Narniathon: THE LAST BATTLE

I completed a seven-month challenge, Narniathon21, after finishing the seventh book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Last Battle. Having read the book and the series several times in my lifetime, each time I found something new or was struck by a different revelation. Insights from other participants made this a very enjoyable experience.

As I read The Last Battle I couldn't help thinking about the political situation in the US right especially during the first part of the book where the ape, Shift, dresses up the donkey, Puzzle , in a lion's pelt and tells him to pretend he is Aslan. This made me think of Trump as I read about the Ape and how self-serving he was and later how he was at the mercy of his bad advisors as he clung to power. On page ten, Puzzle says he doesn't want to pretend to be Aslan, but Shift tells him they'll fix all the things wrong in Narnia. "'But isn't everything right in Narnia already', asks Puzzle. 'What!' cried Shift. 'Everything right? -- when there are no oranges and bananas?'" Clearly Shift, an ape, is the only one concerned about such things, but he wants to rule Narnia by deceit and lies to get what he wants. Later when the animals accuse Shift of just being an ape he lies and says he is a man, a very wise, old man. "'And it is because I'm so old that I'm so wise. And because I am so wise that I am the only one Aslan is ever going to speak to.'" (29) Reminds me of when Trump declared "I alone can fix the problems in America." Later in the story the Narnians overhear some of the Calormen soldiers talking about Trump the Ape, saying they've grown weary of him and calling him a brute, but admitting that he is a useful tool to get to their goals, to take over Narnia (76). It's chilling, actually, to compare Trump and the Ape.

Well, enough about Trump and Shift, the Ape. On to the Narniathon questions:

1. We’ve come a long way since the Pevensies entered the wardrobe that first led them into Narnia. What are the principal emotions that well up in you as you look back on all that’s happened since then?

Honestly I get very emotional every time I read The Last Battle. This time I focused a bit on Susan not being allowed to return to Narnia because she has devoted her life on Earth to makeup and fashion. This doesn't really square with my understanding of the gospel. This made me feel sad and perplexed. I even read the short story, written by Neil Gaiman, about what her life was like after her whole family died in the train wreck. I wouldn't recommend it. It also doesn't square with how I imagine her story ending. I enjoyed the reunion, of sorts, with all the humans who had entered Narnia, including the first king, Frank and his wife.

2. Many fans of Narnia, knowing the many adverse reactions to this final title, have avoided or otherwise refused to read it. Were you one of these and, even if not, what is your reaction now?

Once again I was more aware this read-through of the racially insensitive information in the book toward the people from Calormen than in the past. I cringed when the king had the children, Jill and Eustace, blacken their skin so they could blend in. Otherwise, I love the description of the new Narnia, further up and further in, as being more real than life in the old Narnia. I honestly hope if there is a real heaven that C.S. Lewis is right that it will be a wondrous place, more colorful and real than the life left behind.

3. At the end of the final chapter Lewis uses the metaphor of a book, whether the Book or another special storybook of which the Narnia tales are merely “the cover and the title page.” Does this metaphor work for you as it is intended to?

I'd never noticed this metaphor before. It is pretty hard to wrap my brain around the concept of eternity but the idea of all the stories we know would fit onto a cover page and title seems like a good place to start.

Lewis selected Saturn as the planet to represent the seventh book, The Last Battle. Saturn is thought to have been the worst planet, "whose influence could easily go bad." I don't know about you, but I'd say Lewis nailed "bad" with the end of the world. However, Saturn's influence might also bring about "godly sorrow, penitential wisdom, and contemplative insight." I love this. We certainly saw sorrow, penitence, and wisdom as Narnia is coming to an end. Father Time has been pictured in early pictures of Saturn. Even the Bible has something to say about Saturn's influence when the prophet Amos speaks against his people for worshiping Saturn (Amos 5:26). Lewis used all these known influences of Saturn to great effect in the book. (Planet Narnia)

I want to thank CalmGrove for hosting Narniathon21 and for being so faithful at communicating with participants. I lost a little steam on the challenge at times, but also enjoyed the new insights I gained from other contributors. I had a little flash of nostalgia as I finished this, the final book of the series. I've probably read it five times in my life and it is possible I will never read it again. At this point I certainly don't feel like I need to after reading it so many other times. But on the heels of that thought, a little voice spoke in my head said, "But what about the grandsons...?"

