The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: A Celebration of the First Edition (The Chronicles of Narnia, #2) (Narnia)

by C. S. Lewis

This book in The Chronicles of Narnia series is produced to celebrate the original first edition published in 1950. The covers and content have been carefully re-created, with text and images taken directly from the early printings. The books in this series will enable you to enjoy the Narnia experience as it was originally presented.
(front flap)

• ISBN10: 0061715050
• ISBN13: 9780061715051
• Publish Date: 27 October 2009 (first published August 1965)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 176
• Language: English

Reviews

[CrowNoYami]

While I understand that this series is a cult classic, and many people love it. It wasn't for me. I enjoy a good middle-grade read; I love entering into a new world and adapting magic into my life. What took away from this story for me was breaking the fourth wall. When a book speaks to the reader in such a way, it brings me out of the story, something that doesn't work when reading a fantasy novel.

I can understand how someone would fall in love with this book, how they could easily enjoy the series and love Narnia. I'm simply not one of those people, and I'm sorry to say that while the audiobook was well narrated, and the book itself was short, I won't be returning to Narnia again.

[sstaley]

I loved reading this to my 2nd grade class. Hopefully I upped thier interest in reading more works from author C.S. Lewis.

[mitabird]

3.5 stars

[Danielle Renee Wallace]

Great book! It's a lovely and magical story.

[zooloo1983]

I finished this book recently reading it to my little girl. I showed her the films and she adores them all so much that we watch them at least once a fortnight. So I thought well if she loves the films why not start reading them to her at bedtime. 

This is the 2nd book in the series and I just adore this series so much and I have always done so since I was a child. These books are the collection I brought when I was younger so I love the fact I can share these with my little girl. 

One of the things I love with this book is the reference to the first book - The Magician's Nephew. The nod with the lamppost that Lucy first finds in her first adventure to Narnia. The fact that the White Witch is in fact Jadis and of course Professor Kirke aka Digory. The fact I know all this, I still find that the book still surprises which is something I love. 

The four children whose journey we follow in this book is Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy set during the 2nd world war where Narnia symbolises an escape to the harsh reality of what was happening around them.

Lucy discovers the wardrobe during a rainy day playing hide and seek, where she finds the wonderous land of Narnia, has tea with Mr Tumnus and then has a rather tense journey back to the wardrobe. In Narnia she has been gone hours but in our world it is a matter of seconds. As you can expect no one believes her story especially as the children go to check the wardrobe they discover.... it is just a wardrobe. 

When we re-enter Narnia for a second time, Edmund ends up following Lucy but meeting the darker side of Narnia, the White Witch, the unofficial Queen of Narnia and my dislike for Edmund begins here.  However, our third visit is when all the children reach Narnia and the tale can finally start, the battles, the redemption, the sacrifice and the companionships that will last.

I still get upset with the scene with Aslan on the stone table and the fact my little one had fallen asleep at this bit helped as she didn't witness me tearing up again over his sacrifice. 

When I was a child, once I finished this book I kept checking the back of my wardrobe and I hope that as my little girl gets older and loves this story as much as me, that she will keep checking the back of her wardrobes making sure she leaves the door open. 

[thepunktheory]

Book vs. Movie:
I wanted to read these books for ages! For some reason they are not as famous in Austria so I never got to read The Chronicles of Narnia when I was a kid.
C. S. Lewis tells a cute fairytale with many wonderful details. But what I have to criticize about this novel is that some plot-twist simply lack explanations. I am aware that it's a children's book but nevertheless I would expect a bit more info. However, the book was rather thrilling and I was especially amused by the lovely old professor who took the kids in. I'm sure every kid who reads the book wishes for a grown up like him in his or her life.
Let's move on the film. It's always a challenge to turn a really famous novel into a movie that does the original justice.
So I was pretty surprised that the movie kicked off a bit differently. At first I was irritated but I have to say I really enjoyed it. We get a scene in London, where the kids and their mother have to seek shelter because of the bombings. (And then they are sent to the country)
As the book was intended for children, the entire war aspect was left out and it actually never clearly stated why they even are in the country. So this new scenes added a new layer to the story and gave it far more depth.
While they stuck pretty close to the book for the first half of the film we get some more change and extra scenes throughout the second half. I'm usually not a fan of great novel's being changed so much but in this case it really paid of. It made the story far more exciting and - again - added depth to the movie.
What really impressed me were both the cast and the entire scenery. They manage to create everything you read exactly how you imagine it. The animals, the Witch, even Narnia itself are marvellous. On top of that the cast was chosen perfectly. Especially Tilda Swinton as White Witch gave me the creeps!

