It wasn’t until my junior year of undergrad that I really fell in love with C.S Lewis’s writing. I was working for a family at the time and we’d often talk about books and authors we enjoyed. The grandfather mentioned to me his fierce enjoyment of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis. Honestly, it took me by surprise. A man, in his late 70’s, professing his enjoyment for a children’s novel. I didn’t even consider how impactful that conversation would become.
The next week the wife of that old man presented me with a gift. She told me she wasn’t too fond of C.S Lewis later works, but she herself loved his life and story. In her hands she held Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan. Now, this is not the review of that book. However, it was this exact book that would spark my own vast enjoyment of the life and works of C.S Lewis.
Today I’m going to be reviewing The Magician’s Nephew. Some people mistake this as the first book in the series. It would make sense considering it is sold in packaging as the first. But if you take a moment to look at the history of the series, you will discover this book was written in between The Horse and His Boy and The Last Battle. There are plenty of theories of why he wrote it. I’ll share with you my favorite at the end, so keep reading!
Synopsis
The story follows the adventures of two young children, Polly and Digory. Digory lives with his aunt and uncle, while his mother is ill. Polly is his next door neighbor who enjoys participating in Digory’s everyday antics. Their favorite game is to explore the attic that connects their two homes.
One day while exploring the attic, Digory and Polly stumble upon the attic of Uncle Andrew. Digory knows Uncle Andrew’s space is off limits, but this discovery shocks his uncle into allowing them to participate in a little experiment. This experiment, however, leads to them slipping on rings that transport them to a world between worlds.
In this world between worlds, the children venture to a world that is destroyed. Digory, being unable to help himself, ends up awakening an evil queen, Jadis. Jadis had destroyed that very world in an attempt to create a utopia where she is all powerful. Upon her awakening, she demands Digory and Polly take her to their world, so she may try again.
It doesn’t take long for things to get out of hand, but Polly and Digory use their wit to trick Jadis back to the world between worlds. From there, they venture to a void of space. Here they witness the birth of Narnia. It begins with a song sung by Aslan, the lion we have grown to love. Digory and Polly then team up with a pegasus to reach a tree that will save Narnia from Jadis’s destructive path.
Likes and Dislikes
It’s a relatively easy read. It will be more difficult and unenjoyable if you go in expecting the same thrill that comes from the rest of the chronicle. This is a slow build, establishing the history of Narnia. You get to see into the magic as it’s created. The good and the evil as they intertwine for the first time.
While I wouldn’t say this is my favorite in the series, I also can’t name anything I dislike about it. It’s incredible how the same man who wrote scholarly articles can turn towards his inner child and tell these fantasy tales. I know Lewis wrote this stories to emulate the Christian story, but I still admire his childlike approach.
My only warning is to those who are expecting this book to flow like the movies. It doesn’t. Firstly, it isn’t one of the movies. Secondly, it was written in the 1950’s so the language is not current and may feel clunky if it’s not something you read often. Just remember, it’s fun to try new things
Review
7/10, whimsical
If you read this far, you’re probably thinking about what my favorite theory was. In Becoming Mrs. Lewis the author writes about the relationship between Lewis and his wife, Joy Davidman. Throughout the growth of their relationship, Lewis is writing the chronicles. Once he’s finished up the series, Joy’s son asks him where Narnia begins. I think this is simply his answer.
Thank you for joining us on this adventure. I hope you enjoyed my take and are inspired to give C.S Lewis a try.
And as always, happy reading!