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.
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Summary: A good book never wears out
Review: When I first read The Chronicles of Narnia I was sad to discover that I could have read them some 12 years before during my childhood. I wish that I had had the benefit of having my imagination shaped by these books. Since my first reading, I have read them at least another ten times. They never disappoint. It doesn't matter now that I know what will happen next. There is still more to learn by seeing HOW it is done. And as one's experience grows throughout one's life, the stories become all the richer and more deeply meaningful. I do agree with other reviewers in objecting to placing the books in chronological order. It makes as much sense as eating the foods on one's plate in alphabetical order. There is NOTHING in The Magician's Nephew the lack of which will impair one's enjoyment or understanding of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Reading TMN in the original order will allow one the pleasure of saying later, "Oh, so THAT'S how that happened." But reading it first puts one in danger of being merely an observer or a condescending know-it-all (sort of like Edmund) rather than a co-discoverer of Narnia (and of Aslan) with Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Readers should enter and experience the world of Narnia for the first time with Lucy and learn to love it along with her.
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Summary: The Chronicles of Narnia- A novel resonse project
Review: For my book club evaluation I chose a set of books rather than just one book. I chose The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia are a set of seven books, The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, and The Last Battle. These books are fantasy/adventure books that follow a land, called Narnia, through time. I liked these books because they didn't follow a person through a story. I have never heard of a story like this, so I find the idea to be original, but simple. Each book takes place at a different time and follows the adventurous life of the ruler of Narnia. This is my favorite set of books that I have read because they are adventure/fantasy, which is my favorite category of books, but also because they are different from any set of books that I have read. I was introduced to these books from the Harry Potter books, written by J.K. Rowling. When I was finding information about her I read an interview that said her favorite books as a child were The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, so I thought since I liked Harry Potter so much I would read her favorite books to see what they were like.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't Tamper With Perfection
Review: (please note that this review concerns only the new publications)
The Chronicles of Narnia are perfect books. They are wonderful for children and adults, and can be read again and again. C. S. Lewis was a brilliant author and theologian, and was competent in what he was doing. I have been reading these books since I was young enough to pick up a book, and I was horrified when I found out they were reprinting them in chronological order! Why have the publishers decided to tamper with the order? reading these books in chronological order spoils all of the surprise and magic out of the first visit to Narnia (in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe), because we already know what's going on. You're not supposed to know about the lightpole or who the professor is yet! Things don't always need to be put in chronological order. If you're going to read them, please read them in the correct order: 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
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Summary: The best edition of the classic Narnia series
Review: Are these books for children or adults? Lewis originally wrote them for kids, but I'm an adult and I read them regularly! They are true classics, marvellously written and essential reading for any age. The Harper Collins one-volume edition (ISBN 0060281375) is the best I've found. It is a sturdy hardback, well-bound with good paper. The illustrations are marvellous! They aren't large and obtrusive - they don't overwhelm the text. But they truly capture the magical, mystical feel of the stories. I was taken by surprise when I first read this edition - the books are in a different order than I was used to. I'd previously read them in order of authorship, while this edition places them in chronological order. I believe I like it this way better, now that I've gotten used to it. The price is actually quite low for the quality of the book, too. Of all the editions I've seen of this must-have collection, it is the best one I've found. If you want to buy the Chronicles of Narnia, buy the Harper Collins one-volume edition!
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Summary: Stop Griping
Review: First thing is first. I own another box set that goes in chronilogical order, and I find it easier to read 1-7 and not dates of publish. I mean haven't you ever heard of a pre-lude, or a prequel? The reason Lewis put the Magician's Nephew out after all of the others (except The Last Battle) was to explain Narnia and introduce the world BEFORE you read the already published The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you are going to rag on the publishing company for putting them in chronilogical order, why not while your at it rag on whoever publishes the Lord of the Rings books for putting The Hobbit first. And if you want to get real picky, lets rag on the people in show business who make The Mummy and Star Wars for putting them in chronological order. It just would't make since reading them in the way they were published because by the time you finished the Magician's Nephew, you would have to read the previous book to understand what is happening in the book published after the Magician's Nephew. Its like reading chapters 1-5, stopping to read chapter one, then going on to read the rest of the book. Does that make since?