-Anne

Narniathon: THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW

The sixth book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, The Magician's Nephew, is a prequel to the first, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Some publishers name this book the first in the series, but there are lots of hints in the book itself why Lewis did not want it in the beginning slot. Dr. Michael Ward tells us why on his Planet Narnia website:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was not only written first, it was also published first, and the way that it introduces Aslan indicates that the reader is not expected to know who he is, whereas The Magician's Nephew (even though it deals with an earlier period of Narnia history) does not take particular pains to introduce him, because Lewis knew that most of his readers would already have encountered Aslan in earlier published volumes.  The Magician's Nephew also expects that the reader knows about the magic wardrobe.  For these reasons (among others), it is a mistake for publishers to put the number 1 on the spine of The Magician's Nephew or to print it first in multi-volume editions (Planet Narnia -FAQ).   

I was already a devotee of reading the Narnia series in publication order before reading Dr. Ward's analysis, but now I am more determined than ever to spread the news. But if one wants to deviate consider his advice, "It does not particularly matter where in the series first-timers read The Magician's Nephew and The Horse and His Boy as long as those two stories are read after The Lion and before The Last Battle" (Ward). As a high school librarian I had a lot of copies of the separate books in the Chronicles of Narnia and two multi-volume editions. The only students who successfully completed the series were those who started the series at the right place with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Others who started with the Magician's Nephew usually stopped there. 

Enough said on this topic. Now on to the Narniathon questions and my review of the book.

1. Here is how Narnia began, and yet this origin story wasn’t told until just before the final book was published. Do you find this puzzling, or do you think it is indeed better for us to learn how the land came into being now rather than at the start?

Ha-ha. Guess I should have read the questions before I went on my tirade (above.) Clearly I am a believer in NOT reading The Magician's Nephew first even though it is the Narnia creation story.

2. Yet again, we are presented with two new protagonists, Polly and Digory. And yet we also discover at the end that one of these characters is an old friend of ours, and that we have met another of the characters many books back. What was your reaction to these revelations the first time you came across them?

Digory is the professor who lives in the house with the wardrobe which becomes the portal to Narnia in the very first book. I love that we learn at the end of this book how that piece of furniture happened to be magical. And then there is the witch, that dastardly gal. Was Aslan completely exasperated that his beautiful new world was defiled within hours of its creation or did he anticipate it would happen even before the beginning? I spent some time thinking about this.

3. An apple tree plays a significant role in The Magician’s Nephew. Did you find this a satisfying motif, and if so, why do you think that is so?

The chapter about the apple tree saves the whole book for me for a couple of reasons. First, the apple tree is a Biblical reference that all children will recognize from the Adam and Eve story in Genesis. Aslan's description of what happens if someone (the Witch) eats an apple from the special tree at the wrong time or in the wrong way, "they will loathe it ever after" (157). The witch gained her heart's desire, for unwearying strength and endless days, "But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and she has already begun to know it." We see how weary and despicable she becomes in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She is NOT a happy person, for sure! (Understatement!)

The second way that the apple tree chapters saved the book for me was how Aslan assured Digory that his mother could consume the fruit in a safe way and when she did it not only healed her but brought light into the house for the whole family. God's love is often described as light. This light, then, becomes another motif that Christians would recognize and find delight in.

Another aspect about the apple and the assignment that was especially meaningful to me and my present situation builds off of the discussion that Polly and Digory had with the flying horse, Strawberry the night before they get to the garden Aslan instructed them to find, "As the bright young stars of that new world came out they talked over everything: how Digory had hoped to get something for his Mother and how, instead of that, he had been sent on this message" (136). Recently I found myself praying for a miracle. A miracle for a dear person to be saved from death. The person died. What I prayed (for a miracle) didn't happen, or so it seemed at the time. Yet since that prayer, I have discovered so many miracles that did occur in other's lives because of the death. One often thinks that God answers prayers to our specific requests, which isn't true. He does answer prayers but with a much broader aim than we could ever imagine. Digory experienced this. Digory wanted to save his mom. Aslan wanted to protect all of Narnia and in the process Digory's mother was saved, too. I'd say a big miracle was how this changed Digory in the process, too. He was changed from a selfish, sometimes thoughtless boy, one who recognized his need to be truthful, also.

