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And now I’ve just finished the best-known Narnia book, ‘The lion, the witch and the wardrobe’. It’s the one that should be read first when someone is new to the series, either reading to oneself or when reading aloud to a child. I last re-read it in 2010 but I’m very familiar with the story, as I read it many times as a child and teenager. I’ve also seen both the BBC adaptation, and the film made in 2005.
The story doesn’t give the wartime background that the film does, as it was written in 1950. Children old enough for the book would still have been familiar with the evacuation process, or would be able to ask older siblings or friends. So we see the Pevensie family sent to live with an elderly bachelor professor in the countryside. He has a housekeeper, the rather grumpy Mrs Macready, and three servants although they don’t come into the book. This seems like an excessive staff for one man, but was probably not unreasonable for the era. And it’s a huge house.
The action starts by the end of the first chapter when the youngest child, Lucy, finds her way through the back of a wardrobe into the snowy land of Narnia. Lewis doesn’t give the children’s ages, but I see her as around eight or nine. Lucy is a friendly, outgoing child and she meets the faun Mr Tumnus. She goes to tea with him and they have a delightful afternoon, ending with him in tears, torn between his orders from the white witch and his observations about Lucy.
When Lucy returns to the old house, no time has passed, and none of her siblings believe her account. She’s young enough that they think she’s making it up; yet old enough that they feel she should admit to this. She knows she’s telling the truth, and becomes upset. This is only made worse when her brother Edmund, who must be nine or ten, also finds Narnia, but then pretends that they were just playing a game…
While the main story involves all four children discovering Narnia, thrust into a fight between good and evil, I always liked the early part of the book. The children’s characters are clearly established: Peter, as the oldest, is usually the leader. Susan can be a bit fussy, but is very responsible and tries to look after her younger siblings. Edmund is rather self-centred and looks down on Lucy, while trying to make himself look better than he is. And Lucy is a free spirit, with a lot of intuition and courage.
The whole story is allegorical, although loosely so, and it’s entirely possible to read it without any idea of the underlying, deeper meanings. It’s a very good story, told with just the right pace for a child’s attention, and also enjoyable by teenagers and adults. When I first read the books I must have been about five or six; it wasn’t until I was maybe ten or eleven that I had a huge ‘aha!’ moment, and discovered who Aslan the lion represents. I’m still glad that nobody had told me, or tried to ‘explain’ the book to me.
The book is ideal for children of about seven or eight and upwards, either as a read-aloud or for fluent readers to peruse themselves. I first read it to my sons when they were four and six, and they subsequently read this (and the others in the series) themselves. There’s some violence which could disturb a sensitive child, and the evil witch is quite chilling. But, as with all the best children’s books, good overcomes evil in the end.
While it’s obviously not necessary to have read ‘The magician’s nephew’ prior to this, I do appreciate the links with it. I know who the professor is, and why he’s so interested in the children’s story. I understand the significance of the lamppost in the forest, and why there are animals who talk. I even understand why the wardrobe is magical. But none of that is relevant when reading for the first time.
Recommended highly for anyone who has never read this series, or for those who have and would like a light but thought-provoking book to reread.
Review copyright 2025 Sue's Book Reviews
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