Book Description

Collection includes all seven of the novels in the series. ... Read more

Reviews (563)

Truly Fantastic
Clives Staples Lewis has created a mythical world which absolutely captures the human mind. The Chronicles of Narnia contain exciting plots, which all converge upon each other at the finally of the series: The Last Battle. Through out the books weaves the morals and beliefs of Christianity. These books do a wonder job of telling the story of the Bible, from the instantaneous creation of the world to the death of Aslan (Jesus). The way God cares about every one and desires us to enjoy life through Him, to the last battle and final days at the end of the world (of course Lewis did not know what was going to happen, yet it is still an interesting idea). In one of the best written books of all time, the land of Narnia comes alive with lovable and evil characters. The battle between good and evil is made abruptly apparent in this book as a small country goes through its history fighting for what is right. Light and darkness collide in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe as four kids explore the land which they will rule. For a time it appears as though the evil side emerges victorious; but it is found that the White Witch as not the ability to peer far enough back into the depths time. This book it one of the most important of the set, because contained in it is the most important message of all time. My father used to read the Chronicles of Narnia to me when I was younger, now I read them on my own. When he did this he stressed, Christianity is having the relationship with God, like the youths had with Aslan. I think these are very well written books and I would encourage any one to read. I uphold C.S. Lewis as a great writer of the centuries and I praise his books (all of them) as magnificant.

The best fantasy series ever!
If I could I would give The Chronicles of Narnia 500 stars. The story is fresh and fascinating. The world of Narnia is how our world should be with humans and animals and other fantstical creatures joing together for the greater good.

The series starts with "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe." Very accurate title because these are the important magical objects in this book. The shell of the story is set during WWII when the children of London are evacuated to the countryside in order to protect them from the air raids. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to a country manor where they discover a wardrobe that transports them to the Magical world of Narnia where it is always winter, never Christmas, and even time flows different. We meet Mr. Tumnus the fawn and a kindly beaver couple who help the children escape the dreaded White Witch. Finally there is the incredible Aslan, the lion ruler of Narnia.

With seven books in the series it is impossible to sum up them all here, but they are all worth reading. My recommendation is to buy the series and read it to your children (that way you don't have to feel guilty that you are enjoying the books as much as they are). Or just buy it for the magical feeling of being young and full of imagnination.

This boxed set is the BEST way to get this CLASSIC
Over the last century, C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles have become among the most beloved works of children's literature ever published, and with good reason. The seven volumes of this series offer stories that are absolutely timeless, fairy tales mixing adventurous journeys, marvelous characters, mythical creatures, terrible evils, and moral lessons. That they are well told only helps them stand the test of time.

This boxed set is simply gorgeous, with attractive covers and nice layouts - plus you get the books individually, which is good for children who may not have the stamina to hold up that giant collected edition.

Each of the seven volumes can be read as an independent story, yet each are linked together by reoccurring themes and characters. Together the separate books form a unified whole, the grand and epic tale that is the Narnia Chronicles. Only "The Horse And His Boy" stands alone as a tale outside the core story arc, though there are cameos by core characters. Over the course of the six core volumes, the interwoven story of Narnia is told from that magical land's creation to its glorious end.

The books are not always of consistent quality, but a strong book always follows the weaker volumes. Such was the case when the Homeresque "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" followed the forgettable "Prince Caspian," for instance.

Of course, calling the seven-book series a single epic brings into mind a long-running debate. In what order should the books be read; chronologically or in published order? In truth, either order will work because the stories are strong enough to withstand any amount of juggling.

The Narnia Chronicles are classics because they offer rich and rewarding stories, glimpses of far off and magical lands, and present entertaining characters to the reader. They stand the test of time because they contain age-old moral lessons, are written in an eminently readable way that just begs to be read aloud, and are simple enough for kids while deep enough for adults. The cliché holds true here: the books are great for young and old alike.

No fan of young adult or juvenile literature should pass up on the Narnia Chronicles. Neither should any fan of fantasy, either. And probably nor should any reader at all, period. Recommended classics and near essential reading.

The second best fantasy series ever written...
...after Lord of the Rings, and easily the best children's series ever written. 'Nuff said!

CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IS FOR ADULTS!!!
If you are new to this series, especially if you are going to read it to a child, DO NOT READ THEM IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER! A child will lose interest after a few chapters. Few great stories are told strictly in chronological order and the hook for Narnia is "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe".

Many of these other reviews done by people saying that they like reading these books in chronological order are adults who fell in love with the series years ago, and now see this new order as making better grown-up sense. Reading it this way for the first time will leave you with many details that shouldn't be discovered until after reading the first few books in the original order, and won't keep a child interested the way I and so many others were as kids.

So please, if you are an adult familiar and returning to this series, feel free to read it in any order you choose, (I certainly do) but if this is your first time, read it in the order below...cheers

1) The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, 2) Prince Caspian, 3)The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, 4) The Silver Chair, 5) The Horse and His Boy, 6) The Magician's Nephew, and 7) The Last Battle ... Read more

Book Description

They open a door and enter a world. ... Read more

Reviews (319)

Lions, Witches and Wardrobes--Oh My!
Because it is so spectacular, I'm choosing The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe to be the first book I review here at Amazon. I first fell in love with this story (and the subsequent volumes in the series) when my fifth-grade teacher read it to our class. Though it has been more than a decade since, this book has remained one of my all-time favorite works of literature, and I try to reread it once a year. It has an enchanting effect on the heart, mind and soul that never diminishes.

The novel features four British children: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy (Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve) who discover a magical world hidden behind fur coats in a wardrobe. In "Narnia", they encounter an endless parade of fantastic characters and events that aid them in their quest to free the land of Narnia from the spell of the White Witch. She makes winter a permanent season and turns those who oppose her into stone. The most prominent Narnians are the talking animals, but especially the lion Aslan who, with the children's help, must return spring and benevolent rule to the land.

On a more analytical note, I find it fascinating how C.S. Lewis uses allegory to loosely bridge his fictional world with well-known themes and stories from the Bible. You can most easily recognize this in the ever-present battle between good and evil and the symbolic representation of Christ's Resurrection in the guise of Aslan's death and revival on the Stone Table. Which fulfills an "even deeper magic from before the dawn of time."

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a modern classic that should be included in EVERYONE'S library. It will leave you completely satisfied, but at the same time craving more (which can be found in the other six volumes of the Chronicles of Narnia series). Oh, to sit and rule at Cair Paravel while munching on Turkish Delight!

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
This book is about a girl named Lucy and her 3 siblings named Peter, Susan, and Edmund. They have to go live with a relative that they call the "Professor." On day they decide to play hide and go seek. Lucy runs to a closet and there she meets a kind faun named Mr. Tumnus in a really cold wintery place. Lucy returns to her brothers and sister and tries to convince them of what she saw. Lucy and her siblings have now entered the land of Narnia where the evil White Witch lives who dislikes children and it always trying to capture them. At the end of the book, there is a big battle between the witch's evil side and Aslan's (the lion) good side. Aslan's courage and loyalty to the children and people in Narnia brings Spring to their land.

