The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

It can be a risk to re-read books that you loved as a child or a teen. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is one of the books that I read countless times as I was growing up. The world of Narnia never got old or boring. Happily, I enjoyed this as much 40+ years later! Published in 1950, this was the then first book of the Narnia series. A prequel was published later. I read other books in the Narnia series, but this was always my favorite. People will tell you that this is a story about Christianity, a retelling of stories from the Bible, or an allegory. As a child I thought this was a wonderful fairy tale. As an adult, I was able to see the moral or Christian parallels but I chose to ignore them and read this as a fairy tale. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy live in London but they are sent to the countryside during WWII to escape the blitz. They are housed with an elderly and wise professor and his strict and intimidating housekeeper in an old mansion. While playing hide and seek on a rainy day, Lucy hides in wardrobe. Behind the fur coats is the land of Narnia. Narnia is ruled by the White Witch and she has made the land "always winter but never Christmas." Narnia is divided into good animals and bad animals who serve the Witch. Lucy is helped by a "good" faun, who protects her from the Witch. The presence of a human in Narnia is threatening to the Witch and all the animals have been told to alert her immediately. Lucy safely returns home and her siblings do not believe her story. Edmund and Lucy then find Narnia together but he meets the White Witch and is put under her spell. On returning home, he lies to the two older siblings and claims Narnia does not exist. Eventually, all four siblings end up in Narnia, though with Edmund sneaking off to see the Witch. With the help of Mr. & Mrs. Beaver, Peter, Susan, and Lucy go to meet Aslan the Lion and together they battle to save Narnia. Each child is given a special task and a magical tool. Aslan makes huge sacrifices to save Edmund. The good and bad animals of the forest do battle and being a fairy tale, there is a happy ending. This book really sparked my imagination when I was a child. I just love the idea of a secret wardrobe that leads to another world. I still do! The book is dedicated to Mr. Lewis' goddaughter Lucy. It reads as if your kindly godfather was telling you a wonderful story. I love the little asides by the narrator. As a child, I did not realize that the story took place during WWII or that many children were removed from London for their safety. Otherwise, the story is as I remembered and I believe the illustrations are the same. This is a classic for a reason. If you missed it in childhood, read it yourself or share it with a special young person. It was lovely to visit Narnia again!

One of my great joys is sharing books that illuminated my childhood with my own child. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is one of my very favorite books, and it has been delightful to revisit this book and the rest of the series. I know they renumbered the volumes some years back, but to me this will always be Volume One in the series. This is the book that introduced me to the wonders of Narnia. This is the book that encouraged me to keep my eyes open, always, for that portal that might just appear to take me to another world. This book holds magic, rare and true; not only the magic inside Narnia itself but the magic of a truly enveloping book. The Pevensie children have left their home behind during the Blitz. Like so many children in England during World War 2, they have been sent to a strange place for safety. But the narrative of the war fades away under the excitement of discovering first the joys of the rambling country estate where they are staying, and then the world of Narnia. The reader has that experience of discovery along with Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and Peter. The sensory details (the snow, the fur coats, the light from the lamppost, the cozy homes of Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers, the food—Turkish Delight, anyone?) and the quick-moving adventure laced with magic combine to create a world that feels so real that I have never quite stopped looking for it outside the pages of the book. Once a King or Queen in Narnia, indeed. This is one of the books that stays with the reader long after the pages have been finished. I have read this book many times, and the world I am in always slips away as I follow Lucy through the doors of the wardrobe and find myself in Narnia, in that magical world where good beings battle to overturn the reign of the White Witch who has made it always winter, yet never Christmas. This book is also ideal for a read-aloud bedtime story, although do not be surprised if your child keeps asking you to read more! I recommend this book with all my heart to anyone who loves portal fiction, books about magic, fairy tales, and children’s books in general. Like many works of art, it is a different book each time I encounter it, perhaps because I am a different reader. Like all the best children’s books, this one is really for all ages.

According to Sam, it’s “super good.” About the scary parts, Sam says “no real scary parts, but (spoiler alert) when Aslan was dead for a bit that was scary but don’t worry he comes back to life.” One thing he liked best was their weapons and how they fought. Loved the ending (spoiler alert 2) “how you can get super old and wake up as a kid again.”

Nice

I loved this book. It was so wonderful and lesson-teaching. The story was very complex and imaginative. For example, every single word developed into some kind of movie inside my head! Awesome book!!!!

excelente livro

He podido leer el libro de la película. He descubierto detalles que en la película no están. Al ser en inglés ha sido un reto para mí.

La presentación es divina, a mi nena de 10 años le cuesta un poco entenderlo ya que nunca ha visto la película en español y no conoce a los personajes, pero aún así esta muy feliz de leerlo