The Silver Chair (Thorndike Large Print Young Adult Series)

Rating:
Summary: Some of the *worst* acting I've seen
Review: Don't waste your money. Thankfully I borrowed this from the library. This is some of the worst acting I've ever seen, and a complete insult to a great book and a great author.

If the intention was to find a cast who is completely incompitent, than the goal was accomplished. Since it was made in 1990, the poor special affects can be forgiven, but not the acting.

There's not much more to say. This was disgusting.

Rating:
Summary: More of the same from Narnia - which is not a bad thing
Review: Another installment in the classic children's series The Narnia Chronicles, "The Silver Chair" continues the pattern of presenting stand-alone stories that work within a grander story arc. Also like previous installments, "The Silver Chair" brings back familiar characters while also introducing new cast members, lending the story an air of familiarity while still remaining fresh.

In this installment Eustace, the ill-mannered lad who learned the error of his ways in "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader," along with his schoolmate, Jill, pair up for adventure. While fleeing bullies at their school - a progressive and modern (for its time) institution that Lewis openly and repeatedly scorns - Eustace and Jill find themselves thrown into the world of Narnia. Once there, Aslan gives Jill a series of vague instructions to follow during their adventure.

Eustace and Jill find themselves on a quest to find the lost Prince Rillian, the son of King Caspian (who in this tale makes two brief cameos as an old man). They team up with Puddleglum, a gloomy a creature called a Marsh-Wiggle who always sees the down side of things. Together, the three go in search of the Prince.

The setup tells the reader right off what sort of story it will be: a traveling adventure in which the group works through a series of dangerous situations and visits new and strange lands. The story takes a few chapters to get moving properly, shortening the main quest; there are only three or so key locations. Still, those locations are a mix of classic genre archetypes and fantastic settings. For an important segment of the story - a castle of giants - genre archetypes rule the day.

"Silver Chair," though it visits places in Narnia not previously seen, feels less epic than previous installments. However, a glimpse of a greater and more wondrous world near the end helps alleviate that failing.

The character of Jill undergoes almost the same transformation that Eustace did in "Voyage," while Eustace himself plays the role that Edmund, Peter and the gang did in earlier books. That's not altogether bad, but it's not altogether good, either, especially if you are reading the whole series straight through. because Jill's transformation immediately follows Eustace's.

All in all, "The Silver Chair" is not as engaging as others in the series, with a loose plot tied together largely by a "you must trust Aslan" theme, but does not fall nearly as flat as "Caspian." For a good stretch the story moves along at a brisk pace and offers a playful series of adventures, delivering just the sort of engaging story that makes the Narnia Chronicles such a beloved series. Sure it suffers from too slow a start and too slow a finish, both which drag the story down, but at its core it's more of the same from Narnia. And that's not a bad thing at all.

Rating:
Summary: A classic story and a spiritual allegory
Review: If you have not read any of CS Lewis classic book series about Narnia, please do so. The stories are wonderfully written and will engage you like few other works. Part spiritual allegory and part fantasy and adventure, these stories are timeless.

My personal favorite of the 7 stories is this one: The Silver Chair. Starting with the unexpected trip into Narnia, the story involves the search for a missing prince and a dangerous and exciting journey to find him. While the plot is quickly engaging and always enjoyable, even after dozens of readings, in this story Lewis uses some of the most powerful of Christian allegories to depict faith, deception, and courage. Choices made along the way are often disastrous and are the result of convenience and comfort over faith. Truly a sound statement into our own journeys, and a spiritual struggle depicted accurately.

I will not spoil the plot, but if you have not enjoyed this series, pick up any of the seven books, or better yet get them all at once. The story starts either with "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" which was the first published, or "The Magician's Nephew" which is chronologically the first. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Next to "The Silver Chair", I also found "The Horse and His Boy" and "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to be absolute classics.

Buy this series, and enjoy one of the true treasures in literature from a fabulous writer, the world renowned CS Lewis.

Rating:
Summary: A classic story and a spiritual allegory
Review: If you have not read any of CS Lewis classic book series about Narnia, please do so. The stories are wonderfully written and will engage you like few other works. Part spiritual allegory and part fantasy and adventure, these stories are timeless.

