A trip to Narnia

As you know, I'm a big fan of children's literature. I'm also a big fan of C. S. Lewis, an English author, who is well-known for his series, The Chronicles of Narnia. C. S. Lewis captured and continues to capture the imagination of anyone who makes a trip into the fantastical world that is Narnia. Most people know about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe because of the Disney movie of the same name. (The same could be said of Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as well.) It's been labeled as controversial by some for it's religious themes as well as it's discussion of race and gender. It broke the mold in a lot of ways to what was traditionally seen as a children's book. The entire series spans 7 books and has been adapted for radio and theater as well as film.  Let's get right into it!

Depending upon who you ask, the series begins with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe OR it begins with The Magician's Nephew. I prefer to begin with The Magician's Nephew as it's technically the prequel (although written second to last) and sets up the creation of Narnia (the lamppost!). It follows Digory and Polly as they are forcefully transported to Narnia by Digory's not-so-nice aka totally evil uncle, Before they reach Narnia, however, they reach other lands in other realms and on one of these they meet Jadis who is Evil. (The capitalization is definitely warranted and she's worth mentioning as you'll see later in the series.) This is also the book that introduces the reader to Aslan, the lion.

Next is the one I think most people are familiar with: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In this book, we are introduced to the Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. We're also meeting Digory again except now he's much older and a Professor. We travel to Narnia which is now fully formed (and through a rather unique portal which I don't want to spoil for the uninitiated) and a battle of good vs evil ensues against the White Witch (hello Jadis!). The children discover that they are worth sterner stuff than they had imagined and Aslan rewards them with something a little snazzier than a plaque. This should definitely be categorized as coming-of-age.

I bet you think that Prince Caspian is the next book in the series. Well, you're wrong! It's The Horse and His Boy. This book follows two Narnians (the horses) on a journey back to their homeland with outsiders (two children) who are running away from their lives. This story is quite different from the rest of the series as it takes place during the Golden Age of Narnia (it is difficult not to be spoiler-y isn't it?). It focuses on Shasta, Bree, Aravis, and Hwin. If nothing else, C.S. Lewis was a master at names.

Following The Horse and His Boy is Prince Caspian. By this time, the Pevensie children have returned to our world and a short time has passed. They often think of Narnia but for Peter and Susan it is less and less like a real place. Then BOOM they are suddenly thrust back into Narnia as a cry for help is sounded by Caspian. 1000 years have passed in Narnia and Aslan is missing. The people are in dire need of help and it's up to the Pevensies and their new friend, Caspian, to save everyone.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a favorite of mine because it introduces a character which goes through such a transformation that to meet him at the start is to hardly recognize him by the finish. This is Eustace Scrubb. Eustace and his two cousins, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, find themselves in Narnia and on a boat in the ocean. There's a surprise awaiting them aboard the ship in the form of an old friend (hello spoiler, my old friend) and it's discovered that he and his crew are on an epic quest. It's very nearly a pirate's tale, ya'll. The ending still manages to bring me to tears.

We are again on an adventure with Eustace in The Silver Chair but this time he's accompanied by his new friend, Jill Pole. They are called to Narnia by Aslan to help Caspian, now an old man, find his son. They are aided by Puddleglum who is a Marsh-Wiggle and if you don't grit your teeth he might drive you crazy.

Here we are at the end with The Last Battle which is just as the name suggests. There is a final battle of good vs evil. Jill and Eustace return to help Narnia which is under seige by Shift, an ape, who tricks a donkey into impersonating Aslan (I just read that back and trust me it makes sense if you read the book). By the end of the book you see the true meaning behind everything that has gone before and Aslan is revealed as his true self.


