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Kylie Rhead

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Kylie Rhead is currently reading

The Chronicles of Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia, #1-7)

by C.S. Lewis

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Reading for the 2nd time

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Kylie Rhead said: " I've only read the first two books in this chronicle and already I'm in love! Unlike most people, I didn't grow up having these stories read to me before bed. But as a young adult, I have enjoyed going back and engaging with the childhood characters I've only read the first two books in this chronicle and already I'm in love! Unlike most people, I didn't grow up having these stories read to me before bed. But as a young adult, I have enjoyed going back and engaging with the childhood characters and the simplicity of the text. It really emphasized for me the youthful perspective of the characters. The story of the discovery of a new magical world by small children who have the power to change the fate of the land even resonates with the adult who is trying to remember what it feels like to have that kind of influence.

One of the most telling aspects of the youth of the children is their unwavering faith and hope. While the book credits much of the wonderment to a magical source, the concept of faith applies more than to just the children's resilience. C.S. Lewis intertwines his own christian story into these first two books in a memorable way. From his parallels of Adam and Eve in The Magician's Nephew to his symbolism of the Savior, Jesus Christ, in The Lion the Which and the Wardrobe, Lewis' religious undertones are clear. These stories would have been useful in pre-reformation times when many did not have access to a bible. Even without the religious context, these books serve as a great moral and inspirational guide for children teaching them that "the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."

One aspect of the structure of this chronicle that I had mixed-emotions about was the redundant explanations of Narnia in the first book and then again in the second. Because The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe was written first but is sequenced second, a lot of the information that you already know about Narnia is reiterated (since it was later explained in the first book). While the reiteration may have been annoying at times, Lewis' seamless integration of the material in The Magician's Nephew with The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe is commendable. And the reiteration would probably be beneficial for an audience of younger ages, especially if they were to hear the books in segments or episodes. in the case the reiterations could serve kind of like a sitcom recap before the next episode. ...more "

Mar 12, 2017 05:35PM · see review