The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Radio Theatre)

Rating:
Summary: Classic Children's Fantasy
Review: C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe". I remember in fifth grade at school, this was a book that everyone read at some point. Even if they didn't particularly like reading, they liked this. That definitely says something about this classic childrens fantasy.

It's the midst World War II, and children Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy (brothers and sisters, the four of them) are sent to a country house until the air raids pass. It's a big house, with many rooms and draughty corridors to explore. It is while exploring that Lucy discovers a wardrobe, a very special wardrobe. Inside she finds another world, Narnia, a world full of talking animals, fauns, giants. Sadly, it is always winter and never Christmas, thanks to the White Witch Jadis, Queen of Narnia. But there is hope for Narnia, for the arrival of humans fufils a prophecy. Soon Aslan the lion, Narnia's savior, will return, and the White Witch will be queen of now more. The White Witch knows this, and has a trick and a traitor up her sleeve...

Scattered throughout the book are charming illustrations. When I was a kid, I thought these were great. They were like a little reward for reading through. They fit the story like a glove and evoke the era they were written in well. In this collector's edition, all of these pictures are coloured in, which I would have enjoyed all the more if this had come out when I was younger. As for the colours? Well, everything is the colour I suspected it was, more or less.

The writing style is great. C.S Lewis' narration comes across as a grandfather telling a story to his grandchild - warm, friendly, and explaining anything that he feels you might not understand. Even though the book is rather thin, you get a real feel for Narnia and its creatures, and the joys, the dangers and triumphs its inhabitants experience.

C.S Lewis was a devoted christian, and his beliefs shine through in this book, through the whole of the chronicles of Narnia in fact. The story can be taken as allegory. There are many parallels between Aslan and Jesus. Both are saviors of their worlds, both are killed and raised again for the sake of anothers sin. The White Witch with her addictive turkish delight is like the temptations of this world, which can lead unsuspecting people astray. Always an accomplishment to have a book that works well on a couple of levels.

Though "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" isn't the first chronologically (and is numbered 2 in the "reading order"), whenever I read the chronicles of Narnia, I always read it first, rather than "The Magician's Nephew" ("#1" in the series). "The Lion" was written first, and reading it first you get that sense of wonder, that anything can happen. If you read it second, then you know who everyone is, you know the world, and "The Lion" doesn't have as many surprises in my opinion. Reading "The Magician's Nephew" later, as a belated prequel and series of explanations (which it was originally), rather than an official beginning, I enjoyed it a lot more.

A great fantasy, a great book for kids, and a fair allegory.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Pictures.
Review: ... of Michael York. It's deep and smooth and soothing; just like the book. You can find out what the book is like by looking at the other reviews; but I definitely recommend this recording!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book for Children
Review: Carole Seneker




The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Author: C. S. Lewis Illustrator: Pauline Barnes

There are many fantasy elements in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The first fantasy is entering the world of Narnia through the back of a wardrobe full of coats. Constant winter without father Christmas due to the power of the witch is a fantasy. The children are able to talk to the animals and they respond with speech. The animals live like humans with furniture and they cook and even sew. The Faun, Mr. Tumnus, had the human value of self-sacrifice when he put his life in jeopardy to save Lucy. The witch had the ability to turn living creatures (including people) to stone. The lion returned to life from death and changed the stone statues back into living creatures.
The story is believable because the author has used the element of TIME. Time in our world is different from the world of Narnia. No matter how long the children stay in Narnia, there is no appreciable passing of elapsed time when they return to the wardrobe and the wardrobe room.
The story is written in a logical and consistent manner. Edmond gets in over his head with the witch, and his two sisters and brother team up with the animals and lion to save him. The plot is ingenious the way the animals and people interact together to solve a problem (the witch) to help Edmond and benefit all creatures and people in Narnia. As the story builds the pieces fall together perfectly as in a puzzle.
There is universal truth underlying the metaphor of the fantasy. C.S. Lewis has created an allegory of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Lion, Aslan, represents Jesus in the story. The witch represents satan. When Aslan mysteriously fed the children and animals, the author was referring to when Jesus fed the five thousand. Elements of the lion's death mirror the crucifixion of Christ Jesus our Lord. Aslan goes to his death willingly to save Edmond when he could have saved himself. Jesus sacrificed His life to save us. Aslan endured the kicking, hitting, spitting, and jeering from the crowd somewhat similar to what transpired in the time leading up to the crucifixion of Christ Jesus. After Aslan returned to life he returned the statues back to life. This represents the eternal life a person acquires when they accept Jesus as their Personal Savior.
The change in the TIME element represents God's time. Time in heaven is not the same as it is on earth. Good triumphs over evil in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as it is written in the Bible.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has the qualifications of a high fantasy story. The story takes place in a created world and uses the allegory of Christianity to address the conflict of good and evil. The story is written with protagonist of high fantasy (the lion) who teaches the values of goodness, truth, courage, and wisdom.