Whew! That was just the books! Now onto the film adaptations. There are two that I'd like to mention. (I'm discussing two different series not individual films.) The first was done by the BBC and was actually a miniseries that ran in 3 installments from 1988-1990. The first covered The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the second was Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the third was The Silver Chair. This is one of those things that was so bad that it's good. It was low budget and pretty corny but for some reason I LOVED IT. I felt drawn in exactly as I had been in the books and the characterization was pretty spot on. (Puddleglum especially was excellent.) If you haven't seen this, I highly recommend giving it a try. The other series I'd like to mention is the one done by Disney. Thus far, they've done The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Much like the BBC miniseries, they stuck very close to the original books which I really appreciated. It's visually stunning and the soundtracks are beautiful. Also, James McAvoy is Mr. Tumnus. COME ON! Guys, this is a no-brainer.

I did say this was one of my favorites

The Space Trilogy III

It may have taken a bazillion years, but I finally finished That Hideous Strength. Ransom was back again (yay!) leading a rag tag bunch of Brits in a crusade against the evil forces seeking to destroy humanity as we know it. The two main characters introduced in this installment weren't especially likable but I think that was one of the points Lewis was trying to make. And there's a special guest that had me wriggling (wriggling!) with delight. There were definitely dark themes in this one such as violence and gore but if you've been following the series this was to be expected at the pinnacle of the drama. Instead of being set on a distant planet the action takes place on Earth, specifically England. I was happy with the conclusion but sad at the same time because I had grown to love Ransom and because the action wasn't immediately centered on him I felt a bit jipped. :-( However, if you've been following along with me then I'm sure you're just itching to reach the conclusion of this epic saga.

Next up to bat is I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields. Most people have read the classic To Kill a Mockingbird but almost no one knows anything about the novel's author, Harper Lee. This novel seeks to rectify that and the best part is that it was adapted for young adults. Harper Lee is one of those authors that slips into obscurity after writing a piece of literature that just refuses to do the same. Lee seeks to illuminate the rather extraordinary life of a woman who wrote a book that continues to capture the imagination of millions and which will more than likely continue to do so for many years to come. This one has been on my reading list for longer than I'd care to admit so I really hope it lives up to my high expectations. *fingers crossed*

Mission Aborted

I am forced to admit defeat. First, I believed that I was reading the same poetry I had previously read excerpts from and that is definitely not the case. Second, it turns out that Duo Duo specializes in abstract poetry which I do not have the capabilities to decrypt. In short, I can make neither head nor tail of these poems and despite almost finishing one of the books I just don't want to read any further. Now I certainly don't want to discourage any of you from continuing your poetry journey but I just couldn't do it.

On a happier note, I got a copy of That Hideous Strength from my library (yay renewed library card!) so I'll finally be able to finish The Space Trilogy by C.S. Lewis! This one is set on Earth and follows two people involved with the N.I.C.E Institute which is actually a front for an evil supernatural force. So they ask for help from our favorite hero, Ransom. I AM SO READY!

Cliffhangers

As I said in the last entry, I wanted to wait until That Hideous Strength arrived before I reviewed the other two books in the Space Trilogy. However, it hasn't arrived as yet and I grew impatient. :-) Therefore, I bring to you 2 reviews plus a preview! Yay!!

Out of the Silent Planet saw our hero (although you wouldn't think of him as such at first) kidnapped and taken to a planet called Malacandra (to inhabitants of Tellus or Earth this would be Mars). He escapes his captors and on his journey across this entirely foreign land where he meets the planet's inhabitants, learns their language (he's a philologist), and adapts to their way of living we discover there's mischief afoot. This isn't simply an exploratory mission for his captors. One is determined to make riches from the planet's precious stones while the other seeks to find a new world for humanity to inhabit. What will Ransom do to stop them? <cue tense music>

Perelandra begins with Ransom back at home in England where he has revealed the entirety of his adventures to the author of the tales (we're made to believe this is a factual story disguised as science fiction by C.S. Lewis himself). There's a new mission that has been given to Ransom which involves him traveling through space once again except this time it's to Perelandra (that's Venus if you're curious). He's told nothing more about his trip except it's vital that he goes and he may or may not return to Tellus after the mission's completion. Once there he meets a beautiful Green Lady (this is her title for the majority of the book which is why I've capitalized it) who lives on ever moving lands on the water's surface. She is not yet "grown" which means that she has much to learn from this stranger (and he from her as it turns out). Things seem idyllic until they have a visitor from Ransom's past. If it wasn't apparent in the book which preceded this one Lewis has cleverly created a sci-fi/fantasy novel which illustrates the ultimate struggle between Good and Evil. Ransom directly battles with the 'Bent One' (aka the Devil) for the spiritual welfare of not only the Green Lady but the entire body of people which are soon to populate the planet. Will he succeed? <ominous fade to black>

So suffice it to say, I'm quite intrigued to see what the last book in the trilogy will bring for our hero (you see why he's a hero now right?).