This is the best fantasy I have ever read because it keeps the reader always involved. It is really hard to put this book down. Although this story seems complicated and hard to follow, it is fast moving and always keeps the reader in suspense. I loved reading this book and recommend it for both girls and boys. I know this one will be on your top ten list.

I want to go to Narnia
How can you not adore this? You know how food can be labeled "comfort food" - well this is the type of story that's a "comfort story". I felt so protected, secure and safe while reading this. It takes me back to a time in my life when I reguarly daydream adventures like those in Narnia. I think it reminds us of imagination, and freedom, and child-like wonder. Such a beautiful, wonderful story. Allow it to take you away and suspend your disbelief - you won't be sorry.

Hope
I chose to read this classic by C.S. Lewis because every one else I knew had read it when they were younger. I was told that it was an allegorical novel by a friend, which spiked my interest in what I considered just a child's fantasy. Lewis fills his world, Narnia, with a wonderful array of different and interesting characters. Fauns, Nymphs, Dryads, Naiads, and hospitable beavers all contribute to the fantastic nature of this story. Lewis must have been a creative man to imagine such wonders and write them down. A place where perpetually deadened by the cold of winter, with no Christmas and, therefore, no hope would be a terribly bleak setting. The depiction of Aslan as a symbol of Christ was quite interesting. Even the girls, Susan and Lucy, become similar to the two Marys in the gospel in their caretaking of the lion. So as not to give away the story to anyone else I will end saying this unique world provides more than just a fantasy escape. To both children and adults it provides a reminder that there is hope, even in our world, when it too seems cold and dead.

The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe a reveiw by Irene
Have you ever imagined being sent away to someone's house, that has a secret that no one knows but you? The house in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe had a secret , which only Peter, Susan,Edmund, and Lucy knows. Once they went through the wardrobe in the house,their adventures would begin in the land called Narnia, and their lives will change.

I love this book, because it tells about Lucy trying to save her friend Tumnus. It tells about the wonderful adventures she had with her friends, Peter, Susan, and Edmund and the great dangers they faced in Narnia. I also liked the little rhymes that describes Aslan, the great lion.

I wish that this book would be longer and the adventures of Narnia would countinue in this book.

I recommend this book for people who like adventure stories, because this book is filled with adventures.

My favorite part is when the dwarf made Edmond a prisoner and used a whip to threaten him to go faster. If the White Witch ( a terrible witch) that calls herself queen of Narnia wants Edmond to go faster, the dwarf whips him until he goes faster.

My other favorite part is when Edmond got tricked into bringing Peter, Susan and Lucy to her because she wants to turn Edmond and his friends into stone. They are smart and she doesn't want them to break the White Witch's spell. The spell is a spell that will keep Narnia always in a winter season.

On the map, I think it is a little confusing because it doesn't show the place where Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy came through the Wardrobe to Narnia, but the story is exciting. ... Read more

Book Description

Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil -- what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, written in 1949 by C. S. Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia.

For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a world where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.

This edition presents all seven books -- unabridged -- in one impressive volume. The books are presented here according to Lewis's preferred order, each chapter graced with an illustration by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. This edition also contains C. S. Lewis's essay "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," in which he explains precisely how the magic of Narnia and the realm of fantasy appeal not only to children but to discerning readers of all ages. Deceptively simple and direct, The Chronicles of Narnia continue to captivate fans with adventures, characters, and truths that speak to all readers, even fifty years after the books were first published.

Book Description

The adventure begins

Narnia ... where Talking Beasts walk ... where a witch waits ... where a new world is about to be born.

On a daring quest to save a life, two friends are hurled into another world, where an evil sorceress seeks to enslave them. But then the lion Aslan's song weaves itself into the fabric of a new land, a land that will be known as Narnia. And in Narnia, all things are possible ...

Reviews (113)

An exciting book for all ages!
The Magician's Nephew takes place in London, a very long ago. During that time lives a girl named Polly Plumber. She lives in row housing, and one day when she is in the garden, a grubby faced boy peers over the fence next door. Polly could tell that the boy had been crying which explains his dirty face. The boy tells her his name is Digory Kirke, and Polly laughed and made a few jokes, and he tells her that he is from a high-class area and he is required to come to this rotten place. He told Polly that his dad is in India, his mother is sick, and his uncle is mad. Digory explains that his Uncle Andrew is very odd, talks of strange things, and hears strange noises coming from his secret room at night. Very soon they begin to build a friendship. From then on, they went on several adventures because his crazy Uncle Andrew and his powerful rings, one including to Narnia. They meet several characters in each place they visit. In Narnia they they meet the Lion, and from him they learn many lessons about life, and they build a very strong relationship with eachother. I would recommend this book for anyone, any age, who likes adventure and fantasy. This book is very detailed, and creative. The characters are very real, especally Polly. Polly is very adventurous, like me. She never backs down on anything. Polly seems like a great person, and like any other child in that time period this book took place. If you like this book, than I deffinitly recommend reading the next book #2 in The Chronicels of Narnia, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. You'll love both!!

Excellent Read!!
The first book in the series of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew is an excellent fantasy that pulls the reader in from the first word! Lewis weaves a fantastic tale that weaves fantasy and reality splendidly. The reader is drawn into Lewis' world of fiction with an amazing ease. Part of the seven book series, The Magician's Nephew is an excellent beginning to what will certainly become a fascinating, enthralling series.

Digory is a young boy who is upset because his mother is dying. When he meets Polly (his next door neighbor), he tells her about his mother and that he is staying next door with his spinster aunt and his bachelor Uncle Andrew so that they can take care of his mother. Polly and Digory soon become good friends and they discover a secret passageway that connects all of the attics in the houses on their row (in London). They stumble into the attic of Digory's Uncle Andrew and he tricks Polly into becoming part of an experiment for him. She puts on a yellow ring and travels to another world. Digory has no choice but to follow her when his Uncle Andrew tells him the secret of how to come back. Digory and Polly end up in the "Wood Between the Worlds," a type of portal to other places and times. Although Polly immediately wants to turn back, Digory convinces her to visit one of the other places first. They choose a pool of water that takes them to the deserted city of Charn, where they awaken Queen Jadis, an evil queen that is bent on leaving her own dead kingdom and conquering London. She attaches herself to Digory while they are trying to escape and they accidentally bring her back to London. Once there, she wreaks havoc on everyone and everything even though her magic powers are not as strong in this new world. Polly and Digory decide that they must return her to her world, so they travel back to the "Woods between the Worlds." Thinking that they have chosen the pool that leads to the city of Charn, they jump in only to find that they are in a new land and they experience the birth of the Land of Narnia. They experience everything to the birth of the sun and stars to the blessing of the first king and queen of Narnia. Digory is sent on a mission to retrieve the fruit of a special tree so that it may be planted in the center of Narnia to protect it from the Witch of Charn, who has hidden herself in the recesses of this new land. After being tempted to eat or [take] the fruit for himself, Digory brings the fruit to Aslan, the creator of Narnia, and he casts out the fruit so that it can grow into a tree. Aslan thanks Digory and tells him to take an apple from the tree and give it to his sick mother so that she might be saved. Polly and Andrew leave Narnia and Digory gives the fruit to his mother, who is healed. ...