I'm glad to say that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a very well made adaptation of a famous book. The movie is just as magical as the novel! Can't wait for the next part!

[nannah]

I've never read anything by C.S. Lewis before, and given that he's a favorite of most of my friends, I thought I'd give him a try this holiday season. I'd seen the movies based off the Chronicles of Narnia, so I had a basic idea of the series, but I never grew up with the stories.

I'm also not very familiar with the Bible or any of its stories, so I'm judging this book as a fictional story alone, not as an allegory.

Off the bat though, his writing doesn't impress:

"(their names were ____, _____, and ____, but they do not come into the story much.)"

. . . Thanks? I don't know if this is supposed to be added for narrative charm or something, but it just seems awkward and intrusive.

Also:

"Whatever is this?" said Peter's voice, sounding tired and pale in the darkness. (I hope you know what I mean about a voice sounding pale.)

This doesn't read as stylistic charm. This is more like laziness, as if he came across it in an edit and just didn't feel like changing it.

The story itself is charming, though, and moves quite quickly--more like a fairy tale than a book. Especially when it comes to telling telling instead of showing; character emotions are talked about to the audience in a way that they aren't experienced in real time but summarized.

Characters also seem to know things they previously had no knowledge of (or they had actually stated they had no knowledge of)--like the Witch not knowing how Edmund came to Narnia and then showing him how to get home a single conversation later.

Speaking of characters, the four main characters here (Peter, Edmund, Susan, & Lucy) felt more like board game pieces to be talked at or pushed around than protagonists of their own story. Seldom did they ever do anything of their own will. Everything is placed in their hands, or they're manipulated or charmed into doing something. The beavers particularly moved the plot forward by instructing the kids what to do, where and when, for about a fourth of the story. I know this was written in a different time, but as a reader in the present time reading for enjoyment, all this seems like an info dump at best to keep the book short and moving forward.

Maybe if I'd read this when I was a child, this would be dearer to my heart, but for now, it's just a quick and ok read.

[mbtc]

I've started this story more than once, but this is my first time making it through. A neat tale. I love the dedication.

[chymerra]

https://readwithme2018.com/2019/03/21/throwback-thursday-march-14th-2019-2/

[Whitney @ First Impressions Reviews]

This installment in the series has always been very nostalgic for me as this was the book I read the most growing up, so has a special in my heart.

Lucy, is such a bad ass (yes you saw correctly) despite Peter being "High King" and all Lucy is the one with the truest heart and spirit she was the first one to get through the wardrobe after all and to recognize the White Witch was foul, never backing down for what she knows is right. Edmund is the character you love to hate and thought of him as a juvenile delinquent, he did lie about coming to Narnia and ran away from The Beaver's home after all. The White Queen is like his drug dealer putting him under a paranoid hang-over always conspiring on how to get his next fix. Peter and Susan are like the two surrogate parents in the show, being the voice of reason, only coming second to Aslan. Speaking of Aslan, he is looked upon as a second coming he is suppose to represent Christ in the series but I'm comparing him to President Obama, hope and change we can believe in -- yes we can!

This book makes me long for a cup of hot cocoa and a cozy corner, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe can turn my 26 year old heart into that of a 6 year old's in a second, there is something truly magical about that.