Rating: Summary: Fine reading, book is not my favorite Narnian Review: I really like the Narnia series, but I have to say, this book is not my favorite. This Harper Audio CD version is very well read though and makes it quite enjoyable. I bought it for my daughter, age 4, and the longer stretches without exciting action make it less than attention holding for her. She has done better with "The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, and "The Horse and His Boy". You should note, there are a couple, what I would assume are "britishisms", that might not be what you want your kid to hear. The magician uncle says several times of the witch that she is a "damned fine woman". If you were reading it aloud, you'd just skip that, but it is there. The reading is very well done. Actually, I did have one complaint. I'm trying to remember which book it was, but I think it was this one where the author had a very thin, not very lion-like voice for Aslan. Call it personal preference, but I think a lion should have a grand, kingly voice! Other than that though it was very good/well done. So far, "The Horse and His Boy" is my favorite, so you might consider that one as well.
Rating: Summary: I love this book Review: This was the greatest book I ever read. Digory had to save Polly who um... was sent to another world. Digory's uncle was the person who gave polly a ring to sent him to another world. Digory wore the ring and got two green rings to send them back. One of the green rings was for DIgory and the other was for Polly.
Rating: Summary: Info Review: In this book was cool. I will tell you what happend. A kid named Digory and Polly,They met somewhere like...In a garden.They found a room and it was Digory's House.Uncle Andrew was Digory's Uncle.I think that was his name.The book was about a good friendship and adventure.
Rating: Summary: The "Genesis" of Narnia Review: Chronologically, this is the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series (though it was the sixth published). This story features two children, Polly and Digore (who will grow up to be the Professor the children stay with in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe), who are the first to travel to the land of Narnia. First, however, they travel to another world, and there free an enchantress which then runs loose in Narnia. This book tells the story of the creation of Narnia, as Aslan (a Christ-figure) sings a song which brings about all forms of life. Allegorically (Lewis said this series was not an allegory, but it still has symbolic and allegorical meanings), there is a 'fall' of Narnia, which is effected by Digore when he brings the sorceress to Narnia. There is also Digore's uncle, Andrew, who is so hard-hearted that Aslan's speech is to him just growling and roaring. He cannot understand Aslan because he does not want to (Lewis thought this was the problem with many who did not accept Christianity). Besides providing the history of Narnia with a beginning, this book explains a great deal more about the other world. The origins of the lamppost, the wardrobe, and Professor Kirke from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe are explained. This serves to enrich the land of Narnia, and provide a history for that great land. This book, along with the rest of the Chronicles, is a classic in children's literature.
Rating: Summary: The beginning of the Chronicles...and Narnia Review: I have to admit that this is my first time reading the Chronicles of Narnia, so I'm starting with the renumbered series. "The Magician's Nephew" is the story of Digory and Polly, a boy and girl thrust from their London neighborhood into the Wood Between the Worlds by way of magic rings developed by Digory's Uncle Andrew. Digory accidentally wakes the evil Queen Jadis and the children bring her back to London, where she begins to wreak havoc before they can get her back into the Wood. They also bring Uncle Andrew, a cabby and a horse named Strawberry. They go to another world and witness a type of genesis, as a new world is born, called Narnia, with the lion Aslan as its king. Digory must go on a quest for a silver apple and return with it to Narnia. I won't spoil the rest. The story begins as a fantastical fairy tale, and even though it's a children's book, there is a lot of depth for grown up children. As the land of Narnia unfolds, there are a lot of biblical currents, such as Aslan the creator, Jadis the temptress and the silver apples as the focal point of healing and knowledge. It's a fun story, rich in dialogue and description, but well-paced and orchestrated and worth repeated reading.
Rating: Summary: the magicians nephew review Review: The Magicians Nephew is the first book in the Chornicles of Narnia Series. Digory, the books main charctor, and his friend Polly venture to Digory's Uncle Andrews room. They discover that he has found a way to travel through the worlds through magic rings. The rings take them to other world and in the other world the children relese a long time enemy, destoryer of Charn. They must find a way to rid them selves of this evil and to do so they need others help. Aslan the Lion is the anwser to there problems. To find out the rest you'll have to read the book! I thought the book was very well writen and pieced together well but the series must be read to understand the whole idea.
Rating: Summary: A Wonderful Story for Children and Adults Review: C.S. Lewis's "The Magician's Nephew" is the first in a exciting and original series that can be enjoyed by children and adults. The story involves a boy and a girl, Digory and Polly, whose Uncle dabbles in magic. When he offers them rings, both Digory and Polly find these rings have greater powers than even their Uncle expected. Lewis was a devoted Christian who wrote the series to reflect his religious beliefs. My only complaint is that at times, Lewis makes little effort to hide the fact that certain elements from "The Magician's Nephew" are directly from the Book of Genesis. Despite this "flaw," this is a wonderfully imagined book and very original. Recommended.
