Goodreads Mobile | see what your friends are reading

Aug 23, 2011

Keely rated it:

My greatest disappointment in 'The Screwtape Letters' was that Lewis was not able to demonstrate what made his good people good or his bad people bad. The most he said was that believers were suffused with a vague light that even shone in the cat. This book has the same flaw, though the cat is much bigger.

Aslan had no character, he was just a big, dull stand-in. Lewis often tells us how great he is, but never demonstrates what it is that makes him great or impressive. Sure, he helps More...

22 comments like (24 people liked it)

Aug 31, 2009

Manuel rated it:

I loved this book.
It was first read to me in 4th grade. We would all come in from lunch and our teacher would read to us for about 30 minutes before we would start class.
I remember this book because it wasnt read to us by Mrs Graham, but instead it would be read by Mr Goodwin, her long-haired, bearded, Birkenstock wearing teacher's aid.
Over the next few weeks we were enthralled by this story, we couldnt wait for lunch period to be over so we could hear what was happe More...

8 comments like (28 people liked it)

Apr 19, 2008

Aimee rated it:

I just re-read this book and got so much more out of it than the first time. The symbolism & parallels to basic Christianity stuck out.
*turkish delight is our human nature, prone to addiction, selfishness and wrongdoing
*Peter said about Edmund, "We should go after him. After all he is our brother." Even though he had just betrayed them and was causing grief they didn't mistreat or disown him.
*The very mention of Aslan's name caused certain positive feelings to com More...

4 comments like (25 people liked it)

Jun 30, 2010

Erik rated it:

During my freshman year at Grinnell College we had resident advisors, a couple who lived downstairs in Loose Hall dorm who were there if we needed them. That never happened, but they were friendly and welcoming, their door usually open to visitors. My roommate, Richard Hyde, had some relationship with them and invited me to join him for a visit.

Skip and Flo were Christians! That was intriguing. I asked them about it and they gave me an answer which I only came to understand years More...

13 comments like (11 people liked it)

Nov 07, 2011

Kenny rated it:

I am tempted to give this book a zero but the idea of going through the wardrobe to another land is fantastic. Everything else, however, is not fantastic, including:

The over-the-top Christian allegory.
The complete absence of dramatic tension - the characters are static and the conclusion is foregone. There is nothing to keep you reading, to challenge you, or to even vaguely interest you.
The writing is mediocre at best.
The dialogue is mediocre at best.

A More...

3 comments like (6 people liked it)

Feb 13, 2008

Danielle rated it:

Okay, let me say first of all that I think C.S. Lewis is a brilliant man. That being said, this book made me feel like he could have given a little credit to the rest of us.
I wish I could review it based solely on the story, and not bother with the religious message, but unfortunately, it's impossible to read the story without getting a headache from the constant hammering that is "THE MESSAGE."
This story is a fun idea, fantasy-wise. I particularly love the ice queen and t More...

7 comments like (12 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Katie rated it:

My mom read the entire Chronicles of Narnia as bedtime stories when I was about 8. Of course at the time I perceived none of the allegorical "depth," but did have Turkish Delight fantasies galore. After the movie release hoopla about CS Lewis last year, I decided to re-read at least one of the books. Often I come back to childhood favorites and they're like comfort food; I could read them again and again. However, I was not so taken with Narnia on my return visit. The storytelling More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Nov 28, 2009

Jess rated it:

Every time I read this wonderful story, it's like catching up with an old friend. I've read this particular Narnia book so many different times, but it never ever gets old. I love the fact that I can pick up this (or any of the other Narnia books, for that matter) and step into a whole other world. I also particularly enjoyed the fact that I found that I could relate with each one of the children, although I must say that I was partial to Lucy! Additionally, I love the role Aslan plays in this b More...

1 comment like (10 people liked it)

Apr 04, 2008

Werner rated it:

While I first read this book in the mid-70s, I read it again to my wife a couple of years ago (we both loved it then as much as I did the first time). Most people know that C. S. Lewis was an effective Christian nonfiction apologist, using the tools of reason and logic to build the philosophical case for Christian faith. But he ultimately became convinced that an even more effective apologetic is available through the "truth of art," the instinctive and emotional appeal that stories More...

