So, I finally finished ALL of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia series, and I have just a few things to say. If you aren't interested in seeing any spoilers, I advise you move on, for we all know a good rant involves rehashing everything that happened.
Let's begin:
1. I was not so pleasantly surprised at the writing style
While I realize it is a children's book, I had expected more complex writing, especially since C.S. Lewis is so highly regarded as a prolific writer! I am pretty sure I found myself snoozing more than once. The allegory's in the book are great - honestly they were really well done, and I found myself calling out "Hun, listen to this part!" when I came across a particularly good one. That being said, the rest of the writing was very predictable. All of the characters were so FLAT and boring! None of them really pushed any boundaries outside of their character and none of the plots really got all that unpredictable other than a few new fantasy characters or landscapes being brought to the mix. (Other than Eustace. Eustace was great)
Other than The Last Battle, I knew how each book was going to end once the Rising Action started.
2. The books were hardly action packed
Now this one isn't necessarily the fault of the books, however I was pretty shocked to see how the directors of the movies could gather so much from such little writing. The movies were all action packed and bloody while the books were rather safe and mostly talked about the tactics of each of the battles, mentioning who died, who used what weapon, who was fighting who, but all very briefly.
For those who haven't ever read or picked up the books, there are twice as many books as there are movies. Essentially, all of the books that aren't about the original four sons and daughters of Adam had very short action scenes and a lot of walking.
I realize that it is a children's book, and how there can't be all of this bloody and gorey detail, but I was expecting a little bit more than "I killed _____ with this sword before he killed me."
3. I loved the ending!
The ending was so unpredictable but really beautiful! Let me just juxtapose this for you. In the very first book, The Magician's Nephew, we see the entire creation of Narnia as a new world. The earth forms, the grass grows, and there are animals summoned. Really, what you would expect to find in the formation of a new world. And in the last book, The Last Battle, we see the world die and come to an end. The talking animals that obeyed Aslan lived happily among him, while those that did not follow Aslan's teachings were stripped of their intelligence and became ordinary dumb animals, ultimately being cast out of Aslan's presence. All of the humans that obeyed Aslan were glorified and were renewed to a healthy, energetic body. Those who did not, were cast out like the unintelligent animals.
Finally, the world of Narnia starts to decay and die. Everyone that was righteous watches Narnia fade away with tears.
THEN we fricking find out that Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia and will not return to Aslan.
THENNNN we find out that Lucy, Peter, Edmund, Jill, Eustace, Polly, and Digory were all at a train station when Jill and Eustace were called to Narnia, however Jill and Eustace vaguely remember the train coming around the corner too fast. TURNS OUT!!! The train crashed and killed them all! So they are all dead not only in their own world, but in Narnia too. Oh, but never fear! For Edmund, Lucy, and Peter's parents were on the train that crashed and they died as well.
SO, not only is Susan no longer a friend of Narnia, but she also just lost her entire family to a train crash. Cheers.
Other than that small rant, I liked the ending. I thought it was beautiful how Aslan's kingdom was actually all of his creations kind of formed into one - all of the seven friends of Narnia traveled up a waterfall and then saw that the worlds all combined to form one large kingdom and that Narnia was not really gone forever. In the distance they see their parents and all is well.
4. Don't try reading the Silver Chair or The Horse and His Boy
These books were by far the slowest, most painful things to read in the series. So, if you are trying to read up on the Chronicles of Narnia you know and love because of the movie, I would recommend skipping over these books until you have finished the others. The Horse and His Boy was insightful about the Caloremens, who are essentially anti-Narnians, but other than that, did not really pertain to the main plot of the Seven Friends of Narnia. The Silver Chair did have Jill and Eustace in it, however the plot line of that book literally seems like it was thrown in there just to write another book and introduce Jill. Nothing in either of those two plots pertains to the ending other than Prince Rilian, whose name is mentioned a couple of times, and the fact that there are less and less Narnians.
