Revisiting Narnia

Well, this is discouraging...

2009-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Turns out someone has already written this blog and been published (which was a sort of dream I had for the project).

From the author's website:

"The Magician’s Book is the story of one reader's long, tumultuous relationship with C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. As a child, Laura Miller read and re-read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and its sequels countless times, and wanted nothing more than to find her own way to Narnia. In her skeptical teens, a casual reference to the Chronicles’s Christian themes left her feeling betrayed and alienated from the stories she had come to know and trust. Years later, convinced that "the first book we fall in love with shapes us every bit as much as the first person we fall in love with," Miller returns to Lewis' classic fantasies to see what mysteries Narnia still holds for adult eyes—and is captured in an entirely new way.

In her search to uncover the source of these small books’ mysterious power, Miller looks to their creator, Clive Staples Lewis. What she discovers is not the familiar, idealized image of the author, but a man who stands in stark contrast to his whimsical creation—scarred by a tragic and troubled childhood, Oxford educated, a staunch Christian, and a social conservative, armed with deep prejudices.

The Magician’s Book is an intellectual adventure story, in which Miller travels to Lewis’s childhood home in Ireland, the possible inspiration for Narnia’s landscape; unfolds his intense friendship with J.R.R.Tolkien, a bond that led the two of them to create the greatest myth-worlds of modern times; and explores Lewis’ influence on writers like Neil Gaiman, Jonathan Franzen, and Philip Pullman. Finally reclaiming Narnia "for the rest of us," Miller casts the Chronicles as a profoundly literary creation, and the portal to a life-long adventure in books, art, and the imagination. Erudite, wide-ranging, and playful, The Magician’s Book is for all who live in thrall to the magic of books."

Oh well. I finished Prince Caspian this week and really enjoyed it. I thought it was way more exciting than the first book. I'm taking a break from Narnia now (though I'm excited to read my old favorite Voyage of the Dawn Treader soon). After I finish my project, I'll probably enviously check out The Magician's Book and see what I would do different.

Currently reading and loving:

Haitus

2009-09-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Hello, handful of readers.

I have realized a few things in making this blog:

1. Knowing that I have to blog every little detail of each book is making me go through these things so slowly.

2. Making this blog has forced me to dedicate all my reading time to this series (which will take me a long time at this point)

3. These blog posts are too detailed and are uninteresting to anyone who is not currently reading the series.

So, to free myself up to read more book (I made a list of fantasy and history books to go for), I have decided to stop this blog for now. I may pick it back up eventually, but it is really exhausting and restricting me right now. I'll probably take a Narnia break after Prince Caspian to read The Name of the Wind this week.

You'll be hearing from me from time to time. I still plan on blogging movies as well.

Book 2: Prince Caspian, Ch 1-3: "Let's Do the Time Warp Again"

2009-08-31T15:34:00.001-07:00

Well, somehow the Pevensies went on with their normal lives without going completely insane. A year has passed since their time in Narnia. They seem to have even forgotten that they lived for years and years as royalty in a fantasy land. They are all on a train station platform, waiting to go to boarding school. Lewis doesn't let them linger long, though. They don't have to find Narnia, it finds them this time. They are (without much reason or explanation) sucked directly out of the train station and transported onto a deserted island with an overgrown forest.

They dynamics of each kid are the same: Peter is the brave leader, Susan is a boring girl, and Lucy is cute and curious. However, now that Edmund is no longer the villain, he adds a new element to the mix. He seems more book smart than the jock Peter. He's smart and sarcastic in the way that we nerds tend to be.

The children find themselves lost. They think they're in Narnia, but can't quite place where. They have a strange feeling that they've been here before. They end up in the ruins of some old castle. They soon figure out (because they really should have the inquisitive minds of adults) that they are in the ruins of their old castle, Cair Paravel. It turns out that time in Narnia works very differently from time on earth. They had been away fro Narnia for one year, yet hundreds have passed by the time they return. I love this detail. I wonder if it would be possible to be transported into the past? So many great possibilities here.