My personal favorite of the 7 stories is this one: The Silver Chair. Starting with the unexpected trip into Narnia, the story involves the search for a missing prince and a dangerous and exciting journey to find him. While the plot is quickly engaging and always enjoyable, even after dozens of readings, in this story Lewis uses some of the most powerful of Christian allegories to depict faith, deception, and courage. Choices made along the way are often disastrous and are the result of convenience and comfort over faith. Truly a sound statement into our own journeys, and a spiritual struggle depicted accurately.

I will not spoil the plot, but if you have not enjoyed this series, pick up any of the seven books, or better yet get them all at once. The story starts either with "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" which was the first published, or "The Magician's Nephew" which is chronologically the first. Either way, you won't be disappointed. Next to "The Silver Chair", I also found "The Horse and His Boy" and "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to be absolute classics.

Buy this series, and enjoy one of the true treasures in literature from a fabulous writer, the world renowned CS Lewis.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite books in the Narnia series!!!
Review: One of the great things about the Narnia series is how each individual book stands alone! I mean, while it may be necessary to read them in order to better understand what's going on, each book has a certain charm unique in itself. And while I may like ALL of the volumes, I believe the BEST books are those in the middle, particularly "The Horse and his Boy", "The Magician's Nephew", and "THE SILVER CHAIR". These are the books in which C.S. Lewis really shines!

In this particular volume involving cousin Eustace and his classmate Jill Pole, Lewis hits hard at the British school system (I dread to think how he'd view America's public school system today!) The bullying that Eustace & Jill face is what launches their adventure into Narnia, and what an exciting adventure it turns out to be! Puddleglum is an excellently crafted character who accompanies them on their journey into the wild north, where they encounter a beautiful witch and a dangerous race of intelligent giants. It's a well-done piece of storytelling, worth reading a second time!

Rating:
Summary: A Challenge For Eustace and Jill
Review: Poor Jill, she's being bullied again! Eustace finds her crying behind the gym. She wishes she could get away from the horrid-but-trendy Experiment House School, and the further the better. Eustace knows of just the place, he went there last term. The world Narnia, a land of talking animals and magical landscapes, ruled by Aslan, the wild talking lion. All they need to do to get there is to call to him. They do, and are whisked away. Just in time, it seems. Aslan has a quest for the two children. They must go to the wildlands of the north, a harsh, barren nation of giants, and find the lost Prince Rillian and bring him home. If they remember and follow the four commands they are given, all should go well. But things are not as they first expect...

There's a rather ominous feel to "The Silver Chair". Bleak moors, muddy swamps, bitter blizzards, ruined buildings, an old and withered King Caspian and near-deaf Trumpkin, plus mumblings by the Earthmen about the apocalypse, all give the Narnian world a feeling of great age, of weariness, as if about to fall apart. This sets things up very nicely for "The Last Battle", I thought, where the world and the series come to an end. So too does the fact we get to glimpse the beautiful Aslan's Country at the start of the book, a land first glimpsed in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", and a land that features very prominently in "The Last Battle".

I quite like the characterizations, particularly Eustace. He's a character who changed quite dramatically for the better in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", but as we see in the book still has quite a bit of growing to do. I think Lewis handled him quite well. I also like the idea Puddleglum the frog-like Marshwiggle. He's quite the pessimist, but likes to think himself as quite the opposite. Bit like that myself, actually...

C.S. Lewis was a devoted Christian, and his beliefs shine through in all his work. "The Silver Chair" is no exception. In fact, I'd say the allegory here is probably some of the strongest in the series. I think it's got to do with faith and obedience. Just as Jill and Eustace are given commands by Aslan to follow, Christians are given commands to follow by God (through the Bible). They might seem simple to follow in theory, when at reading or in prayer (or in Aslan's Country for Jill and Eustace) but out in the real world, things are a lot more difficult. Things may be not what you expect, (as Eustace didn't expect to arrive decades after his first visit), you may get caught up in the here and the now rather and lose the greater purpose (just as the kids are tempted away to the city of Harfang for the sake of comfort), or you may be bogged down with pessimism (just as Jill and Eustace were bogged down with Puddleglum). You shouldn't lose heart though, even if you do mess up, it's never too late to get back on track. (Just as our heroes discover. The stuff up three of the four commands Aslan gave them, but they remember the fourth and save the day). As a Christian, I also got a lot out of the war of wits between the adventures and the Green Witch in Chapter 12. I can really relate to the debate that rages on, the challenge of whether what they believe in really exists. It's a struggle that christians face all the time, amongst non-believers and in their head. Lewis is a perceptive guy, he pinpoints these feelings exactly in this chapter.

