Rating: 
Summary: Escape into Narnia
Review: "The Horse and His Boy" is a bit of an oddity in the Chronicles of Narnia. It is the only book in which the main characters are natives of the fantasy world of Aslan (rather than being from ours), and is set in the era glimpsed in Chapter 17 of "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe".
Shasta lives in Calormen, a very Arabian Knights sort of place south of Narnia, full of beautiful palaces, dark skinned warriors, and citizens who quote their verbose poets and philosophers frequently. Shasta's lived all his life by the sea, treated cruelly by his "father" and made to do all the work. His humble life changes when a Tarkaan (something like a duke) arrives in town, riding a horse named Bree. Through an overheard conversation, Shasta discovers that his father isn't really his father, and that he comes from Narnia, a faraway northern country. Curious of his origins, he decides to run away to Narnia, and so does Bree (who is actually a talking horse, taken from Narnia when young, and forced to act tame). They meet up with runaways Hwin and her girl Tarkheena Aravis, (also headed for Narnia) and together they ride northwards, braving bustlings cities, sweltering deserts, and a wild lion that just won't leave them alone...
I struggled through this book when I was younger (fifth grade), even though I was something of a big reader. There's a lot of wordy dialogue, like the quotes of the poets, and a lot of political intrigue that a kid won't neccesarily appreciate, like the motives for Rabbadash's war and his flirtations with Queen Susan, which go on for quite a bit. I know I didn't really enjoy those parts back then, and kind of scanned over those chapters. There is much to enjoy though. I loved the landscapes. I could feel the heat of the desert, and the balmy, unpredictable climate of Archenland, and the bustle of Tashbaan.
C.S. Lewis was a devoted Christian, and even though it doesn't shine through as strongly as in the other Narnian Chronicles, there is still some allegory to be found. The theme, I think, is something close to Proverbs 16v9 in the Bible: "In his heart man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps". Shasta, Bree, Hwin and Aravis all decide to escape Calormen to Narnia, but it is Aslan who guides their way. Even if it they didn't know it, it was he who brought them together, kept them safe, and got them to where they were going just in the nick of time.
"The Horse and His Boy" was the fifth Narnian Chronicle to be written, and the third chronologically. Well, that's not techincally true If you were being really chronological, you'd start with "The Magician's Nephew", go on to "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", stop halfway through Chapter 17 after the children become kings and queens to read "A Horse and His Boy", finish that, then go back to finish the "The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe", then going on normally until "The Silver Chair", where you'd stop towards the end of Chapter 3, (where "The Horse and His Boy" is told to Jill and Eustace), read "The Horse and His Boy" again, then go back.
But that's being REALLY picky, and probably a little obsessive. It wouldn't be much fun at all to read the series like that.
The only book you really need to read before it, I think, is "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", which explains how the Golden Age of Narnia began.
I've been reading the series in the order that Lewis wrote them in, and again I've noticed a feeling of a looming end, a feeling that began with "The Silver Chair". The pieces of "The Last Battle" are falling into place. Apes being associated with deception, the introduction of Tash and the religion of Calormen, hints of Susan being too grown up for Narnia (she stays in the castle, acting like an adult, while her sister Lucy goes to battles), all elements very important for the Narnian finale.
Probably not an essential in the series, but enjoyable enough.
