The Magician’s Nephew
C.S. Lewis
Publication date: September 15th 2017 (first published May 2nd 1955)
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Children’s Fiction, Classics
Format: ebook
Source: Kindle Addition
The Magician’s Nephew is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Bodley Head in 1955. It is the sixth published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956); it is volume one of the series in recent editions, which sequence the books according to Narnia history. Like the others, it was illustrated by Pauline Baynes whose work has been retained in many later editions. The Bodley Head was a new publisher for The Chronicles, a change from Geoffrey Bles.[1][3]
The Magician’s Nephew is a prequel to the series. The middle third of the novel features creation of the Narnia world by Aslan the lion, centred on a section of a lamp-post brought by accidental observers from London in 1900. The visitors then participate in the beginning of Narnia history, 1000 years before The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe[a] (which inaugurated the series in 1950).
The frame story is set in England and features two children ensnared in experimental travel via “the wood between the worlds”. Thus, the novel shows Narnia and our middle-age world to be only two of many in a multiverse, which changes as some worlds begin and others end. It also explains the origin of foreign elements in Narnia, not only the lamp-post but also the White Witch and a human king and queen.
Lewis began The Magician’s Nephew soon after completing The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, spurred by a friend’s question about the lamp-post in the middle of nowhere, but he needed more than five years to complete it. The story includes several autobiographical elements and explores a number of themes with general moral and Christian implications, including atonement, original sin, temptation and the order of nature.
The moment when I decided to read The Chronicles of Narnia I was not sure with witch novel I should start with but I just went with this one. Now this novel get a 3 star/ heart rating from me. This novel was a real quick read for me. Yes I could have read it in one day instead of 3 but I have other things to do than just reading all day.
Anyway as I was saying this does not have to be read before The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe but I decided I wanted to know how Narnia came to be. In this book you will see how Narnia was created and how something as icon as the lamppost came to work in Narnia it self. You will also read how Jadis arrived in Narnia as she is not originally from Narnia, that is one thing I did not know. As Diggory and Polly along with a few other characters saw how Narnia was created and Aslan was the one who started all.
I expected a bit more from this novel that is why it only got a 3 star rating from me. I mean the story was good, it kept my attention and it flowed naturally for me but I dont know what but it needed something more. Maybe some fight scenes between Jadis, Aslan and the other characters but I do understand that it is more needed in the next book as this is just the beginning of the Narnia series but it just needed something more in my eyes.
All in all this was a nice quick and easy read that I enjoyed and the book did let me think back to my past when I was younger listening to the stories my family told. So I do recommend this book to be read and see for yourself if you like it or not. 🙂
CLIVE STAPLES LEWIS (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
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