The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Author: C. S. Lewis

Genre: Adventure, fantasy

Series: Chronicles of Narnia

Number in series: 2^nd (in my set, and chronologically…he wrote it first in the series tho)

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9.5

Type: Fiction (allegorical)

Number of pages: 189

Time period: Fantasy, 1940s

My overall opinion: An amazing book. It had been several years since I read it, and coming back to it now was a whole new and delightful experience! I love the language, the words, that C. S. Lewis uses…his descriptions are amazing. I read it aloud to myself this time around, and therefore discovered that it is a very read-aloudable book! It’s a brilliant work that EVERY home should own. Of course, the parallels to the Bible are clear. If you haven’t read it for a couple of years…give it another try, okay? You won’t regret. I’ve now moved onto the book that was my favorite for years, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and am likewise enjoying it. Great book!

Silver Chair

Author: C. S. Lewis

Genre: Adventure, fantasy

Series: Chronicles of Narnia

Number in series: 6^th

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 243

Time period: 1940s, fantasy

My overall opinion: Having read the Narnia books over many times (and listened to them at least as many via the Focus on the Family dramatizations), I have reached a conclusion…this one is my favorite. With VDT as a close second. But this one! It’s just packed with enduring appeal. Every chapter has action, and unique settings and characters. Who could ever forget Puddleglum? Or the signs that Jill must remember? Or the epic fight underground? It’s an enchanting story, and one every child (and adult) needs to read.

Birthdays Today

There are a couple of notable birthdays today...and yes, you need to know about them. They are...

Louisa May Alcott

November 29, 1832 - March 6, 1888 -- today she is 180

You know her because she wrote Little Women and Eight Cousins among many others. 

C. S. Lewis (or Clive Staples Lewis)

November 29, 1898 - November 22, 1963 -- today he is 115.

You know him because he wrote the splendid Chronicles of Narnia (seven books) and others, like Mere Christianity and The Great Divorce. 

Madeleine L'Engle 

November 29, 1918 - September 6, 2007 -- today she is 95. 

You know her because she wrote A Wrinkle in Time and Meet the Austins and others.

Movie: Prince Caspian

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9.5

Main characters: Caspian, Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Trumpkin, Miraz

Genre: Adventure, fantasy

Series or set: Chronicles of Narnia

Number in series: 2nd

Primary actors: Ben Banres, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley

Length: About 2 1/2 hours

Based on: Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis

Time period: Fantasy

Exciting events: Battle!

Quote(s): Click here for quotes. :)

Year it came out: 2008

My overall opinion: 

3/24/11 -- I LOVE this movie! There is one scene that I don't watch: black magic stuff. Yuck. But other than that (and a little romance, that I don't really like either), it's a great movie! I highly recommend it! I should mention that it strays from the book quite definitely, but the book was never a favorite of mine, so. <3 it so much! 

11/20/12 -- Still one of my favorite movies! Other than the black magic scene, which I still abhor. The battles are especially good, and the soundtrack? Amazing. Unbelievable. Heart-stopping. I love it! I also love Peter in this one, at least, most of the time. He is occasionally a brat (yes, I just said that) but overall -- great. Caspian and Susan's romance? No. Not right. I'm becoming more accustomed to it, but I still wish they hadn't included it. Great movie though! 

 

 

 

Movie: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

 My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9.5

Main characters: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Aslan, White Witch, Tumnus the Faun, the Beavers

Genre: Adventure, fantasy

Series or set: The Chronicles of Narnia

Number in series: 2nd in the book series, first in the movie series

Primary actors: William Moseley, Anna Popplewell, Skandar Keynes, Georgie Henley

Based on: The book The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis

Time period: 1940's, fantasy

Exciting events: Giant battle, Edmund's capture, near escape from wolves

Quote(s): Mrs. Beaver: You've been sneaking second helping, haven't you? Mr. Beaver: Well, you never know which meals gonna be your last. Especially with you.

Susan: The professor knew we were coming. Edmund: Perhaps we were incorrectly labeled.

White Witch: I can make you anything you like. Edmund: Can you make me taller?

Professor Kirke: What do they teach in schools these days?

White Witch: Tell me Edmund. Are your sisters deaf? Edmund: No. White Witch: And your brother, is he unintelligent? Edmund: Well, I think so. But Mum says--- White Witch: Then how dare you come alone?

Year it came out: 2005

My overall opinion:  

12/16/10 -- A great movie, one of my favorites. I recommend it to anyone! 

11/20/12 -- What an amazing movie. It's family friendly and follows the book closely, getting all the best details (IMHO). It always amazes me when I come back to watch this how young the kids all are! I've grown used to them in PC and VDT. The story is exciting and riveting (AND family friendly -- though younger kids might be a bit scared). Lucy especially is perfect. I still highly recommend it!

Day 24 – Books

Six Favorite Classic Authors

Classic books are some of the best ones out there. And naturally, that makes their authors some of the best ones out there too. J Note that Jane Austen isn’t mentioned here…I definitely consider her one of the best, but she’s been talked about so much on here, that I’m not including her here.

#1. Baroness Emmuska Orczy. She wrote most notably The Scarlet Pimpernel, a long time favorite of mine. She also wrote sequels for it, including The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel among others.

#2. L. M. Montgomery. Best known for Anne of Green Gables. She wrote a lot of other books as well, all delightful. Find more about her from when I had L. M. Montgomery Day! Herself, her books, the movies of her books.

#3. J. R. R. Tolkien. He wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, along with some other smaller books. Learn about him from J. R. R. Tolkien Day! Himself, his books, the movies of his books.

