Rating: 
Summary: A Box of Chronicles
Review: C.S Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia" is an extraodinary series, no question about it. This seven book set of fantasy novels is full of adventure, wonder, depth and allegory, and is a great read again and again, no matter what your age.
There are many countries to explore within these books. There's the england-like Narnia with it's talking animals and creatures of Greek mythology, the Arabia-like Calormen with its verbose warriors and horrible gods, the bleak Ettinsmoor with its bumbling giants, the eastern seas with its breathtaking wonders, the western wilds and its enchanted garden, the high, balmy Archenland, and the fantastic Aslan's country. There are lots of characters to meet too. The fauns, the centaurs, unicorns, pegasus, dragons, werewolves, witches, many a talking beast and of course Aslan himself, the great wild Lion, Narnia's savior. There are kings to be crowned, feasts to be eaten, battles to be fought and lessons to be learned. A marvellous place to read about, absolutely.
Throughout the stories are these beautiful, evocative illustrations and maps by Pauline Baynes, which enchance Lewis' description of Narnia, making it come even more alive.
Lewis was a devoted Christian, and his faith shines through in all his written works, particularly within Narnia. Both the wonders and temptation of the Garden of Eden is captured perfectly in "The Magician's Nephew". In "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", we see the joys, sorrows and purpose of the savior, Aslan the Lion (who is similar to our savior Jesus Christ). "A Horse And His Boy", by way of Shasta's adventures in Calormen, plays out Proverbs 16v9: "In his heart man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps". As he heads towards Narnia, the great Lion guides him to his destination, even if he doesn't know it. In "Prince Caspian" we see people who refuse to believe in Aslan, dismissing it as myths just because his appearance was so long ago, in the same way that many people dismiss Jesus and his miracles because all we have 2000 years on are his stories and teachings. In "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", among other things, we see the ever critical Eustace turned into a dragon, and only then does he see how horrid he has been. With Aslan's help, he is stripped of his scales and bathed in water, very similar to the Christian baptism and the cleansing of sins through Christ. In "The Silver Chair", we follow as the temptations and tribulations of Jill and Eustace looking for Prince Rillian, uncannily similar to the doubts and troubles of Christians struggling agaist the world. And in "The Last Battle", we see the apocalypse, the end of the world, based roughly around the Biblical book of Revelation. It's always nice to read book that work on a couple of levels.
If you're going to get all the Chronicles in one go, I'd recommend this boxset over the paperback ominbus alternative. For one, the books are seperate so more than one person can be reading the series at the same time, and the thinner books are far easier to handle than a great big thick one, particularly if you're reading on the train, like I often do. Plus, a boxset always looks nicer than an unnaturally-thick paperback on the shelf, I think. The boxset is arranged and numbered in chronological order, as a real history would be. It's not my personal preference (I prefer the order they were written in), but you can always switch the books around in the box to whatever order you like (unlike the paperback, which is set in chronological order pretty much permanently unless you start ripping pages out!).
A great fantasy series, a great allegory, great illustrations and great writing, all in one box. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Fantastic
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting/ Easy/ Short/ Great Story lines!
Review: I have been reading this series since the 3rd grade and have often re-read them because they are such an enjoyable set. I am now reading them to my own son, and I would always read them in the order where the Magicians Nephew is first. I suppose it does not really matter, as long as whatever book is picked up, the reader will enjoy them all for many years and want to continue to read them. I think this is a great first series for young readers, at every next book they will be wondering what will happen next in Narnia.....and they will be excited about it! Whatever book they read first, at least they will be reading!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Stories!!
Review: I truly enjoyed reading this series when I was a teenager. To dwell and soar through these books took me to another world--Narnia. I was with the characters through it all and experienced everything they experienced. I still have the set in my book collection. When I am feeling I need to go back to a child-like state for a time; I will reach for one of these books and go to my other world away from the problems of this world! They have great moral and hidden truths within these pages so beware...you might learn a thing or two with this set.
Rating:
Summary: Reminding the world of Great Literature
Review: It shocks me to see that someone could actually say these books "suck." To me that speaks profoundly of a lack of understanding for great literature and its context.
These books are wonderful, though I would agree with another reader in saying that they should not be read chronologically--at least not the first go-round.
C.S. Lewis was a profoundly spiritual, Catholic writer who sheds a beautiful light on spirituality through a magically written set of fantasy books that should and do grab the attention of young and old. Do not be fooled by the recommended reading level of these books! I read them first at 9, and now I'm 24 and STILL loving them! Highly Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Truly Exceptional Stories for ALL ages!
Review: The Narnian Chronicles have been my favorite series since I first read (and devoured) them in third grade (I'm now 30). I have since reread them many times, enjoying them even more each time as I see new things previously undiscovered or not understood. They are entertaining, imaginative, and thought-provoking from many perspectives, and will appeal even to the mature 5 or 6-year-old child as a read-aloud adventure. These books are truly worthy of discussion with your elementary, middle school, or high school student. College students have even written theses about these books and their many intriguing themes. I recently gave the entire set to my eighty-year-old grandmother as a gift, and she read them all within a couple of weeks! She said they were so good, she couldn't put them down, and she has loved talking to me about them ever since! My husband's 90-year-old grandmother is also an avid reader, finishing a book every few days. I am planning on giving the Narnia books to her as well! You simply can't go wrong purchasing these books. This is a wonderfully appealing fantasy series for all ages- it will surely be an enduring classic for generations to come.
