I want to write a bit about the book that I just finished reading. It's still listed as the book I am reading because I only finished it last night and I haven't yet decided if I want to open my heart and trust Clive Cussler again. That in itself is another story, so I'll leave that out of this one.
So I want to talk about The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis.
It's not that I don't like the books. I do. I've now read them twice. It's that there are things within the book's that either strike me as odd, or wrong, or...something.
The first time I read the book I was heavily pregnant with Jaxon. I remember feeling the same way about it back then but felt that I had to give it the benefit of the doubt and allow for certain amounts of pregnancy brain clouding my judgement. But this second time around I've felt the same.
From here on in, if you have not read the books and plan to, you should probably stop reading.
In the first chapter, Polly and Digory go to Narnia via the use of magic rings. They're the one's who took the witch to Narnia on the day it was born. They also took the first King and the first Queen there from England. It would appear that they originated in about the early 1900's.
Then in the next story, it is Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy who head off to Narnia via the magic wardrobe. If you haven't read the book, the wardrobe was built from the wood of a tree that had the magic rings buried under it.
Those four become the Kings and Queens of Narnia. When the witch is defeated, they leave again through the cupboard.
For the next part of the story those same four children come back to Narnia. This time they are called in by Prince Caspian, who blows on Queen Susan's magic horn.
When it is time to leave though, Aslan let's Peter and Susan know that this will be their last visit to Narnia. They return to England and can not come back because they have got too old.
In the next book Edmund and Lucy get to go back, and they take with them their cousin Eustace. They enter Narnia through a painting of a boat on the ocean. When it is time for them to return to England it is Edmund and Lucy who are told that they are now too old to return to Narnia and that this would be their last visit.
So the next three book's have Eustace and a girl named Jill, who he is not related to, but knows through their school.
It is these two who are in the final chapter of the book. And it is the final chapter's of the final book that confuses me a bit.
You see, the LAST King of Narnia is in trouble and call's out to the Kings and Queens of Narnia for help. He thinks that the tail's of old could never happen to him. That the children that always come when Narnia is in trouble would never come to help him. He thinks he is dreaming when he is transported to a room with seven people in it.
He talks of two older people who I assume are the first King and Queen. Then he speak of Peter, the High King. Next to him is a young girl, and next to her is a young boy. Then two much younger children.
I read over this section of the book quite a few times. There was the first King and Queen, then Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy. As far as I know Eustace was never crowned a King, although I think he was Knighted. And I am almost positive that Jill was never made Queen either. But that there makes eight people. Not seven.
Later in the book Lucy get's to explain to the last King that Susan was no longer a friend of Narnia because now lipstick and clothes were more important to her. That she now teased them all for still believing in Narnia and the adventure's they had had.
I just wonder why that part HAD to be in the book. Since we're talking about fairy tale's and magical lands with magical creature's, why could she not just be a friend of Narnia? It wouldn't have affected the way the book ended to have had Susan included in those friends of Narnia. Would it?
Having got all of that off my chest, I'd like to come to my next gripe. The very last page.
Is that not the most disappointing page of a book you have ever read? As I said at the start, don't get me wrong. I adore this book and I love reading it. But that last page leaves me unsatisfied. Aslan tell's the children, and everyone who entered Narnia from England that they died in a train crash and that's it. They're in Narnia. But it doesn't explain certain things.
It doesn't explain why Polly and Digory went in via magic rings. It doesn't explain why at a different time, the four children enter via a magic cupboard, or why they were whisked away from a train station, or entered through a magic painting or door.
The way the book is written you're led to believe that they all entered Narnia at separate times in their own lives. They all entered in to different time's of Narnia.