In Planet Narnia, author Michael Ward speculates that Lewis wrote The Magician's Nephew to be controlled by Venus (Planet Narnia, Venus). "The special beauty of Venus in the sky led to it being thought of chiefly as a feminine planet, the goddess of amorousness and sexuality.  Since she presided over such qualities, she was also connected with fertility and creativity and thence to motherliness." I'd say the love in the book can be see more as Aslan's love for his creation and for the friendship love that develops between Digory and Polly, and the love that Digory feels toward his mother. The planet Venus is often called the Morning Star, which is a name attributed to Christ (Rev. 22:16.) I suspect that Lewis had fun hiding his planet project into his books. 😀

As with my re-read of the first five books of the series, I found great delight in my re-read of this, the penultimate book of the series. Thanks for providing a space to do with this others, Calm Grove!

-Anne

Narniathon: THE HORSE AND HIS BOY

The Horse and His Boy is the fifth book published in The Chronicles of Narnia series and the action takes place in what would be the last chapter of the first book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, when the Pevensie children were co-ruling Narnia as the kings and queens. This story starts off in Calormen, the country south of Narnia, when Shasta, the son of a poor fisherman, overhears a discussion between his father and a rich traveler who wants to buy Shasta to be his slave. Hearing the bartering for the price of his freedom, Shasta runs to the field where the traveler's horse is tethered. There he discovers the horse is a talking horse named Bree. The horse wants to escape to his home in the north, Narnia, but he needs a rider to pull off his plan for escape. So the two set off together toward Narnia and the north! Along the way they link up with a young girl, Aravis and her talking horse, Hwin. Aravis is escaping her father and the prospect of a loveless marriage. Both Shasta and Aravis learn information during their journey about how the Tisroc's son, Rabadash, is planning a war with his country's neighbors Archenland and Narnia, because he wants to have Queen Susan as either his wife or his slave. The four escapees must race ahead of the advancing army to warn the King of Archenland before it is too late.

Unlike the other books in the series, no new people enter Narnia from our world. And though three of the Pevensies are brieflymentioned here and there it is chiefly a story about four beings making a very important journey across a big desert. One that is fraught with troubles and dangers and often involving encounters with lions (or a Lion!)

It is a quick and enjoyable read.

Now the Narniathon questions:

1. The Horse and His Boy has a distinctive Arabian Nights feel which some have found problematic. Has this aspect, and its cultural or racial resonances, been an issue for you, or not?

I was more aware of the discriminatory-sounding language than ever on this read through. The Calormen people were 'dark' and wore 'turbans.' I get it that fantasy books need to have villains but the similarities to Muslims or people living in the Arab world was undeniable. I spent a bit of time thinking about how Lewis could have drawn these characters and my only solution involved creating a whole new, unknown race with distinctive, nonhuman characteristics like say some villain out of Tolkien's novels. I didn't let myself be too bothered by the descriptions of the Calormen, however, because I got pretty wrapped up in journey the four individuals were taking and their encounters with Aslan along the way.

2. Unlike the previous four titles, this book has the formerly young visitors to Narnia, the Pevensies, more as bit players than as protagonists. Have you found this a disappointment or did you happily adjust to the new points of view provided by Shasta, Aravis and the others?

In the past I have always relegated The Horse and His Boy as a side book to the series, I suppose because the Pevensies or other humans weren't the main focus. This time, I allowed myself to get swept up in the story and I enjoyed it so much it didn't matter that Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy barely made it into the story.

3. As a boy Lewis loved to imagine talking animals, and that love permeates all the chronicles, including here with Bree, Hwin and, of course, Aslan. How did you feel about the interplay between the young protagonists and their mounts? Did you spot the literary allusions? And how did you react to Rabadash’s punishment?