This makes me wonder, how did Narnia fare after its four monarchs disappeared? What would that do to a government? All of a sudden, the rulers who brought order to your land are gone without reason or explanation. I think this would throw the entire world into chaos and war!

Anyway, the kids find their old deadly Christmas gifts from Santa and head out to try to cross the channel onto the mainland. They find a dwarf being tossed into a river by some soldiers. Susan shoots (but not to kill, she explains) the soldiers, who are terrified. Apparently, there are ghost stories about the island, which I love. I bet the Narnians believed Cair Paravel was cursed when their kings and queen suddenly fell off the planet!

The dwarf is glad to be rescued. He is apparently a member of the "Old Narnian" rebellion. He now starts to tell them the story of Prince Caspian...

Book 1, Ch 17: Final Thoughts

2009-08-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, the final chapter of the book really raises a lot of questions. Sorry if this gets tedious and long winded (though you should expect that from this blog by now).

The 4 kids become kings and queens of Narnia and live long lives ruling the land from Cair Paravel. One interesting detail is that they make alliances with other countries across the seas. Is Narnia merely a small piece of a larger fantasy world? Are the other countries also populated with fantasy creatures and Christian symbolism.

One detail I like is that, as they live their royal lives in Narnia, they totally forget about our world. They never miss their parents or worry about what they may be missing. Why? Because the fantasy world is so much cooler, so much more interesting than home. Most fantasy literature ends with the characters longing to get back home. Here, they are more than happy to live as kings in Narnia. This makes sense to me. If my home world was boring and full of Nazis, I would probably rather hang out with magical beasts and giants in Narnia (especially if I was in charge).

Each kid gets their own title as a king or queen. We have Peter the Magnificent (a great warrior), Susan the Gentle (very beautiful), Edmund the Just (very wise), and Lucy the Valiant (always cheery). Lewis tells us that princes from all over the lands asked to marry Lucy and Susan. However, because there are no other humans, does this mean that centaurs and eagles were lusting after these two gals? Did Edmund and Peter have wives?

The book ends with a really mind boggling situation. The four adult monarchs go for an adventure to hunt for a magical white stag that could grant wishes. They come across the lamp post in the woods, which none of them really remember, and end up falling back through the wardrobe on accident. They find themselves in the room at the exact time in which they had first gone into Narnia. No time had passed and they were children once again. They then talk to the professor, who explains that a door to Narnia does not work more than once and that they will go back some day when they are not expecting it. The end.

However, this is insane to think about. First of all, how can a door to Narnia work only once, when we saw people go through the wardrobe at least 3 times. Also, the children seem to have memory of their time in Narnia. Does this mean that their minds have matured like an adults? They are children with the experiences of kings and queens who had lived long lives. How can they go back to being children in school when they have fought great battles and ruled an entire country? What if they had children in Narnia? If one of them had died in Narnia, would they have simply disappeared from the real world? Why are they not furious that they ended up kids in England again? There is no way they could really go back to being normal kids again. There is also no way they would not end up in therapy after this.

Well, one book down, six more to go. I liked the book a lot, but am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, of which I remember much less. Next up: Prince Caspian.

Book 1, Ch 15-16: "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead"

2009-08-30T07:09:00.000-07:00

Well, that whole Aslan dying thing didn't last long. Jesus even spent 3 days kicking around in the underworld before he rose from the dead. Aslan seems to take only a few hours to come back to life. Apparently, the magic which bound Edmund to the witch could be traced back to the dawn of time. Aslan, however, knew a bit of magic that came from before the dawn of time: anyone who dies in the place of a traitor will rise from the dead (a convenient loophole, you'd think the Witch would know that one). When he comes back to life, the sacrificial stone table breaks in half, which I assume is a reference to the temple curtain tearing in the Gospels.

Lewis's descriptions become so much more detailed towards the end of the book. Every once in a while, he breaks the 3rd wall and addresses the reader. This is used to great effect, especially after Aslan's death. He talks about Susan and Lucy crying and asks if the reader had been crying as well, using this as a point of reference for how the girls are feeling. It's a really touching bit that worked well for me. Also, the scene where the girls ride on Aslan's back to the Witch's house was wonderful. It really captures that sort of fantastical escapism that makes this series perfect for kids (and young hearted adults).

