deeply about the book and fully appreciate Lewis's genius.
This book is a great accompaniment to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to be read while reading the other or after reading it. Brown provides a thorough commentary that helps the literary-minded reader to think more deeply about the book and fully appreciate Lewis's genius.
October 5, 2020
I absolutely loved these books! This author is great for looking into the world of Narnia, I learned so much about C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, the Inklings, and all of his life.
Brown looks at Lewis' life, friends, and especially his other books and letters to give us an idea of what prompted many themes, ideas and images in these books.
My only sadness about these books is that there are only three of them written, and I do not think Brown is working on any more.
His other books in this series are on Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Brown looks at Lewis' life, friends, and especially his other books and letters to give us an idea of what prompted many themes, ideas and images in these books.
My only sadness about these books is that there are only three of them written, and I do not think Brown is working on any more.
His other books in this series are on Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
March 6, 2024
Brown provides a work that explores the literary themes of the LWAW chapter by chapter. He explores these themes by making connections to other works by Lewis. Not only does he make connection to other Lewis’s writings he shows connections to other well known authors like Tolkien. This helps the reader understand the the thought process Lewis had in writing the book. This work will help you see things you might have missed just reading the book.
February 6, 2020
I would maybe give it 4.5 stars, but I don’t have that option. This book acts as a commentary to the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It is really well-cited, and draws from many sources. The author often provides different critics’ viewpoints, but always quotes Lewis as well. I enjoyed this book, and it was cool to see the backstory of many details I had never noticed before.
January 1, 2022
Chapter by chapter, author Devin Brown takes a close look at all the events and characters and themes in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It’s a helpful and thoughtful examination of a popular book.
February 4, 2021
I loved the movie and I loved the book it's simple as that.
August 20, 2022
If you want to dig deeper into the world of Narnia and learn more about CS Lewis, then I recommend this book. It brought great insight into the stories and characters within Narnia
August 13, 2023
Interesting, but unfortunately not helpful for my paper specifically.
April 15, 2025
A neutral but informative insight into the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
February 21, 2014
This is a thorough exploration of the characters, events, and themes of C.S. Lewis' first Chronicles of Narnia story, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; also the various real life inspirations of Lewis.
Christians looking for a book that delves into the spiritual themes will have to look elsewhere. Admittedly this was a bit surprising given then Devin Brown is known for books exploring those themes in Lewis' life (A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis) and in Tolkien's work (Christian World of the Hobbit).
However, the near-absence of this exploration does not diminish the book's value in the least. The book is intended to inform the widest readership, and this it accomplishes famously and richly.
Christians looking for a book that delves into the spiritual themes will have to look elsewhere. Admittedly this was a bit surprising given then Devin Brown is known for books exploring those themes in Lewis' life (A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis) and in Tolkien's work (Christian World of the Hobbit).
However, the near-absence of this exploration does not diminish the book's value in the least. The book is intended to inform the widest readership, and this it accomplishes famously and richly.
June 16, 2012
Insightful at first, but grew tiring by the end. Also surprising that it was in the College Church library, as it hardly touched on the religious aspects of TLWW at all - the author attempted a literary analysis that avoided religious subjects as much as possible, until Aslan's sacrifice on the Stone Table made comparisons with Christ's crucifixion unavoidable.
November 23, 2012
I loved this book. This book is very academic. Some of it might ruin the magic of Narnia for you. So I caution anyone who reads it to be interested in learning more about how CS Lewis wrote the Lion the Witch, and the Wardrobe. However, so of it is using the perspective of other people.
Last piece of advice. Read the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before you read this book.
Last piece of advice. Read the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before you read this book.
October 30, 2013
The book was more of a literary analysis than philosophical or spiritual exploration. Very good if you are interested in the process of storytelling. Only read it if you have already read all of the Narnia books and Tolkien's Rings trilogy; there are spoilers.
March 9, 2020
This approaches the book as a literary work, looking for motivation in Lewis's life for including certain elements. I felt that this work was a bit disjointed. I think I would prefer an examination of the religious themes and symbols.
May 11, 2009
a must for children
October 22, 2009
I was hoping for more insight into the Narnia series. This book didn't help me at all.
November 26, 2014
Took out the magic of Narnia. :( However, it was well written.
February 19, 2013
amazing book!
March 1, 2013
An in depth look at the ideas behind the tale...
December 7, 2015
I really like these types of books where it explains the story. Gives you more of a understanding of the book.
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