3 comments like (10 people liked it)

Feb 20, 2008

Abi rated it:

I read this when I was little (I would guess about 7, 8 or 9), and I didn't pick up on all the Christianity references, despite them being SO overt. What I did feel was astonishment that the children all loved Aslan so much, when I thought he was massively sanctimonious and sickening as a character. I could not stand that lion. I didn't want the Snow Queen to win exactly, I didn't like her either... but at the same time I wanted someone to show the lion up, or force him to do something INTERESTI More...

11 comments like (12 people liked it)

Feb 08, 2008

Michael rated it:

Welcome to Narnia, where nobody has genitalia.

3 comments like (18 people liked it)

Nov 09, 2011

Bobby rated it:

This is the first time I have read this book since waay back in elementary school, and although I haven't read many of the other books in the series, this book is definitely one of the best if not the best of the series. (I will let you know if I change my mind when I get through the rest of the series). It never loses pace, and C.S. Lewis's comical style is always fun to read. (Some of the side comments made me laugh out loud.) He successfully manages to blend humor, adventure, mystery, and More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

May 20, 2011

K.D. rated it:

I really liked how C. S. Lewis made use of fantasy in delivering his message about Jesus in this children's book. The world of Narnia is fun by itself and I think that if you are a non-Christian kid, you can take it as it is, a fantasy book. But if you believe in Jesus, then the parallelism is obvious (the Lion rose from the dead!) and it can be springboard for you to discover or polish your faith.

For its novel idea, I am giving this book a 4-star rating but not a five-star because i More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jun 16, 2008

Eleven rated it:

If you don't know the plot of the Narnia books, I'd be surprised, but basically it follows (for the most part) the Pevensie siblings and their journeys into a land called Narnia, the classic fantasy alternate universe and biblical architype haven. The kids learn many lessons during their grand adventures, some of which are actually useful. Overall, they are endearing fairy tales...

(I am very, very angry that the site didn't allow me to review this book as the first in the series. The More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Feb 12, 2008

John rated it:

Much of this review was prompted by Malcolm's comment.

This book is perfectly reasonable fantasy, written very well for children. Quite a lot can and should be read into the symbolism, but children may gloss right over the symbolism depending on their experiences.

Of the series, this one probably gathers the most criticism for the religious symbolism, but so? Lewis doesn't hide the symbolism. The book in the series that really deserves criticism is "A Horse and His More...

11 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 16, 2008

Taylor added it

When I first started reading this book I knew it was old. But because my sister told me there was a special meaning or plot i continued to read. I choose this for my book review because this book makes me smile and a ten year old to a 40 year old could still read. The pages are shorter but the meaning is still there. This book is about a Lion who is a king named Aslan, and four children names Lucy, Elithabeth, Edwin and Peter. Lucy the youngest, then Edward following Elithabeth and Peter. The st More...

3 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 08, 2010

Dawn Michelle rated it:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books. What a clear definition of good versus evil and how sometimes evil has to win for Good to ultimately win!!!!
I read them in the PROPER order (or the way C.S. Lewis released them before the publishing world screwed things up) and so these will be reviewed in that order. :)
I have been reading these since I was about 11 and I try and read them every year. They are truly great books and I love re-reading them and enjoying the adventure all over again!
*T More...

1 comment like (4 people liked it)

Nov 14, 2008

Ryan rated it:

I had fond memories of this from when I read it as a child, so when I spied my neighbour's complete collection, I thought I would give them a go. I didn't read much fantasy when young, save for Lord of the Rings and these, but I've been reading a hell of a lot after I turned thirty. So, I look upon this with an adult's eye and pronounce it garbage.
I missed all the religious connotations when younger, but they are more obvious now. The story is paltry, the writing is twee (borrowed that More...

4 comments like (4 people liked it)

Aug 24, 2008

David rated it:

Of course it is an incredible book. While at BYU I was in the children's theatre production of LWW. The theatre department put on a forum where professors spoke about their various academic and religious insights to the book. The most interesting was a C.S. Lewis scholar who said that this book was not meant to be an allegory of the Christ-story, but a "suppose-itory." This book was not meant to replace the story of the atonement. Instead, it was a musing on Lewis' part as to how More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jun 18, 2007

Tessa rated it:

This book is enchanted really. With each page it get more and more magical.The author sweeps you into the world he has created so that your right alongside Lucy as she takes her first step into the wardrobe. And your with Susan as she rides on Aslans back and your with Edmond as he takes away the witches only power. This book is garenteed to have you looking into every wardrobe you come across. But, just remember, you only can go into that world when you least expect it.