Aslan's power seems to trump that of the Witch in almost every way. They run to the courtyard of stone animals and Aslan breaks the spell simply by breathing on them. My favorite unstoned creature: Rumblebuffin the giant. Tumnus tells us the Buffin family is an old, honored giant family. He is very gentle (love the part where he thinks Lucy is a handkerchief) and powerful at the same time.

The newly freed army joins the battle already in progress. The new Narnia movie really made the final battle into a bigger deal than it was in the book. Here, we get almost no details except for that the Witch had turned people into stone until someone was smart enough to break her wand. She was fighting Peter until Aslan showed up and killed her. The movie really took this scene as their one opportunity for a Helm's Deep sort of fantasy battle. I suppose this is probably what it was like, but Lewis decided to leave such details out. I think that this may have been my problem with the movie. It tried to make Narnia bloody and bad ass, which it really isn't. Narnia is a much mroe innocent, simple land than Middle Earth. Big, bloody battles do take place, but that's not what makes it special.

Next post: last chapter and final impressions

Book 1, Ch 12-14 "The Coming and Going of Aslan"

2009-08-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are: our first meeting with the iconic Jesus of the series, the lion king Aslan. At the stone table, he had a sweet pavilion set up with a cool posse. His entourage included naiads and dryads, centaurs, a unicorn, an eagle, a "great dog", two leopards, and some sort of bull with a man's head (a reverse minotaur?).

Aslan is immediately given a lot of Christian God descriptors. He is to be loved and feared. One is often speechless in his presence. Though the book is fairly sparse on descriptions and details, Aslan is given a satisfying introduction. It's not long before we get one of my favorite scenes from the book: "Peter's First Battle". Peter has a showdown with SS captain Fenris Ulf to save Susan, who has climbed up a tree. Peter is given a more relaistic reaction to the fighting than I expected. He is at first terrified and sick at the idea of fighting the wolf, but is overcome with a brave sense of duty. This seems about right for an oldest child who is really acting like a father. After he slays the beast by skewering it with his new Christmas present, we get maybe Aslan's best line. He puts a paw on Peter's shoulder and says, "You have forgotten to clean your sword". At this moment, Peter becomes a man. He has gone from boy to warrior by wiping wolf blood and guts from his sword.

After this bloodshed, we are immediately set up for the most famous, most blatantly allegorical scene in the book: Aslan's sacrifice. The witch assembles an evil gang of creatures (ghouls, boggles, orgres, minotaurs, cruels, hags, spectres...) that sounds more like a Halloween party and less like Animal Planet than Aslan's. She holds Edmund ransom, since it is apparently Narnian law that all traitors belong to her (not sure how this works). Aslan decides to sacrifice himself in order to save the Pevensie black sheep.

The crucifixion (well, sort of) scene actually works really well. It is by far the best written bit in the book, probably because Lewis was dealing with themes that he was an expert with already. It is heartbreaking, terrifying, and just really great to read. Aslan prepares Peter for his departure in the same way Jesus did with his Apostles. Aslan is shaved, made fun of, and muzzled. It's a universal sort of scene that would speak to any reader. I think this may be almost too dark for some kids. It ends with the Witch actually pulling out a knife and killing him. She also swears to break her promise and kill the earth children anyway, ensuring that they won't make it to Cair Paravel.

If the book had ended here, this would be a really Empire Strikes Back sort of ending. However, I have 3 more chapters to go with a lot of ass kicking.

Book 1, Ch 10-11: "Ho Ho Ho"

2009-08-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

The kids and beavers race to the Stone Table to meet Aslan before the Witch can stop them. They leave in such a hurry that Mrs. Beaver gets all upset and naggy about not bringing enough stuff (food, pillows, sewing machine, etc.). While hiding out in a super secret beaver cave, we get one of the oddest scenes of the book.

