What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the plot and writing, although
superior, are somewhat dated, and the art is small and
simplistic. The language is simple but precise, and the main
characters act valiantly to help save Narnia from the White
Queen's enchantment (though one is initially caught under her
sway). Contains bits of British culture and Christian
allegory.
Common Sense Media Review
Unlike the works of his friend and colleague J. R. R.
Tolkien, author of
The Hobbit and
The Lord of the Rings, C. S. Lewis'
Chronicles of Narnia series does not stand up as well
to the test of time. Written a half-century ago, this novel,
occurring in an imaginary realm visited by children, is full of
storyteller's asides and precious English children, and
features an odd mix of childish adventure and bloody
battles.
The devout Lewis was an imaginative writer--advanced adolescent readers may be intrigued by his odd but vivid Space Trilogy, which begins with Out of the Silent Planet -- but here his sometimes heavy-handed Christian allegory (Aslan sacrifices his life for the wayward Edmund and is resurrected) can get overwhelming: One particularly disturbing scene has the two girls witnessing Aslan being trussed, sheared, and beaten by evil, gloating creatures, a nod to the indignity suffered by Christ before his crucifixion.
Young children who are read this story may enjoy the fairy-tale aspects, but older kids who are not fans of fantasy may be put off by the almost laughable repetition of scenes in which the children are comforted by the sudden availability of tea, and the way the forces of good seem to have too easy a time of it in vanquishing their foes.
Other stories in the series are somewhat more fun -- try The Voyage of the Dawn Treader or The Magician's Nephew. Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen shares plot elements, including the title character's villainy. An older child-centered adventure that is slow but more appealing is The Princess and the Goblin by George Macdonald, who was an important influence on Lewis.
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