The Chronicles of Narnia

I have to start this review by saying that I cannot believe I never read these as a child. I thought they were simply wonderful – for the most part. I got interested in reading the complete set after I realized they weren’t going to stop with the first movie, and I loved the first movie. I also knew all these years even though I had not read the books that C.S. Lewis had basically written them as a Christian allegory. While I can see where someone could make an argument fairly easily to that effect, I’ll be honest and say that I did not find it to be over-the-top or blatant UNTIL The Last Battle. I felt that this novel in the collection was a very overt Christian allegory and in some respects this took away from the storyline. I felt the story was just not as enjoyable as the others. What I also found fascinating about these novels - especially the early ones was the self-reflexivity in them. While this trait is fairly common in much postmodern fiction (and earlyearly American fiction as my dissertation argues), I was not aware that this technique is used much in children's literature. I will be taking a closer look at this in the future.

This is one of the books in the series that I'm never quite sure if I like or not, but usually come away pleased with. This is another one where a younger reader can enjoy the story and not read into the allegory if they choose not to. The plot is straightforward, and easier to follow for a very young reader. I will add that Puddleglum's defense of Faith vs. Reason to the Green Lady is probably the best laymen's terms theology I've ever read - and doesn't necessarily have to be read that way either! In any case, the plot drags a bit, I feel when Jill, Eustace and Puddleglum are searching for the lost city of giants, but once they find it and also their way into the underground kingdom I think the ending of the book is it's own best defense. I can't criticize much - I've probably read it five or six times.

Inspired by the movies, I read up on CS Lewis and his conversion to Christianity. His life story intrigued me enough that I picked up the whole Narnia series. I was interested in reading the whole storyline, but was also hoping this would be a tool to help introduce Christianity into my daughters lives when the time comes.

The series is incredible, and although there is a big controversy on reading the series in chronological or published order - it doesn't really matter. I personally suggest reading "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe" before "The Magicians Nephew" as you will get much more out of the first book in that manner.

The storyline is fast paced, and held my attention as an adult the whole time. Set in the land of Narnia, the storyline revolves around children of our own time visiting Narnia in times of peril to help set things straight throughout Narnian history. Each child has an adventure and becomes known as a King or Queen or even a Hero of Narnia during their adventure.

I was impressed that each book was self contained, but also fed the series as a whole. Book 1, feeds storyline to book 7. So you get a lot out of an individual book, but if you read them all you get more out of the later books as you proceed. I was also impressed how main characters passed through the books - each book has their own set of hero's that are naturally introduced. At first I did not like the constant swap out of main characters because I was developing an attachment to each. However the transition came naturally and I began to look forward to seeing how each handled their adventures in Narnia in their own way.

The Christian overtones are more subtle in the beginning books, but by 1/2 through the series and especially near the end of the series - the Christian symbolism and theology blatantly bleeds through (for an adult anyway). I would love to find some sort of study guide that provides commentary on the Christian theology.

You have hero's, adventures, swords, dragons, distant lands, and magic - you couldn't ask for more in a children's story. Simple enough for a child to follow but deep enough to hold an adults attention. You couldn't ask much more from the series.

Best books I have ever read. I still cry when... well i guess you will have to ask if you wanna know.

I have the all in one Chronicles of Narnia in paperback. By the time I finally finished reading it yesterday, its cover was tattered. Bought it in November of 2005 and read the first four books before abandoning it for other books ( last two Harry Potter books, Interview with the Vampire, the Twilight series, etc). It sat and collected dust for a few years until recently, when I decided at last to finish reading it. Overall, the stories are beautifully written and fascinating. My very favorite story in the series is The Magician's Nephew, which shows us the birth of Narnia. There was just one problem: not enough Jadis! I also loved The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as The Silver Chair. The Last Battle, where we learn the real-life fates of the Pevensies and their cousins, is sad and beautiful. The books were originally written for children, but like the Harry Potter books are advanced enough for teens and adults.

I just loved this! It's so magical, yet haunting at the same time. In fifth grade when I read The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe it scared the pants off me. It was because of the white witch. She is not your cheesy over-the-top supervillain. Trully, that character is very well put together. The evilness is real. Later, I found out that the entire series was based on Christianity, and I thought, "No wonder, it's Satan." The symbolism is very good and it's not an exact cop-out of the Bible. It has it's original characters, and the Bible is just the backstory. Although, I did find the writing style becoming more repetive in the newer novels. Sometimes it wouldn't get to the point, but it's very imaginative. You missed out on part of your childhood if you didn't at least read one of these. My advice is just skip over the paranthesis. My favorite books are the first, second, and the Dawn Treador.

I read all of these books at different times while I was a child. I remember liking them quite a bit, but found some more interesting than others. Funnily enough, rereading them in one sitting as an adult I still feel the same.

