3.35k reviews for:

The Silver Chair

C.S. Lewis

3.78 AVERAGE

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

it was okay. i wasn't really absorbed in it though. i liked the bit about centaurs eating habits
adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This story was sandwiched by even more of Lewis’ fucked up ideas about how children should be raised and a good smattering of sexism. 

It definitely was not a promising start with the vilification of co-ed schools (this one being called "Experiment House"): 

1. The kids were "allowed to do what they liked", which meant "horrid things, went on" and the kids were never reprimanded (i.e. weren’t beaten up). 

2. Onus is put on the fact that "Bibles weren't encouraged" at the school, and also seemingly that women held a lot of the positions of power within the school. 

I truly don’t understand why Lewis was SO against children not being abused, let alone treated kindly, and apparently all in the name of God??? He was probably upset they weren't all still in the mines. This is obviously carrying on from the weird precedent of Eustace being evil because he was progressive (not even fucking anti-religious). 

Then when we return to the school at the end, when describing the headteacher of "Experiment House" he says:
 
"And then the Head (who was, by the way, a woman) ..." 

SO goddamn sexist in context. The sexism isn’t anywhere near as obvious in Narnia, I assume because I’m used to sexism being more prevalent in this sort of fantasy world, but when we’re back in the real world, just oooof. 

However, this same paragraph does also contain pretty accurate commentary on people in power: 

"...the Head's friends saw that the Head was no use as a Head, so they got her made an Inspector to interfere with other Heads. And when they found she wasn't much good even at that, they got her into Parliament where she lived happily ever after." 

But whether this was Lewis commentating only on women in power, or it expands to everyone in power, I’m not so sure. 

Then the whole time in Narnia was really great. Definitely the best ending until this point, and the story is probably the strongest. 

Puddleglum was 100% the star of the show; he’s the best bit of character work in the series by far. This was definitely aided by the fact that he’s been the least preachy ‘good’ character, but mainly its that Lewis portrayed him in a very comedic, Pratchett-esque way. A true gem. Also probably helps that I was picturing him as Tom Baker the entire time.   

So overall, a largely great read, only let down by Lewis’ crazy views on child rearing at the beginning and end. 
adventurous
adventurous dark hopeful sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

A really good book with some incredible stories. From the very beginning, it drew me in, but I have to admit—it felt tricky, foggy, and even a bit disorienting at first. I wasn’t sure what to expect or which characters I could trust, which made the story all the more intriguing. This sense of confusion reminded me a lot of how we can feel in life when we lose sight of what’s important or forget the truths we’ve been taught.

What stood out the most to me was how the story serves as a powerful allegory for the Christian life, especially as you grow older. It’s a reminder of what happens when we stray from the path Aslan (or God) has laid out for us and the challenges of staying faithful to His directions. Jill and Eustace’s journey to rescue Prince Rilian is full of moments where they struggle to remember Aslan’s instructions, and their mistakes felt so relatable—they reminded me of how easy it is to get distracted or lose focus in life.

I really loved how the book explores themes of trust, perseverance, and redemption. Puddleglum was such a unique and memorable character; his grounded wisdom and faith in Aslan, even when everything seemed hopeless, really inspired me. The confrontation with the Green Witch in the underworld was especially striking—it felt like a battle between truth and deception, light and darkness.

Overall, The Silver Chair felt deeply meaningful to me. It’s a story that mirrors the struggles and triumphs of faith in a way that’s both challenging and hopeful. It might have started in a fog, but by the end, everything felt clear and purposeful. I really enjoyed it and found it to be one of the most allegorical and thought-provoking books in the Narnia series.

La silla de plata es el sexto libro en la saga Las Crónicas de Narnia, narra la historia de Eustace (¿recuerdan? El primo fastidioso) y Jill una compañera del colegio mixto. Ambos quieren escapar de aquel lugar, pues no se sienten cómodos allí, por eso Eustace le habla a Jill de un lugar maravilloso lleno de magia llamado Narnia y tan solo repetir varias veces el nombre de Aslan una puerta hacia aquel país se abre y empieza la aventura.
Eustace y Jill tienen una misión encontrar al príncipe perdido, el sucesor al trono de Narnia ya que su padre (el rey) es muy anciano y sí, estoy hablando del Rey Caspian, ya han pasado varios años desde la Travesía del Viajero del Alba donde éste fue hacia las Islas Solitarias junto con Lucy, Edmund y Eustace.


adventurous dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Definitely a different flavor of Narnia book, as this is the first one without the original cast. The tone is a bit...different but not bad at all. This one is less surreal than the previous novel, and in so many ways is a much more melancholy book despite the ending of Voyage of the Dawn Treader. All the same, it is quite beautiful. The Underland is a fascinating place, and it returns to form of sorts with a Witch villain as well, although very different than the White Witch was in the first book. It still has that lovely whimsy that is so crucial to Narnia, though. It's a lovely story and unique in that it begins in Aslan's Country, in which we're able to get an actual glimpse of it!

It is beautifully told, in my opinion, but a sadder story. Sad things happen but it's a good sad and for a book written and published in the 50's, it allows male characters to cry and express themselves healthily. I still think Dawn Trader is my favorite, if anything for the ending of the book, but the ending to this one is artful all on its own. This is a solid read, and the passages range from whimsical fun to cautious melancholy and overall are woven together sweetly.

It also introduces the rather incredible character of Puddleglum who is a welcome entry into the series though, as he says, we may most likely never see him again. That's one thing I happen to love, though, about these books. It's okay to move forward and it is okay to accept the changing nature, and passage of, time. The return to the real world in this book was grand and I hope to see more of Jill Pole and Eustace, too. Jill was an intriguing character that is a good mixture of Eustace and Lucy but wholly herself too, throughout the course of the novel.

Overall it was a lovely book that also took me way too long to finish because of other books I needed to just power through. Ultimately, a great read and another excellent entry into the Narnia series. It continues, to me, also, the lovely narration of C.S. Lewis and his sometimes metafictional digresses and cheeky responses. I love the humor in these books and it's so glad that it wasn't lost in this one at all.
adventurous slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No