Aslan is breaking the spell. We know this because the kids and Beaver family meet Santa Clause (Father Christmas), breaking the "always winter but never Christmas" curse. This world gets stranger and stranger. Father Christmas is described exactly like in our world. He's fat, jolly, wears red, and brings gifts. The difference is, he is real here. This scene is pulled directly out of Fellowship of the Ring. Instead of Galadriel bestowing gifts on helpless hobbits, we get Father Christmas giving presents to defenseless British children. It prepares them for the danger ahead just like the set of magic cloaks and daggers did for the ringbearers. Peter gets an awesome sword and shield (Santa's a bit like the old man from Zelda here). Susan and Lucy (according to Santa) are not meant for battle, but they leave the gift giving packing some heat anyway. Susan gets a bow with a quiver of arrows and an archetypal "blow when you need help" horn. Lucy gets a dagger and some sort of healing potion. Looks like our DnD party now has a fighter, ranger, and cleric on board! By comparison, the Beavers get shafted, receiving a sewing machine and a home repair. The whole scene really should seem out of place, but it works for Narnia like it would for no other fantasy country (probably because it is so loosely built). I wish earth Santa gave swords out for Christmas. Do you think Edmund would have received a lump of coal if he had been there?

The book then shifts focus to Edmund's unfortunate predicament. The Witch has quickly discovered that Edmund is a useless twit, so she silences him with some Turkish delight and treats him like garbage. She also orders Fenris to take his wolves to the beaver dam and slaughter the troublemakers (really pretty scary for a kids book).

An interesting scene occurs when Edmund and the Witch encounter a small group of assorted magical animals and mythical creatures (fox, squirrel, satyr, dwarf) having a party for the coming of Aslan. The spell is wearing off and the Witch's snow sled is having trouble moving in the mostly melted snow. She angrily turns the party-goers into stone and jumps out of the sled to continue her journey on foot. Edmund gets it bad here as the Witch ties him up as they walk, making him into a prisoner. I think we are maybe supposed to feel bad for the kid, but I have trouble sympathizing when the jerk was ready to sell out his family for some candy.

Next chapter: Battles, blood, and Aslan.

PS- What does it mean if a voice sounds "pale"?

Book 1, Ch 8-9: "After Dinner"

2009-08-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

After dinner with the beaver family, Mr. Beaver spills the beans on what's going on in Narnia. This just made me wonder: is the beaver family human sized (as in the BBC movies) or regular sized (as in the new Disney movies). Both bring up some interesting questions. I assume that the animals are not all giant. This would make Narnia a terribly shocking frightening world. However, why would beavers so small make a house that humans could fit in? It just seems unnecessary (unless the beaver family is rich and aristocratic).

Also, my brother and I were discussing how Lewis seems to be less deliberate about world building than his pal Tolkien. For example: every creature in Narnia speaks English. This seems unlikely, unless Narnia is magical in the way that you can understand everything (maybe its another religious reference: speaking in tongues?).

Edmund left during the dinner conversation to report back to the Witch that Aslan was coming back and that his siblings were in Narnia (and about to ruin all of her plans). He manages to navigate his way to the Witch's castle, which seems like quite the feat for a scared boy in a snowy, strange country. I'd like to think the Witch used some magic to guide his way. In her courtyard, we get a look at the Witch's power. She has the Medusa-like ability to turn anything into stone. There are a large variety of creatures in the castle, including Mr. Tumnus and a big giant. Edmund is greeted by the wolf captain of the Witch's army, Fenris Ulf. Wolves just seem to be universally evil in fairy tales and fantasy (presumably because of their tendency to huff, puff, and blow houses down).

We also get a little bit of an origin story for the White Witch. Apparently, she is not human, but wants to appear human. She is actually the daughter of Adam's first wife, Lilith, who was a Jinn (which roughly translates to genie). Her father was a giant. Though I'm not sure how these two creatures could mate, it is a fairly unique origin story for our villain. This seems to confirm that our world and Narnia are connected through Christianity (I think this will all end up a lot clearer when I read The Magician's Nephew).

I tend to get snarky a lot the blog, but there's some really great stuff here, especially the foreshadowing to the coming of Aslan. Lewis is successful when it comes to building anticipation for Aslan. We learn that he is a lion (duh, king of the jungle) and that he (or is it He) is way more powerful than the Witch. Mr. Beaver gives us just enough of a tease for Aslan that we are just as excited as the kids to get to the meeting place.

