Which one was the "darker" chronicle? 1 of 2 to choose from

[C. J.]

I started this thread on the other chronicle hoping I get a fair response from both sides. I want to cause a big discussion from this so speak away whatever your opinion.

I guess on the eve of excitement that sometime in the future there will be a new chronicle film I want to just ask one question that has bugged me. Out of the two chronicles The Silver Chair and Prince Caspian which one was darker in tone and theme?

At first I thought it was Prince Caspian that got the win on the darkest chronicle but then someone brought up a few points that I didn't think of before (and will mention if people will want to discuss it).

Opinion is free and explain ALL you want so... which story was the darker one and why?

[C. J.]

Both stories had their own excitement, their own themes. Prince Caspian seemed to about some corruption, anger or evil amongst family, but what did The Silver Chair have?

[Loren]

Hmmm, well since I have had more time to dwell on it, Silver Chair is still my champion because I personally thought it had darker and slightly more disturbing scenes and tones than any of the other books in the series. Although Prince Caspian was technically the previewing setup for this, with all the death, hate, and corruption, I still distinctly remember closing Silver Chair at one point because it got to be too much.

It scared me a little, which none of the other books- except for The Last Battle- did at all. Nonetheless, I kept reading and it picked back up like all of the others.
The green serpentine witch was, in my opinion, a very frightening villain; even more so than the white witch, but of course not as deadly and dictator-like. And the underground city of fire inhabited by the odd mud people was of course symbolic of hell and all of its fury, with the serpent witch as its satanic queen, and was also a direct scene out of one of my childhood nightmares.

The book affected me in an odd way when I came to the middle of it, although I enjoyed the new characters and scenery as always. And again it picked back up and I still enjoyed it enough to give it five stars.

[C. J.]

Oh I didn't realize you posted here too Loren. Glad to see that.

Yes the villain was pretty scary. The fact that she had one character under an evil spell and would also make others believe Aslan and even Narnia were not real was clever and just pure evil.

[Deborah]

I found the Silver Chair the darkest. The giants were terrifying, as it was pretty obvious to the reader why the children were sent to Harfang. And the way Jill failed in every task made the whole quest seem unlikely to succeed. The question that always stuck in my mind was how close were they to not doing the one thing they were asked in Aslan's name, and how dreadful would the outcome have been if they had failed then? It still is hard to contemplate even now.

[C. J.]

Yes I am headed that way as well toward this one being the darker tale. The underground creatures were especially dark in tone. And the fact they were permanently away from Aslan was a sad as well. Plus let's not forget the poor "talking beast" who ends up being part of the talk between the giants. That may have been one of the darkest parts of all with the early part of this story.

[David]

I honestly don't see how it's debatable which is darker. It's definitely Silver Chair. There's nothing in Caspian that stands out as disturbing. Silver Chair has a prince being mind controlled by a witch underground for years and years. Then she makes the children forget that any world other than hers existed at all. That's scary stuff. Not to mention children almost getting eaten by giants. Caspian is pretty straightforward vanilla fantasy, and perhaps my second-to-least favorite Narnia book.

[Beverly]

Definitely the Sliver Chair, hands down!
From the beginning there are bad feelings between Jill and Eustace, the messages missed, then the trouble with giants, and the deep dark never ending hole that leads to the underworld realm of a deceivingly beautiful queen.
To me this story revealed the weaknesses of human nature: all the little things that trip us up, entangle us, tempt us ~ keeping us from fulfilling our destiny and causing doubts, fears and trouble between companions and friends.

[C. J.]

Yep the kids almost get eaten by giants (and let's not forget the Talking Beast who ended up not being so fortunate). Also it is pretty dark that the group (not including the marshwiggle) pretty much deny Aslan or that world under the ground just has that kind of power because of the witch.

And yes Amanda I too can see The Last Battle being possibly the darkest of the whole series.