Rating:
Summary: The greatest of children's fantasy
Review: The seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia are undoubtedly among the greatest modern classics for children. I once heard someone say (or read somewhere) that they are among the few stories that one should read three times in one's life: in childhood, in early adulthood, and later in life. Indeed, these fun and colorful tales are worthy of such attention by even the most sophisticated of readers. In each book (except The Horse and His Boy) Lewis chronicles the stories of ordinary British schoolchildren (around the time of WWII and earlier) who inadvertently get transported into a magical land called Narnia, usually via some sort of "ordinary" household item such as a wardrobe, ring, or picture. The first book, The Magician's Nephew, follows two children named Polly and Digory who are enticed to try on a ring crafted by their deranged Uncle who wishes to test his discovery. The children are transported into an intermediate world that serves as a junction for many worlds, including our own. Eventually they enter a world that is just being newly created by a Lion named Aslan. This is Narnia, where animals can talk and time runs fast relative to our world so that whoever enters and then leaves finds that while many years may have past in Narnia, only a perphaps a few minutes have gone by in our world. It is the character of Digory who, in the later books, is the old professor in whose house Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy find and enter the magical wardrobe. A host of adventures follow in which the children rid Narnia of an evil witch, help restore the rule of a good king, travel to the bottom of the world, and (my personal favorite) even to the ends of the oceans. The final book, The Last Battle, tells of the end of Narnia. Much has undoubtedly been said or written about the Christian allegory contained in these books and, while young children won't notice, many of the implications are obvious. The first book parallels the book of Genesis in the creation of Narnia by Aslan and its early corruption by the witch. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe describes a scene representing the crucifixion of Christ, and both the Horse and His Boy and Prince Caspian are meideval adventure stories. At the end of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader it is made blatantly clear that Aslan IS Christ in Narnia, and not merely a representation or figure of similarity. The Silver Chair takes us to a sort of Heaven of Narnia where Aslan and his Father the Emporer reside. The Last battle includes the complete destruction of Narnia with the good passing into Heaven and the bad disappearing forever. The last story is even complete with an evil Ape and his plans to decieve all of Narnia into believing in a false god at the end of days. The end of The Last Battle is glorious and borders on sentimentality, which it probably should given the subject. It's actually refreshing to read a story in which morality is so clear cut and where the author isn't afraid to blatantly inject strongly held (and positive) personal beliefs. Although completely different in style and intent, these books are the equivalent of The Lord of the Rings for young readers and should be kept and cherished as treasures of modern fantasy literature.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for kids.
Review: The suggested age range of readers for this series is 9 to 12 years. I just read it at 35 and I found it stimulating and inspirational. The stories and characters are allegorical, but just because there is a message there doesn't mean it isn't entertaining. I enjoyed the imagery, the introspection, the dialogue, the settings, all of it. A truely great read.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful Reading, But Sadly Altered
Review: There is a modern misconception concerning C.S. Lewis's great children's series, 'The Chronicles of Narnia.' Due to changes during reprinting, the orginal order of his seven-part series was disrupted to conform to the overall story-line. When the books were written, Mr. Lewis began his series with the classic Christian allegory, 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.' He then went on to write the remaining novels in a non-traditional, non-chronological order: part two of the 'Chronicles' was 'Prince Caspian'. Next came, 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader', 'The Silver Chair', 'The Horse and His Boy', 'The Magician's Nephew', and finally, 'The Last Battle.' Lewis released his novels in this order for a reason and I urge every reader to follow the original, proper sequence. It transforms a mere fantasy series into some of the single best children's novels in print. The symbolism of Christian allegory and the honest and noble morals that rest among the pages will stay with you and your children for years to come. May Aslan be with you and your family as you take the delightful trip into the fantastic and amasing land of Narnia!
Rating:
Summary: Before Hogwarts there was Narnia
Review: These are such an amazing series of books, I almost don't know where to start. The tales are magical, the characters rich, and the stories so layered that any generation can enjoy them. I remember reading them when I was very young - and being excited when the cartoon of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" came on tv each winter. 15+ years later I took a college course on them and loved them even more! Similar to Harry Potter, the tales are about 4 "normal" children who stumble into an alternate world filled with ... well, lions and witches. To this day, the name Aslan brings a smile to my face! My only recommendation is to read them in the order they were written - which is (oddly) NOT chronological order to the timeline of Narnia itself, and not the order provided in this collection. I don't suppose it makes all that much difference, and it certainly doesn't make the stories less enjoyable, nor cause me to lower my rating. I just think you owe it to youself to be drawn into the world the way C.S. Lewis intended (and was drawn into it himself). I honestly think this is a must have for any library - young or old - and have bought several sets for loved ones, and to replace the much loved and worn copies of my own!
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