Also, we get a few songs/poems of prophecy here that are really cool. I love when fantasy books throw this sort of stuff in. It really helps to draw me into the world. Mr. Beaver recites two rhymes:

Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death
And when he shakes his mane, we will have Spring again.

and

When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone
Sits at Cair Paravel in throne
The evil time will be over and done.

The prophecy of Cair Paravel is classic. Sure, it doesn't really rhyme, but it does give direction to the Pevensies' quest. The idea of everyday children being whisked away into a fantasy world is no new thing. However, unlike Dorothy in Oz or Alice in Wonderland; these kids have a direct purpose (other than trying to go back home). They have to save this world and kill the evil there. This is a high order for a nice British family. This is pure fantasy literature.

I'm loving this project.

Book 1, Ch 6-7: "Something's Wrong Here..."

2009-08-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Alright, we've got all four kids in Narnia now, so let's jump into this crazy world.

The two kids who hadn't been to Narnia before, the elders Peter and Susan, get their personalities cemented here. We already know that Lucy is really nice and perfectly sympathetic. We also know that Edmund is an idiotic, evil, selfish brat (he's even nastier here as he tries to make Peter doubt the kind animals helping them). Peter is already shown as a heroic team leader. He immediately calls for an exploration and adventure. Susan, on the other hand, really seems sort of dull. I think she's supposed to be nurturing and motherly, but she just comes off as no fun. A few times after getting there, she thinks about going back and all of her thoughts are completely devoid of any spirit of excitement.

Stray observation: Peter makes a comment about how it is not a crime to take coats from the wardrobe because the world they were in is contained in the wardrobe. I assume he is wrong. It is my understanding that the wardrobe is simply a door to the world, not some sort of Tardis type object that actually contains a world.

It looks like the kids couldn't get away from Nazis. The White Witch has her own secret police, which actually destroyed the house of Mr. Tumnus. The captain of the police is named Fenris Ulf. This is a cool name for a few reasons. Mostly, it just sounds cool, but it is steeped in mythology. I know before we meet him that Fenris is a wolf. Fenrisulfr (or Fenrir) is a wolf in the Edda, the main saga of Norse mythology. Lewis sure likes his mythological allusions.

It seems that not every magical creature in Narnia is mythological, though. The kids follow a robin who apparently understands English. They also meet a talking beaver and are warned about conscious trees (probably a Tolkien reference). This makes me wonder: is every animal in Narnia magical? Does everything in the forest have the ability to listen or speak? I would think that this could get problematic when it comes to food. I know that I would have trouble killing and eating a deer who I had just had a conversation with. Mr. Beaver catches some fish for the kids to eat. Did that trout have a family and kids? Did he beg for his life when he was caught? I think I'd have to be a vegan if I was Narnian (though even the trees are intelligent, I wonder if the carrots are too).

We also get our first mention of Aslan here. Mr. Beaver says that he is apparently "on the move" (does he usually just sit around all day?). The kids each have their own reactions to hearing the name, each of which strengthens their one note characters (i.e. Peter feels brave, Edmund got scared).

Next post: Mr. Beaver explains the situation and the real adventure begins!

Book 1, Ch 2-5: "Nobody Believes Me!"

2009-08-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Here we go, people. Our first glimpse into Narnia. Lucy stumbles into the Wardrobe to find a whole new world and it's cold as hell.

I love the image of the lone lamp-post in the middle of the woods. It really captures that strange, magical quality of Narnia. It also seems like a very British thing to me. If this were America, it would probably be a stoplight or something.

We also get to meet our first mythological creature, Mr. Tumnus. He is a very nice faun (a creature from Greek mythology) who just finished grocery shopping or something. They have some lovely tea and toast. Tumnus comes clean about working for this wicked pseudo queen called the White Witch who is making it winter. Then Lucy goes back home.