- Alex
(Images from FANpop.com)
Let's begin:
While I realize it is a children's book, I had expected more complex writing, especially since C.S. Lewis is so highly regarded as a prolific writer! I am pretty sure I found myself snoozing more than once. The allegory's in the book are great - honestly they were really well done, and I found myself calling out "Hun, listen to this part!" when I came across a particularly good one. That being said, the rest of the writing was very predictable. All of the characters were so FLAT and boring! None of them really pushed any boundaries outside of their character and none of the plots really got all that unpredictable other than a few new fantasy characters or landscapes being brought to the mix. (Other than Eustace. Eustace was great)
Other than The Last Battle, I knew how each book was going to end once the Rising Action started.
2. The books were hardly action packed
Now this one isn't necessarily the fault of the books, however I was pretty shocked to see how the directors of the movies could gather so much from such little writing. The movies were all action packed and bloody while the books were rather safe and mostly talked about the tactics of each of the battles, mentioning who died, who used what weapon, who was fighting who, but all very briefly.
For those who haven't ever read or picked up the books, there are twice as many books as there are movies. Essentially, all of the books that aren't about the original four sons and daughters of Adam had very short action scenes and a lot of walking.
I realize that it is a children's book, and how there can't be all of this bloody and gorey detail, but I was expecting a little bit more than "I killed _____ with this sword before he killed me."
3. I loved the ending!
The ending was so unpredictable but really beautiful! Let me just juxtapose this for you. In the very first book, The Magician's Nephew, we see the entire creation of Narnia as a new world. The earth forms, the grass grows, and there are animals summoned. Really, what you would expect to find in the formation of a new world. And in the last book, The Last Battle, we see the world die and come to an end. The talking animals that obeyed Aslan lived happily among him, while those that did not follow Aslan's teachings were stripped of their intelligence and became ordinary dumb animals, ultimately being cast out of Aslan's presence. All of the humans that obeyed Aslan were glorified and were renewed to a healthy, energetic body. Those who did not, were cast out like the unintelligent animals.
Finally, the world of Narnia starts to decay and die. Everyone that was righteous watches Narnia fade away with tears.
THEN we fricking find out that Susan is no longer a friend of Narnia and will not return to Aslan.
THENNNN we find out that Lucy, Peter, Edmund, Jill, Eustace, Polly, and Digory were all at a train station when Jill and Eustace were called to Narnia, however Jill and Eustace vaguely remember the train coming around the corner too fast. TURNS OUT!!! The train crashed and killed them all! So they are all dead not only in their own world, but in Narnia too. Oh, but never fear! For Edmund, Lucy, and Peter's parents were on the train that crashed and they died as well.
SO, not only is Susan no longer a friend of Narnia, but she also just lost her entire family to a train crash. Cheers.
Other than that small rant, I liked the ending. I thought it was beautiful how Aslan's kingdom was actually all of his creations kind of formed into one - all of the seven friends of Narnia traveled up a waterfall and then saw that the worlds all combined to form one large kingdom and that Narnia was not really gone forever. In the distance they see their parents and all is well.
4. Don't try reading the Silver Chair or The Horse and His Boy
These books were by far the slowest, most painful things to read in the series. So, if you are trying to read up on the Chronicles of Narnia you know and love because of the movie, I would recommend skipping over these books until you have finished the others. The Horse and His Boy was insightful about the Caloremens, who are essentially anti-Narnians, but other than that, did not really pertain to the main plot of the Seven Friends of Narnia. The Silver Chair did have Jill and Eustace in it, however the plot line of that book literally seems like it was thrown in there just to write another book and introduce Jill. Nothing in either of those two plots pertains to the ending other than Prince Rilian, whose name is mentioned a couple of times, and the fact that there are less and less Narnians.
So now you know, don't expect high quality writing or intense movie battles, don't read The Silver Chair or The Horse and His Boy, but still be blown away by the beauty of the ending.
- Alex
(Images from FANpop.com)
