Hello all! I'm excited about starting to review Narnia. Due to a slightly busy day, I am just doing the first chapter of the book today.
Title: The Magician's Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Published: Originally published in 1955, has been re-printed many times over the years. The particular copies I am reviewing are the same ones Dad read to us over the years, they are pretty old and falling apart! :-) (My brother Andrew has a newer copy with all the books in one collected version, however, I am still reading the old ones. :-) ) Anyway, this particular copy is printed from Collier Books in either 1970 or 1978.
Background Information: See other posts on C.S. Lewis and Narnia. The Magician's Nephew is probably my favorite book in the Narnia series, or possibly The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (hee! or I may change my mind after re-reading the series :-) )
The Magician's Nephew...
The first page starts out:
"This is a story about something that happened along ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began. In those days Mr. Sherlock Holmes was still living in Baker Street and the Bastables were looking for treasure in the Lewisham Road. In those days, if you were a boy you had to wear a stiff Eton collar every day, and schools were usually nastier than now. But meals were nicer; and as for sweets, I won't tell you how cheap and good they were, because it would only make your mouth water in vain."
I enjoy those first few paragraphs and that I wanted to include them for those of you who haven't read the Narnia books. (hopefully to give you a push to read the books if you haven't done so already!)
Just a few comments of my own on the above paragraph. I'm guessing, since the book was written over 50 years ago, that instead of thinking of "grandfather" you should think of great-grandfather. :-) Also, remember the books are set in England. Hopefully you all are somewhat familiar with Sherlock Holmes. The Bastables are another fiction series that was written in the early 1900s. I've read them, and enjoyed them. :-) (author of the Bastables is E. Nesbitt, titles include: The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Wouldbegoods, and The New Treasure Seekers, according to Wikipedia) Not a Christian series, but if my memory is correct, they are still good "classic" children literature. If you're a fan of old literature you'll enjoy them. :-) Okay, I've rambled enough...moving on. :-)
The Magician's Nephew is primarily about a boy named Digory, his Uncle Andrew, and a girl named Polly, and how Narnia begins.
In the first chapter, we learn how Polly finds Digory in the garden and notices that he is upset. (he has just been crying) We learn that Digory misses his country home, and considers London to be a "beastly Hole" (p. 3). We also find out that his father is in India, his mother is very ill (mostly likely going to die) and that he his staying with his Aunt and "mad" (i.e. crazy) Uncle.
Polly and Digory talk that day and become friends. They spend their days together and do a variety of things, one rainy day, they are shut up indoors and decide to "explore." They are in Polly's attic and decide to go across the rafters to find a nearby empty house. However, they end up in Digory's house and in the his Uncle's "forbidden study." They are surprised when Uncle Andrew discovers them and that he is so "glad" to see them. Uncle Andrew tells them about an experiment he recently did on a guinea-pig and wants them to get involved too. Polly and Digory don't trust him and try to leave. Just before they leave, Uncle Andrew tricks Polly into trying on a magical ring. Digory tries to stop her, but before he can, she puts it on and disappears!
More to follow tomorrow!
Title: The Magician's Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Published: Originally published in 1955, has been re-printed many times over the years. The particular copies I am reviewing are the same ones Dad read to us over the years, they are pretty old and falling apart! :-) (My brother Andrew has a newer copy with all the books in one collected version, however, I am still reading the old ones. :-) ) Anyway, this particular copy is printed from Collier Books in either 1970 or 1978.
Background Information: See other posts on C.S. Lewis and Narnia. The Magician's Nephew is probably my favorite book in the Narnia series, or possibly The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. (hee! or I may change my mind after re-reading the series :-) )
The Magician's Nephew...
The first page starts out:
"This is a story about something that happened along ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began. In those days Mr. Sherlock Holmes was still living in Baker Street and the Bastables were looking for treasure in the Lewisham Road. In those days, if you were a boy you had to wear a stiff Eton collar every day, and schools were usually nastier than now. But meals were nicer; and as for sweets, I won't tell you how cheap and good they were, because it would only make your mouth water in vain."
I enjoy those first few paragraphs and that I wanted to include them for those of you who haven't read the Narnia books. (hopefully to give you a push to read the books if you haven't done so already!)
Just a few comments of my own on the above paragraph. I'm guessing, since the book was written over 50 years ago, that instead of thinking of "grandfather" you should think of great-grandfather. :-) Also, remember the books are set in England. Hopefully you all are somewhat familiar with Sherlock Holmes. The Bastables are another fiction series that was written in the early 1900s. I've read them, and enjoyed them. :-) (author of the Bastables is E. Nesbitt, titles include: The Story of the Treasure Seekers, The Wouldbegoods, and The New Treasure Seekers, according to Wikipedia) Not a Christian series, but if my memory is correct, they are still good "classic" children literature. If you're a fan of old literature you'll enjoy them. :-) Okay, I've rambled enough...moving on. :-)
The Magician's Nephew is primarily about a boy named Digory, his Uncle Andrew, and a girl named Polly, and how Narnia begins.
In the first chapter, we learn how Polly finds Digory in the garden and notices that he is upset. (he has just been crying) We learn that Digory misses his country home, and considers London to be a "beastly Hole" (p. 3). We also find out that his father is in India, his mother is very ill (mostly likely going to die) and that he his staying with his Aunt and "mad" (i.e. crazy) Uncle.
Polly and Digory talk that day and become friends. They spend their days together and do a variety of things, one rainy day, they are shut up indoors and decide to "explore." They are in Polly's attic and decide to go across the rafters to find a nearby empty house. However, they end up in Digory's house and in the his Uncle's "forbidden study." They are surprised when Uncle Andrew discovers them and that he is so "glad" to see them. Uncle Andrew tells them about an experiment he recently did on a guinea-pig and wants them to get involved too. Polly and Digory don't trust him and try to leave. Just before they leave, Uncle Andrew tricks Polly into trying on a magical ring. Digory tries to stop her, but before he can, she puts it on and disappears!
More to follow tomorrow!
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