classics

Clives Staples Lewis has created a mythical world which absolutely captures the human mind. The Chronicles of Narnia contain exciting plots, which all converge upon each other at the finally of the series: The Last Battle. Through out the books weaves the morals and beliefs of Christianity. These books do a wonder job of telling the story of the Bible, from the instantaneous creation of the world to the death of Aslan (Jesus). The way God cares about every one and desires us to enjoy life through Him, to the last battle and final days at the end of the world (of course Lewis did not know what was going to happen, yet it is still an interesting idea). In one of the best written books of all time, the land of Narnia comes alive with lovable and evil characters. The battle between good and evil is made abruptly apparent in this book as a small country goes through its history fighting for what is right. Light and darkness collide in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe as four kids explore the land which they will rule. For a time it appears as though the evil side emerges victorious; but it is found that the White Witch as not the ability to peer far enough back into the depths time. This book it one of the most important of the set, because contained in it is the most important message of all time. My father used to read the Chronicles of Narnia to me when I was younger, now I read them on my own. When he did this he stressed, Christianity is having the relationship with God, like the youths had with Aslan. I think these are very well written books and I would encourage any one to read. I uphold C.S. Lewis as a great writer of the centuries and I praise his books (all of them) as magnificant.

There is a modern misconception concerning C.S. Lewis's great children's series, 'The Narnian Chronicles.' Due to changes during modern reprinting (circa 1995), the orignal order of his seven-part series was disrupted to conform to the overall story-line. When the books were written, Mr. Lewis began his series with the classic children's novel, 'The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.' He then went on to write the remaining novels in a non-traditional, non-chronological order: Part two of the Chronicles was 'Prince Caspian.' Next came (3) 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader', (4) 'The Silver Chair', (5) 'The Horse and His Boy', (6)'The Magician's Nephew', and finally, (7)'The Last Battle.' Lewis released his stories in this order, and I urge every reader to follow the original, albeit unconventional, published sequence. It transforms a mere fantasy series into some of the single best children's novels in print. The symbolism of christian themes and morals will rest in the minds of all who read them; giving the reader a taste of hope and the power of true Belief. May Aslan be with you as you and your family travel through the unforgettable land of Narnia.

These books are a rare joy; really classics in literature. I've read the entire series many times, as has my daughter. They hold many treasures -- they are much, much more than mere children's books.

I am, however, very disappointed that the publisher has decided to rearrange the sequence of the books and sell them in chronological order. This may seem logical, but I feel that this is not what the author had in mind. And I know that readers new to the Narnia Chronicles (reading them in this new order) are confused with the first one or two books.

Frankly, I feel a bit insulted that the publishers doubt the intelligence of their readers, obviously thinking us too immature to handle a Narnian history lesson as the one or other book takes us back to a time before Lucy and her syblings. (For any new readers, THE WITCH, THE LION, AND THE WARDROBE is meant to be the first book in the series).

I truly wish that -some- publisher would reprint a collector's edition of the entire series **in the order in which they were originally written**. I would buy the entire set immediately!

To sum it all up: Read these books, by all means, but read them in the correct order. Go by the first copyright dates if nothing else.