I really loved the way the four protagonists (children and mounts) interacted.  Aravis and Bree both being prideful due to their upbringing. Then Shasta surprising everyone with his bravery. 

I rarely notice literary allusions when I am reading, then when someone points them out, I am delighted because I agree or annoyed because I didn't catch it. This time, I looked it up first! Shasta, who we learn later (SPOILER ALERT) is actually the long, lost twin prince, Cor, of Archenland. Some experts have compared the twins Cor and Corin to the half-twins Castor and Pollux in Greek Mythology. Both were excellent horsemen. In this book Cor was an excellent horseman, taught by a horse himself. And Pollux won an important boxing match similar to Corin, who always wanted to box everyone in this book. Any time a book is about a journey with important stops along the way, one must think about the Odyssey and the initial questions referenced Arabian Nights.

Rabadash is punished by Aslan for being unrepentant. He is turned into a donkey, but can be transformed once he gets home as long as he never goes outside of the ten mile radius of the capitol city. Though he was mocked and made fun of, he ended up becoming a peaceful ruler of Calormen, since he could never go to war! In the Bible there is an example of God using a donkey to speak to Balaam, a prophet, (See Numbers 22-24.) But the parallels to this story end there. 

Planet Narnia says that Lewis meant to align The Horse and His Boy with Mercury. Mercury is the fastest of the planets to circle the sun so it is often associated with being a messenger. If we think about this story, Shasta was tapped to be a messenger throughout. Mercury is thought to have ruled over the constellation Gemini, the twins: Castor and Pollux (them again!) Mercury is also the god of boxers, thieves, and crossroads. I love it that Lewis hid these little tidbits inside his books. I am thinking now of all the times in the story when the children and the horses had to decide which road to take and how Aslan used those choices for the good of all.

I am more delighted with The Horse and His Boy than I ever remember being on previous readings thanks to the insights I've gained from Calm Grove and other participants of Narniathon21. Thank you.

One point of irritation -- The publication of The Horse and His Boy that I read was published by MacMillan and clearly states on the cover it is the 5th book in the series. When I searched Goodreads to find the correct edition it was incorrectly identified as the 3rd book in the series. I am a firm believer in reading the Chronicles of Narnia in publication order. Lewis published this book 5th. I'm not an editor on Goodreads or I would have gone in and changed it in a minute! (See cover photo above.)

-Anne

Narniathon: THE SILVER CHAIR

 

Unlike last month when we read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#3 Chronicles of Narnia) and I practically had to drag myself through it, this month my reading of the fourth book in the series, The Silver Chair, simply flew by. What was the difference? Well, for one thing, though I've read The Silver Chair four or five other times in my life, I could only remember a skeletal outline of the story. I remembered the Marsh-Wiggle, Puddleglum, and the friendly giants who wanted to eat the children. I recalled a chair (Duh! The title) and the beautiful woman being evil. What I didn't remember was how funny the book was. 

Compared to the other books in the series I'd say this one is clearly the funniest, with Puddleglum delivering most of the comedic lines. Comedy often saves us from the most dreadful of circumstances.  Think of the popularity of comedians on Netflix since the pandemic began. My husband and I made our way though their standup routines as if grabbing for a lifeline every night during the worst of the lcokdowns. At a funeral we attended last week for a beloved Sheriff's Deputy who was killed in the line of duty, the preacher started his remarks with a funny comment. It broke the tension in the room, allowing us all a moment to catch our breath, to laugh, and to regroup in our collective grief. C.S. Lewis knew this, I believe, and purposely used humor to lighten what was an otherwise very serious, deadly serious quest. Here is just one example. When Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum are seemingly trapped in the Underworld and are wondering if they have read the signs correctly but doubting themselves, Puddleglum puts a bright light on the situation, “And you must always remember there's one good thing about being trapped down here: it'll save funeral expenses.”Ah, the tension is broken by this quip and the characters can move forward.