O.k at times but goes noware
This book goes noware but down.The begging is good and then in the middle goes down ward.It's o.k. at times but fore die hard fantasy fans like Harry Potter stay away.

What a great book!
This book was great! I thought it would take me a long time to read, but it only took me two days. I loved it so much. The Narnia books are great, all of them. This one was the first book and it's about a boy named Digory who has an uncle. His uncle has these magic rings. Polly, Digory's friend, touched a ring and then she entered the world of Narnia. Digory and Polly go through lots of adventures - good ones and bad ones - in the world that they had just discovered.

The best book in the entire series
This story chronicles the beginning of all the other stories.
The writing style for this book and wording makes this novel enjoyable even to young adults. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

prince caspian
Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund have viseted narnia before, and they will visit it again. Narnia is a country that you can only get into if you believe. If you enter it in one place, you can not enter though that place again, once you come out. The four kids end up in Narnia and they are on a mission. Prince Caspians father, Miraz is trying to kill him. The kids have to stop him with the help of Aslan, the lion, and Trumpkin the dwarf. Also many other mystical animals.

Prince Caspian/Buba Jones
I'm doing a report on the book Prince Caspian.The author is C.S.Lewis, who also wrote the novels The Magicians Nephew,The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,and four other fabulous books. Of a scale of one to ten I would give it a nine.The book Prince Caspian was published in 1956.The main characters are Peter, Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and Prince Caspian. Prince Caspian isn't exactly a prince because he does not come from the same family as the king. Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and Susan are kings and queens of Narnia. The book Prince Caspian is the fourth of the seven novels of Narnia.The world of Narnia is a magical world with fauns, other stuff like giants. The main characters want to defeat the evil king Miraz,and put Caspian on the throne. The characters Edmund and Miraz have a duel and eventually King Edmund wins and mirazes army surrenders and they put the new King Caspian on the throne. I think that the moral of this story is "have faith".The characters learn to trust their little sister Lucy,although she is allot younger. I also think that all of the characters become more adventurous. I really loved reading this book, and suggest it to everyone from 6 to 13. I think that it is better to read it themselves, but it doesn't matter about that. It is still a very good book.

the lion the witch and the wardrobe
I am about to talk to you about a book I read in class. These books are fabulous, only if you like adventure. If you read these books you would know what I mean,check them out.

Magnificent
This book is great...all of the Narnia Chronicles are great. Once you start to read them you can't put them down. Thats how good they are. I am a teenager and i still love this books. C.S. Lewis is a great writer. You should get these books if you don't already own them. ... Read more

Book Description

·he best-selling The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is now available in a new Spanish-language edition ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (35)

A painfully honest account of one man's conversion
This is not a novel and not really an autobiography, but rather a first-hand account of one man's journey from atheism to a belief in God (Christianity came much later and is not covered in this book--for that read his many religious works). I discovered this little gem while living and working as a graduate student in Scotland, at a time when I was neck-deep in the pit of atheism and feeling almost totally lost. I don't know why I was moved to take it off the shelf and buy it, but it was to be only the first of Lewis's books that I read. It's still my favorite because its theme is so close to me.

What makes Lewis's book so remarkable is its unashamed honesty and willingness to shed all masks in the face of reality, no matter how unpleasant or frightening that reality may seem. Lewis did not want to find God, and we feel with him that burning desire to run away once God has been discovered. The wonderful lightness and love that characterize many of Lewis's later works are not found here. Instead we see his defenses against God shattered one by one as he follows an intellectual path to belief. He tries his best to argue his way out of it, fighting every step of the way and using all the trivial excuses that human beings do, but we feel God's presence bearing down on him step by step like a great weight until he realizes that there is no escape. Lewis sees that it IS a burden at first if one has come to it honestly, because with it comes the realization that we are required to abandon ourselves and submit to God's will in order to find eternal peace. This is not an easy road for a human being to follow--indeed, it is the most difficult thing in the world for us to do, and Lewis knew that very well. We feel with him the pain and weight that came when he realized that there IS a God: the account of his final days as an atheist is absolutely excruciating for a reader who has had the same experience. One must actively and willingly choose to become what one is not by his very nature--what could be more difficult, particularly in this secular world?

Lewis's account of his spiritual journey shows that God can be discovered in the most unlikely places and in the most unlikely ways, no matter how hard we try to avoid Him. When we think we have trumped God, we find that He has in fact trumped us, always remaining well ahead of us on the path. Lewis's account often reads like a great chess match between one man and God, but it remains familiar because it is a match that we play again and again. As always, Lewis's honesty is disarming, his insight staggering, and his humor refreshing. I cannot recommend this book enough, but if you are looking for a biography of Lewis's life, this will not provide it. For that I recommend George Sayer's "Jack," but the best way to find out who Lewis was is to read his books.

A Masterpiece: One Man's Journey to God
C.S. Lewis has written a masterpiece on the subject of one man's conversion to Christianity. Not only that, it is a must-read for any fan of Lewis, for it sheds a great deal of light on his early life and biography. It follows Lewis from childhood to his conversion to Christianity as an adult professor, tracing the influences on his philisophical and religious thinking along the way. It is in my mind a modern Augustine's "Confessions". Lewis writes, as usual, with great candor and his usual lucid, easy to follow prose that takes complex issues and makes them understandable to everyone. This style has made him one of the finest Christian authors. His 'Mere Christianity' and 'Screwtape Letters' are other examples of his books that challenge a reader's religious philosophy. Of course, Lewis is more famous in most circles for his 'Narnia' books, which are also great, but it is his philisophical and deeply personal treatment of Christianity that makes him one of the greats.

Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see how one man made his journey to belief and/or wants to learn more about C.S. Lewis, the man.

Disappointing
A disappointment, though not without interest. Lewis's purpose is to tell the story of his conversion from atheism to Christianity. But there is little here to challenge or even interest the open-minded atheist. It seems to me that Lewis converted largely for emotional reasons, apparently because he believed in some kind of Hegelian Absolute. The last two chapters are so vague and poetic (or perhaps poetically motivated...?) as to be very tough to read when trying to find out why he believes and what relevance his conversion might have to me. I never really got clear answers to these questions. Lewis is always readable, but this was disappointing on intellectual grounds (which is true of all his apologetics).

a must read
one of the best books by my fav author of all time. well worded, insightful, instructive, inspirational - how many more 'i' words do you need? please, take my word, and read this book.

