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dilchh's review against another edition
4.0
I’m so glad that I decided to buy the entire Narnia box set two months ago, because now I could just read the entire series one right after another. Life is good, isn’t it?
I have to say, after a disappointing moment from reading The Magician’s Nephew, I had a bit of a doubt about going on reading the whole Narnia series; I doubt that I had remember the experience different from when I was young, maybe Narnia was not as good as I had remember it. But, soon I was proven wrong right after I read LWW; I don’t know what went wrong with The Magician’s Nephew, but LWW was a different experience altogether. I felt revived and I felt young again, it’s like going back to when I first read LWW. I relive the whole Pevensie’s children adventure in Narnia as if it was my own, and I was heartbroken and betrayed all over again when the adventure ends.
I’m no writer and it is never in my position to judge such work of art as it is Narnia, but LWW definitely had a better writing than The Magician’s Nephew, I felt that Lewis took his time with writing this book while it seems like he was in a rush as he was writing The Magician’s Nephew. but we’re not here to compare both book, I’m here to discuss about LWW. Considering that I last read this book more than eight years ago and it was in Bahasa, and the only thing that had kept my memory fresh was the movie, I have to tell you the pace was definitely different, the movie was more fast-paced while the book itself was sort of relaxed, which I am not complaining for the both of it. And definitely there was some differences from the book and the movie, but in all honesty I think the movie did the book justice and I love them both for it.
As for the characters, I am forever will be in awe for Edmund Pevensie. Ever since I first read the book, I have already had this strong kinship with Edmund, what with us being the middle child (as in we’re never old enough to be the elder ones, yet not young enough to be the younger ones), we felt we don’t quite get along with our other siblings, and other traits that resulted in my younger self building a strong relation with Edmund. I can understand his betrayal, at some point I even justify his actions as I felt I was Edmund. Now, reading it again, I can see that I am Edmund and years after that, just like Edmund had learned from his mistake and rise above it to be the Just King, I have also felt that I have learned from my young and ignorant mistakes and try to live up to my name (which coincidentally also means Just).
I’m glad that Lewis gets to write a character such as Edmund for children to learn from; he made mistake, he man up to it, he try to fix himself afterward and he rise above it. Anyone willing to understand about Edmund’s character can see that he has paid his mistake dearly (surely what he had to go through during his stay with the White Witch for a nine year old would be a traumatising experience, yet he manage to overcome it and if that is not something that children can learn from, I think I’m going to be like Professor Kirke, ‘what do they teach them at these schools?’)
Although I enjoy the book, I have to say that I still felt betrayed with how the Pevensie children had to end their reign in Narnia. They were the Golden Age of Narnia and they were robbed (not to mention that in a way Narnia were robbed too) of their chance to reign and bring peace and security to Narnia, only to return and see that there was no more Narnia (but that’s for another book to discuss). I am still in agony and sadness over what had happened to Narnia and to all the Pevensie children because they had to go back to their world. And years after that, I still have a lingering question as to what happened to the wardrobe, if it were not meant to be used as the entry point for Narnia ever again, then was the whole purpose of that wardrobe was just to be a one time entry point? Yet Lucy manage to enter Narnia through the wardrobe for three times. I still don’t find it fair that they can’t return to Narnia from that very same wardrobe.
I have to say, after a disappointing moment from reading The Magician’s Nephew, I had a bit of a doubt about going on reading the whole Narnia series; I doubt that I had remember the experience different from when I was young, maybe Narnia was not as good as I had remember it. But, soon I was proven wrong right after I read LWW; I don’t know what went wrong with The Magician’s Nephew, but LWW was a different experience altogether. I felt revived and I felt young again, it’s like going back to when I first read LWW. I relive the whole Pevensie’s children adventure in Narnia as if it was my own, and I was heartbroken and betrayed all over again when the adventure ends.
I’m no writer and it is never in my position to judge such work of art as it is Narnia, but LWW definitely had a better writing than The Magician’s Nephew, I felt that Lewis took his time with writing this book while it seems like he was in a rush as he was writing The Magician’s Nephew. but we’re not here to compare both book, I’m here to discuss about LWW. Considering that I last read this book more than eight years ago and it was in Bahasa, and the only thing that had kept my memory fresh was the movie, I have to tell you the pace was definitely different, the movie was more fast-paced while the book itself was sort of relaxed, which I am not complaining for the both of it. And definitely there was some differences from the book and the movie, but in all honesty I think the movie did the book justice and I love them both for it.
As for the characters, I am forever will be in awe for Edmund Pevensie. Ever since I first read the book, I have already had this strong kinship with Edmund, what with us being the middle child (as in we’re never old enough to be the elder ones, yet not young enough to be the younger ones), we felt we don’t quite get along with our other siblings, and other traits that resulted in my younger self building a strong relation with Edmund. I can understand his betrayal, at some point I even justify his actions as I felt I was Edmund. Now, reading it again, I can see that I am Edmund and years after that, just like Edmund had learned from his mistake and rise above it to be the Just King, I have also felt that I have learned from my young and ignorant mistakes and try to live up to my name (which coincidentally also means Just).
I’m glad that Lewis gets to write a character such as Edmund for children to learn from; he made mistake, he man up to it, he try to fix himself afterward and he rise above it. Anyone willing to understand about Edmund’s character can see that he has paid his mistake dearly (surely what he had to go through during his stay with the White Witch for a nine year old would be a traumatising experience, yet he manage to overcome it and if that is not something that children can learn from, I think I’m going to be like Professor Kirke, ‘what do they teach them at these schools?’)