Rating:
Summary: A Narnia side adventure that works
Review: "The Horse And His Boy" is one of CS Lewis' classic Narnia books, one of the later published but the third if taken chronologically. The tale takes place during the time period just before the end of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," (roughly during the start of "Wardrobe's" last chapter) and is largely independent of the other six Narnia books. All of the Narnia books can be read independently, but "Horse" in particular has little link to the others.The tale is a classic "young person escapes a bad life" story, and in the end becomes a classic "downtrodden young person saves the day" and a "young person of meager background is" - well, that would be giving something away. Time-tested clichés of the genre, to be sure, but not clichés in a bad way. In Lewis' tale, this is a Good Thing. Because it works. The story concerns Shasta, a young boy, and a talking horse, Bree, who flee their evil masters in an attempt to reach the free land of Narnia to the north. In their flight they meet up with Aravis, a young girl also fleeing with a talking horse, Hwin. They adventure their way through the country of Calormen, a thinly-veiled substitute for the Middle Eastern countries of the real world. Like the best of children's literature, the pacing is brisk and the obstacles to be overcome are introduced quickly and almost without pause. As in all the Narnia books, we are introduced to Aslan. This time Aslan's role initially seems minor, but is revealed to have retroactively been a major role. It is among the worst uses of the lion in the series. Much of what the lions tells Shasta feel dreadfully like the famous poem "Footsteps," in which Jesus explains to a walker looking at his life traced in footsteps on the beach that those moments when there were but one set of footsteps, not two for the walker and Jesus, were moments when Jesus carried the walker through life, not the walker walking through his troubles alone. In "Horse," it slaps the reader from the story. Worse still is the fact that the entire meeting with Aslan is written in a gratingly worshipful tone that is horribly jarring; it does the story a great disservice. The scene, however, is mercifully short. Because "The Horse and His Boy" is a side adventure in Narnia more than anything else, it does not have as strong a connection, and therefore sentimental tug, as the rest of the books. Still, heavy-handed Aslan scene aside, "Horse" is a delightfully simple adventure about young people escaping a bad situation. Escapism is almost never a bad thing, especially for younger people who prefer to read over playing video games, and Lewis does it very well. Most readers will thoroughly enjoy this, even if it isn't essential Narnia.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful story, but not the best of the series
Review: "The Horse and His Boy" is set in the time of Narnia when our heroes from "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" are ruling Narnia. However, they are somewhat peripheral characters though, of course, Aslan is an ever-present force flowing through the world. This tale is set purely in the imaginary world - we have no journey from our world, no references back to it ... except that the lands we travel in are remarkably familiar. The tale follows Shasta, a young boy living in the land of Calormene who overhears his "father" selling him into slavery and decides to run away. He discovers a talking horse Bree and escapes, only to run into some lions who force him together with a young girl, Aravis, who is also escaping - from an arranged marriage on another talking horse, Hwin. In classic CS Lewis moralizing, Aravis is the proud one who needs to be brought down a peg or two while Shasta is the down-trodden servant who seems destined for greater things. The beginning of this book felt pretty slow to me. I also felt that the world Lewis was drawing upon for Calormene was too close to India / Persia for the rather obvious 'this is a worse place than Narnia which has Aslan a.k.a Christ'. Slavery, forced marriages, etc. all existed at one point around the world but the obvious parallels make it a little hard to stomach in today's world. After a while, though, the story drags us in and such feelings disappear. Shavis is taken by a party from Narnia who mistake him for their missing prince (we obviously know what to expect as a resolution there!) while Aravis overhears a terrible plot by the Calormene's to invade Narnia and a neighboring country in revenge for a snub by Queen Susan on one of the princes (by not marrying him). They escape and attempt to stave off the attack, finding a mysterious hermit along the way to help and, once again, being attacked by a lion. It goes without saying that everything is resolved beautifully; those who need to be put in their place are, those who should be rewarded are and the world of Narnia lives for another wonderful tale. If you are going to read all of the Narnia chronicles (and if not, why not?!) then this one is well worth while. But if you only read a few of them, there are better ones out there.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun & Adventure Return to Captivate Little Ones
Review: As my five year old son and I make our way through the Chronicles of Narnia (see my other reviews), we've found that, predictably, CS Lewis isn't always at the top of his game in every one. After the relatively dreary tale of The Silver Chair (see my review for the merit I did find in it), we're glad to find in The Horse and His Boy a grand adventure that illuminates how God works in our lives. It's an escape story, a war story, a story of someone desperate to warn others of danger, and a story of the virtues of trust, forgiveness, and love. Highly recommended, and can be read on its own independently of the rest of the series (though you really should start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, still the best of the series).