Now on with the discussion questions for Narniathon --

1. The Silver Chair is a quest story, its progress determined by four signs which, Aslan says, will confirm that Jill Pole and Eustace Scrubb are on the right track. The children believe they have failed in recognizing three of the signs: have they really failed or do you think the signs, like many oracular sayings, were too obscure or ambiguous to be of practical use?

If we accept that The Chronicles of Narnia are really a Christian allegory, then it makes sense that the signs aren't completely obvious. The disciples once asked Jesus why he spoke in parables instead of using direct examples and he replied that to many understanding the mysteries of the kingdom has not been granted. In Matthew 13:10-17 Jesus answers them and also quotes Isaiah: "Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,

‘You shall keep on listening, but shall not understand;
And you shall keep on looking, but shall not perceive;
For the heart of this people has become dull,
With their ears they scarcely hear,
And they have closed their eyes,
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their heart, and return,
And I would heal them.’

Now, I am not even going to attempt to explain this but I accept a partial explanation that there is a mystery and only actual seekers will understand the signs. Jill and Eustace had a preconceived idea of what each sign meant. Did they really flub the first three? I'd say not. They just thought they did since the signs didn't fill their preconceived ideas exactly. They finished their quest and saved the Prince, after all.

2. The narrative brings in so many themes and motifs from folklore, myth, medieval epic and children’s literature. What are your favorite moments in the novel, and why do you think that may be so?

I already talked about my favorite moments -- those involving humor. There were the kindly giants who planned on eating the children, but cried about it and moaned, "Poor poppets" even as they plotted their demise.  Puddleglum and his deadpan/gloomy disposition which gave off a negative vibes but he was really brave and smart:

“Puddleglum!" said Jill. "You're a regular old humbug. You sound as doleful as a funeral and I believe you're perfectly happy. And you talk as if you were afraid of everything, when you're really as brave as - as a lion.”

My favorite Puddleglum quote, which makes me laugh every time I read it:

Even the ending is funny. When Eustace and Jill return to their terrible school at the end of the book their tormentors are thwarted by Caspian and Eustace brandishing swords and the awful Head teacher, who was thought of as a lunatic after reporting the instance to the police, was not sacked but promoted up: "And they then found she wasn't much good even at that, they got her into Parliament where she lived happily ever after."

3. There’ll be a winged horse in The Magician’s Nephew and a talking horse in The Horse and His Boy, Eustace as a dragon gives rides to the crew of the Dawn Treader, and of course Lucy and Susan are privileged to ride on Aslan’s back in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In The Silver Chair the children are also very privileged: “To ride on a Centaur is, no doubt, a great honour (and except Jill and Eustace there is probably no one alive in the world today who has had it)” we’re told, “but it is very uncomfortable.” Uncomfy or not, is there any Narnian or other creature you would like to travel on the back of — with their permission of course?

In The Silver Chair, Jill and Eustace are not only conveyed forward on centaurs but earlier they are ferried out of the castle and eventually to the marshes to meet up with Puddleglum on the backs of owls. Now that would be quite a trip. Of course one has to hang on for dear life and not fall asleep even though one is very sleepy, or else one might fall off. Personally, I had the thought that it would be quite scary to ride on a centaur and obviously quite dangerous to ride on an owl. My vote goes for riding on a talking horse, like the boy does in A Horse and His Boy. I don't know how to ride and that way the horse could teach me and essentially do all the hard work.

Planet Narnia website reveals that Lewis designed The Silver Chair to be ruled by the goddess Luna or the moon. It seems to fit. Luna rules the night and much of this story takes place at night or in darkness. Luna was thought to be responsible for inconstancy and doubt. It also has an influence on sanity, "which is why people who have lost their wits are called 'lunatics.'" Matthew 4:24 considers lunatics among the sick people who are healed by Jesus. Luna's metal is silver. "C.S. Lewis designed The Silver Chair so that it would embody and express Luna's qualities. "

-Anne

Narniathon (#3): VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER

Illustration of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader by Pauline Baynes

Whew. I made it. I completed the third installment, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, for Narniathan before the end of March. I got lost somewhere along the journey, wandering around in between all those lost islands, but I made it to the end of the book and enjoyed the glimpse of Aslan's Country in the far east.