Although I enjoy the book, I have to say that I still felt betrayed with how the Pevensie children had to end their reign in Narnia. They were the Golden Age of Narnia and they were robbed (not to mention that in a way Narnia were robbed too) of their chance to reign and bring peace and security to Narnia, only to return and see that there was no more Narnia (but that’s for another book to discuss). I am still in agony and sadness over what had happened to Narnia and to all the Pevensie children because they had to go back to their world. And years after that, I still have a lingering question as to what happened to the wardrobe, if it were not meant to be used as the entry point for Narnia ever again, then was the whole purpose of that wardrobe was just to be a one time entry point? Yet Lucy manage to enter Narnia through the wardrobe for three times. I still don’t find it fair that they can’t return to Narnia from that very same wardrobe.
tanya_6's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
abitterknitter's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bashkareads's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
aliciarutter's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ols_dove's review against another edition
5.0
Iconic as ever,
Enjoyed it a lot,
Edmund's so silly,
Five feathers it got.
Enjoyed it a lot,
Edmund's so silly,
Five feathers it got.
katykelly's review against another edition
5.0
My son's first trip through the wardrobe...
I first read Narnia aged 8 when the BBC adapted The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, almost the same age my son is now. I remember being drawn into a world where you could walk into another land through a wardrobe, where fauns exist - one of the first novels I ever read solo, and almost definitely my first containing fantasy. The feelings I had for the book have stayed with my for thirty years, and though I've reread, for study and now with my son, I can still recall how I felt when first walking through that wardrobe in "Spare Oom".
The meaning Lewis imbibed his story with passed me by completely as an 8-year-old of course, though of course I learned of the Christian message subsequently, taking some of the sheen from my memories of the story and characters.
The story of the four evacuees sent to the country and discovering a land accessible through a wardrobe is one of the world's most well-known, the hidden story of the Jesus-Aslan, his sacrifice and rising again to battle the White Witch-Devil just as famous.
I took note as we went along of all the parallels, the roles each child/character played in the hidden story, but also how my son reacted to the story, surely the most important thing.
He seemed taken with the book from the first chapter, quite absorbed as Lucy went through the wardrobe for the first time, if confused for a while, and he actively disliked Edmund, his teasing and lies. I was surprised at how short the book really is and how fast the plot moves from introduction of the children, to escape and Aslan, Stone Table and showdown.
Every chapter end had my boy moaning for 'more', he was enchanted. I watched his face as a certain horrific event turns out well, as certain royals are crowned. He was beaming. It's the way the book SHOULD be read. I'm not going to tell him otherwise. It can wait.
As an adult, it seems very clear, just what Lewis means, but for my nearly 8-year-old, he now sees magic in a wardrobe, knows what centaurs and fauns are, has had a new imaginative pathway opened up.
I've already ordered a copy of the BBC series for us to watch, and we have the other 6 books should he express an interest in journeying to Narnia again.
I found we didn't need to talk about the language too often, a few terms that he wasn't familiar with, slang terms, but I did have trouble with the last few pages as the Kings and Queens see the lamppost while hunting, their language is both awkward to read aloud and needs a full translation for a generation completely unfamiliar with courtly language.
A book children SHOULD read, it will impact them twice in their lives - once as a fantasy that opens their eyes to imagination, and once again later, as they look back and learn that authors may not mean what they thought.
I first read Narnia aged 8 when the BBC adapted The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, almost the same age my son is now. I remember being drawn into a world where you could walk into another land through a wardrobe, where fauns exist - one of the first novels I ever read solo, and almost definitely my first containing fantasy. The feelings I had for the book have stayed with my for thirty years, and though I've reread, for study and now with my son, I can still recall how I felt when first walking through that wardrobe in "Spare Oom".
The meaning Lewis imbibed his story with passed me by completely as an 8-year-old of course, though of course I learned of the Christian message subsequently, taking some of the sheen from my memories of the story and characters.
The story of the four evacuees sent to the country and discovering a land accessible through a wardrobe is one of the world's most well-known, the hidden story of the Jesus-Aslan, his sacrifice and rising again to battle the White Witch-Devil just as famous.
I took note as we went along of all the parallels, the roles each child/character played in the hidden story, but also how my son reacted to the story, surely the most important thing.
He seemed taken with the book from the first chapter, quite absorbed as Lucy went through the wardrobe for the first time, if confused for a while, and he actively disliked Edmund, his teasing and lies. I was surprised at how short the book really is and how fast the plot moves from introduction of the children, to escape and Aslan, Stone Table and showdown.
Every chapter end had my boy moaning for 'more', he was enchanted. I watched his face as a certain horrific event turns out well, as certain royals are crowned. He was beaming. It's the way the book SHOULD be read. I'm not going to tell him otherwise. It can wait.
As an adult, it seems very clear, just what Lewis means, but for my nearly 8-year-old, he now sees magic in a wardrobe, knows what centaurs and fauns are, has had a new imaginative pathway opened up.
I've already ordered a copy of the BBC series for us to watch, and we have the other 6 books should he express an interest in journeying to Narnia again.
I found we didn't need to talk about the language too often, a few terms that he wasn't familiar with, slang terms, but I did have trouble with the last few pages as the Kings and Queens see the lamppost while hunting, their language is both awkward to read aloud and needs a full translation for a generation completely unfamiliar with courtly language.
A book children SHOULD read, it will impact them twice in their lives - once as a fantasy that opens their eyes to imagination, and once again later, as they look back and learn that authors may not mean what they thought.
cedric_callnight's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0