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing book
Review: C.S. Lewis is a genius, and this is one of the best out of the chronicles. I love this book, because it gives you a better understanding of how horrible Calormen was. In this story a young boy who was adopted by a Calormene fishermen escapes to Narnia with a talking horse Bree. On their dangerous journey, they meet a Tarkheena named Aravis and her horse Hwin. They are on an amazing adventure and have to face the challenges of getting through the busy city of Tashbaan and crossing the desert. Their most difficult challenge is to get to Archenland before the Calormen army to warn the king about their surprise attack. This book introduces new characters and has the lovable old ones. I recommend this book to anyone who can read!
Rating:
Summary: The Chronicles of Narnia's Greatest Chapter
Review: I read the Chronicles of Narnia during childhood. It is one of the great fantasy series of all time. My favorite chapter in the series is by far The Horse and His Boy. The story stands by itself in some ways. The two main characters the Horse Bree and the boy Shasta are not involved in the books preceding this and they do not play large roles in any the books afterward. Even so the storytelling itself it top notch.
Of the Chronicles The Horse and His Boy is by far the fastest paced story. It is one adventure after another and the characters encountered are unforgettable. It has been a decade since I last read this book and I still have fond memories. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: "He Seems to be at the Back of All the Stories..."
Review: In many ways "The Horse and his Boy" is the odd one out in the context of the Narnia series - unlike the other books, this one is set completely in the fantasy world rather than describing the movements of children from this world into that. Although two children are still used as the main protagonists, the entire tone, setting and atmosphere of this book is a little different - here we are simply meant to take this other-world for granted, rather than journey into it from hum-drum life.
Though written and published as the fifth book, chronologically it is third in the series (or if you want to get really technical second-and-a-bit) considering it takes place whilst Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are kings and queens of Narnia - grownup, but before they return as children to their own world. C. S. Lewis once more brings a wonderful fantasy adventure to children's literature, adding in a touch of Christian allegory and teachings, some unique and beloved characters, and a rather controversial satire on Eastern customs and ideology.
Shasta is a young boy who lives with his father Arsheesh in the proud and cruel empire of Calormen. Despite his simple life as a fisherman, he is captivated with the idea of northern countries, even though his father and most of the rest of the country considers it a haunted and cursed place. One day however, a visiting Tarkaan (a Calorman lord) demands hospitality for the night and Shasta learns that he is not in fact Arsheesh's son - he was found by the old fisherman, and his colouring suggests he is from Narnia and the North!
Immensely excited by this news, he soon finds himself discussing the matters with the Tarkaan's own horse - a talking horse named Bree, who is also from Narnia, though captured as a foal and forced to work as a war-horse. Together they plot their escape, and are soon on the road northwards! On the way they must deal with deserts, lions, ominous tombs, approaching armies, the dangerous city of Tashbaan, and two fellow runaways, the Calorman maiden Aravis and the mare Hwin, who are also attempting to reach the freedom of Narnia. Perhaps the most exciting and interesting part of the book is when the two groups are separated in Tashbaan whilst in disguise, forcing both into finding different ways of escaping the city, with the valuable information that they've both learnt.
C. S. Lewis has often been accused of both sexism and racism, and "The Horse and his Boy" contains the strongest evidence for both sides of the argument. On the one hand, the dark-skinned Calormens that sprout long-winded proverbs and ruthlessly attack with curved blades are obvious parodies of the stereotypical Arab world and its inhabitants, whether it is the gluttonous Tisroc, the lustful Rabadash, or the simpering Vizier. Likewise, the character Lasaraleen, an empty-headed, aristocratic ditz is a portrayal of women that Lewis presents frequently in his works.