Four of them, entered when Narnia was first born. (magic rings)
Four of them entered when Narnia was controlled by the witch and in it's 100 years of winter. (magic wardrobe)
Those same four entered in to Narnia 400 years later when the real King of Narnia needed their help. (magic horn, called from a train station)
Three of them entered in to Narnia when that same King was travelling the sea's and almost 15 years older than he had been the first time he'd met them. (magic painting)
Two of them entered when that same King was about to die, 60 years later. (magic door)
Two of them entered Narnia when his great great great grandson was King, last King of Narnia. (called in by Last King)
So how is it that they ALL died in the same train crash? And if Susan was in Narnia the first and second time then I'd only have to assume that she died in the same accident, so therefore...shouldn't she still be DEAD at the end of the story?
Also, the train crash that Aslan tells them about also included their parents. But their parent's don't get to go to Narnia. At first I thought it was simple. They were too old to go to Narnia in the first place. But then that doesn't explain how the first King and Queen of Narnia got to go, for they were quiet old as well.
There are of course other little things that puzzle me. But the one I'd like to ask my loyal reader's is this.
Is Aslan meant to be God??? In several parts of the book he tell's the children that in their own world they know him as something different, but that he is one and the same. In the final book he tell's Emeth that he and Tash are as different as chalk and cheese (ok he didn't say chalk and cheese) but that anything good done to Tash would be taken as good to Him and anything bad that was done FOR Tash would be taken as evil done against him. Is he saying that he is God and Tash is the devil???
I know that this is just a book and a fairy tail and that I should probably stop losing sleep over the in's and out's of how all of this could possibly make sense when it so clearly does not. But it would be nice if someone could answer me, or clear the air for me so I can go to bed and move on.
So I want to talk about The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis.
It's not that I don't like the books. I do. I've now read them twice. It's that there are things within the book's that either strike me as odd, or wrong, or...something.
The first time I read the book I was heavily pregnant with Jaxon. I remember feeling the same way about it back then but felt that I had to give it the benefit of the doubt and allow for certain amounts of pregnancy brain clouding my judgement. But this second time around I've felt the same.
From here on in, if you have not read the books and plan to, you should probably stop reading.
In the first chapter, Polly and Digory go to Narnia via the use of magic rings. They're the one's who took the witch to Narnia on the day it was born. They also took the first King and the first Queen there from England. It would appear that they originated in about the early 1900's.
Then in the next story, it is Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy who head off to Narnia via the magic wardrobe. If you haven't read the book, the wardrobe was built from the wood of a tree that had the magic rings buried under it.
Those four become the Kings and Queens of Narnia. When the witch is defeated, they leave again through the cupboard.
For the next part of the story those same four children come back to Narnia. This time they are called in by Prince Caspian, who blows on Queen Susan's magic horn.
When it is time to leave though, Aslan let's Peter and Susan know that this will be their last visit to Narnia. They return to England and can not come back because they have got too old.
In the next book Edmund and Lucy get to go back, and they take with them their cousin Eustace. They enter Narnia through a painting of a boat on the ocean. When it is time for them to return to England it is Edmund and Lucy who are told that they are now too old to return to Narnia and that this would be their last visit.
So the next three book's have Eustace and a girl named Jill, who he is not related to, but knows through their school.
It is these two who are in the final chapter of the book. And it is the final chapter's of the final book that confuses me a bit.
You see, the LAST King of Narnia is in trouble and call's out to the Kings and Queens of Narnia for help. He thinks that the tail's of old could never happen to him. That the children that always come when Narnia is in trouble would never come to help him. He thinks he is dreaming when he is transported to a room with seven people in it.
He talks of two older people who I assume are the first King and Queen. Then he speak of Peter, the High King. Next to him is a young girl, and next to her is a young boy. Then two much younger children.
I read over this section of the book quite a few times. There was the first King and Queen, then Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy. As far as I know Eustace was never crowned a King, although I think he was Knighted. And I am almost positive that Jill was never made Queen either. But that there makes eight people. Not seven.
Later in the book Lucy get's to explain to the last King that Susan was no longer a friend of Narnia because now lipstick and clothes were more important to her. That she now teased them all for still believing in Narnia and the adventure's they had had.