#4. Louisa May Alcott. Known for Little Women. She also wrote Little Men, Jo’s Boys, and more. Eight Cousins is a favorite of mine.  

#5. C. S. Lewis. Especially notable are The Chronicles of Narnia, a seven book series. He wrote a variety of other books as well. Learn more about him from C. S. Lewis Day! Himself, his books, the movies from his books.

#6. Alexander Dumas. Known for writing The Three Musketeers. Also wrote other books, including The Man in the Iron Mask and The Count of Monte Cristo.

C. S. Lewis Day: The Movies

There are more than you might be aware of... :)

First, there are the old ones. And I just discovered a new old one. Apparently in 1979, a comic version came out.

Then in 1988, they came out with this one:

I watched this. It was terrible. There's a full rant about it on this blog, since I reviewed it several months ago.

And then, oh joy.

The 2005 version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It's totally awesome, and while not perfect to the book in a few semi-minor things, it is a excellent watch.

Soon after, in 2008:

Love. I love that movie. Now I should mention here that there is an objectionable scene...namely, some pretty serious black magic. I always skip that. A few other things are also added (eg, romance between Caspian and Susan), but overall, I like the movie better than the book.

And now, in December 2010, Voyage of the Dawn Treader came out. I saw it twice in theaters, but not since then, so hopefully soon, another review will be coming from my watching it again!

I liked it. Yes, I know, it strayed from the book, but the essentials (to me) were still there. I recommend it.

Now there was, also in the 1980's, a combined version of Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and it's another that I haven't seen. However, if it's anything like the old LWW, it's not worth it.

C. S. Lewis Day: His Books

C. S. Lewis is another prolific author. My favorites of his books are The Chronicles of Narnia, a seven book series. He wrote them over a span of five years, and they have sold over 100 million copies, in many languages. They have quite a definite Christian theme, and also incorporate a few fairy-tale themes.

My favorite of the series is The Silver Chair, with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader as a close second. Other ones I enjoy include The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. But really, they're all terrific.

About The Silver Chair from goodreads.com : Eustace and Jill escape from bullies at school through a strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open moor ... or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the quest that brings them face to face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated if Prince Rillian is to be saved.

About The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from goodreads.com : The Dawn Treader is the first ship Narnia has seen in centuries. King Caspian has built it for his first voyage to find the seven lords, good men who his evil uncle Miraz banished when usurped the throne. The journey takes Edmund, Lucy, their cousin Eustace, and Caspian to the Eastern Islands, beyond the Silver Sea, toward Aslan's Country at the End of the World.

The chronological order of the books is as follows:

1. The Magician's Nephew
2. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
3. The Horse and His Boy
4. Prince Caspian
5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6. The Silver Chair
7. The Last Battle

Read them if you haven't!

However, this isn't nearly all that Jack Lewis wrote! He also penned The Space Trilogy which I haven't read yet, The Great Divorce, Screwtape Letters, and Until We Have Faces.

Finally, while this is technically just a book post, I've gotta point out that the Focus on the Family Narnia dramatizations are amazing. They follow the books closely, and bring them to life. Utterly awesome. Definitely something you want to check into!

The Ultimate Book Bash: C. S. Lewis Day

AAAAHHHH! It's the final day of The Ultimate Book Bash! A wrap-up post will be coming later, but for now...

Let's learn about C. S. Lewis.

His real name was Clive Staples Lewis, and he was born on November 29, 1898, in Ireland. (I'm glad  my middle name isn't Staples. The only thing that might be worse would be Scissors. ;P) His family knew him as Jack. As a child, Jack always loved the animals in stories like Beatrix Potter. In 1916, he got to go to University College, in England. It was there that he met Yeats. In 1917, he became an officer in the British Army, and served on the front lines in France.

In early 1918, he was wounded and two of his friends were killed. Back when he was 15, he decided to be an atheist. However, as time went by, the books that he read and the friends that he made (including J. R. R. Tolkien) influenced him back.

In Jack's later life, he met Joy Gresham, also a convert from atheism to Christianity. She had two young sons, David and Douglas. (Incidentally, Douglas Gresham hosted for Focus on the Family, on their tapes of The Chronicles of Narnia.) Joy and Jack were married in 1956, but sadly, Joy died from cancer in 1960. David and Douglas had been adopted by Jack, and he raised them as his own.

He had blood poisoning, because of inflamed kidneys, in 1961, and died on November 22, 1963.

Movie: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 6

Main characters: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Tumnus, Aslan, the Beavers, the White Witch

Genre: Adventure, fantasy

Series or set: Chronicles of Narnia

Number in series: 2nd in chronological order. First in movie order.

Primary actors: Richard Dempsey, Sophie Cook, Jonathan R. Scott, Sophie Wilcox

Based on: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis

Time period: 1940's

Exciting events: Battle, Edmund's capture

Year it came out: 1988

My overall opinion: Okay, first make sure you know that this is the old one. I recommend that if you want to watch a version of this, make sure you get the 2005 one. It's SO much better. The Beavers and other animals (wolves, etc) are just people in animal costumes, and that's very obvious. They're outfits kids might wear to a costume party. Aslan is better than most, but still it's quite obvious it's someone's hand or something opening and shutting the mouth and blinking the eyes.

The CG effects are terrible. The animals (like flying horses and other unique "animals") are very obviously computer generated. The colors in them are too bright and they literally shimmer.

The battle is on a very small scale, especially after seeing the '05 one. It's got maybe 50 fighters to a side. And of course the unique CG animal thingys. :)

The four kids are all about the same height, with the exception of Lucy, who's slightly shorter. They also all look about the same age.

All that to say, it was a good movie sort-of, but the 2005 one is WAY better. I recommend that one highly.