Let Me Explain: It is pretty guaranteed that when someone comes to the Cross Reference Library looking for book recommendations for their older kids, or even a fun read for themselves, I usually feel inclined to point them toward The Chronicles of Narnia. Over the last few years though, I’ve noticed that the Narnia books that I would point people to were not in the greatest condition. So, you can imagine my excitement when I found the box set of The Chronicles of Narnia on sale when I was searching the internet. And since the books came in the mail last week, I thought I would explain what they’re about, why I love them so much, and how I would rank these seven books from top favorite to least favorite. Here we go!
What Are The Chronicles Of Narnia? From 1950 to 1956 the seven books that are the Chronicles of Narnia, were created by renowned author, C.S. Lewis. At age 16, Lewis was inspired by a vision he had of a faun carrying parcels through the snow. For over 20 years, he carried this idea, which birthed The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe. The most well-known out of the seven, The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe tells the story of the four Pevensie children who enter the magical land of Narnia through a mysterious wardrobe. Through their adventures, they meet talking animals and learn of a prophecy that speaks of them defeating an evil witch who has terrorized Narnia with an eternal winter. With the help of a powerful talking lion named Aslan, the children defeat the witch and become kings and queens of Narnia. And so followed a prequel story and five more adventures in the magical land of Narnia. These books are known for their religious themes. Featuring parallels to Genesis, Revelation, Jesus’ resurrection, and several stories about redemption as well.
Here’s Why I Like Them: I was introduced to these books at a young age, with my dad reading them to me before bed every night. And when I was able to read by myself, I found myself rediscovering the magic. By the time I was 13 years old, I had read The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe and The Horse and His Boy three times each. And yes, I was definitely one of those kids that was constantly wanting to check my closet for a hidden world. I loved them so much because, just for a little while; I wouldn’t be picked on by my siblings, or working so hard for everyone that I found myself in an anxious frenzy. But for me, really, The Chronicles of Narnia was a story about escapism from the horrors and trials of life, and discovering that you can’t really escape those trials. And the children discovered that once they trusted Aslan, they knew that they could push through and endure. "I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia. That by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” The final thing I’ll say about why I love these books is their parallels to Christianity. My favorite example of this is from the last page The Last Battle. All of our beloved characters from the six books that came before have gone, “Further Up and Further In,” to Aslan’s country. Their time on Earth was over, and the Old Narnia was destroyed, but as they stood in that heavenly place Aslan says, “The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream has ended: this is the morning.’ And as He spoke, He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”
So, How Would I Rank Them? Just because this is my favorite book series, that doesn’t mean I would exactly give each book five stars. The books that I placed in the top four spots are the ones that I’ve at least read twice and enjoyed those stories the most.
The Horse and His Boy
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe
The Last Battle
The Magician’s Nephew
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of The Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
With the last three places, on the other hand, the last time I tried to read them, I was easily bored with their stories and they don’t excite me as much as the others do. Now, does that mean I hate them? No. But strangely enough, I’d sooner watch the movies for Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader than read the books.
In Conclusion: I hope I was able to portray how excited I was for our new copies for The Chronicles of Narnia. These books have really inspired me and I hope that I have inspired you, oh reader, to read them as well.