A lovely and perennially absorbing book
This is a great book by a great writer, telling both of CS Lewis's life, including his education and his experiences as a front-line soldier in World War I, and his discovery of "Joy" and the sense of the scared, and his final conversion from Athiesm to Christiantiy. Full of wisdom, humor and fascinating historical description. His descriptions of his father, mother and brother, including his reaction to his mother's early death, are poignant and moving. He tells, also, of what it was really like to be a yong officer in the trenches of World War I, in which he was seriously wounded. In another key, how to really learn a difficult foreign language. This is a book to treasure and to read again and again. ... Read more

Book Description

A prince fights for his crown

Narnia ... where animals talk ... where trees walk ... where a battle is about to begin.

A prince denied his rightful throne gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Reviews (55)

Interesting and Intriguing
Prince Caspian is the second book in the very entertaining series, "The Chronicles of Narnia." It is about 4 children (2 brothers and 2 sisters) who revisit Narnia, another world inhabited by talking animals, after being gone for one year. But one year in our time could be a thousand years in Narnian time, or no time at all. In this case,they were gone for thousands of Narnian years. When they return,they find that the land that they ruled as Kings and Queens in the previous book, has been taken over by humans, called Telmarines, that do not like talking animals. This exciting story tells of the children's efforts to regain power of Narnia. After reading "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," "Prince Caspian" keeps you wondering what happened to Narnia and what is going to happen to Narnia.Once you start reading this series,you can't stop! A wonderful experience to read these books! I highly recommend that you do!

Narnia's Battle for a New King
"The Return to Narnia!" Those who have read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" (Book 1 in the original ordering) know that those four words can invoke a rousing and passionate symphony that only those who believe in Narnia can hear. It is somewhat disconcerting, therefore, when the story opens with a rather clumsy squeak. The four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, find themselves unceremoniously _yanked_ back to Narnia after one Earth year and many Narnian centuries of being away. There is no party to welcome them, only apples growing wild to feed them, and only the ruins of a castle to shelter them.

As the children have been gone for so long, some backtracking is necessary before their heroic adventures can begin. As he did in all the books in "The Chronicles of Narnia", C.S. Lewis gives us a bit of Narnian history that puts the present events in perspective and is genuinely fun to read. This History lesson begins with the Telmarine invasion after the Golden Age of Narnia and ends with the battle between Prince Caspian and his evil uncle Miraz. It's a lesson so absorbing and believable that it makes Narnia seem more real than, say, Bavaria. The political intrigue sprinkled throughout the book is a fine bonus.

What I liked most about "Prince Caspian" was the chance to see the two Kings and two Queens of Cair Paravel in action. Their adventures and their characters were given very little space or elaboration at the end of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"; so I was glad to be able to really see them as their royal Narnian selves. (Now that I've read further, I can say that "The Horse and His Boy" is even better for this purpose. After reading "Prince Caspian", I discovered why King Peter was dubbed Magnificent; and after reading "The Horse and His Boy", I learned why Queen Susan was called Gentle; King Edmund, Just; and Queen Lucy, Valiant.)

And what would Narnia be without Aslan? (I LOVE THIS LION!) In "Prince Caspian", the major lesson that he imparts is that we must have faith and follow him, even when we may appear foolish to others. If we keep insisting that we can find the way by ourselves, then we only get lost. There are other morals throughout the book, most of them woven into the story, such as King Peter's courage in challenging Miraz to a "clean wager of battle" (read: one-on-one combat), "to prevent the effusion of blood" (read: the blood of his innocent subjects). Lewis can moralize better than any other children's writer I know.

"Prince Caspian" is not to blame for being the second book in the series--therefore, the sequel that can't help but be slightly disappointing. Though I gave it four stars for the bumpy linkages in the plot, child readers will, if asked, say it deserves five.

The least desirable entry
"Prince Caspian" is either the second or fourth book of CS Lewis' classic Narnia series, depending on whether one reads the books in published order or chronological order. The story picks up where "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" leaves off, with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy back in England after having spent many years in Narnia as kings and queens. What follows is in many ways almost a straight rehash of "Wardrobe" and is possibly the most forgettable of the Narnia books. Were it not for the introduction of Caspian, one of the major characters in the series, it would almost certainly be the least memorable of the seven books.

The children find themselves pulled into a strange world, this time by a magical force rather than by wandering through a wardrobe. Quickly (and predictably) enough the world is revealed to be Narnia. Why did they not know this right away? Because the single year they spent in the real world was many hundreds of years in Narnian time. Narnia has aged while they have not.

The four children, who in Narnia are revered as legendary kings and queens of old, find that they have been pulled into Narnia to aid King Caspian, a prince from a kingdom of rather oppressive humans who have taken over Narnia and are attempting to squash all memory and knowledge of the land's talking animals and mythical creatures. Naturally, this means those people have to be stopped.

If it sounds exciting, it's not. If it sounds boring, it is.

Travelogues and adventures that are little more than episodic journeys can be great fun and often tap into the glory of exploring the forest as a child, but this journey simply has little or nothing to engage the reader or capture one's interest. The glimpses of how Narnia has changed in the years since the four kids were there are interesting, but the interest is minimal at best. The travels just lack punch or adventure.

Lewis takes a few ill-advised detours that seem only to pad the story while hammering home the idea that people who do not believe in the mystical creatures of Narnia are inherently bad. The heavy-handed messaging in other Narnia volumes generally feel like the moral messages of any other classic fairy tale, but here they somehow feel wrong.

All in all, "Prince Caspian" adds very little to the lore (and lure) of Narnia despite being a part of the central plot, with core Narnia characters throughout. Its greatest contribution to the series is introducing the off-kilter time concept, an old cliché of alternate world stories, and bringing the character of Caspian (as well as the delightful and brave mouse Reepicheep) to the series. And that's about this book's whole worth. It introduces you to characters you will grow to like later and to concepts essential to the series.

Take note, because "Prince Caspian" is part of the core Narnia books (those involving the four original children and the characters linked directly to them) it's hard to recommend skipping this one - but it really fails to live up to the fantastic spectacle of the others. Children may enjoy the return romp to Narnia, but more likely even they will find that this one disappoints.

