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5th out of 122 books
—
28 voters
Planet Narnia: The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis
by
Michael Ward
For over half a century, scholars have laboured to show that C. S. Lewis's famed but apparently disorganised Chronicles of Narnia have an underlying symbolic coherence, pointing to such possible unifying themes as the seven sacraments, the seven deadly sins, and the seven books of Spenser's Faerie Queene. None of these explanations has won general acceptance and the struct...more
Hardcover, First edition, 363 pages
Published
January 15th 2008
by Oxford University Press, NY 10016, USA
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I’ve often wondered what it is that makes me love the Chronicles of Narnia so much. Objectively speaking, the writing and structure are not as put together as J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. And yet, I’ve read the Narniad more times than I can count, while Lord of the Rings only thrice. Michael Ward’s Planet Narnia gives me that reason.
While it’s true that some of what he says is far-fetched—“reaching” might be a better term—I think the gist of it is correct. Lewis may have been a speedy aut...more
While it’s true that some of what he says is far-fetched—“reaching” might be a better term—I think the gist of it is correct. Lewis may have been a speedy aut...more
I finished this book having read it as part of my vacation in Narnia. I read through the entire Chronicles of Narnia septet in seven days, followed by a few days for Douglas Wilson's What I Learned in Narnia, then this.
This book took my a couple of weeks to read. It was much more scholarly than I expected. I understand that author Michael Ward has another version of the book, Narnia Code, that is intended to be more accessible popularly. I probably should have read that book.
I really did enjoy...more
This book took my a couple of weeks to read. It was much more scholarly than I expected. I understand that author Michael Ward has another version of the book, Narnia Code, that is intended to be more accessible popularly. I probably should have read that book.
I really did enjoy...more
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
If you love CS Lewis and his Chronicles of Narnia (deeply, not just casually, but DEEPLY), then you'll find this book very wonderful. Michael Ward, the author, brings in many of Lewis' other works and poetry, to explain his discovery (he says) of the underlying and unifying "theme" or "kappa element" in the Chronicles of Narnia -- the medieval cosmology of the planets. This cosmological theme in each book is the "kappa element" according to Lewis, which explains the atmospheric...more
If you love CS Lewis and his Chronicles of Narnia (deeply, not just casually, but DEEPLY), then you'll find this book very wonderful. Michael Ward, the author, brings in many of Lewis' other works and poetry, to explain his discovery (he says) of the underlying and unifying "theme" or "kappa element" in the Chronicles of Narnia -- the medieval cosmology of the planets. This cosmological theme in each book is the "kappa element" according to Lewis, which explains the atmospheric...more
This is an astounding piece of scholarship that delves deeply into C.S. Lewis's life and work to reveal the vision of the Medieval Planets that unifies the Narnia series. Being an adult who loved these books as a kid--so much so that I reread them monthly--to learn that the entire purpose of almost every word in each book pointed to these powerful and historical Christian symbols of Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Luna, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn--it's mind-blowing. Of course. How could any Lewis critic...more
I will say from the start a bit about my history with this book's author. Michael Ward (Spud to his friends) was a friend and colleague at Cambridge University. In fact, he was more than a friend; he was a scotch-drinking friend, and those are the best sorts of friends to have. I say this not to give my review any particular weight, but merely to say that I am prejudiced towards seeing all good and light and truth in Michael's work.
But the reader of "Planet Narnia" will, I think, find that I am...more
But the reader of "Planet Narnia" will, I think, find that I am...more
This was a mind-blowing book. Being more of a fiction/poetry girl, it's rare for me to come across a scholarly, non-fiction work that falls into my "can't-put-it-down" category, but this one sure did. I've always loved the Narnia Chronicles, and the Ransom Trilogy, and Till We Have Faces, and Great Divorce, and Screwtape and have read a significant amount of Lewis' nonfiction as well (though not all), multiple times for most of them. So, while not technically a scholar of Lewis, I have steeped m...more
This was a fascinating, though difficult, read. Ward (who I had the pleasure of meeting at the time when he had just begin writing this book) is undoubtedly a great Lewis scholar. His depth of research and attention to detail are outstanding, if a little overwhelming at times. For the casual Lewis reader, like myself, the amount of information was a lot to take in. The revelation of this cosmological theme throughout the Chronicles of Narnia gives me a much greater appreciation of the works now...more
Personally I found this book thoroughly absorbing and positively exciting. Once he had found his direction, Ward must have found his thesis exhilarating to write.