This is my fourth or fifth time reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader so I wasn't expecting any surprises. I've always enjoyed this book immensely, often citing it as my favorite in the seven book Chronicles of Narnia series. The surprise, however, was my reaction this time. I just didn't find the delight I remember experiencing on previous readings. However, personal circumstances have imposed on my moods so I will lay the blame there. Enough said.

I will start by answering the questions proposed by Calmgrove for Narniathon and then I'll see if I want to say anything more:

1. A picture as a portal didn’t originate with Lewis, for he may have taken the idea from an episode in John Masfield’s The Box of Delights (1935) in which Cole Hawlings passes into a painting called The Dents du Midi from the North in order to escape from wolves. Here however it’s a painting of a sailing ship on the high seas that the children enter. The question therefore is, Assuming you would like to enter a picture, what subject would you choose or even, if you have one in mind, what specific image would you opt for?

In case you aren't familiar with this book or the series, the Pevensie children always enter Narnia in some unexpected way. In the first book, they enter through an old wardrobe. In the second book, Prince Caspian, they enter when a train whistles or a horn is blown. In Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lucy and Edmund, and their horrid cousin Eustace, enter Narnia through a painting hanging on a bedroom wall. They even get wet before they are pulled all the way into a new land.

I've never really wondered at the possibility of entering a world through a paintin g before but I have been inspired by an author, Marcus Sedgwick, who wrote a remarkable novel, Midwinterblood, in a backward-telling series of stories, which was inspired by a painting called Midvinterblot by Carl Larrson displayed in the Swedish National Museum. After I looked at the painting of a naked king in some sort of ceremony, I became all the more vested in the strange story Sedwick told which he imagined led up to that moment. I like the idea that art inspires art. 

So since I've never thought of it before and haven't given it much thought, I've always liked the action in Renoir's paintings. His famous Luncheon of the Boating Party (1882) looks like a fun and congenial event. I'd like to experience such a meal with so much wine and camaraderie.

2. There are many characters, old and new, that appear in this instalment, from Reepicheep to Eustace, Caspian to Coriakin, Aslan to the Duffers. What character (or characters) made the strongest impression on you in this book, and why?

As per usual, the character that interests me the most in this book is Eustace. My interest starts with one of the best opening lines in all of literature:

There once was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it (1).

I laugh or smile every single time I read that line. Eustace was a brat, a bully, and a bore (boar?) He is magically transported, via a painting, onto a Narnian ship en route to discover the whereabouts of seven lost Telmarian lords who traveled to the far East. He isn't caught up in the magic at all. He is just mad about being wet, or the food, or the lack of the British Consulate. That is until he is magically turned into a dragon and he discovers, almost too late, the negative aspects of his personality and is saved by Aslan after he repents of his past ways. I love the part of the story where he is clawing at his skin causing it to shed like a snake, but is unable to get his dragon scales off by himself.

"Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off -- just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they didn't hurt...Then he caught hold of me... and threw me in the water. It smarted like anything, but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again" (89-90).

As a Christian I've always appreciated Eustace's troubles. He thought he was smart and could handle things himself. But when it came to saving himself, he couldn't do it. He needed Aslan, just like I need Jesus. I can never be good enough, smart enough, holy enough to deserve his help either. I just have to be humble enough to accept his help

3. Stories of voyages and expeditions have always intrigued listeners and readers, whether to the north, west, south or — as here — east. Lewis uses The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to further explore the world made by Aslan — we will travel north, south and west in later installments — so, What do you think is the significance, if any, of this sea voyage towards the rising sun?

The sun rises in the East.  The Chronicles of Narnia are thought to be a Christian allegory and the scriptures often refer to the sun and to God's light as a metaphor for God's divine nature, and to Christ's return coming from the East (Matthew 24:27.) I think Lewis was relying on these types of scriptures as symbols Christians might recognize. This is the first of the Narnia books where Aslan alluded to his presence on earth, not as a lion but as a savior nonetheless. Lucy is pacified by this declaration. 