Jenner's Review
Caspian has an uncle named Miraz. A tutor comes and tells Caspian that his uncle is trying to kill him. Caspian runs away to avoid being killed. He meets Truffle hunter, the talking badger, and Trumpkin the Dwarf. They meet many other talking animals like: centaurs, satyrs, fauns, & dwarfs. Then they fight Miraz! They are fighting for the throne. Caspian is on the losing side. Can he survive? Then they make an arena for three duels. Whoever won two duels would win. Peter was to duel Miraz, but something got in the way. But what!? I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sword fighting.

boring book but still good
The book Prince Caspian is the second in a series of books by C.S. Lewis. The characters and conflicts are the same as the book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The main characters are Peter and Susan. One of the conflicts they face is person vs. self as Peter must face his fear of being killed in war. The horn Susan left behind in the first episode allowed the as they return to Narnia. However when time they return Narnia is a thousand years later. In the be ok Prince Caspian is a year later after the first. All the people they know from then are died but Aslan he can never die because he is one of the magical creature leafed in Narnia. I didn't like the book Prince Caspian because it had all the Same conflicts just like the other books by C.S Lewis. One of the same conflicts is at the battle they had they lose at first but in the end they won. I also didn't like it cuz it was boring tail like cater 12 that's when they had the battle . But there was some very cool parts of the book for example the high king Peter killed the evil king Miraz in the battle and it was back to old Narnia . The book is boring but its still a good book to read I think you better have a lot of time on your hands because it takes a lot time to read but its still good. ... Read more

Book Description

An orphaned boy and a kidnapped horse gallop for Narnia … and freedom. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

An Amazing book
C.S. Lewis is a genius, and this is one of the best out of the chronicles. I love this book, because it gives you a better understanding of how horrible Calormen was. In this story a young boy who was adopted by a Calormene fishermen escapes to Narnia with a talking horse Bree. On their dangerous journey, they meet a Tarkheena named Aravis and her horse Hwin. They are on an amazing adventure and have to face the challenges of getting through the busy city of Tashbaan and crossing the desert. Their most difficult challenge is to get to Archenland before the Calormen army to warn the king about their surprise attack. This book introduces new characters and has the lovable old ones. I recommend this book to anyone who can read!

Take the journey
Ok, before you even bother reading my review, buy the book (I'll wait here).

I hope you bought it. If you haven't, let me tell you why you should: The Horse And His Boy is an outstanding story. And that's not all-you can read it without having read any of the other Narnia books; not that you'd want to do that. All the Narnia books are wonderful.

The Horse And His Boy follows the adventures of Bree (a talking horse) and Shasta (a slave boy) who run away from their masters and journey to the magical land of Narnia. Along the way they meet a nobleman's daughter, another talking horse, a king and a queen, and a very special Lion (he's not a tame lion you know).

I love this book. I love all the Narnia books. C.S. Lewis is a great writer (now in glory). However, heed this warning: this book is only for children and those adults who are old enough to love fairy tales again. I hope that means you.

A Narnia side adventure that works
"The Horse And His Boy" is one of CS Lewis' classic Narnia books, one of the later published but the third if taken chronologically. The tale takes place during the time period just before the end of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," (roughly during the start of "Wardrobe's" last chapter) and is largely independent of the other six Narnia books. All of the Narnia books can be read independently, but "Horse" in particular has little link to the others.

The tale is a classic "young person escapes a bad life" story, and in the end becomes a classic "downtrodden young person saves the day" and a "young person of meager background is" - well, that would be giving something away. Time-tested clichés of the genre, to be sure, but not clichés in a bad way. In Lewis' tale, this is a Good Thing. Because it works.

The story concerns Shasta, a young boy, and a talking horse, Bree, who flee their evil masters in an attempt to reach the free land of Narnia to the north. In their flight they meet up with Aravis, a young girl also fleeing with a talking horse, Hwin. They adventure their way through the country of Calormen, a thinly-veiled substitute for the Middle Eastern countries of the real world.

Like the best of children's literature, the pacing is brisk and the obstacles to be overcome are introduced quickly and almost without pause.

As in all the Narnia books, we are introduced to Aslan. This time Aslan's role initially seems minor, but is revealed to have retroactively been a major role. It is among the worst uses of the lion in the series. Much of what the lions tells Shasta feel dreadfully like the famous poem "Footsteps," in which Jesus explains to a walker looking at his life traced in footsteps on the beach that those moments when there were but one set of footsteps, not two for the walker and Jesus, were moments when Jesus carried the walker through life, not the walker walking through his troubles alone. In "Horse," it slaps the reader from the story. Worse still is the fact that the entire meeting with Aslan is written in a gratingly worshipful tone that is horribly jarring; it does the story a great disservice. The scene, however, is mercifully short.

Because "The Horse and His Boy" is a side adventure in Narnia more than anything else, it does not have as strong a connection, and therefore sentimental tug, as the rest of the books. Still, heavy-handed Aslan scene aside, "Horse" is a delightfully simple adventure about young people escaping a bad situation. Escapism is almost never a bad thing, especially for younger people who prefer to read over playing video games, and Lewis does it very well. Most readers will thoroughly enjoy this, even if it isn't essential Narnia.

Good Book!
The Horse and His Boy
C.S. Lewis
C. Cho
P.5

This book is about a young boy named Shasta and a horse from Narnia named Bree. Shasta and Bree have one thing in common, they both want feedom! Shasta mannages to escape from his master, Arsheesh. Bree and Shasta encounter many adventurous perils on the way to Narnia. Some people in a kingdom even mistake young Shasta as a prince. Shasta has his moments of fame and luxury until the real prince arrives...

I enjoyed reading this book because of the great relationship Bree had with Shasta. I also had fun reading this book because when I read about all the mysterious animals such as the lions, I wanted to read more about it. It was fun reading about the part when Shasta was mistaken as Prince Corin. Here is a quote from the book that I enjoyed,"Shasta had so enjoyed his dinner and all the things Tumnus had been telling him that when he was left alone, his thoughts took a different turn. I couldn't believe that they couldn't tell the difference. There were many exciting parts in the book but to me, these were my favorite parts.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I did have some parts that I did not feel was very exciting. When Shasta and Bree met Aravis there was a lot of talking involved. I enjoy stories with diolouge but I dont enjoy it if there is eight full pages of it. Another reason why I disliked this book is because they talked in a different way that we Americans do. Arsheesh was a character in this story that I didn't like."My price is seventy."

My favorite part of this book was when the people of Tashban mistook Shasta as Price Corin. This chapter made me feel happy for Shasta because he got food and rest that he deserved. I did not like it when Aravis showed up. She was the daughter of a high nobleman and she was a little stuck up to me. Although Aravis was not my favorite character, I still enjoyed this book.

The Horse and His Boy
I thought this was definitely one of the best books in the Narnia series. Unlike all of the other books, this one could stand alone as an independent story. This book does not follow the same order of the other chronicles and would probably fit somewhere between The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. It includes some of the main characters from the other books such as Susan and Edmund but it is based on a boy named Shasta, a girl named Aravis, and their horses Bree and Hwin. It tells of how a boy comes to find his true identity while making friends and saving Archenland in the process. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for adventure, heroism, surprise, and fun. ... Read more

Book Description

The last battle is the greatest of all battles

Narnia ... where lies breed fear ... where loyalty is tested ... where all hope seems lost.

During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge -- not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to The Chronicles of Narnia.

