Stuart Ringwalt answers “Isn't Fillory very similar to Narnia? I...”

Lara asked this question about The Magicians (The Magicians, #1):

Isn't Fillory very similar to Narnia? I know that the emphasis is on different thing than the imaginary world, but still

Stuart Ringwalt Yes, but that's the point. The whole purpose of Grossman's trilogy is not about the land itself, but about how putting characters of a different age c…moreYes, but that's the point. The whole purpose of Grossman's trilogy is not about the land itself, but about how putting characters of a different age changes our understanding not only of the place, but also of the concept of morality as it relates to the land.
The right and wrong of Narnia have, in Grossman's Fillory, been replaced by extreme shades of gray to remind us of the fractured nature of humanity that one begins to understand as one ages.

By setting Fillory so similar to Narnia, we get to return to play in Lewis' universe, but as adults and through the eyes of Quentin as he forms his identity as a full fledged grown-up.

In addition, while he keeps a great deal the same, the changes he makes, however subtle or obvert, force us to think about why said variation exists. For example, as much as he keeps the same regarding the world in between, he changes the grid of puddles to fountains and the place from the natural world to the cities - which in, and of itself, reveals a great deal.

Through what he keeps the same and what he changes, Grossman allows readers familiar with the Narnia stories an added way into the world of Fillory, while also deepening how we see not only the original Chronicles, but the characters who inhabit them. (less)

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