The Catholic Book Club discussion

Here you can discuss about all the different characters in the book.

I find Orual a very well done character. I can understand how she behaves and why, the way she convinces herself that she is acting out of good motivations. I like her relation with Bardia and her longing to enjoy his company, and at the same time how each of them knows what their place is.

The Fox is one of my favorite characters. At the end of the book we see that, despite his unbelief in the gods, he had been found just. Dante would put him at the entrance of Hell. He is the classical wisdom that Lewis grew up with before becoming Christian. I enjoy the types of discussions he had with Orual and Psyche, and we see in Orual and the new priest how much their characters owe to the Fox's teachings.

Mariangel wrote: "The Fox is one of my favorite characters. At the end of the book we see that, despite his unbelief in the gods, he had been found just. Dante would put him at the entrance of Hell. He is the classical wisdom that Lewis grew up with before becoming Christian."

In fact, the Fox is based in Lewis's private teacher, the Great Knock, who taught Lewis to use reason and thus prepared him for his later conversion, initiated when he read Chesterton's "The everlasting man," and this happened in spite of the fact that his teacher wasn't a believer.

Bardia has become a favourite character of mine in this book. He has a clear faith in his gods. Has a respectful fear and no doubt about their powers. Yet he remains sound and reasonable in his duties to the king. He is loyal and becomes a sounding board and confidante for the queen. He’s honest and straight forward in his responses when asked for opinions yet keeps his place. He is as dedicated to his family as he is to his royal duties.

Crystal wrote: "He is as dedicated to his family as he is to his royal duties."

I don't think his wife would agree. The scene when she upbraided the Queen reminded me of a sad occasion at a company I once worked at where a manager was found in his office having died of a heart attack while working over the weekend to try to finish a special project. The senior executive who he worked for was a friend and told me once how hard it was when he went to the funeral and the manager's widow attacked him (verbally) and accused him of having worked her husband to death. And yet, no one gets those positions without wanting them and working to keep them.

So I thought the same when I Bardia's widow upbraided the Queen - her anger was somewhat misplaced. If Bardia elevated his duties to his Queen above those to his family, doesn't that fault lie with him? Though a more enlightened Queen (and for all of us, manager) would understand that part of their duty to their subordinates is to ensure they meet their familial duties, or at least are not prevented from doing so by their official duties, when possible.

But, yes, I agree that Bardia is one of my favorite characters as well.

I like him too. He loves his family and his unselfish wife realizes it is in his nature to give his all, whether at work or home.
Orual realizes after talking with his widow that she is at fault, having often kept Bardia "overtime" not because of business that needed attention but because of her unadmitted love for him and desire to have him with her as much as possible.

Orual is very lucky to have two counselors like Bardia and the Fox when she becomes queen. Her subjects will remember her as a wise and just queen.

It also comes as a surprise, given that we only know the king through Orual's eyes, when Bardia tells her that he is not a bad king to his soldiers.

Hello i am going to speak about the only character that we have not spoken/written Redival, however i totally agree with the Professor and i recognize in the Fox Lysias as the Lewis's teacher Kirkpatrick. It is not the First time that This character we can see a close character in Hideous Strenght i do not know that his name was McPhee and Diggory Kirke is totally influenced in Kirkpatrick although he had part of the own Lewis overall his childhood.
Now i am going to speak about Redival when i was Young and i Read the novel for First time there was two things Who impressed to me were the part of Trunnia and as Orual converted as a Queen of Hatsheput, Semiramis or Elizabeth I when i wrote my review although It was not the Lewis's intention i want to look This novel as a Peplum as Sword and Sandal i analyze as a novel settled in the helenístic period i Will do the same if i write a review of the Princess Bride by William Goldman. One thing that i did not say in my review i had liked to say It was if the Lewis's friend Naomi Mitchison that she was well known for her novels in the ancient period especial the Gauls influenced in This novel.
However This are theories the second scene Who more influenced to me
whenn i was Young it was the reapparition of the eunuch Tarín (This name ever likes me the people Who likes the soccer Will remind that in Spain a player of Barcelona Who played in the spanish national team called Christiansen Tarín he was the player Who scored more goals in the German league in One season with the Bochum a character of the Video Game Zelda called Tarín in Game Boy) i wrote in my review i have ever felt weakness by the horny sluts i suppose because any woman loved me. The Tarín's testimony was essential of course i liked the Bardia's Story but i have the feeling that we can rely in the Orual's impression she reminded me to Latro and Severian (Gene Wolfe wrote with J.R.R. Tolkien and It is possible that he admired to C.S. Lewis) Lewis did One thing to write the Story From the Orual's impression and i would have liked see the novel from Redival's novel. She had quality she was more religuous than Orual she was beautiful and she loved ver sister Orual i think in her praises there was something real. I had liked that another writer had written a novel telling the Redival's Story i want to Read It. I suppose that Lewis Will say to me write you. He in his letter to his Narnia's reader he said to One of his readers than Psiche and Orual save It is possible that in the Orual's case passing by the Purgatory in the case of Redival he says well everybody wish the best to everybody giving the feeling that she has very bad, however i resist to belueve It. I think that It avoids the Redival salvation It is not her betrayal that It was forgiven It is ver selfish and her Love for herself with all i would have liked to know her Story.

I also liked a lot the priest Who replaced the previous Ungit's Priest and he transmits the Orual's Story without This character we would not have novel :-).