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Mer's Reviews > The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia (#1-7)
by
(Click the above link to read professor Carol Zaleski's interesting take of the seething religious/political furor surrounding these classics.)
I pined for Narnia in the most broken, sad way when I was a little girl.
Obviously, I had no knowledge of any Christian subtext when I first read "Da Chroni *WHUT* cles". I remember devouring them in much the same way that children are now tearing through the Harry Potter series. Lewis's lavish descriptions of fauns and dragons and giants have burned themselves permanently into my memory.
Ten year old Mer's desire to live in that world and shoot arrows and eat Turkish Delight and befriend those magical talking beasts was all-consuming. Most of all, I wanted to know Aslan. To be cuddled and loved by that big, fierce, lovable lion. But in the end, I had to let go of him and his realm. (I remember being so disconsolate, in fact, that my parents let me stay home from school for a day! And they NEVER let me play hookey! So weird, remembering that.)
There were just so many aspects of that world that made me feel, well, BAD, somehow. Guilty, or ashamed, or just plain uncomfortable.
Remember when Susan didn't come back, basically because she discovered her sexuality?
Remember the Calormenes? Those dark-skinned people with really intense garlic breath who wore turbans and worshiped a Satanic "false god" who demanded blood sacrifices from his followers?
There was SO much blame being laid out in that world. A lot of finger-pointing and shaming going on, a lot of damning and excluding. It was all very black and white, us or them, good or evil.
In the end, I rejected the Narnia books for that reason. Later, finding out Lewis was a devout Christian and Aslan was basically supposed to be Jebus in a lion suit, I wasn't at all surprised.
Nowadays, I recommend Miyazaki movies (especially Kiki) to every tween girl I meet to cleanse their palate of some of the more despicable Disney depictions of femininity, and I happily gift kids (and adults!) with the Dark Materials trilogy to counteract their exposure to the Narnia dogma.
All that being said, these books are a memorable part of my childhood, and I still recall parts of them with fondness and longing.
by
(Click the above link to read professor Carol Zaleski's interesting take of the seething religious/political furor surrounding these classics.)
I pined for Narnia in the most broken, sad way when I was a little girl.
Obviously, I had no knowledge of any Christian subtext when I first read "Da Chroni *WHUT* cles". I remember devouring them in much the same way that children are now tearing through the Harry Potter series. Lewis's lavish descriptions of fauns and dragons and giants have burned themselves permanently into my memory.
Ten year old Mer's desire to live in that world and shoot arrows and eat Turkish Delight and befriend those magical talking beasts was all-consuming. Most of all, I wanted to know Aslan. To be cuddled and loved by that big, fierce, lovable lion. But in the end, I had to let go of him and his realm. (I remember being so disconsolate, in fact, that my parents let me stay home from school for a day! And they NEVER let me play hookey! So weird, remembering that.)
There were just so many aspects of that world that made me feel, well, BAD, somehow. Guilty, or ashamed, or just plain uncomfortable.
Remember when Susan didn't come back, basically because she discovered her sexuality?
Remember the Calormenes? Those dark-skinned people with really intense garlic breath who wore turbans and worshiped a Satanic "false god" who demanded blood sacrifices from his followers?
There was SO much blame being laid out in that world. A lot of finger-pointing and shaming going on, a lot of damning and excluding. It was all very black and white, us or them, good or evil.
In the end, I rejected the Narnia books for that reason. Later, finding out Lewis was a devout Christian and Aslan was basically supposed to be Jebus in a lion suit, I wasn't at all surprised.
Nowadays, I recommend Miyazaki movies (especially Kiki) to every tween girl I meet to cleanse their palate of some of the more despicable Disney depictions of femininity, and I happily gift kids (and adults!) with the Dark Materials trilogy to counteract their exposure to the Narnia dogma.
All that being said, these books are a memorable part of my childhood, and I still recall parts of them with fondness and longing.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 1985
–
Finished Reading
April 18, 2007
– Shelved
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Hey, thanks! I'll plan to add my two cents to more books when I have some time (and coffee). :)
A friend of mine is working on the upcoming film version of The Golden Compass. Keep yr fingers crossed... who knows what Hollywood's gonna do to it.
Hopefully - no evil. (Oh and - it's so cool!)Good, I'll save a link to your page then. Your reviews to Lestat and Dan Browb impressed and amused me. I'd love to see more :)
I can't possibly tell you how much I can relate to your feelings as a child reading this series. I'm too embarrassed to admit it anyways. I will however tell you I got to the point of promising myself that I would name my "future" kids Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. As for the Dark Materials series by Pullman; the only negative thing I have to say about them is that they ended. I read Lyra's Oxford, and am now awaiting The Book About Dust. Why couldn't the angels or those small poisen midgets give Will and Lyra those small communication devices which allow people to communicate across most dimensions with eachother.....I have actually lost sleep over this....in freaking tears and up in arms about this situation. What a shame. They should be able to meet from time to time. It's just not fair.
I just put in my review on the series, so was taking the time to read others'. "Remember the Calormenes? Those dark-skinned people with really intense garlic breath who wore turbans and worshiped a Satanic "false god" who demanded blood sacrifices from his followers?"
So true that this made me uncomfortable. It made me think of Christians who believe that other religions of other cultures are "wrong." Shudder, C. S. Lewis. I feel like he attempts to fix this with Emeth, the Calormene in the chapter Further Up and Further In but...I don't know if I bought it.
You act as if you are insulted by C.S. Lewis's who believes in Christ and God. Yet you expect people to read an Atheists(Pullman) fantasy books? I'm sorry but are you not a bit biased there? You say there is excluding in Narnia but atheism is very dividing and blaming as well. Unless I am mistaken Atheist's say that they are right and everyone else is wrong. Do you not see how silly it is to discourage Narnia, while pushing Dark Material? To be biased is to be human. I say enjoy Narnia for it has great adventures(whether Christian or not). Enjoy Golden Compass(because its a good read). But don't simply get rid of a masterful fantasy series because it has Christian principles.
so sad adult bias overcomes childhood enjoyment. Ease up a little. Sometimes as adults we are so PC minded because we've lost our innocence. As children we have no prejudice against Muslims Jews Atheist or CHRISTIANS as you seem to have now.
You seriously hate this book because it has Christian principles in it? That's really inmature. C.S. Lewis was a Christian!
Reading your commentary on the book was saddening because I believe you have placed new themes into the books that were not intended by Lewis. Perhaps if you read his book Mere Christianity you'd understand why he converted from atheism and fall in love with his books all over again.
Sexuality was never Susan's issue. This is evident in the fact that Queen Susan wasn't cast out of Narnia for courting Rabadash, also in the fact that Shasta and Aravis marry. Susan's interest in lipstick, nylons, etc was a problem only inasmuch as it kept her from joining the others.
I loved it too when I was a child, and even used to look for narnia in my closet. I also remember the event of Susan being excluded in the end as bothering me an awful lot and making me feel that growing up and taking interest in one's body is evil, I drew a whole theory around that.
I also discovered 'His Dark Materials' a few years later (and boy did I love it..).
I wish you'd add reviews to your other books.
Joanne.