Reviews (62)

The Chronicles Of Narnia-The last battle
The Chronicles of Narnia is"a saga that began with The Magicians Nephew." That followed up with The lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, The Horse and his Boy, Prince Caspain, The Voyage of the Dawn Treaader, The Silver chair,And Finally the book i read. The last Battle. All these chronicles were written by C.S. Lewis. In all his stories he writes of another world. One place in paticular being Narnia. All of his stories in clude kids from our world and talking animals. these animals are a little bit larger than the ones we are used of seeing today and have personalities much like our own. The Last Battle was about a greedy ape named Shift who wants to secretly take over the country of Narnia. He wants to accomplish this by using his 'friend', a helpless donkey named Puzzle in the process. You see one day a lion skin floats down stream to where Puzzle and Shift live. Shift totally takes advantage of his 'brainless' buddy and tells him to slip the lion skin on. This makes him look like their great Aslan. Aslan has great power over people and anything he says usually goes. Shift thinks up a plot that will enable him to get everything he's always wanted.So with the help of a few other fantasy people he gets his wish for a while and scares all the narnians into waiting on all the Apes every need. Some of them were even going to be sold to the Cholermenes as slaves. In the end Shifts einsteinic plan falls in smoke because King Tirian, Poggie, Jewel the Unicorn, Jill, Eustace, and a few other good fellers come to the rescue to find that all this time they have been in a 'mirror image'of Narnia. soat the end of the story all the good animals and heros follow Aslan through 'magic doors' and find that the real Narnia is more of a magical place then anywhere they had ever been. the fruit was better too!
Over all i would have to say i liked the book.I would give the bok 4 out of 5 stars. i like the fantasy side of it. it really made me want to not stop reading because it always had something going on . Like "oh another battle(400) scene is coming up."It just really kept my excitement goin more then anything else! I also like the is was a part of a set of books. i have only read in either in back in fourth grade but i can remember liking that one too. That was The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe.i would definetly reccomend this book for other kids. But i must warn you your in store for some pretty crazy aeventrues especially if you read the whole set. Overall i woulde willing to bet you wouldn't beable to put the book down for a long time

A Wonderful Spiritual Experience
The Last Battle is the last in the series of Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, and my personal favorite. Most people think this book is for children, but I think many people can enjoy it, as it can be understood on many levels. For example, a child may appreciate this story as a group of kids on a fun adventure. I, however, really got a lot of spiritual meaning out of this book, as I found a lot of biblical parallels. In this book, the children are battling the greatest evil to exist in Narnia since the White Witch. A cunning ape and his lackey Puzzle (a donkey) find a lion skin in the river. The greedy ape convinces Puzzle to dress up in it and convince the Narnians that he is great Aslan the Lion, king of Narnia. Through Puzzle, Shift the ape exploits the Narnians devotion to Aslan by giving cruel orders that will only profit Shift. Out of fear, the animals follow his orders. "Aslan" invites the enemy Calormene army into the land to help him rule the country. The animals at this point turn to the real Aslan, and the people he sent (all the humans from the previous books in the series) to save them, but there wasn't much they could do Aslan came just in time however, bringing with him the final Judgment Day. The good creatures left Narnia through a lone standing door frame and entered into a magnificent place of which I haven't space to describe the magnitude of its beauty. The evil were rejected, and Narnia began to fold in on itself, much the way it had formed in The Magician's Nephew. Once in this paradise, the children are told that they were here after having been pulled by Aslan into Narnia after their Earthly deaths. The children grappled with this, as it must be a very difficult thing to be told you are dead, but accepted it happily in the end, seeing as everything they loved on Earth and more was there. This was the most spiritually enlightening aspect of the book, and it really left me in awe. Aslan accepted all the good into this "heaven." Not caring whether they had worshipped the Calormene God Tash, Him, or any other deities, he simply accepted them on their goodness. This to me is very interesting because on Earth, it seems, all the various religions are in some sort of competition with each other. Wars are fought over religion often, but as this shows, none of these specifics really matter.

Aslan's Glorious Appearing
I thought it timely, in light of the controversy surrounding another "End Times" story, to remark on this most remarkable of C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles. This satisfying series conclusion illustrates Lewis' brilliant analysis of Biblical prophesy in a touching story children of God can all look to with anticipation ("...Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:20b).

This is the story of Armaggedon; the conflict between anti-Christ (anti-Aslan) and the great masses of inhabitants of lost Narnia deceived by him and doomed for eternity versus the ultimate salvation of the few true followers of Aslan to eternal life in His Country, the True Narnia. The allegory to Scriptural truth is remarkable as illustrated by this most insightful, genius mind of modern-day Christian apologists.

The high point of the story occurs after the destruction of the old world and the lost souls who rejected Aslan, who are dispatched allegorically in Revelations 20, "lake of fire" fashion. The heroes of the story, including all the key players from the earlier Chronicles, are seen trying out their new "resurrection" bodies exploring the most beautiful place ever imagined, thrilled to have Aslan with them. They find after a while that the beautiful country is actually Narnia, the REAL Narnia. Though the Narnia they knew and loved was perceived most wonderful, it was a mere shadow of the perfect New Narnia, the one that would last forever, always with Him present and providing all the light in the never-ending Day.

For believers in Christ, Lewis has projected a clear picture mortal minds can comprehend of how it might be on that Day. It is shown through a children's story because that is how we must come to Him; like a child. "You must become just like a child to enter the Kingdom of God". Jesus said "let all the little children come to Me". In Narnia, those child-like believers were never lost once they found Him, by His grace. Those who perished were the lovers of the old, decaying, temporary Narnia and were deceived by what their own wills commanded, rejecting and hating Aslan and worshipping the god of their chosing, their own selves. This is a definitive picture of our fallen world and our fallen culture. Lewis' work is prescient in describing the condition of the world of today, one in which Jesus could return to at any time, as our prayer pleads from Revelation cited above (but if He tarries, one and all can be sure that He is coming soon; "soon" defined as the lifespan of the individual).

One last point on a most poignant scene from the story. It involves the fierce young Tarkaan warrior Emeth, devoted follower of the vulture-like god of the Calormens, Tash. As our heroes are exploring the Real Narnia, following Aslan "further in and further up", they discover this unlikely believer sitting perplexed under a tree, "surprised by joy". Emeth's story is one that demonstrates man's frequent inability to match his rational and correct thoughts with his often erroneous mental images of said correct thought. In this case this child of the Light lived bravely demonstrating the fruits of the Spirit in humility, submission and obedience to the true God of everything, the Self-Existant Great I AM. But his human error was in his vision of what God looked like and not knowing His correct name. Emeth is somewhat like Helen Keller, who, when "told" about Jesus by Anne Sullivan in the eternal darkness, quiet and aloneness of her disability, said "so that's His name; I know Him".