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 10, 2011

Mike (the Paladin) rated it:

The Pevensie children wander into a world where the truths of the universe are played out in the forms of Aslan and the White Witch. One of their number falls for a temptation that after he receives it, seems so very small for the price paid. Was it really the candy or something deeper?

This is a wonderful story whether you go to it for the deeper truths found here or just for the story itself.

4 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 27, 2011

Cara rated it:

Book Number Three! I know its a kid's book, but its one of those classics that I just never read.

This classic children's book was not at all what I expected. The Chronicles of Narnia has stood the test of time, been passed down for generations and has been made into a big-screen trilogy. So spoiled me, I expected something akin to Harry Potter. However, what I found was a charming fairy tale that was quick, light and lacking any real detail. Major plot points are described and solv More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jul 06, 2008

Lucy rated it:

it was intresting how it was excatly like the movie!
i learned that to have fun you only have to usee your imagination.

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 25, 2009

Susan rated it:

I have never seen the movie ET. This often baffles friends who can’t imagine how I could reach the 21st century without weeping over ET or understanding “phone home” references. More than ET, though, I find it amazing that I hit forty without reading the Chronicles of Narnia. An inherited boxed set has sat on my shelf for years, minus volume one, for which I’ve patiently waited to open volume 2. Unfortunately, when I finally picked up 1 (Lion, Witch, Wardrobe) it came used with a young hand upo More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 20, 2008

Brianna rated it:

This book is about a girl named Lucy that discovers a wardrobe when her and her siblings are playing hide and seek. She goes into the wardrobe to hide. She scoots all the way back to the wardrobe but discovers snow on the bottom of the wardrobe. Then she discovers that there are trees in "The Wardrobe". She keeps on walking farther and farther into "the wardrobe". Then she meets a Fawn/ person that takes her into his cave and gives Lucy some tea and cookies. Then the fawn pla More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 03, 2008

John rated it:

Apparently I missed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe being a religious allegory. I forget what part of the Bible casts several children through magic furniture and into a world of talking animals, wherein they partake of tea and fight a mean witch. There are a few obvious Christian symbols, like a certain sacrifice and resurrection, but these are mostly moments in the middle of what’s obviously an escapist adventure story. There’s some fighting, some hiding, some gawking, some nice neat crea More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 10, 2008

Núria rated it:

No creo que por leer CS Lewis te conviertas en un meapilas. Ni siquiera si lo lees de pequeñito. Es verdad que la metáfora cristiana está ahí y es obvia (león que muere para salvarnos a todos y luego resucita, e incluso hay un Judas), pero no molesta. Me irrita más el paternalismo y el moralismo que tiene el libro. Pero esto es bastante común en libros para niños y a estas alturas no me voy a tirar de los pelos. Me irrita más lo de que "el trabajo de las niñas no sea luchar sino tomar el té More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 28, 2010

Mariel rated it:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is the first book I remember reading. Okay, See Spot Run and Dr. Seuss (worship him still) got there first, but this was THE book that led to more books and it hasn't ever stopped (um unless there were video games to lose). It changed my life in that I can pinpoint exactly the moment that things were different. I've always loved stories (I made up my own just to keep the drug supply coming). Our sister brought this home from the library when my twin and I wer More...

6 comments like (6 people liked it)

Feb 19, 2008

Beth rated it:

I am not a fantasy fan. I got bogged down about a hundred and fifty pages in The Fellowship of the Ring with no desire to go back and finish. The thing I don’t understand about the whole Lord of the Rings craze (or Star Trek, or Star Wars) is that you have to invest so much time to understand the history and geography and even ancient languages of all these varied races and civilizations to truly understand the story — and it’s not even real. I have plenty of actual history to learn without mudd More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Sep 21, 2007

Jackie "the Librarian" rated it:

I first read this at the age of eight, when my parents bought me the box set of the Chronicles of Narnia. At the time, this was book #1, and I'm glad, because this one has waaaaaay more charm than The Magician's Nephew, with that creepy uncle.
I love how it starts, in that big old house on a rainy day, with the kids playing hide and seek, and Lucy jumping into the wardrobe. And then meeting Mr. Tumnus, and having that lovely tea - that's a perfect little fantasy right there. I certainly che More...

4 comments like (1 person liked it)

reviews