REVIEW: The Chronicles of Narnia (C.S. Lewis)

Series: The Chronicles of Narnia

Author: C.S. Lewis

My rating: 4/5

When I was younger, my mum read most of this series to me. I kept meaning to read the whole series and now I finally have! I love the world of Narnia, the magic and the adventures. As an adult, I picked up on a lot of the religious undertones but most of the time this wasn't overbearing and didn't detract from the stories. In some ways, the books have aged - there is some sexism and racism (especially in the last book), but then you need to remember they were written in the 50s and attitudes were different then. I'd recommend reading this series to children (and as an adult), although it may be wise to leave out the last book.

The Magician's Nephew (3/5)

Premise: When Digory and Polly are tricked into becoming part of an experiment, they are hurled into an adventure across many worlds. They encounter the evil Queen Jadis and witness the birth of the land called Narnia.

This book makes a good start and sets the scene for the rest of the series. The story covers the creation of Narnia and the origins of the White Witch, but doesn't spoil the next book. There is some strong undertones of religion - the creation and Garden of Eden are heavily referenced - but I only noticed this as an adult and it isn't done in a 'preachy' way.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (4/5)

Premise: What begins as a game of hide-and-seek quickly turns into a huge adventure when Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy walk through the wardrobe into Narnia.

Having grown up watching the film (which I recommend!), this book was a tad lacking. It's clear that the film embellished the plot by adding some more action and adventure, and since I know the film too well, this left me feeling a little let down by the book. But that isn't to say I didn't enjoy it! A good adventure and one I recommend all parents to read to their kids!

The Horse and His Boy (4/5)

Premise: Shasta, the son of a Calormene fisherman, decides to run away and is unwittingly 'stolen' by the Talking Horse, Bree. On their adventures, they team up with Aravis and her talking horse Hwin, and uncover a Calormene plot to conquer Narnia.

This book was a tad heavier in places than the rest. The world of Calormen is explored and revealed to be rife with slavery and forced marriage. There is some racist undertones as it's clear that Calormen is meant to be a depiction of the Middle East and middle eastern cultures, but these undertones aren't strong and again, remember these books were written a long time ago! I couldn't remember the plot of this book so really enjoyed a new adventure. A good mix of 'heavy' topics and Narnian magic to make a good book.

Prince Caspian (3/5)

Premise: Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund are suddenly pulled into Narnia by a distress call from Prince Caspian. The siblings must race to help Caspian overthrow his cruel uncle and lead all Narnians to freedom.

Again, I know the film Prince Caspian too well and actually missed some of the action that was added in the movie. For me, there was a bit too much backstory at the start, meaning the adventures were slightly short lived. I did enjoy being back in Narnia with all the magical creatures and more so being back with the four Pevensie siblings. So still very much an enjoyable read!

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (4.5/5)

Premise: Through an enchanted painting, Edmund, Lucy and their unpleasant cousin, Eustace, enter the magical world of Narnia. They join King Caspain and the crew of the Dawn Treader on their adventure to find the end of the world.

Luckily, I don't know the film version of this book too well so the plot was mostly unknown to me. I really enjoyed all the adventures in this book. The heroes voyage between unknown, magical lands to find seven exiled lords and to find 'Aslan's Country'. Full of adventure, my favourite of the series!

The Silver Chair (4/5)

Premise: Eustace and his school friend, Jill, stumble through a doorway into Narnia and are sent on a quest to find the lost Prince Rilian, who was lured away by a beautiful and mysterious woman ten years before.

When being read Narnia, my mum and I never got as far as The Silver Chair, so the plot was very much unknown to me. I loved it. The story had adventure, giants, magic, narrow escapes, new friends…I could go on. At times, yes I could see what was happening or what was going to happen, but I think this is due to me being older and binging all the books in a week - you really get a feel for the adventures of Narnia! Another enjoyable installment.

The Last Battle (2.5/5)

Premise: In the last days of Narnia, King Tirian faces a great challenge. A false Aslan has emerged, enslaving all Narnians. With the help of some old friends, Tirian battles to save Narnia and free his people.

I feel let down by this book. Reading as an adult, there is a lot of racism and some sexism that didn't sit comfortably with me. I felt the allegories went a tad too far and detracted from the adventure. The depiction of the Calormen (and how their religion was treated) was awful and hasn't aged well. The ending left me feeling flat as the religious undertones took over. I'd recommend leaving this book when reading to children as it could be distressing and some of the 'morals' are debatable - best to leave the magic of Narnia alive by skipping this book!