Chronicles of Narnia

Rating: +

C.S. Lewis

I've read C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia several times. I get something new out of this series every time that I read it. The first time I read the books I was in 5th grade, and I didn't even notice the Christian imagery (which, if you haven't read these books, just about beats you over the head begging to be noticed - on further reading it would appear that the first book's reason for being is to be an allegory for the life of Jesus). On subsequent readings, these metaphors and other philosophical meanings become clearer, but missing them doesn't detract from their amusement for a young audience.

I still feel strongly that they be read in the order they were published in rather than the order that they have been re-released in. But to be fair, I'll admit that when I called the publishers to ask about this they said that C.S. Lewis said himself after he finished the series that he thought they should be read in the new order, following the chronology of the stories rather than the publishing order, and it was his estate that made the change.

 

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