Rating: Summary: My Opinion Cody B. Review: I think that the book "The Magician's Nephew" is an ok book to read. The author showed how well he/she's imagination is. This book has its ups and downs however, I would rate this book a 4 because of authors other works, some are better some are worse. Some good points from the book are that it connects to the second book (The Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe). One of my favorite chapters in this book was The bell and the hammer, because Digory and Polly have a fight over if they should strike the bell. Another chapter I liked was Stawberry's Adventure because Strawberry the donkey finally is chosen to be a talking animal. I liked the way the author wrote because I could follow the book easily. There was only one thing in this book I really didnt care for and that was - I thought Aslan came into the story too late in this book. Overall, this book was very fun to read.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Read!! Review: The first book in the series of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew is an excellent fantasy that pulls the reader in from the first word! Lewis weaves a fantastic tale that weaves fantasy and reality splendidly. The reader is drawn into Lewis' world of fiction with an amazing ease. Part of the seven book series, The Magician's Nephew is an excellent beginning to what will certainly become a fascinating, enthralling series. Digory is a young boy who is upset because his mother is dying. When he meets Polly (his next door neighbor), he tells her about his mother and that he is staying next door with his spinster aunt and his bachelor Uncle Andrew so that they can take care of his mother. Polly and Digory soon become good friends and they discover a secret passageway that connects all of the attics in the houses on their row (in London). They stumble into the attic of Digory's Uncle Andrew and he tricks Polly into becoming part of an experiment for him. She puts on a yellow ring and travels to another world. Digory has no choice but to follow her when his Uncle Andrew tells him the secret of how to come back. Digory and Polly end up in the "Wood Between the Worlds," a type of portal to other places and times. Although Polly immediately wants to turn back, Digory convinces her to visit one of the other places first. They choose a pool of water that takes them to the deserted city of Charn, where they awaken Queen Jadis, an evil queen that is bent on leaving her own dead kingdom and conquering London. She attaches herself to Digory while they are trying to escape and they accidentally bring her back to London. Once there, she wreaks havoc on everyone and everything even though her magic powers are not as strong in this new world. Polly and Digory decide that they must return her to her world, so they travel back to the "Woods between the Worlds." Thinking that they have chosen the pool that leads to the city of Charn, they jump in only to find that they are in a new land and they experience the birth of the Land of Narnia. They experience everything to the birth of the sun and stars to the blessing of the first king and queen of Narnia. Digory is sent on a mission to retrieve the fruit of a special tree so that it may be planted in the center of Narnia to protect it from the Witch of Charn, who has hidden herself in the recesses of this new land. After being tempted to eat or [take] the fruit for himself, Digory brings the fruit to Aslan, the creator of Narnia, and he casts out the fruit so that it can grow into a tree. Aslan thanks Digory and tells him to take an apple from the tree and give it to his sick mother so that she might be saved. Polly and Andrew leave Narnia and Digory gives the fruit to his mother, who is healed. ...
Rating: Summary: How it all began Review: Though the Chronicles of Narnia are now being reissued in chronological order, rather than the order in which they were written and published. Whatever order you read them in, this book allows readers to see the origins of the magical land of Narnia, written in Lewis's increasingly subtle prose. Digory has been sent to live with his uncle in London, because his father is in India and his mother is terminally ill. There he encounters a girl called Polly, and the two begin exploring the attics of their houses... until they bump into Digory's Uncle Andrew, a rather minor magician. Polly unwittingly puts on one of the magical rings that Uncle Andrew has created, and is whisked into the strange Wood Between the Worlds. Digory follows to help her. But the children soon bump into a dying world called Charn, a ruined place. Only one person is left, a strange, frightening woman named Jadis, who follows the kids as they head back to Earth. Once there, she begins wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting London -- until they are whisked into an empty world that is slowly coming to life -- Narnia. One of the noticeable things, if you read the Narnia Chronicles in the order they were writtewn, is that Lewis gradually gets more subtle about his Christian allegory. Here he mixes equal parts of the ordinary and the extraordinary, the budding Narnia and decaying Charn with the ordinary turn-of-the-century London. The Christian influence is retained with Aslan singing Narnia into existance, and the peculiar apple scene. (When I first read that, I didn't make the connection) And Lewis does a good job of filling in the blanks, such as the question of where the lamppost came from, or where the humans in Narnia came from. Digory and Polly are the classic plucky British kids, with a bit of extra pathos in Digory's love for his mother. Uncle Andrew is evident of Lewis's thoughts on dabblers in the supernatural, a rather pitiful and cowardly guy with a big ego. The scene where the various Narnian animals try to figure out what to do with him is absolutely priceless. And Jadis's identity will become quite evident quickly. Whatever order you read the books in, "Magician's Nephew" is an enjoyable fantasy romp, cute and charming, sad and sweet. Fantasy fans: Go ahead and read!
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