This little episode, however, does bring up a major question for me: is this magical world actually Christian? Do they have earth bibles and believe in Jesus Christ? I ask this for a few reasons. First, Edmund and Lucy are referred to by Narnians as "son of Adam" and "daughter of Eve". This would show some knowledge of scripture. Also, the White Witch's curse on the land makes it so that it is"always winter but never Christmas". Now, this is obviously the worst curse a child could imagine, but it is terribly confusing. Does Mr. Tumnus celebrate the birth of Christ? Most fantasy worlds are either devoid of religion or have their own made up pantheon of gods. This one seems different. I knew there were Christian themes, but does it go a step further? There also seems to be a connection to classical mythology. Tumnus is telling stories and one apparently involves Bacchus, the Greek god of wine and pleasure, throwing wild parties in the woods. Does Narnia mirror our own world that much?

After returning home, Lucy tells everybody about what happened and nobody believes her. She tries to show them and they see the back of the wardrobe instead of an enchanted forest. This makes me wonder about just how the Narnia door works. Who chooses when you go? Does it only happen when you aren't expecting it? Also, no time passes on earth while you are in Narnia. This seems like the perfect place to go to study for a test the night before or to learn how to play an instrument or something. It could potentially give you an incredibly long lifespan.

Edmund is a little brat and gives poor Lucy a horrible time about it all (and eveyone else is trying to decide whether the should send her to a nut house). However, in a game of hide n seek, both Edmund and Lucy find their way back into the wardrobe and back into Narnia and we meet the White Witch and her creepy dwarf henchman. Everything about her screams "evil" but Edmund is apparently an idiot (I mean, he did shut himself in a wardrobe).

The best thing here is the way she entices Edmund with enchanted Turkish Delight (man, this book is SO British...an American kid would have asked for a twinkie or something). I honestly have never had this food, but it sounds like a strange jelly candy. This is some powerful stuff because apparently it was like crack. "Anyone who had tasted it would want more and more of it, and would even, if they were allowed, go on eating it till they killed themselves". This is some powerful stuff! Maybe Lewis was trying to scare kids into eating healthier. The whole thing sounds very Willy Wonka to me. Powerful magic, Witch.

She tells him to go back and bring his siblings. He's going to sell out his family to the devil for some candy. He meets up with Lucy and they go back. The Witch pointed him back to the door to the "world of man". This brings up a few interesting questions about the logistics of traveling between these worlds. Can you see the coats in the forest? If the wardrobe doors are open, can you see in the house? More importantly: if the White Witch knows where the door is, could she go to earth? Is it a two way door for anyone or anything? Does it only work sometimes like the door on the other side?

Tha's about enough for today. Edmund denies going to Narnia to make Lucy seem even more crazy (the kid needs to be slapped). Peter and Susan ask the professor what to do about their certifiably nutty sister. This old guy seems to think that logic suggests that there is a door to another world in his house. He seems oddly nonchalant about this.

Wow, this post is long. Very sorry. This blog is going to turn into nerdy ramblings in which I think too much about things that I probably shouldn't bother with. Oh well. That's the fun of it!

Book 1: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2009-08-20T21:17:00.001-07:00

There is some debate as to where a person should start with this series. Two major points of view exist: read them in chronological order or in publication order. When I read this series many years ago, I read them in the original publication order. This makes sense. Narnia is not a world in which chronology is terribly important (few magical worlds are, really). Also, from what I remember, the last three published were my lest favorites of the series, so I might as well keep them at the end to prevent loss of attention.

I open the book up and am already struck with a pleasant surprise. Here is the most delightful inscription I have ever read:

"My dear Lucy, I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it. I shall probably be too deaf to hear, and too old understand a word you say, but I shall still be

your affectionate Godfather,
C.S. Lewis"

Lewis has summed up here exactly what I am looking for in this series. I think I am the age he is talking about. I think I am old enough to start reading fairytales again.

Because it is late, all I did this evening was read the first chapter of the book. Our heroes here (and for most of the series as a whole) are the Pevensie children. In order of oldest to youngest, they are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Within eight pages, I already know enough about each of them to grasp their characters. Peter is adventurous, Susan is dull, Edmund is a little brat, and Lucy is cute and curious. We'll see how much their characters grow as we read through the seven volumes of their adventures (though I don't think they were in every book).

