Reading with the heart: The way into Narnia

by Peter Schakel

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

154 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was written by a student of Northrop Frye and probably is my favorite of the several Narnian guides that I have read. I highly recommend reading this as a companion guide. I didn’t not share this with my children but just read silently to myself as I read the Chronicles aloud to my children.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part of the book might be the gentle admonishment at the end to read and enjoy the stories with children, and not explain all the meanings of everything to them - they’ll figure it out for themselves.
The rest of the book is a joy to read, Schakel explores each of the books and discusses themes, archetypes, narrative styles, symbols, and more. I was pleasantly surprised how much I had already learned just from reading the Chronicles as many times as I have, and now I have names for some of the things I had named or described on my own. But there’s even more, especially interesting was the correlation between themes in the Chronicles and in Mere Christianity, which he was revising and publishing in the midst of writing the Chronicles.
Schakel offers valuable criticism that Lewis himself would approve of, according to An Experiment in Criticism. He is a guide through the books, he doesn’t make any value judgements, but gives definitions and explanations and draws connections to other works along the way. Not only is this valuable to learn more about Narnia, but also to learn about how to approach and how to teach a story.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this book in 1979 and returned to it as I prepare to write curriculum for the Chronicles of Narnia. Schakel does not propose to teach children all the underpinnings of the Narnia stories, but to help us understand how archetypes, images, mythology, and narrative structures are used in the stories. In other words, don't patronize children by telling them what the stories mean. They will figure it out for themselves in their own time.

[Melissa Grice · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Chronicles are not allegories needing interpretation for full effect: they are stories to be enjoyed. Children should be left to enjoy them, imaginatively and emotionally, without being asked to reflect upon their "significance." And because of the archetypal nature of the stories, because their roots reach down to basic human instincts and emotions, out of that enjoyment "meaning" will come, at its own time and in its own way.’

Schakel journeys through the Narnian stories as works of literature, not allegory. He primary reference’s Frye’s four modes to discuss each story’s structure and themes, and while he does recognize their significance to Christianity, he doesn’t emphasize that over their shape. He respects children as Lewis did. I have enjoyed rereading the Chronicles often lately and I enjoyed Schakel’s commentary.