The story of Emeth's salvation by grace is much akin to the salvation of the thief on the cross, or like mine. It doesn't say that "being good" gets one into Heaven, as one mistaken reviewer opined. It does show that a totally surrendered heart turned toward the One true living God in obedience and love will not be turned away, no matter how mistaken one's mental images may be about God. It is a beautiful picture of salvation by faith through His grace and not by works. God does all the saving; the Holy Spirit teaches us about the true nature of God by His perfect, inerrant Word. Lewis' picture of Emeth is one all believers should take heart in, realizing it is not our purview to know who God has saved by His sovereign will. Of course, Emeth's works demonstrated his salvation, even though he was not recognized as a believer.

Emeth's conviction, humility and devotion in this passage continues to bring me to tears. As Aslan seeks him out in the New Narnia, Emeth is convinced he is about to die. He has seen Aslan in His Glorious Appearing and is convicted of his sins. He falls at His feet thinking "Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honor) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen Him." Read the book to see a most beautiful prosaic illustration of Christ's mercy and grace.

This is an ideal book to read either before or after reading the last of the Left Behind series, Glorious Appearing. The stories are very similar with the same outcome and the same great Hope. The self-possessed "intellectuals" of the world may guffaw at those who believe in "Whom" Lewis and other Christians have assurance. Most of these "intellectuals" are ignorant of Scripture, though some are over-studied yet deluded by their self-enlightenment, hard hearts or pride (see 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 for the bottom line, or if you can't get translation from that source, try reading Lewis' definitive study Miracles).

The Chronicles of Narnia are reading for a lifetime. They should be read by believers as a reminder of how we are to come into His presence. In Narnia we see the joys of serving Him in the trials and in the triumphs of this life. In The Last Battle we see the Genius of Revelation as given to Lewis on a plain that even great intellects can embrace if they are willing to "not harden their hearts" (Hebrews 3:12-15). If they are not willing they will get a clear picture of the consequences.

A fine end to a classic series
As the title implies, "The Last Battle" is the final book of C.S. Lewis' acclaimed Narnia Chronicles. It is also, for all intents and purposes, the end of Narnia itself, culminating in a sequence that bookends with the creation chapters and final coda of "The Magician's Nephew."

Unlike the other Narnia books, "Battle" begins not in the real world with the children who have been at the core of the series, but in Narnia itself. There, an ape called Shift and a donkey named Puzzle find a lion skin which washed down a waterfall. Seeing an opportunity to makes others do what he wants, Shift forces Puzzle to wear the lion skin and pretend he is Aslan. The ape's deception is central to both the conflict that drives the story and the questions of faith and belief that act as this book's moral center.

That conflict and the events which follow lend the story a tension not found in the previous six books, largely because the ape's deceptions just feels *wrong* in every way. The populace of Narnia believes the false Aslan is the real thing, even when he begins to sell them into slavery. Narnia's last king, King Tirian, tries to convince the Narnians that this Aslan is not real, but most are either too scared to not believe or are losing their faith in Aslan altogether. Enter Eustace in his third Narnia appearance and Jill in her second.

The tale moves along at a good pace, driven sometimes by action and other times by a pressing need to know what will happen next. After six Narnia book, the effect of Narnians turning away from Aslan is compelling. What little hope there is for the Good Guys falters again and again, which only adds to the steadily growing tension of the book's first two-thirds. It's effectively done and reads well; it is also has a more serious tone than previous Narnia books, similar to the difference in tone from Lloyd Alexander's first Prydain book and the last.

It is roughly two-thirds of the way through that the story takes a left turn in much the same way "The Magician's Nephew" shifts its focus. Here, however, the effect is not as jarring as it was in "Magician." It works largely because the sense of wonder and discovery present in much of Lewis' work is here in spades.

The final chapters of the book may be overly spiritual for some readers, but by and large that spirituality is of the same sort present at the end of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," a wondrous, timeless sort of revelation that fits within the framework of a fairy tale. Those readers who want to see Christian elements in the tale's finish surely will see them, but one can easily enough read it as the magical end to an equally magical saga told in the tradition of ancient storytelling.

Themes of faith, belief and trust drive "The Last Battle" forward.
All time-tested themes, and Lewis weaves them into a good enough story that they rarely feel heavy-handed. Because the story ends as it does, "Battle" offers true closure to the series, a rarity in lengthy works of fiction where "one more installment" is always a possibility.

"The Last Battle" is a well written and superbly fitting end to C.S.
Lewis' Narnia Chronicles, granting readers a compelling conflict before delivering on a finish that satisfies in spite of the near deux ex machina end to it all. The book manages to tie the elements of the six previous volumes together to close out one of the most beloved children's series of all time. "The Last Battle" is fine piece of work all but the most demanding reader will enjoy.

The Last Battle
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis is the last book of a seven book series entitled The Chronicles of Narnia. I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was full of adventure and it kept the reader in suspense throughout the whole book. This book also has great imagery. It takes the reader feel as if he or she is actually with the characters in the book.

This book would be a fantastic choice for a few different people. Anyone who enjoys reading adventure stories will enjoy this book. It is also great for kids because it has a lot of life lessons in it. This book would also appeal to anybody who enjoys a few fictional elements. ... Read more

Book Description

A voyage to the very ends of the world

Narnia ... where a dragon awakens ... where stars walk the earth ... where anything can happen.

A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail farther and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world's end is only the beginning.

Reviews (62)

questing after the Kingdom
I have put off reviewing "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" for a long time. There is no other book I have so longed to recommend to others, but I have felt (and still feel) totally inadequate when it comes to expressing what a wonderful story this is. I could go on for days about all the wonderful things contained here. That said, I will try and focus on only a few aspects of this book and then plead with you to read it.

First, I must note that I feel this story should be read in the context of the entire Narnian series. It stands on its own nicely enough, but the deep background of the previous tales adds richness and texture to the tale.

Secondly, I must note that this book is highly enjoyable because it works on two levels. The tale as a whole is the story of a journey into unknown lands. With each new place they visit, the whole is broken into wonderful episodes. My favorite episode (with the exception of the ending) is the island where dreams come true...its not what one would expect.

The character of Eustace is my favorite of all the humans in the Narnian books. This story is partly a tale of his transformation. This seems to be a universal human desire; but Eustace, like all who truly seek transformation must, finds impossible to reform himself. This is an especially timely lesson for our "self-help" culture at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

This brings me to what I like best of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader." Let me preface what I say here by making it clear that no one hates heavy-handed use of allegory as much as I do. However, the allegory that is "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is one of the greatest things of beauty I have ever encountered.

In one form or another we are all questing after an unseen kingdom. Be it the kingdom of God, Materialism, or simply of the Self--we are all, like Caspian and his pals, on a quest. I don't wish to give away any endings, but let me just say that the greatest truth Lewis expresses in his book is that no one can reach the True Kingdom on their own.

I urge you to read this book. If I could only have a handful of books, this one would definitely be among them. I give "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" my highest recommendation.

An "Odyssey" for Children
After reading the very first line, "There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it," I realized that I had made a huge mistake beginning "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" half an hour before bedtime. More exciting and adventure-packed than the two preceeding books (in the original ordering, of course), "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and "Prince Caspian", it is hard to put down.