The children are sent away to the country because London is getting bombed to hell by Nazis. Apparently, their parents are so worried about their safety that they ship their kids off to live with some rich old professor. We are not told why this old widower becomes the new guardian. Is he a friend of the family? An old uncle? Some crazy dude in the middle of nowhere?

The chapter ends with Lucy accidentally discovering a door to Narnia. While exploring the house, Lucy decides to look inside the wardrobe in an empty room (why this is I'm not sure). It's sort of funny that the line "it is a very silly thing to shut oneself into a wardrobe" is used twice here. Is this some sort of common advice for English kids? Are there a lot of freak wardrobe accidents in London in the 50's? I suppose it's not bad advice anyway.

I'll talk next time about our first visit to Narnia. Fauns (or satyrs...is there a difference, I never knew!), snow, and lamp-posts.

PS- Does anyone else find it funny that C.S. stands for Clive Staples? Those crazy Irish!

A New Project

2009-08-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

I don't read as much as I would like to. I read slowly and start new books without finishing one's I'm only half way through. I tend to spend time instead watching movies, playing video games, or playing music.

I am, however, a love of fantasy literature. I am a Tolkien fanboy and really dig newer fantasies like American Gods and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Fantasy books have always been my favorite, though even finishing one of those was rare (maybe 2 a year). On Monday, based on a recommendation by Matt Essner, I bought a new book: The Magicians by Lev Grossman. Matt is a Harry Potter fanatic and was instantly drawn to a book that delved deeper into the mythos of magic and wizard scholastics. I am not a huge Harry Potter guy, but gave the book a read anyway.

I finished it in less than 3 days. This was a book that I could not put down. It took everything I knew and loved about fantasy and gave it a modern perspective. It explored how people would really react to magic and monsters. It injected authentic emotion and thoughts into scenarios I have read over and over again. It had endearing characters, lots of heartbreaking moments, and gobs of fantasy.

My favorite aspect of the book had to do with a fictional "book within the book". Quentin, Grossman's sort of unheroic protagonist, is obsessed with a fantasy series from his childhood: Christopher Plover's Fillory series. These books had been a longing form of escapism for Quentin. He wanted desperately to live in this amazing world of Fillory, which was full of talking trees, heroic quests, and danger. Quentin studied these children's books like they were a history. He picked each book apart, picked out inconsistencies, internalized lessons, and fell in love with the world and its characters. This was very familiar to me. I know how Quentin feels.

Grossman obviously based the Fillory books off of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. It was a fantastical world that a family of British children involuntarily stumbled upon through various magic doors to save the land from evil. Characters and plot points for Plover's series directly mirror those of Narnia.

I read the entire Narnia series in 5th and 6th grade and loved them. They instantly became my favorite books and acted as a gateway drug for me. After reading about Lewis's world, I was ready to jump headfirst into the works of people like Tolkien and LeGuin. I read fantasy books today for the same reason I read them when I was 11 years old: to escape. I wanted to be one of the chosen children to randomly walk into a magic place by merely stepping into an odd wardrobe. Quentin had not outgrown Fillory. I wonder if I have outgrown Narnia.

After reading the Magicians, I immediately went to my bookshelf. I found, much to my dismay, that I no longer owned a set of Narnia books. This would not do. I jumped on half.com and immediately found the perfect boxed set. It is a 70's era paperback set with really goofy retro covers. They arrived today and now I am prepared to take up another project (since my summer movie blog is mostly finished).

That is the purpose of this blog. I want to jump back into this series that I have not touched since grade school. I want to study these books more than they deserve to be studied. I will psychoanalyze characters, look for plot holes, and try to figure out just how things work in Narnia. Knowing that they are meant for children, I may be disappointed with some of the writing (and will probably find the Christian symbolism much more obvious than I did as a preteen). Narnia will become my Fillory and I will know it inside and out.

I will post my thoughts as I go, hopefully making an addition to the blog once every few days. Read along and get lost in the world with me. Let's see if the magic is still here.