I just wonder why that part HAD to be in the book. Since we're talking about fairy tale's and magical lands with magical creature's, why could she not just be a friend of Narnia? It wouldn't have affected the way the book ended to have had Susan included in those friends of Narnia. Would it?
Having got all of that off my chest, I'd like to come to my next gripe. The very last page.
Is that not the most disappointing page of a book you have ever read? As I said at the start, don't get me wrong. I adore this book and I love reading it. But that last page leaves me unsatisfied. Aslan tell's the children, and everyone who entered Narnia from England that they died in a train crash and that's it. They're in Narnia. But it doesn't explain certain things.
It doesn't explain why Polly and Digory went in via magic rings. It doesn't explain why at a different time, the four children enter via a magic cupboard, or why they were whisked away from a train station, or entered through a magic painting or door.
The way the book is written you're led to believe that they all entered Narnia at separate times in their own lives. They all entered in to different time's of Narnia.
Four of them, entered when Narnia was first born. (magic rings)
Four of them entered when Narnia was controlled by the witch and in it's 100 years of winter. (magic wardrobe)
Those same four entered in to Narnia 400 years later when the real King of Narnia needed their help. (magic horn, called from a train station)
Three of them entered in to Narnia when that same King was travelling the sea's and almost 15 years older than he had been the first time he'd met them. (magic painting)
Two of them entered when that same King was about to die, 60 years later. (magic door)
Two of them entered Narnia when his great great great grandson was King, last King of Narnia. (called in by Last King)
So how is it that they ALL died in the same train crash? And if Susan was in Narnia the first and second time then I'd only have to assume that she died in the same accident, so therefore...shouldn't she still be DEAD at the end of the story?
Also, the train crash that Aslan tells them about also included their parents. But their parent's don't get to go to Narnia. At first I thought it was simple. They were too old to go to Narnia in the first place. But then that doesn't explain how the first King and Queen of Narnia got to go, for they were quiet old as well.
There are of course other little things that puzzle me. But the one I'd like to ask my loyal reader's is this.
Is Aslan meant to be God??? In several parts of the book he tell's the children that in their own world they know him as something different, but that he is one and the same. In the final book he tell's Emeth that he and Tash are as different as chalk and cheese (ok he didn't say chalk and cheese) but that anything good done to Tash would be taken as good to Him and anything bad that was done FOR Tash would be taken as evil done against him. Is he saying that he is God and Tash is the devil???
I know that this is just a book and a fairy tail and that I should probably stop losing sleep over the in's and out's of how all of this could possibly make sense when it so clearly does not. But it would be nice if someone could answer me, or clear the air for me so I can go to bed and move on.
5 people disagree!:
Hey Boo! It's been years and years since I read these books (literally close to thirty years) so I can't explain some of your questions, but yes, Narnia was written as a Christian Allegory. Particularly the death and resurrection of Aslan.
Read this:
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/179/story_17965_1.html
Hmmm, that link didn't work. Here's a tiny one.
http://tinyurl.com/5dtspm
You'll have to read it again MB so that you can tell me how the kids are dead through the entire book but apparently keep returning to England.
Did Susan NOT die and thats why she is no longer a friend of Narnia?
So many questions, so few answer's!
Boo, when I read these books a few years ago, I took the train wreck at the end to have been a separate event from the one that killed their parents...weren't there parents just in London afraid of the war in the beginning? I also read the books in a different order than you it seems. I read Wardrobe first, but the Magician's Nephew toward the end. I also took the reference to the Kings and Queens of Narnia to mean that first king and queen, who's names I've forgotten (Dan?), Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, but the other two - Eustace and Jill - were also important to Narnia, so there in the room but not as a king or queen. Eustace always bothered me, as a kid and as an adult, lol. He seemed so...wimpy. :-)
Just found your blog through sex diaries of a mom and was reading some of your back post.It has beeen since 6th grade but I went to a Baptist school and my teacher read the series of books to the class she started with the wardrobe book then went back to the magicians nephew she said it was easier to follow that way. I don't remember a lot of the details though. It ia a favorite of mine still.
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