Having first read this book from cover to cover, barely putting it down, I am now enjoying using it as a reference book, whilst I read “That Hideous Strength (unabridged)” for the first time. For that purpose Ward’s text is (so far) proving exceedingly well-structured and enlightening.
CS Lewis clearly believed that the power of the imp...more
I found this very illuminating. The Chronicles were some of my favourite books as a child and although I was aware of their Christian interpretation, Ward's book brings a whole new level of meaning to them. And it all fits. His argument that each novel represents one of the planets of the mediaeval cosmos is well researched and convincingly argued. He doesn't stop at simply examining the Narniad either, but traces the planetary influence in Lewis's other works, his poetry and apologetics as well...more
A most remarkable and very fine book by any standard! Michael Ward, chaplain of theological imagination at Oxford University makes a good argument for a "heavenly" pattern within C.S. Lewis's Narniad. Each book corresponds to a different planet--in a classic medieval sense. Ward goes so far to create a new term to describe Lewis's technique of hiding these things: He calls the form of a hidden Enjoyment, "Donegality." (Drawn from the actual seaside town of Donegal, Ireland where Lewis visited as...more
I have always been a huge fan of the Narnian chronicles. I read and reread them as a child, read them to my own children and now read them to my grandchildren. While I was a student of english literature I studied Lewis' academic work and enjoyed considering his not-so=very-hidden religious messages in Narnia, messages that passed over my head as a child reader. I was given this book for christmas and was at first a little sceptical but Michael Ward's argument, once he has pointed out his findin...more
May 13, 2012
Lisa Nicholas
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
literary-criticism
Michael Ward has achieved what many critics have sought to do and failed: he has discovered the hermeneutic key that unlocks a whole level of significance in the seven Narnia novels hitherto undetected by Lewis critics. Ward's is the first theory I've heard that (a) takes seriously into account Lewis's long career as a medievalist, (b) looks at the Narnia stories as an integrated part of L's overall opus (i.e., showed that he did not, by some weird aberration, suddenly turn to writing "children'...more
An interesting insight into Lewis's agenda for the Narniad. It has helped me a lot to see how the books can work together and I am more sympathetic towards him now than I was on my recent read of the series. He was not intending to have the coherent self-contained world of Middle-earth and Earthsea, so he should not be criticised for not achieving that type of sub-creative reality. As an adult, who does not really like allegorical fiction, I still prefer Tolkien and Le Guin even though Michael W...more
There is a verse in Proverbs that says it is the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search it out. Well, since all creators of books are made in the image of a creative God, I think its safe to say that sometimes it is the glory of an author to weave a mystery in the symbols of his story. There is in some books, a unity, a power of image, a spiritual atmosphere that cannot easily be described, yet drives the wonder of the story. I believe it is the glory of a thoughtful,...more
I loved this book! It's a quick read, very informative, and quite convincing. If it has ever occurred
to you to wonder, "Why seven Narnia stories?" this is the book you want to read. Michael Ward presents a clear explanation of the structure of Lewis's Narnia, thoroughly grounded in study of Lewis's scholarship and interests.
What I loved best about the book is how it connects the Narnia stories with Lewis's "grown up" fantasies, particularly the space trilogy. I always felt that there was a conne...more
to you to wonder, "Why seven Narnia stories?" this is the book you want to read. Michael Ward presents a clear explanation of the structure of Lewis's Narnia, thoroughly grounded in study of Lewis's scholarship and interests.