My personal favorite stories are "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", "Prince Caspian", and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" All of them are fabulous fantasy stories, exciting and fun. Also they are able to stand alone as stories, as opposed to an excuse for the Christian Allegory.

The least interesting, in my mind, are "The Magician's Nephew" and "The Last Battle". These two are not able to stand alone as stories. They are blatantly allegories without much substance besides that.

I remember, when I read these books as a child, my father, noticing that I was reading them (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, I believe) took me aside and explained carefully how Aslan symbolized Jesus, and the whole story was really about religion at it's base. I would encourage any parent to do the same. Whether you want the books to encourage christianity or you are against that, children really should be aware of what they are reading.

I am glad that I reread these stories, but that being said I am not going to keep this book. I'll trade it in to buy another one. Twice in one lifetime is enough to read these books.

I remember reading "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" as a kid in elementary school, and frankly, never realized there were more books in the series until quite a ways into my early teens. And when the first movie came out, I knew I just had to read them all.

"The Magician's Nephew" and "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" so far are tied as my favorites. "LWW" and "Prince Caspian" are tied as my least favorite. XD I'm just getting into "The Silver Chair" right now, and hopefully I'll be finished with the entire series by the end of the week.

These are books that I know I could have really appreciated as a child. They give vivid imagery, while still leaving a lot to the imagination. They give the reader plenty of freedom to develop the world in their head and follow along. They don't over-stress the morals, but they're stuck in there. It's a good way to teach children courage and loyalty.

As a writer, I can appreciate these books even more for their simple, straightforward, and yet vivid style. The language is clean and crisp, and Lewis doesn't muddle it all up with a bunch of fancy, superfluous words.

All in all, I would recommend these books to anyone and everyone. :) They truly are fantastic.

I had never read all of these as a child. I read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" when I was little and re-read it in a college Theology class which was amazing.

As for the other books, my favorites were "The Horse and His Boy," "The Silver Chair," and "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Although all of the books held my attention just fine, these to me were the most adventurous stories. I think one of the other beautiful things about these books is the world that Lewis has created. By the end of the entire series, depending on how fast you read it, you feel as if many years have gone by, and when the seventh book hearkens back to the first you say wow, I feel like it was so long ago I read the first book!! It feels like a journey. And, I felt myself grow with the characters as they learned life's lessons through Aslan's wise council. Not many books can do that to a person! Furthermore, I felt as if I knew the characters. I felt for them, cried with them. For goodness sake I cried (sobbed would probably be a more accurate word) when Reep left!

Lewis truly was a master of words. The language is eloquent yet simple; both child and adult can fully appreciate it. Sometimes as adults, we get muddled in overly complicated affairs in our jobs and personal lives and forget that it is important to always retain a part of us that is child-like (not child-ish). Some adults I know won't read these books because they say they are "too simple" or "for kids only." You are truly lost.

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
The first to be published in the Narnia series. I first read this as a child and was slightly worried and attracted by it, as I thought the whole Aslan thing was mocking Christianity rather than simply transposing it into another world. As an adult I still get a great deal of pleasure out of the book from recognising what Lewis was really trying to do.

Prince Caspian
Although I enjoyed this book as a child, it was not one of my favourites in the Narnia series, and that is pretty much how it strikes me as an adult as well. I have come to a greater appreciation of it since our minister posed some discussion questions after the film came out, but it still doesn't grab me on the imaginative level.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader
I loved this one as a child and I still do. It's a voyage of ever increasing wonder on the way to the end of the world.

The Silver Chair
A mediaeval quest set in Narnia. It was fun the first few times I read it, but it hasn't really worn well. Nothing to actively dislike but if it wasn't in the Narnia series and I wasn't such a completist I wouldn't bother.

The Horse and His Boy
Narnia meets the Arabian Nights. A rollicking good adventure story.

The Magician's Nephew
Narnia's Creation story. Awe inspiring and yet also quite funny in places.

The Last Battle
Narnian Apocalypse. My favourite of the Narnia stories, not so much for Narnia's version of the end of the world (though I've always thought that was pretty darn kewl), but for the description of the afterlife at the end, which still makes me a bit weepy.

Some of the Narnia books still evoke in me a sense of wonder and awe; they are the ones that have big themes, the creation and destruction of Narnia, the end of Charn, the ending of a centuries long curse and Aslan's self sacrifice and resurrection, a voyage to the world's rim.

Others to me are just adventure stories set in a world where animals can talk and those books have lasted less well. Fun in their way and good to read as a child but if it wasn't Narnia I probably wouldn't bother re-reading them as an adult.

Nevertheless, I'm giving 5 stars for the sake of the good ones, because when they're good they are so very good.