Old Enough to Read Fairytales: The Chronicles of Narnia

By Mattie May | Staff Writer

This summer I decided I would tackle my TBR pile. After encouragement from some friends from school, I started by reading The Chronicles of Narnia. I read all seven books over the course of the summer, and I enjoyed getting to travel through Narnia for the first time in my mid-twenties.

Since I didn’t grow up reading Narnia as a child, I had a different experience from most of my peers who grew up with it. Not only that, but outside of one fantasy novel that a friend of mine published, this was my first dive into the fantasy genre. In light of that, I thought it would be fun to share some of my thoughts. There are spoilers ahead, so read with caution.

I read them (mostly) in the order they were published, and not in chronological order. I was already fairly familiar with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as I had seen a movie adaptation about five or six years ago. I had no idea what I was getting into for the rest of the books, but I enjoyed the ride.

Prior to diving into The Chronicles of Narnia, I was reading a book that a friend of mine had bought me about the children who were evacuated from London during WWII, which is the historical backdrop for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. So it was very interesting to have a better understanding of why the Pevensie children were sent to stay with the old Professor (Digory from The Magician’s Nephew). Having the historical backdrop gave me a better appreciation for what the Pevensie children were going through.

Since I am not in the target audience for these books, there were times where the writing style felt very much like a kind uncle telling the story to nieces and nephews because there are places where Lewis, as the narrator, speaks directly to the reader. Children may enjoy the adventures and learn from the lessons, but reading it as an adult some of the deeper themes and messages stood out to me more. I appreciated how well Lewis wove in different aspects of Christianity while still telling his stories.

I loved the characters in Narnia. Lewis gives each of them a unique voice. Every character is different and grows over the course of their story being told. I also enjoyed all the creatures. I think my favorites would be the Dufflepuds from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the Marsh-wiggle from The Silver Chair. However, I can’t leave out Mr. Tumnus the Faun from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The various characters and their arcs made me want to keep reading. 

The themes woven throughout Narnia also stood out to me. Eustace’s transformation in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader stood out to me as a beautiful picture of the gospel. I appreciated that Lewis made sure that the reader knew that after he becomes a boy again he isn’t magically perfect. He still struggles with the sins he had before his experience. It clearly illustrates that just as Aslan had to take off the old dragon skin, only God can truly change us.

One of my favorite quotes from the series is when Aslan is talking to Jill Pole in The Silver Chair and he says, “You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you…” (Lewis, pg. 558). I love this quote because it so clearly shows that in order for us to call on God he must be first calling us.

Ever since I was little, I have loved the trope of the lost or forgotten child. So, of course, one of my favorite of the books is The Horse and His Boy. I love it when I can start putting the pieces together of who someone actually is, and Lewis did a good job of foreshadowing who Shasta is without giving it away or making it too obvious.

Reading fantasy is out of my normal genre, so one of the things I struggled with were some of the fantastical creatures. Outside of a basic understanding of dragons, elves, and dwarfs, I was a little lost as to what some of them were and how they were significant. But I just asked my friends if there wasn’t enough description in the book for me to figure it out.

All that to say, The Chronicles of Narnia were written for children, but I think they were also written to be read aloud. I enjoyed reading them quietly to myself, but if I were to read them to children I might enjoy them much more. Children have such a unique perspective on life and it would be beneficial for them to experience Narnia through Lewis’s writing. A sign of a good writer is when they can effectively write a story aimed for children that is enjoyed by people of all ages. I think C. S. Lewis has written a great work that I would look forward to reading to my own children one day, Lord willing.

Now, you might be thinking, with all the talk about reading to children, why wasn’t Narnia read to me growing up? The short answer is my family had a conviction about not allowing books or movies that had magic. However, since I had watched The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe a few years ago, it didn’t seem to have the “evil” magic that I had assumed it would. The White Witch is literally the villain and Aslan’s magic was simply his power to do things as a “God” figure. It would make sense that since he created Narnia he would have a “deeper magic” than the White Witch. I had a very similar experience reading the books and going forward I think the issue of aligning magic and fantasy with what the Bible says is one that I am leaving to my personal discernment.

In conclusion, after reading The Chronicles of Narnia as a young adult, I don’t have the same affection for it that some of my friends do, but I did greatly enjoy them. Perhaps I’m old enough to start reading fairytales.

Which of the Chronicles of Narnia is your favorite? Did you grow up with them or discover the magic as an adult?

Work Cited:

C. S. Lewis. The Chronicles of Narnia. Harper Collins, 2001.