C. S. Lewis (Author), Pauline Baynes (Illustrator)
Title: The Chronicles of Narnia
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Fantasy/Adventure:Magic and Mythology
Release Date: Nov 1, 2004
Posted: 12/30/2004

By: Jewels


JIVE Magazine Rating: 5 out of 5 lions and witches, plus a bonus point for the most amazing wardrobe in existence

Before the movie comes out in December of 2005, go ahead and read this incredible series of magical tales to refresh yourself on yet another amazing and very British-born fantasy. The Chronicles of Narnia is ranked right up there with The Lord of the Rings as a must-read classic series. If you haven’t had the chance to read the books, you’re in luck because they have just released a reprint in hardcopy with glorious illustrations and bonus additions to the set.

From the Back Cover:
A hardcover adult edition of this seven-book classic series by C. S. Lewis
Since its release in the middle of the last century, the Chronicles of Narnia have enchanted over sixty million readers—children, as well as adults. This new hardcover edition for adults includes all seven books, plus C. S. Lewis’s essay, "On Three Ways of Writing for Children."

Description:
Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures, and epic battles between good and evil -- what more could any reader ask for in one book? The book that has it all is the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, written in 1949 by C. S. Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia.

For the past fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a world where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.

This edition presents all seven books -- unabridged -- in one impressive volume. The books are presented here according to Lewis's preferred order, each chapter graced with an illustration by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. This edition also contains C. S. Lewis's essay "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," in which he explains precisely how the magic of Narnia and the realm of fantasy appeal not only to children but to discerning readers of all ages. Deceptively simple and direct, The Chronicles of Narnia continue to captivate fans with adventures, characters, and truths that speak to all readers, even fifty years after the books were first published.

I own and read the series as a child, and thouroughly enjoyed it.

They already made a movie of the series, that aired on PBS as a miniserie, it was actually quite good. Dunno if there needs to be another big budget version...

'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' was always my favourite, but it's ages since I read them. The only problem I had was with some of the more biblical plots, eg. the rebirth of Aslan and the end of the world in 'The Last Battle'.
The description of Eustace's parents always amused me (atheist, vegetarian, non-smokers), as this was obviously supposed to reflect poorly on Eustace, yet it describes myself perfectly.

I loved the stories too, though there remain a couple I haven't read. Surely, there is far too much story in the Chronicles collectively for a single movie: how many installments are planned?

The BBC TV versions in the 1980s were fairly good. Pity they stopped with The Silver Chair (but how could you have adapted The Last Battle in live action, with a TV budget, before the CGI era?)

On the subject of Eustace and his dodgy family: CS Lewis was obviously deeply conservative (like Tolkien), and regaded modern, liberal or radical ideas with deep suspicion or contempt. Then again, I'm no vegetarian or tee-totaller myself...

Surely, there is far too much story in the Chronicles collectively for a single movieAnd most of the stories are effectively standalone anyway - there are large gaps in time between most of the books, while 'The Horse and his Boy' takes place entirely within the timeline of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'

I own and read the series as a child, and thouroughly enjoyed it.

They already made a movie of the series, that aired on PBS as a miniserie, it was actually quite good. Dunno if there needs to be another big budget version...

I've read the Chronicles of Narnia many times, and each time seems even more boring. Yeah, its a classic, but...(the lord of the rings was much better)

I DO however, think that they should make another 'big budget version' simply because the first video version was not on a big budget. I wonder how it'll turn out.

I wonder how it'll turn out.

It will, quite possibly, turn out as different from the books as was the 1950s War of the Worlds movie... Some things in the stories I can scarcely imagine moviegoers liking, such as all the talking mice or the enchanted marzipan. Then agaqin, the first 3 Harry Potter books have made the transition to screenplays almost unchanged, and unlike LOTR. The Narnia stories are probably more similar to JK Rowling's work, on the whole,than to Tolkien's.