What I loved best about the book is how it connects the Narnia stories with Lewis's "grown up" fantasies, particularly the space trilogy. I always felt that there was a conne...more
I won't describe Michael Ward's theory, as many others have done it far better than I could. I loved the book. Ward makes a very, very convincing argument and even if it isn't true, the theory is so beautiful that it's worth reading just for that.
Ward's style is a little jargonistic for someone (like me) who hasn't studied Literature academically, but as long as you have a decent dictionary to hand it's not too hard going (though I must admit I found his term 'Narniad' to refer to the books rath...more
Ward's style is a little jargonistic for someone (like me) who hasn't studied Literature academically, but as long as you have a decent dictionary to hand it's not too hard going (though I must admit I found his term 'Narniad' to refer to the books rath...more
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Other reviewers summarized this better than I could, but I will say that:
1) Ward has written an impressive, comprehensive, complex book. It is scholarly and challenging--I loved that! Loved all Ward's cross referencing, loved his vocabulary, loved his excitement. I wish the footnotes were at the bottom of each page--many are valuable and I was forever flipping to the back and either getting achy fingers from holding the book open in two places or losing my place consequently.
2) I knew I loved Le...more
1) Ward has written an impressive, comprehensive, complex book. It is scholarly and challenging--I loved that! Loved all Ward's cross referencing, loved his vocabulary, loved his excitement. I wish the footnotes were at the bottom of each page--many are valuable and I was forever flipping to the back and either getting achy fingers from holding the book open in two places or losing my place consequently.
2) I knew I loved Le...more
This book certainly wasn't what I expected it to be, but Ward is extremely thorough in establishing that the Narnia chronicles very well may have astrological roots. He spends several pages establishing prior Lewis works that reference and detail the influence of Jove, Venus, and others of the heavenly host. While 50% of the focus was on Narnia, and the title indicates that Narnia is indeed the focus, I wished for more thought development on the Space Trilogy. Maybe that's for a later book.
I wou...more
I wou...more
Michael Ward argues that the unifying principle behind the 7 Chronicles of Narnia is the 7 planets of the medieval cosmology. Arguing from Lewis's poem "The Planets," his space trilogy, his book "The Discarded Image," and many other source documents, Ward weaves a persuasive, detailed proof. I came to "Planet Narnia" a lover of the Chronicles and a skeptic of the thesis, but found myself being convinced, chapter by chapter. Anyone who loves Lewis's books, especially the Chronicles of Narnia, sho...more
C. S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles have often been criticized for not being as carefully crafted or coherent as Tolkien's fantastic creations. Critics have wondered why the Narnians have a Christmas or why Bacchus appears at the liberation of Narnia from Miraz. Ward argues that Lewis did have a coherent vision for these books: each book is intended to evoke one of the seven medieval planets. For instance, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was meant to evoke the spirit of Jupiter, Prince Caspian...more
This is a mind-blowing book on several levels. It proposes that there is a unifying key to the Narnia septet: that they are each influenced by one of the mediaeval 'planets': Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Luna and Sol (the latter two being respectively the moon and sun).
The author is an academic who has devoted decades to the study of CS Lewis, and his arguments are persuasive. Having said that, they are perhaps too extensive for my tastes, full of detailed references and quotations, s...more
The author is an academic who has devoted decades to the study of CS Lewis, and his arguments are persuasive. Having said that, they are perhaps too extensive for my tastes, full of detailed references and quotations, s...more
C.S. Lewis scholar Michael Ward claims to have found a secret that has eluded readers of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' for over 50 years.
