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A review by vermidian
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
3.0
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is a classic children's story. Through various forms of media, most children have at least heard of this novel, if not seen one of the movie or tv versions, and, if it's their cup of tea, they might have even read the book.
Unfortunately, it's not really my cup of tea. The older I get, the more I find that this book is fairly simple and has thrived on being a classic for so long that people stop feeling the need to be critical of it because it is so beloved. That's something that has always rankled me a bit about the nature of any book being declared a classic. For instance, no one generally discusses how four white British children are made kings and queens of a foreign nation over the course of four days living in said nation by the decree of Aslan, who is effectively God in this universe. Or how the two female characters are told to stay out of the fighting, as that's best left to the boys, even though none of them have formal weapons training and in a real war would inevitably be killed - and yet they both face and eventually defeat the White Witch in swordplay. But I digress.
Here are the things I liked about the book: This is a book that does not belittle the reader as they read, no matter the age. Something that typically bothers me about children's books is that they talk down to the reader rather than assuming they already know or could learn. This book doesn't do that and it's refreshing. This book is also heavily Christian inspired, care of C.S. Lewis, but it doesn't force it down your throat. It's a fun adventure and I can see how it's stayed popular.
All in all, it's worth reading at least once. I've read this probably three times over my lifetime, but this is my review of it as a 30 year old. I was in elementary school the first time I read it, though I don't fully remember what I thought of it at the time. I do know that I never read on in the series though, which is something that is still on my list. I look forward to seeing later stories in the series.
Unfortunately, it's not really my cup of tea. The older I get, the more I find that this book is fairly simple and has thrived on being a classic for so long that people stop feeling the need to be critical of it because it is so beloved. That's something that has always rankled me a bit about the nature of any book being declared a classic. For instance, no one generally discusses how four white British children are made kings and queens of a foreign nation over the course of four days living in said nation by the decree of Aslan, who is effectively God in this universe. Or how the two female characters are told to stay out of the fighting, as that's best left to the boys, even though none of them have formal weapons training and in a real war would inevitably be killed - and yet they both face and eventually defeat the White Witch in swordplay. But I digress.
Here are the things I liked about the book: This is a book that does not belittle the reader as they read, no matter the age. Something that typically bothers me about children's books is that they talk down to the reader rather than assuming they already know or could learn. This book doesn't do that and it's refreshing. This book is also heavily Christian inspired, care of C.S. Lewis, but it doesn't force it down your throat. It's a fun adventure and I can see how it's stayed popular.
All in all, it's worth reading at least once. I've read this probably three times over my lifetime, but this is my review of it as a 30 year old. I was in elementary school the first time I read it, though I don't fully remember what I thought of it at the time. I do know that I never read on in the series though, which is something that is still on my list. I look forward to seeing later stories in the series.