Reviews with content warning for Animal death - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

My first exposure to this story was in the form of the 1979 film. I was just a little kid and it was the only thing resembling a kids movie that my grandparents had at their house. We put it on and thus began the nightmares. It was scary! The crude drawings, the extremely adult themes of murder, slavery, abuse. I never read the book after that first experience.

Now I'm an adult with my own small kids and I decided to give this story another chance. At the start I enjoyed this book. The pacing was good and the premise was magical and exciting. My first jolt came early on when Lucy follows Mr. Tumnus into the woods (stranger danger alarm bells). This incident alone shows the age of this book. But the further along I got the less there was to like. As a child I didn't pick up on how extremely preachy and religious this story is. It's no wonder my grandparents had this movie in their home - a place where the Catholic guilt is palpable. I also couldn't sidestep the sexist and racist remarks. I picture having to explain some of the lines of text to my kids and cringe at the idea.

I understand this book is from a different time, but if it's going to continue to be told today it needs to be viewed and criticised under today's lens. Just because something was acclaimed at the time doesn't mean we should hold it in esteem forever.

Content Warnings

greyys_libraryy's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a very nice read for people of all ages. I personally preferred the movies because of the nostalgia it brings me. Had I read the book at a younger age I think I would have preferred the book. The siblings acted like real siblings in the book, which is refreshing to many that don’t. I do not have much to say about the book itself, so this review will be short.

I think the plot overall was amazing. I loved the way that the siblings found out about Narnia and how they portrayed Edmund. I think that Edmund had too quick of a turn-around, which is typical for children’s books. The concept of good and evil is strong within the book, as are the religious themes surrounding Aslan.

I would rate it a 3/5. I had expected more from the book because of how good the movie was and felt let down, but I would still recommend the book to others.

Content Warnings

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

iinasomnia's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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markedwithanm's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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orinthebard's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The Bible WHOMST??

I wasn't expecting this childhood favorite to stand up to my current taste, but this is a good story. Also, turning Jesus into a lion and the cross into a sacrificial stone table actually takes this story closer to its pagan roots.

Content Warnings

noxygens's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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