When I hear claims like this, my 'conspiracy theory' warning bells immediately start going off. But after hearing several Lewis scholars and readers alike concede that fact that Michael Ward is indeed onto something, I decided to read the book for myself to see what all the fuss is about. After reading the book, I feel I can safely say that Michael Ward is right....more
When I hear claims like this, my 'conspiracy theory' warning bells immediately start going off. But after hearing several Lewis scholars and readers alike concede that fact that Michael Ward is indeed onto something, I decided to read the book for myself to see what all the fuss is about. After reading the book, I feel I can safely say that Michael Ward is right....more
Jan 05, 2013
Seth
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any academic admirer of Lewis
Shelves:
literature,
cslewis
Despite being modern classics beloved by children, laymen adults, and critics alike, the Chronicles of Narnia are admittedly somewhat of a literary hodge-podge. Or so most believed. Many have attempted to build a comprehensive interpretive framework for them, but none have received wide acceptance. Michael Ward, Oxford scholar and C.S. Lewis aficionado, presents his own framework, arguing that the classic Ptolemaic solar system (not the modern Copernican) holds the key to understanding the serie...more
I picked up this book very shortly after it came out and I remember two things: 1. I often skipped over much insight due to the numerous footnotes and 2. I loved it. This may seem odd, but Ward made a case that satisfies me both logically and emotionally. I just cannot deny that someone as copious and learned as C.S. Lewis could be without detail. The seven planets truly illuminate the 'atmosphere' of Lewis's beloved books.
I'll even say this: If Lewis did not have this scheme at all in mind, he...more
I'll even say this: If Lewis did not have this scheme at all in mind, he...more
“Intricacy is a mark of the medieval mind.” And Lewis' mind was nothing if not medieval. Michael Ward argues that what unifies the Chronicles of Narnia was Lewis' passion for the medieval cosmology, one that provided a living universe in direct opposition to the sterile naturalism and mechanizing tendencies of Lewis' own day.
Having discovered Lewis' unifying principle in the planetary scheme, Ward uses this to answer the three questions of composition, occasion, and reception that surround the N...more
Having discovered Lewis' unifying principle in the planetary scheme, Ward uses this to answer the three questions of composition, occasion, and reception that surround the N...more
Reading Michael Ward’s book Planet Narnia is like reading Jim Jordan for C. S. Lewis. Ward shows how the planets, which, as conceived by medieval astrology, had for Lewis “a permanent value as spiritual symbols," are a major driving force behind The Chronicles of Narnia. We have the complete set: Jupiter (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), Mars (Prince Caspian), the sun (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), the moon (The Silver Chair), Mercury (The Horse and His Boy), Venus (The Magician’s Nephe...more
Well, to start: I'm convinced. Ward makes the case that each chronicle of Narnia takes its theme from the seven planets of medieval astronomy. (As you may have guessed, medieval astronomers were a little weak on the subject themselves, which is why the sun and the moon are classified as "planets.")
At first this seems like a fairly obscure reference, but Ward makes a strong case. He details Lewis's overall interest in the period, his use of planetary imagery in the "Perelandra" trilogy written j...more
At first this seems like a fairly obscure reference, but Ward makes a strong case. He details Lewis's overall interest in the period, his use of planetary imagery in the "Perelandra" trilogy written j...more
As a work of literary criticism, Michael Ward has succeeded in CS Lewis' footsteps, exploring intellectual and theological insights, and managing continually to ignite the reader's imagination. In what will likely be a key text in Lewis scholarship from now on, Ward makes a detailed and convincing argument that Lewis wrote the Narnia septet through the lens of medieval cosmology, using the imagery, language and symbolism associated with each planet, (which includes the sun and moon at that time)...more
I grew up reading The Chronicles of Narnia, and was always enthralled by the beauty and creativity of the series. With those books is the first time I remember consciously recognizing foreshadowing and symbolism on my own. As someone who is studying to teach English, it's with fondness I remember those experiences. When I saw that Ward had published a book about the seven books corresponding to the seven medieval planets, I avoided it for a while because I had some idea that it might taint those...more
This book looks at the installments of the "Chronicles of Narnia" as they relate to the seven planets of the traditional cosmology. The author argues that each book in the chronology relates to a different planet, and shows how elements of the book relate to the characteristics traditionally associated with that planet. In some cases, the language is a little hard to follow, but the book is well-researched and has a fascinating thesis. It should be well-loved by Narnia fans.
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updated Jul 12, 2012 08:18am