Now that I am done defending my opinion, on to the review of the books. They are great whether you are 10 or 100, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or if you worship that gnat that just landed on your computer monitor. They are easy to read for young children, yet the meaning behind the books would puzzle even somebody who was valadictorian in college. If you are going on a long trip or just love to read any kind of fiction I guarantee you will have a great time with either of these books, in or out of chronilogical order. So if you have the money, pick up one or all of these timeless books today. P.S. to the person who said something about Lewis making money off of the people who make Turkish delights: it only mentions Turkish Delights in like the second chapter only, nothing more. If you are really going to stop reading the books because of that you really need to lighten up because you and your grandchildren are missing out on a lot.
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Summary: clarification on Calormen...
Review: Just a note to address the concerns some readers have expressed about the "racist" undercurrents in the portrayal of the Calormenes: The Calormenes are definitely NOT meant to represent Muslims. When he wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, C S Lewis drew on his favorite books from childhood: Hans Christian Andersen, E. Nesbit, the fairy tales of the brothers Grimm, Norse and Celtic Mythology, Greek and Roman legends, and, of course, TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS, the classic fairy tales well-beloved of Edwardian British children, based on Middle Eastern stories and legends. These tales are the source of the strange, foreign Calormenes, so different from the Narnians, just as the British found Eastern peoples unfamiliar and fascinating.
Certainly Lewis's attitudes are old-fashioned, and if he had lived 75 years later, he would have been more sensitive to racial issues. But keep in mind, many evil characters come from the north and exibit "caucasian" characteristics in the Narnia books, too: the wicked giants; the White Witch, and the Green Witch; the slave-traders in the lone islands, etc.
As for the "gender issues" with the girls being "left out" of battles, please be aware that Lewis actually FOUGHT IN BATTLES, in one of the most brutal wars of all time, World War I; and he wrote from experience: there were no women in the trenches.
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Summary: Actually, the bizarre thing about this series is this...
Review: Ever read Jeremiah? The scripture is literally written as though scraps of paper were gathered and taped together without regard to order. This is designed much the same, which is what happens when one gets away from the silly constraints of cause and effect. As long as certain stories are after each other (Prince Caspian/Dawn Treader and Silver Chair/Final Battle), it makes sense regardless. Actually, suspense isn't everything in a story, and it actually makes sense if you use the later part to provide background that would come otherwise only after reading several of these. For some odd reason, it makes as much sense this way.
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Summary: One of the most wonderful experiences...
Review: You can bestow upon any child or adult. I recently gave these to a 23 year old work colleague. At his request. Gorgeous books and fantastic childhood memories. It warms my soul to know they are still as popular as ever. God bless you CS Lewis.
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Summary: Another story altogether... Beautiful!
Review: The Chronicles of Narnia, beautiful! If you are looking for a tale of other worlds full of adventure, then this is for you. But if you are looking for that and more, than read deeper than just the stories. And then this is also for you. When it comes down to it, you could just say that it's simply about a few kids who discover a land call Narnia and hang out with the Creator of it all, Aslan. Yes, and what a wonderful illustration of it all. That can't be beat! I could go on and tell about each and every book, one by one, but I won't do that, because it defeats the purpose of writing a review for me on a whole box set. What I will do is tell my favorites, and the ones that meant the most to me. My favorites are "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe" (naturally) and "Prince Caspian". But it goes way beyond that. The 2 that mean the most to me happen to be "The Voyage of The Dawn Treader" and "The Last Battle". Dawn Treader, to me is a story of change. When Eustace is turned into an ugly, hideous dragon, then Aslan comes into the night and he is once again Eustace, and we see a totally different Eustace, not the arrogant, self absorbing Eustace we see at the beginning. And of course, that's only part of the story, but my favorite part, an awesome illustration. The Last Battle is an incredible statement the whole way through. Now, yeah, it is about this stupid ape who sees a lion skin and tries to play Aslan, which does illustrate how we as Christians exercise our free will all too frequently and try to play God with our own lives. But, of course the monkey takes it a lot further, etc. Some might say that it is the end of the books. Yes and no. But wait! It is the end that hits me, and even Rick Warren uses it in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life", when he quotes Lewis at the end with this about the children who experienced Narnia with this quote. "For us this is the end of the stories....But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world had been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on Earth has read, which goes on forever and in which every chapter is better than the one before." How true for each and every one of us. This life is only the beginning, and after that, it is indeed, altogether another story! Amazing!
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