In the book Planet Narnia author Michael Ward proposes that Lewis intentionally designed each of the seven books in the Narnia series to be ruled/dominated by characteristics of the different planets. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is therefore dominated by characteristics of the sun or Sol. This interesting article about Sol (Planet Narnia) talks about the characteristics of Sol (Apollo) which seem relevant to the book:

• "His sphere was the heaven of theologians and philosophers and produced the noblest metal, gold." -- See chapter VIII, Two Narrow Escapes.
• "Sol burns away base considerations of greed and profit." -- See chapter VI, The Adventures of Eustace.
• "Sol brought about fortunate events." -- See chapter IX, The Dufflepuds Made Happy, et al.
  

Well, what do you know? Just spending a little more time answering the questions and analyzing the text has brought me back around. This was and remains an awfully good story. And after the death of a dear relative this past week, it does my heart good to think of Dom bathed in Aslan's (God's) bright light in His Kingdom. 

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. Share the opening quote from current book.
The Friday56 is hosted at Freda's Voice.  Find a quote from page 56 to share. 
Visit these two websites to participate. Click on links to read quotes from books other people are reading. It is a great way to make blog friends and to get suggestions for new reading material.  

 

-Anne

Narniathon: PRINCE CASPIAN

 

When my daughter and I decided to reread The Chronicles of Narnia last year I got as far as Prince Caspian before I crapped out. I think she got through The Voyage of the Dawn Treader before she called it quits. Why did I stop so close to the starting spot, I wonder? I'm hoping that today's review and participation in answering the Narniathon questions will help supply some answers for myself.

1. Tolkien had written of his Middle-earth saga “I wisely started with a map and made the story fit.” Prince Caspian was the first of the Narniad chronicles to include a map by Pauline Baynes showing part of Narnia and the adjoining lands. Does its addition help you orientate yourself more than if it wasn’t included? Or do you agree with Lucy in the following exchange that there are more important things to keep in mind?¹ 

'That’s the worst of girls,’ said Edmund to Peter and the Dwarf. ‘They never carry a map in their heads.’
‘That’s because our heads have something inside them,’ said Lucy.

Ha-ha. I love Lucy's retort. I just had a conversation with my husband this past weekend about maps-in-the-head. I get turned around when I travel unless I can get an adequate aerial view in my head. This is usually accomplished after much repetition, not actually looking at a map. But I digress.

Speaking of looking at a map, I didn't remember seeing the map of Narnia in my edition of Prince Caspian. (Pause, while I get up and go look again...) Nope, I don't have it. The book jacket mentions the medieval pomp and pageantry of Pauline Baynes line drawings, but makes no mention of the map. Can anyone tell me where it is located in your book, page number or end pages? Where have I seen it? Oh, I remember. My daughter had a poster of a Narnia map in her bedroom. Is it still here even though she has moved out? (Pause, while I tromp upstairs...) Nope. No map on the wall, but it looked like the one below, which isn't a very helpful map if one wants to navigate around Narnia.

So, let me investigate a bit online to see if I can find any other Narnia maps. (Pause, while I open up the Internet...) Ah. With a little investigation I found that the above map was drawn and painted by Pauline Baynes in 1972. My book was published in 1951 by Macmillian so that would explain why it is missing. Next I found a map which was said to be the endpapers in Prince Caspian. I wonder if that was only in the British publication or if I just have some cheap publication with no fancy endpapers? See below.

Honestly, I don't think this map is very useful, either, though it is fun to look at it and try to remember what happened where. While searching, I also found this map of Narnia, which is a bit better than the other two, but not much. It, at least, looks old and the lamp post is clearly labeled.

Enough about maps. Now I'm upset that my edition doesn't have it included.

2. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe we had talking animals (such as beavers, and one lion who talked and one who didn’t). In Prince Caspian we have many more fauna which talk, another instance of Lewis’s childhood obsession with animals with the power of speech. Do you find animal characters imbued with human abilities and mannerisms rather endearing, or mildly irritating?

I missed the darling talking animals from the first book, though several made an appearance later in the story. Honestly, I didn't connect with many characters in Prince Caspian, even Caspian himself. I've read a few reviews from others participating in Narniathon who mentioned that the characters seemed flat. I would agree. The whole story just didn't have the punch that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe had. It is surprisingly boring in parts, even though this book has another big battle.

