Rating: 
Summary: The Magician's Nephew is very well writen.
Review: I thought The Magician's Nephew was written in a very explanatory way which made it easy to understand. I recommend that you read this book before you read any other books in the Cronicals of Narnia series such as "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe". I am currently reading "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" and I can understand it very well because I have read the Magician's Nephew before I read this book. The appropriate age for reading this book in my opinion is about ten and above. This book was sooo good that I couldn't put it down. I hope you have the same experience I did reading this book. Good Luck.
Rating: 
Summary: Satisfaction
Review: This is the first story in C S Lewis` Narnian series (for children, but appreciated by adults, as well.) However, like many others, I was introduced first to THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. Having read and re-read them in one order then the reverse, I recommend that, especially in this day and age, the latter be read first. Narnia is introduced earlier in the second story: Narnia-- land of talking creatures, mythical and actual, is what grabs the reader and takes us in through a whimsically mundane choice of a portal, the wardrobe.That said and done, Polly and Diggory`s adventure is quite a tale. The plot concerns whether and how the children can get back to their (and our) land, despite the queen`s powerful magic-- great enough to have destroyed an entire world-- and heal Diggory`s ailing mother. They tumble out of their world and into others via Uncle Andrew`s unpredictable and uncertain prowess in magic, to witness the numbing death of Charn and the wondrous dawning of Narnia, created through the lion Aslan`s song, and inspired by Genesis. The childish selfishness of both Diggory`s uncle and the awful Queen Jadis is at once sad and comical. In fact, THE MAGICIAN`S NEPHEW is overall more humorous, examining foibles in people, as well as animals. Also, if you read this book, you will be satisfied with the answer to that question nagging at the back of your mind (as it did to me for years,)
Rating:
Summary: When is a children's book not a children's book?
Review: People often make the mistake of assuming that any book that is about children, that is written in a style accessible to children, and/or that is told in the style of someone telling children a story, is a "children's story", and therefore of little interest to adults. But just as in the case of "Alice In Wonderland", "Peter Pan", and "The Hobbit", just to name a few, this is a serious error in the case of the "Chronicles of Narnia", of which this book is chronologically the first, although it was not the first written. Don't mistake me; children will love this book. And it's a very good book for them to read or even to have read to them before they're old enough to read. It is a religious allegory, with a strong Christian flavor, but even if you aren't Christian, the ethics and morals it teaches are exactly the sort of things that children need to learn, and it teaches them in a very age-appropriate way. But as with all the other books I listed above, a child's understanding and appreciation for this book can only be partial; there are levels to it that an adult can enjoy that a child can't. Unless, of course, that adult has allowed his or her sense of wonder to atrophy; then they will only see the light-hearted style, and fail to see any of the beauty of the book, much like Uncle Andrew hearing nothing but the roaring and growling of a lion when Aslan speaks.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing peice of imaginative writing!
Review: I have and always will love this book. It's amazing that anyone could possibly create such an elaborate system of worlds. There is nothing else that i know of that borders on this book. The "wood between the worlds" was an amazing and sudden change of direction. This is one of my favorite books
Rating:
Summary: You mean it is not book 1?
Review: OK so it was not the first book and more like a prequal - but will it really destroy my experience with the Narnia series? Probably not. I have not had a chance to read "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" but I intend to after having read this book. There are the inevitable comparisons to The Harry Potter series but I can't really make the connection. The book, in and of itself is finely written and flows very well. The lines seem to drawn rather clearly on the "evil" side there is Uncle Andrew and Jadis. Conversely, on the "good" side there is Digory, Polly, Aslan, the Cabby and his wife. I can't help but agree that the Bible is heavily present in the symbols of the the Lion's song that creates a new world. Although it is counter to our paradigm with talking animals and all, there is Eden and East of Eden. Not really knowing if Lewis is making any kind of Ontological statement, the book is tricky as it reverses the Adam story. In the story of Adam and Eve, Adam takes the Apple and is banished. I guess Digory must have learned a lesson or two and stopped short of a short sighted decision to take the Apple to Aslan as tasked and not home as he would have liked. Luckily, he did as he was asked as the resulting explanation laid out - his mother and Jadis would be on the same miserable road. Does it really matter that the books are read in a particular order? To the purist - probably so - you don't read The Hobbit AFTER reading The Lord of the Rings. I guess if you take what you can get like me, you will end up reading "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" before reading anything else - not good. Who really knows?
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I loved this book! It was great. It is the first in the Narnia series and is the story of how it was created. It also tells how the witch gets into Narnia. I think this book is for all ages and a must read for fantasy lovers
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: This is a great book by C.S. Lewis. the first in this serirs it talks about how Narnia was made and how the witch got into Narnia from Charn. This is a graet book for kids and adults who like to read fantasies. I really enjoyed this book.
Rating:
Summary: STOP IT
Review: This is a great book. One of the best in the Narnia series a.k.a. the best series ever written. HOWEVER this is NOT book 1. Book 1 is The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. It was written first, and was meant to be read first. So everyone who is just whistling in the wind about this being book 1. Stop it! You're just displaying your ignorance, and anyone who knows anything about Narnia will no longer take you seriously. ?
Rating:
Summary: This book was good.
Review: The Magician's Newhpew was a very good book. It was funny and a great adventure story. Digory and Polly seemed to be very real to me and loved to have fun as many young children love to do. I think that the part of the story where they were deciding what to do with the hampsters was not neccesary, but I think they made the right desicion in leaving them there in the wood. I think that Evil Queen Jadis should have been taken back to her own world before they went to Narnia. I guess if Lewis had done that, there would be no Narnia stories. Well, or at least good ones.
Rating:
Summary: STOP IT!!!
Review: This is a great book. One of the best in the Narnia series a.k.a. the best series ever written. HOWEVER this is NOT book 1. Book 1 is The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. It was written first, adn was ment to be read first. So everyone who is just whisling in the wind about this being book 1. Stop it! You're just displaying your ignorance, and anyone who know's anything about Narnia will no longer take you seriously.
|
