The Adventure Begins.
Narnia... where Talking Beasts walk... where a Witch waits... where a
new world is about to be born. On a daring quest to save a life, two
friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to
enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the
fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in
Narnia, all things are possible...
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“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
A twist of the garden of Eden.
Finished it over a week ago but with the holidays haven't had time to write a review.
This story is the favorite of many. While I appreciate it's charm and originality, it holds a fairy tale quality like no other of the narnia novels, it didn't wow me as much as its predecessors. I can see why reading this fifth makes sense in the order of writing and publication. I cared more about the prequel because I had already experienced the magic of the world. Coming into this first without the intro to Narnia and all the magic is holds and would grow to contain would leave me a bit bored.
The beginning was completely different than others and you have two villains here - including a relative who is a magician of sorts dabbling into darker arts. It was awesome to see the evil queen again in her original form, although she appeared to me so differently than her personality did in Narnia. I guess all the type and erosion of the heart is responsible for this transformation.
All previous books show a door from our world into Narnia, here we glimpse for ourselves the possibilities of other worlds and that there is a portal in between in the form of rivers. The ending was the best with Aslan as he is the creator and much is foretold and explained. I do wonder how the witch learned of the deep magic she speaks of in Narnia at the Silver table - perhaps it was from the fruit. If so, then why didn't she know the deepest and oldest magic too?
Polly was an okay sort, but she rubbed me the wrong way as a bit bossy. Digory seemed like a realistic boy and one I enjoyed. The room with the witch and the awakening was the second best part of the story outside of the end. I think I liked this book less because it didn't hold the same kind of expectation, of frantic need and rush forward, of urgency. The end delivered that but up until this point it was small scenes thrown together - sometimes for the sake of amusing, sometimes for self exploration, but mainly just bickering between the kiddies.
While so many loved this, even listing as a favorite, I found it slower and containing less magic in it's pages. A worthy sequel in the series but lackluster in quality until the middle and ending.
Book Quotes:
“Make your choice, adventurous Stranger,
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.”
“Child, that is why all the rest are now a horror to her. That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. Oh, the fruit is good, but they loath it ever after.”
Special Week Feature:
I did a special weeks feature for the Chronicles of Narnia series back in 2012. Here is link to the full feature listing, along with other special weeks done.
Posts from that feature for this book:
Cover Comparison: The Magician's Nephew
Reader's Autopsy:
I did a Reader's Autopsy post - The Bizarre Order That is the Chronicles of Narnia...
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