3. Prince Caspian comes across as a book explicitly about war, especially interesting given that Michael Ward’s Planet Narnia suggested that this installment — in Lewis’s implicit scheme of a series determined by medieval cosmology — was characterized by Mars.² But is there more to this novel than just martial exploits, bickerings, skirmishes, duels and set battles?

Not being a student of Greek and Roman mythology I did a little research about Mars today to appear that I know what I am talking about. I do think that Lewis was playing around with the gods of the planets. Mars being the god of Mars, the red planet, made me think of red things in the story -- red-haired dwarfs, red apples, red capes, and, of course, the red lion. Mars is also known as the god of the wild and an agricultural guardian. This book, more than any other, feathers the flora and fauna with even the trees coming to the rescue to save Narnia from the humans.

Prince Caspian is my least favorite of all the books in the series but a vital book to help understand the history of the land and its beings. Perhaps this is why I stopped rereading the series after I completed the book. I am committed to proceed this time. If you want to jump in, read it second in the order Lewis published his books, not fourth, like the cover of some book I found online says. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is cued up for March!

-Anne

Narniathon: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Narniathon: A delightful project, to read one Narnia book a month and discuss it. 

Chris has posted his first discussion prompt, which I answered here and posted there:

1. The first inkling of magic comes when Lucy enters the wardrobe and passes through into the snowy landscape. If this was your first ever read of this fantasy what was your reaction to this? And if it wasn’t your first read, was the magic still there and did Lewis sustain it through to the end?

• I first read the Narnia series when I was a preteen, then again as a teenager. Later I read it to my small children, and later we read it to read other in preparation for the movie. Every single time I read LWW I am struck anew at the magic and easy acceptance of it after the initial reluctance to believe Lucy. (Would you?) Imagine stepping into a world of fauns, talking beasts, and a massive lion, who is the king and very wild. I'd be hiding and working frantically to get back to the wardrobe ASAP.
  

2. If you initially read this as a child, were you aware of and, if so, curious about the Christian allegory Lewis enfolded into the narrative? But if your first experience of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is as an adult does knowing that this is regarded as an allegory affect your appreciation of the story?

• I was too young my first time through it to recognize the Christian allegory but I'm certain as a teenager I read it expressly to look for the hidden Christian messages. LWW has the most symbolism of the seven books, I think, especially the bit about crucifixion and resurrection of Aslan. As an adult I can dismiss some of my teenage ideas since I've read that Lewis didn't intend the series to be a Christian allegory.
  

3. And now a more light-hearted question: who is your favourite character, and why? (Or maybe you have more than one favourite character.) Because if story is, to paraphrase Hamlet, the thing that catches our conscience, it’s individuals, whether human or otherwise, with whom we feel affinity or antipathy and who drive most stories forward.

• I've always been a Lucy fan. She remains sweet and innocent from start to finish and so devoted to Aslan and his message of a deeper love. 
  

One more idea that I want to explore is the idea that Lewis tried to match each book with a certain planet. In his review of Planet Narnia by Michael Ward, Chris over at Calmgrove examines the idea in his post, Contemplating the Narniad. Ward proposes that Lewis, who was a classics expert, likely wrote the seven books of the series to match the qualities of different planets. Chris wrote: "Each book of the Narniad is based on the mood, atmosphere and characteristics of one of these bodies as personified in pagan mythology and appropriated by medieval Christianity. Lewis, so Ward suggests, wanted to suffuse each book with those planetary aspects that he had assigned to them, such as joviality, saturninity, mercurialness and so on." He goes on to describe LWW as the most jovial of all the books, so Lewis must have wanted its planet of influence to be Jupiter. Ward proposes that Lewis “took certain old familiar pictures in his head and threw them into a pot labelled ‘Joviality’; and as they simmered there, marinading and reducing, they began to smell somewhat of the gospel story. But only somewhat…”

Now that is a fun idea to play around with and one I will attempt to revisit as I continue on with the other books in the series.

-Anne