The main characters that readers will recognize are King Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Reepicheep. Sadly, Peter and Susan have since become too old to reenter Narnia; but the story does amazingly well even without them. Here, Eustace, who will reappear in "The Silver Chair", is introduced for the first time. They are an interesting bunch, all providing something essential to the story, especially Reepicheep (whose character and personal history are developed further) and Eustace (who experiences a wonderful kind of redemption).

The Dawn Treader is a ship King Caspian built in order to fulfil an oath made on his coronation day to find the seven lords and friends of his father that his uncle Miraz had sent to explore the Eastern Seas. Every two chapters or so, the Dawn Treader stops at an island, where its crew and passengers have a small adventure-within-the-larger-adventure, discover the fate of each of the seven lords, and learn good moral lessons. For instance, one island, called the Dark Island, is a place where dreams come true. It may sound wonderful, until you realize that the dreams that come true are not the pleasant daydreams, but the nightmares. After the last island, the passengers even reach, or very nearly reach, the End of the World.

Though I compared this book to Homer's "Odyssey" in the title of this review, I must add that it can also be likened to John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress". This voyage is not guided by fate and devoid of reason, but is blessed by Aslan (who symbolizes Jesus) and is full of meaning and purpose. It does not merely represent the passage through life, but the passage through life _as a Christian_. That may be why one reviewer complained that this novel is overly preachy. Yet we readers are human, after all, and in need of being preached to now and then. Another thing that may surprise readers is the chivalry with which Lucy, the only girl on the ship, is treated by the men. Though it not "politically correct," as Eustace himself points out at the beginning, it has a certain rightness to it.

Remembering how the March girls in Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" played at being good in imitation of the character Christian in "The Pilgrim's Progress", only to realize that their game was really a way of life, I can say that it would be wonderful if children today could apply the allegories in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in the same way. Parents, take note: it is easier to ask a child, "What would Edmund tell you about forgiving someone who has done wrong, like Eustace?" than to launch into a weary sermon about forgiveness that they may not remember anyway. There are more archetypes in this book, and in all stories about Narnia, than C.S. Lewis himself must have realized: and children can only benefit from knowing them as they grow up.

I never wanted it to end....
I agree with others here that this was the best out of all the Narnia Chronicles. What a book! I am reading all these books as an adult and I can only imagine how more wonderful these would seem as a child. I do like the Christianity thrown in (Aslan being the Messiah). Some others I have spoken to do not like this in your face message of Adam and Eve and the Aslan's Kingdom. This book clearly states (SPOILER) at the end of the Kingdom (Heaven) being both in Narnia and in our world. It's a great book for an adventurer or someone who would like to explain how beautiful the boundaries of Heaven can be. This is the best book (haven't read the last one yet though) and I already want to read it again...absolutely enchanting.

Among the series' best
The immediate follow-up to "Prince Caspian," "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" is one of C.S. Lewis' classic Narnia series, and contains all the magic, wonder and adventure of the others in the series. Maybe more.

Like most of the Narnia books, "Voyage" takes little time to get moving. Edmund and Lucy are staying with their mean and arrogant little cousin Eustace (Peter and Susan are excised from the story for being too old), when the three children are pulled into the world of Narnia. Edmund and Lucy are delighted to have arrived, but Eustace is bitter at the situation. He is made even more bitter because of where they appear: In the middle of the ocean, where they are picked up by King Caspian on his ship, the Dawn Treader.

Caspian is in the midst of a grand journey in which he is trying to sail to the end of the world. Tossed into the mix is his quest to find seven companions of his father, who fled Narnia when the bad folks from "Prince Caspian" took over. The entire plot is little more than an excuse to sail to lands unknown and explore the most fantastic sights Narnia has to offer. The story does not fail in that endeavor.

While it begins as Another Narnia Adventure, "Voyage" quickly becomes an exploration adventure of the most classic kind, an archetype of a tale in which every action drives the characters towards the next episode and the next land of wonder. Like other timeless tales of this type, the device is remarkably effective in keeping the reader's interest and repeatedly engage one's sense of awe.

Naturally, there are Lessons thrown in for good measure. Lewis can occasionally grate with moralizing, but "Voyage's" moral tales are not grating in the least. Most are tales that have been told time and again throughout mankind's history. Each island has its own little moral message, but they are subtle, fit with the story well, serve the sense of wonder the reader feels, and never intrude on the tale. That's a welcome thing.

In the end, no terrible bad guy is vanquished. No kingdom is won. Nobody turns out to secretly be royalty. None of that. It simply ends when the quest is done. And that end satisfies.

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" may be the very best of the Narnia books and a journey for the ages. Here, Lewis crafts a classic tale of a fantastic journey, and he does so with a finely balanced sense of pacing. "Voyage" never fails to be engaging and will surely delight readers both young and old.

A Voyage of the Best Kind
Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis is in my opinion, the best out of all seven of the Chronicles of Narnia.
It is like a cruise- in a book- you get a taste of various make-believe cultures. You even meet a Star and experience a vast endless sea adventure with good and evil, right and wrong.

Explore the shallows of the sweet waters where there are fierce yet valiant sea people. Search for the eight lords banished from Narnia by the evil 'king' Miraz. See Aslans country and look for the many biblical parallels hidden within that only make it more exciting with its familiarity yet different adventurous ways of portraying the prophesies.

This book is good for people of all ages, and is a good place to start with the fantasy genre. ... Read more

Book Description

This resource is directly related to its literature equivalent and filled with a variety of cross-curricular lessons to do before, during, and after reading the book. This reproducible book includes sample plans, author information, vocabulary building ideas, cross-curriculum activities, sectional activities and quizzes, unit tests, and ideas for culminating and extending the novel. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Handy and Helpful
I am an elementary teacher, and find this book very useful when we read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a class. Many of the worksheets that this guide provides are introspective and help the reader focus on the internal motivations of the characters. My class also enjoys trying "Turkish Delight" from the recipe that this guide provides. It helps me answer the professor's question about logic, "What are they teaching in schools?" (paraphrased).

Back to the enchanting land...
Lucy, Susan, Edmond, and Peter while exploring there uncle's house discover a wardrobe that takes them to the magical enchanted land of Narnia. Lucy becomes the first one to go into Narnia from the four and later they all follow her. In this book you'll see how Edmond helped the terrible witch catch his brother and sisters, and the strange creatures they all met like Aslan, the centaurs, and the talking trees. You'll love this book like me and all my friends did! I recommend this book to anyway who love fiction stories of enchanted worlds. If you liked "the phantom tollbooth" all "Narnia" books "A wrinkle in time" and other stories similar to these, this is one book you'll always treasure!-------------Ahmed age 12

Wonderful fantasy book!
A must read. It's not boring at all. You will simply enjoy this book

fantastic book
I'm a 4th grade teacher and have been teaching this book for more than a decade. All of my students loved this book and go on to read the sequels. ... Read more