I decided to start in on a two-in-one by one of my favorite mystery authors (or really he's just a favorite) Rex Stout. Some of you may have heard of him but for those who haven't he's the creator of the world's greatest (and I think first) armchair detective, Nero Wolfe. However, in my opinion (and in many others) it's Wolfe's confidential assistant, Archie Goodwin, that Stout really triumphed. A character worthy of being called a 'literary triumph', Goodwin fairly leaps off of the pages. The two-in-one that I picked up includes two cases: The Rubber Band  and The Red Box. The first of these has so many moving parts and so many characters that even though I'm about 75% of the way through I haven't the foggiest notion of whodunit (I generally never know until the very end though so don't put all of your eggs in my basket). A beautiful woman, a murder, accusations of larceny, and a Marquis round out the story and keep the reader on their toes bracing for what might happen next. The second mystery is about a red box...full of cyanide laced sweets. Who poisoned the candies and who's next?!

Tiny update (or gigantic depending on your point of view)

So despite the fact that I didn't post the review of Out of the Silent Planet, I actually finished it last week. It was such a great read that I thought it would benefit you guys if I just finished up the Space Trilogy in its entirety before updating. With that thought in mind, I started on the sequel entitled Perelandra and I'm moving along quite well with that. I think you guys are really going to like these.

While that was happening I went to my very first book signing (in Brooklyn no less!). If you remember I reviewed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs a few months back. Well, his sequel (I'm into book series apparently) Hollow City has just come out and he's touring to promote it (and be charming and create lifelong followers). Long story (which isn't particularly long) there was cookies, creepy pictures, and strange videos. It was delightful. I encourage you all to participate in an interactive book discussion with an accomplished author whenever the opportunity arises.

I'm nearly finished with Perelandra and hopefully That Hideous Strength will arrive in the mail shortly so I can post again next time. I want to create a regular posting schedule if possible and I welcome your suggestions and comments on where you want this blog to go in future. I know I'm having a fun time and I hope you all are too!!

Keep turning those pages!!!

If you're a Doctor Who fan, then you're probably going to be more interested in my review of Beautiful Chaos than someone who has no clue of the devastation that was Donna Noble. However, I'l do my best for you non-Whovians because I still think this was a fun read. With that being said, I need to impress that this was by no means my favorite DW novel. The plot was a bit too plodding for my taste at times and I didn't feel the normal drive to see what clever thing the Doctor had up his sleeve this time. This is a hard one to discuss because on the face of it there was nothing really wrong with the telling of this story. It had interesting characters, a baddie straight from canon, action, heart wrenching sadness, and a clever conclusion. However, I can think of three separate DW novels sitting on my bookshelf that had me flipping pages so fast I nearly ripped off my fingerprints and this one just didn't have that urgency. So while it was a decent story about the Doctor it wouldn't be my first recommendation. (If you want that just let me know.)

Next on my list of January reads is the first in a trilogy by C.S. Lewis. The Space Trilogy begins with Out of the Silent Planet and is followed by Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. The stories follow the adventures of Dr. Ransom who is kidnapped and taken to the planet Malacandra. The reason for his kidnapping is made clear when he is told that he's to be a human sacrifice but things don't quite go the way of the captors when Ransom escapes and starts life anew on this strange planet. I confess that I absolutely adore C.S. Lewis and when I saw this in the bookstore and realized that I had never read it I didn't even think twice before picking it up (and paying for it of course, DUH!). 

Let's get on with the show!