Not a Tame Lion

Those who journeyed to Narnia, whether in their youth or adulthood, need no introduction to the magical, mystical, and spiritual world of Aslan. For those who have not yet read these wonderful books, The Complete Chronicles of Narnia offers all seven of the Narnia stories in one splendid volume.

A brief synopsis of the seven stories and introduction:
Intro by Brian Sibley (a CS Lewis aficionado) briefly (3 pages) overviews the journey of CS Lewis, one of the greatest Christian writers of our time, in writing the Narnia tales. Within the introduction, it’s explained that this edition doesn’t have the stories in the order that they were written, but in Lewis’s preferred chronological order (The Magician’s Nephew was actually written sixth, but is the “first” in the series).

The Magician’s Nephew is first in the series, and tells of Digory and Polly, the first children to make the magical crossing from Earth to Narnia. In The Magician’s Nephew, Aslan creates Narnia and all of the creatures who will inhabit it.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is perhaps the most widely known and read of the series; it has been made into at least one movie. Four earthly sisters and brothers (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) discover a corridor to a magical world where animals and fairy tale creatures live, speak, and live in perpetual winter. This seasonal abnormality is created by the White Witch, who rules Narnia with an ice cold iron fist. In this book, Lucy begins a special, intimate relationship with Aslan that continues throughout her journeys.

The Horse and His Boy. In Narnia, roles are often reversed, as here. The horse (Bree) and his boy (Shasta) run away and meet up with another horse (Hwin) and her girl (Avaris). Adventures continue as they rescue Prince Cor from certain doom. Of course, Bree and Hwin, being Narnian horses, can talk and are able to reason (uh, at least Bree can). Edmund and Lucy make appearances in this story.

Prince Caspian. All four of the children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy) return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian, the rightful leader, reclaim his throne. Caspian longs for the days of old, when speaking animals and fairy tale creatures roamed the land and must battle invaders to bring things to right.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Eustace Scrubbs is a cousin of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, and is pulled into Narnia (by way of a picture in Lucy’s bedroom) with them. Of course, he doesn’t believe what has happened, and when the children find themselves on (now) King Caspian’s ship, Eustace proceeds to make a nuisance of himself.

The Silver Chair. Eustace returns to Narnia, with his school chum Jill Pole. The two children go on a quest to rescue Prince Rilian, Caspian’s son. To do so, they must go up against another witch and other creatures that strive to undermine their plans.

The Last Battle wraps up the Narnia Chronicles in the ultimate battle of evil and good, where true justice is served for once and for all. The children return to Narnia and battle wickedness in many forms. The ending to this book will produce a lump in your throat as it brings to conclusion this epic series.

It’s not enough to read the synopsis…you can do that on Amazon.com. Lewis, as a Christian author, wrote these books as an allegory to Christian belief; it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the comparison of the lion Aslan to Jesus, and other inferences. In the second story (Lion, Witch, Wardrobe), a scene where Aslan is killed and rises is particularly parallel to Christian belief.

As a child, the Narnia books gave me windows on worlds of fantasy that were exciting and fun to imagine. As an adult, I find these stories to be healing and inspirational. After reading one book, I’m instantly moved to read the next in the series and continue the feelings of hope and encouragement.

The Complete Chronicles of Narnia allows me the luxury of reading Narnia continuously, without having to get up and find the next book. The illustrations by Pauline Baynes are the original drawings for the Lewis books; they are simple, yet detailed in their portrayal of the creatures and people who live in these stories.

A nice touch to this edition (published by Harper/Collins as a celebration of Lewis’s 100th birthday) is the ribbon that can be used as a bookmark. This ensures that you don’t dog-ear pages on what should be a treasured addition to your library!

This book is large - with at least one illustration every two pages, it runs 524 pages, and measures a little over 8 1/2” x 11”. It’s heavy for someone with problems gripping a heavy tome and doesn’t fit well on my bookshelves. If I were to think for 99 years, that would be the only downside to the volume that I can find! The stories themselves are timeless; whether you are reading to a small child, re-reading for your own enjoyment, or experiencing Narnia for the first time, this edition is a worthwhile addition to any library.