In an attempt to increase my blog-writing output from “once a year” to “more than once a year,” I’m going to be offering some short book reviews on each book I read throughout the year. These won’t go too “in depth,” but hopefully lead you to some good recommendations.
The first book I read this year is well-known. Our church book club read through The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis over the Christmas holidays, which kicks off his famous “Chronicles of Narnia” series. It was a delight to revisit this children’s classic! The first time I read it, I was in university taking a “Children’s Literature” class. Now, having 4 kids of my own, the magic of the story hit me in a new way. As an adult, I was able to get in touch with my inner child. Although much of the book relies on nostalgia from a different age (playing hide and seek rather than Nintendo Switch) and references likely appreciated most by fellow Brits (the food described is not my idea of a good time!), Lewis has a special way of capturing the delight of a child’s imagination like few others can.
The basic premise of the book is probably familiar to you. The four Pevensie children are sent away during WWII to live in a mansion in the countryside of England to escape the bombings on their city. They discover an old wardrobe hidden away in one of the many rooms, which leads them to the magical land of Narnia. The youngest of the siblings, Lucy, finds it first, followed by her troublesome brother Edmond, and latter the oldest two: Peter and Susan. Once through the wardrobe, they discover a fantastical land filled with talking animals and mythological creatures, but ruled by the evil White Witch and cursed to be under an eternal winter (but never Christmas!). The Narnian’s only hope is for the powerful lion Aslan to return and redeem them, and rumor has it he is on the move…
It’s no secret that Aslan represents Jesus in this story. Interestingly, Lewis wondered what things might be like if a place like Narnia actually existed, and needed to be rescued from evil. How might God choose to do it there, and how different/similar might it look from how He did it here? There are definitely biblical parallels, but it should not be considered a direct allegory in the way that The Pilgrim’s Progress is read.
I love the way Lewis presents the problem through the character of Edmond. He is bent towards mischief, which soon lands him in trouble with the White Witch. Likely because of his jealousy of Peter, Edmond selfishly sells out his family in exchange for Turkish Delight. In fairness, it is a magical food with addicting power, and like all addicts, Edmond is willing to do much to gain more of it. Sin is indeed addicting, causing us to return over and over again, although it never delivers the joy that it promises. I brought some Turkish Delight to our book club, but I think I was the only one who liked it (what does this say about me???). I saw a humorous post on Twitter that read, “This is a reminder that Turkish Delight is trash and that Edmond sold out his family because he wanted to!” Such is the case with all of us, to one degree or another, in our sinful state.
My favorite part of the book is when Edmond is finally rescued from the clutches of the White Witch and reunited with his family in Aslan’s camp. Aslan speaks with him in private, and later declares to the other children that he has dealt with the matter, and there is no need to speak further of it. What a beautiful picture of forgiveness! Although, it may be also said that even after we experience the forgiveness of God, it may still be necessary to seek forgiveness and make amends with the ones affected by our poor decisions.
On a spiritual level, the Witch confronts Aslan, seeking to bring shame on Edmond by reminding the Lion of the boy’s sins. I love Aslan’s response: “His transgression was not against you.” Even so, she claims that the “Old Magic” decrees that Edmond is now hers. What follows is a powerful picture of the gospel: Aslan offers his own life so that Edmond can go free. When he is later brought back to life, He tells Lucy and Susan that there is a “deeper magic” that the Witch did not know of. Powerful stuff.
I am currently re-reading Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and there is an interesting contrast between the works of these two authors (who were famously good friends). Tolkien’s trilogy dives deep into a complicated world of mythology, surrounded by a detailed history that was painstakingly crafted over a long period of time. On the other hand, Lewis pumped out a new Narnia book every year for several years until they were finished. In fact, it was a bit of a sore spot for Tolkien that Lewis (whom he helped lead into the Christian faith) skyrocketed to such fame in such a short time, while the former labored away at his magnum opus in relative obscurity for years. Lewis’ book throws all sorts of creatures into the mix, borrowing from every mythological tradition from Norse to Greek. While Tolkien carefully developed a world that “fit together” as a classic mythology for Europe, Lewis seems to have approached it from the perspective of a child, where anything they could imagine might be found somewhere within Narnia’s borders. As an adult, I can only imagine the wonder a child might experience, and the hope that perhaps there is a wardrobe somewhere that they could find a portal to a magical world.
Do I recommend you go read the original book that kicked off Lewis’ wildly famous Chronicles of Narnia? Of course! I read it over the Christmas break, which is appropriate, since it takes place in winter, and even “Father Christmas” makes a cameo. But this book can be enjoyed any time. If you are an adult, it will re-ignite your childhood imagination. It will also help you see the gospel story from a fresh perspective, and I hope it emotionally moves you the way it did me.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (it’s a classic for a reason)
p.s. The movie is pretty good too. You can find it on Disney+.
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