But both of these examples are somewhat diminished in light of the character Aravis: she is both Calorman and female, yet she is brave, true, intelligent, Amazonian, and improves for the better after her journey. Though she never uses her sword within the course of the story (except to shear the horses' tails), Queen Lucy joins the archers in the battle against Rabadash's troops (who is "as good as a man, or at any rate as good as a boy.") Complication piles upon complication - Corin's comment is obviously detrimental to Lucy's capabilities, but one must keep in mind that it is a young boy making this claim. Sometimes it's best to just accept that there are prickly issues to Lewis's writing and just get on with the story.
One thing that is consistent thoughout the books is Lewis's inclusion of Christian meaning, in this case it deals with the reality that behind every occurrence, whether good or bad, is the will of God. In terms of the story, it means that Aslan appears to the characters several times - often in disguise - to guide and drive on the journey in order for it to reach a successful conclusion. It is a comforting presence throughout, and it's fun to look back over the book once it's read to see events that seemed somewhat random suddenly make a lot more sense in light of this truth.
"The Horse and his Boy" is a great adventure story, and although Shasta's true identity may make some eyes roll, the journey that he must make in order to get there is immensely rewarding. It is definitely the different book in the series, (many who don't like the others find this one to be the best, and visa versa) and the one that you could perhaps get away with not reading without loosing the overall structure and meaning of the entire series. However, despite all this "The Horse and his Boy" is the book that I personally have read the most in the series - not through any particular favouritism toward it, but just as an interesting, familiar, rewarding read.
Rating:
Summary: Take the journey
Review: Ok, before you even bother reading my review, buy the book (I'll wait here). I hope you bought it. If you haven't, let me tell you why you should: The Horse And His Boy is an outstanding story. And that's not all-you can read it without having read any of the other Narnia books; not that you'd want to do that. All the Narnia books are wonderful. The Horse And His Boy follows the adventures of Bree (a talking horse) and Shasta (a slave boy) who run away from their masters and journey to the magical land of Narnia. Along the way they meet a nobleman's daughter, another talking horse, a king and a queen, and a very special Lion (he's not a tame lion you know). I love this book. I love all the Narnia books. C.S. Lewis is a great writer (now in glory). However, heed this warning: this book is only for children and those adults who are old enough to love fairy tales again. I hope that means you.
Rating:
Summary: The Horse and his boy
Review: Sarah Godfrey
The Horse and His Boy
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is about a child who runs away form his family because he finds out that the father that has always said he was really isn't. So when the child runs away, of course he will bring his horse. In the series of the Chronicle Of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, everyone knows that Narnia is a magical world. There are talking lions, rats, horses, gofers, dears, there are Minnie midgets, dwarfs, giants, and all sorts of animals. Even the trees can talk. Well in The Horse and His Boy the child Shasta just went on a huge adventure through the woods and found his real father. The whole book is about him finding who his real dad is.
Lewis, C.S. The Horse and His Boy, New York: 1954. 234 pgs.
Rating:
Summary: Oedipus and Moses for children
Review: Shasta wants to get away from his despot father. Bree, a talking horse, wants to return to Narnia. Meeting up with the girl Aravis and the horse Hwin, they travel together, always North, through the requisite quest adventures. The plot seems to be a mix of the Moses story and the Oedipal story (the latter more vague), with true identities hidden and prophecies coming true. It also brings to mind A Thousand and One Nights with its nod to Middle Eastern culture. Also, for those who might be reading the book for clues and allusions, the deadly sin of Pride plays a healthy role in the plot of this edition of the series. I found this volume to be lively and entertaining, full of intrigues and scrapes. The moral lesson is here, too, and beautifully told. The sin of pride impedes some of the characters' developments and the reader, whether adult or child, can see the needless pain and harm it brings to life. The beautiful and elusive Aslan makes his appearances in just the nick of time, bringing comfort to the characters as well as to the readers. This story is told as a myth of Narnia, the folklore and story of a mythical land itself. It goes a long way to enrich the experience of Narnia and bring another dimension to the beloved first volume. If you only read one other book besides "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe," let it be this one.
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