Along with Lewis' christian allegory is some rather biting social commentary in the form of Experiment House. It is a school without religion of any kind and with less discipline, letting the kids run free. His description of the bullies at Experiment House getting constantly in trouble, punished lightly by a talk with the teacher, and through this becoming the favorites of the teachers rang so true to me. I remember seeing this sort of thing happening at some schools I went to growing up. The disturbing fact that the Head of the school becomes Prime Minister by the end of the book rings just as true, sadly in this day and age. Countries these days are run to be secular and deregulated, just like Experiment House.

With such an emphasis on allegory rather than story, some younger readers may find the adventure sparse in places. I know I did when I was younger (fifth grade). Still, that doesn't mean that there isn't plenty of adventure to be had. I remember I was absolutely captivated by the idea of Bism, a civilization in the centre of the world, where gemstones are alive and edible.

Once again Pauline Bayne's illustrations are fantastic. I love the way she draws the giants. Rather than just being larger, bulkier versions of people, the giants faces are characatured, cute and grotesque at the same time, quite similar to the way Lewis describes them. The map of the northern wildlands is a nice touch too.

"The Silver Chair" is the fourth Narnian Chronicle to be written by Lewis and the sixth chronologically. Whichever order you like to read them in, it's a fair way down the list. You'll get a lot more from this book if you've read the ones previously, but it's probably not essential. The explanations and back story here is pretty thorough. If you were going to read only one Narnian book before this, I'd make it "Voyage of the Dawn Treader", as it tells the story of Eustace and how he came to be who he is on his first adventure into Narnia.

Recommended for fantasy fans, lovers of all things C.S. Lewis and christians looking for a spiritually relevant read.

Rating:
Summary: Even Better
Review: The acting keeps on getting better with every movie in this series. What a pity that the next 3 books weren't also done! The child playing Jill is an amazingly good child actress. The man playing Puddleglum is absolutely dismal- which is exactly what you want for that character. The land of the Marshwiggles is depressing and dreary, and excellently depicted. The special effects are now very realistic, with the size of the giants well-created. It helps that there is far less in the realm of effects demanded in this book than in the previous three. Those of the Underworld could use some work in how they look, and it was unfortunate that there was no mention of their true home or what they are really like. In the book, we get more of a sense of them as people who are controlled by the witch. But Aslan is very well done, as a believably incredibly large lion, and there is real depth of emotion in the children and the enchanted prince. Ironic, in what is arguably the least well written of the series, we have the best movie adaptation to date.

Rating:
Summary: The Prince and the Serpent
Review: The penultimate adventure in Narnian time, this one is a fast paced exciting read that ends all too quickly.

This time, our young hero is Eustace, greatly improved in character after his adventures on the Dawn Treader, but still a little bossy and impatient. He is joined by Jill, a fellow student, when the two of them, fleeing the school bullies, pass through a portal into Narnia.

Narnia has advanced around seventy years since Caspian sailed to the Eastern end of the world, and he is now an old man, without an heir, as his only son Rilian had disappeared and was thought dead.

Aslan advises that Rilian is still alive, and the children's mission is to find him and return him to his father. Aslan gives Jill four clues to guide them, and of course things inevitably go wrong from the very beginning.

Assisted by friends, they begin their quest, encountering many dangerous obstacles and somehow overcoming them. By holding steadfast to at least the last of Aslan's clues, they find Rilian, who is under the spell of an enchantress.

Pledging their eternal loyalty to Aslan, a terrible battle ensues with the enchantress, who assumes the form of a great serpent, and her underground empire is destroyed.

Aslan also has a nasty surprise for the school bullies back in the children's world, and they get a taste of their own medicine.

This one is an easy read, encouraging an immediate opening of Book 7.

Amanda Richards, September 7, 2004



Rating:
Summary: Narnia
Review: These reviews are excellent, but no one seems to be clear on whether they are reviewing the BBC Movie or the book itself. Let me try to make clear some of the differences between the two.

