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A review by jtobin
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
Three things about CS Lewis are especially prominent here:
1. He can write a very fast-paced, creative, and fun story better than a lot of authors
2. He is absolutely ruthlessly mean spirited to points of view he disagrees with and the people he uses to represent them - a remarkable talent for insult comedy through story and character
3. He’s massively racist
By far the most conventional narrative in the Narnia books, Lewis does not get into any of the strangeness that really marks him out as exceptional. He gives a solid adventure with a clear through line without any of the bizarre left-turns that mark most of his other novels. For me that’s a bit of a loss, but others may disagree.
I remember reading this as a kid and actively feeling myself becoming more racist (“oh so that’s what those people are like… wait a minute”). Please don’t give this one to your children.
1. He can write a very fast-paced, creative, and fun story better than a lot of authors
2. He is absolutely ruthlessly mean spirited to points of view he disagrees with and the people he uses to represent them - a remarkable talent for insult comedy through story and character
3. He’s massively racist
By far the most conventional narrative in the Narnia books, Lewis does not get into any of the strangeness that really marks him out as exceptional. He gives a solid adventure with a clear through line without any of the bizarre left-turns that mark most of his other novels. For me that’s a bit of a loss, but others may disagree.
I remember reading this as a kid and actively feeling myself becoming more racist (“oh so that’s what those people are like… wait a minute”). Please don’t give this one to your children.