Reviewers have not commented much on this fact, but THE SILVER CHAIR as a story plainly belongs to the Emerald Witch. She is by far the greatest of C.S. Lewis' Narnia villains. Unlike the cold, lifeless White Witch, and the bumbling slapstick Queen Jadis, the Emerald Witch is an alluring, sophisticated, outwardly charming woman. It's easy to understand why Prince Rilian would fall deeply in love with her, with or without enchantment. It's just a shame this is a children's book and none of the witch's wiles can truly be shown in context!

In the BBC movie, the Emerald Witch is played by Barbara Kellerman, and she does full justice to the character. Kellerman has just the right sort of dark, warm beauty, combined with a hint of cold malice, and great outer charm. She deserves at least as much praise as Tom Baker's Puddleglum.

One of the huge problems with the movie, as opposed to the book, is that the luxury and comfort of Harfang Castle is largely glossed over and ignored. It's important to see that both the Emerald Witch and the Gentle Giants represent fleshly temptation, not mere brute violence. The movie misses much of that, so that the children's weakness is a lot harder to grasp.

Since there are no large battle scenes or other conflicts to make the story interesting, the loss of most of what happens at Harfang really weakens the story. The BBC movie overall is much colder, more prosaic, and less full of light and color than Lewis' original book. But Barbara Kellerman is stunning!



Rating:
Summary: Invaluable and fun
Review: This is an incredibly important book.

For some reason, this was the one Narnia book I could never get all the way through as a boy even though I was an otherwise voracious reader. I'm not really sure why. I just finished reading it to one of my own sons and he seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. I wish now that I'd read it all the way through a long time ago. This is nothing less than a children's introduction to Christian spiritual warfare, in some ways far more general and comprehensive than Lewis' "Screwtape Letters" which covers the same subject for adults.

In order of authorship and according to the original ordering of the series "The Silver Chair" is number 4, coming between "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and "The Horse and his Boy". Under the current numbering by the internal chronology of the narrative, it's second to last. In many ways neither ordering is really the most useful. In broad terms, the books divide thematically between allegorical (or better, fanciful) representations of salvation history, and guides to Christian living. Into the first category fall "The Magician's Nephew", "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", "Prince Caspian", and "The Last Battle". The second category has "The Horse and his Boy", "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", and "The Silver Chair". I believe this last is the most significant.

Lewis himself always denied his works were intended to be strictly allegorical, and in the case of the salvation history volumes this may well be the case. Element by element assignment from reality to story usually breaks down once you get past Aslan as Christ, and even where characters or events are not made to do double duty at different points (such as Edmund in "Lion") it's not alway possible to carry out this operation reliably. ("Applicability", as Lewis' friend J.R.R. Tolkien termed it, is another matter.) But "The Silver Chair" is far more nearly allegorical than the others, with symbolism that's crystal clear. This makes the lessons it teaches, in the context of a high fantasy adventure, all the more accessible.

It would take a long essay to explore all the lessons in this book so I'm not going to do that here, but they're not difficult to identify for an adult with a moderately thorough Christian education. Lewis packs an incredible number of subjects into this short book, everything from repentance and forgiveness to the basics of the theology of the image of God in our human nature. (Although in other works Lewis has promulgated what is, to Eastern Christian eyes, a faulty Augustinian Pneumatology, his treatment of the image here makes me think he must have been familiar with at least some Eastern Church Fathers.)

Lewis also anticipates, and armors his readers against, modern trends already evident in his time such as the despair engendered by the prevailing nihilism, extreme materialism, secular humanism, and others. He was very much spot-on in indentifying those ideas that would come to present the greatest temptations to Christian believers in the decades to follow, and this work, among others, reflects that. This means it's useful and relevant even today, over 50 years since it was written.

I now regret deeply that I never gave this book the attention it deserved when I was younger. I don't know, of course, how much of a difference it would have made, but it might have made at least some. As difficult as it is these days to be a Christian, no help can be neglected. If you're a parent of a Narnia reader, do what you can to make sure they don't skip this one. If you *are* a Narnia reader, "The Silver Chair" is worth your full attention and then some. It's a fun adventure too.