Product Description

When Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are sent to stay with a kind professor who lives in the country, they can hardly imagine the extraordinary adventure that awaits them.

It all begins one rainy summer day when the children explore the professor's rambling old house. When they come across a room with an old wardrobe in the corner, Lucy immediately opens the door and gets inside. To her amazement, she suddenly finds herself standing in the clearing of a wood on a winter after-noon, with snowflakes falling through the air. Lucy has found Narnia, a magical land of fauns and centaurs, nymphs and talking animals -- and the beautiful but evil White Witch, who has held the country in eternal winter for a hundred years.

This exquisite gift edition brings a fresh look to this timeless classic and is the perfect introduction to all the wonders of Narnia.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #387817 in Books
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 112 pages

About the Author
Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English literature at Oxford University until 1954 when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. His major contributions in literary criticism, children’s literature, fantasy literature, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include The Chronicles of Narnia, Out of a Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity.

Customer Reviews

Through the wardrobe
C.S. Lewis pioneered a new kind of fantasy when he wrote "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" -- the kind where people from our world somehow get swept into another one. It's old stuff now, but Lewis was among the first to attempt such a thing. Because of its originality, and despite some rather hamhanded allegory, it remains a charmingly written, classic story.

To avoid the threat of bombings in London, the four Pevensie kids are sent to stay with a wealthy, eccentric professor in the country. But strange things start to happen when Lucy finds a wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek -- when she climbs in, she finds a snowy woodland and a friendly faun. Her siblings don't believe her... until peevish Edmund also ventures through, and encounters the beautiful but evil White Witch.

Soon all four are wandering through the snowy land of Narnia, encountering mythical creatures and talking animals. They also find that the four of them are at the center of a prophecy that will lead to the return of lion-messiah Aslan, and the downfall of the White Witch. But things don't go according to plan when Edmund defects to the Witch's side...

How many fantasy stories are written about kids who crawl through a hedge, wander through a door or pick up a magical object, and immediately are swept off into a medieval land? Lots. And they owe a debt of gratitude to C.S. Lewis, theologian, author, and drinking buddy of "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien.

C.S. Lewis' story is, despite being set during World War II, very 19th-century in tone -- very charming, conversational and full of little details. He populates it with a mishmash of mythic creatures such as dryads, fauns, and talking beavers. The one flaw? Lewis gets quite hamhanded with his Christian allegory, such as Aslan's resurrection. However, he has a very good plot and charming characters to balance it out.

Those characters deftly avoid being cutesy, especially by virtue of the malicious Edmund, who slowly has a change of heart after falling in with the evil Witch. He's a much more enjoyable character than his noble brother Peter, just because he's so real. And as a counterbalance, there's Lewis's sweet-natured Lucy -- which was also the name of Lewis' granddaughter.

Interesting characters and still-fresh stories give "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" -- which was released awhile back as a movie -- a special ambience. Definitely worth reading.

Bah Humbug !
C.S. Lewis was born in Belfast in 1898. In 1916, he won scholarship to University College, Oxford. He was elected a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford in , working there as tutor in English Language and Literature for 29 years, before leaving for Magdalene College, Cambridge. He died in 1963, on the same day John F. Kennedy was assassinated and Aldous Huxley died. "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe", the first of his books to be set in Narnia, was originally published in 1950. Although it was the first book written in a series of seven, it isn't necessarily the best place to start - there are many who view "The Magician's Nephew" as the 'proper' starting point for the series.

The book opens during the Second World War and tells the story of four children evacuated from London. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie have been sent to live with an old Professor who lives deep in the countryside. Initially, the children hope their stay will involve a spot of bird watching and generally bothering the local wildlife. However, following some exploration indoors, those pesky kids discover a wardrobe that leads to another world called Narnia. Narnia is ruled by the evil Jadis, better known as the White Witch. Under her rule, it is always winter, but Christmas never comes. Luckily Aslan, a very powerful lion and the rightful King, is rumoured to be close and the children's presence seems to confirm the White Witch's time is nearly up. (An ancient prophecy mentions the two 'Sons of Adam' and two 'Daughters of Eve'). Unfortunately, Edmund - a sneaky little brat - likes Turkish Delight too much for everyone's good.

I did enjoy the book as a kid - however, unlike the Potter books I can't honestly see too many adults also enjoying it. It is very old fashioned - the writing is very similar to Enid Blyton's, which isn't something I like too much - while the ending (particularly the battle) was an anti-climax. It also suffers in comparison to Tolkien's books, where the writing is much less childish and which also have the benefit of a carefully designed fictional world. The Christian element is also present which will, no doubt, please some - while I didn't notice it as a kid, it's pretty clear reading the book as an adult. However, I can't help thinking this would've been a much better book if it hadn't been written as some sort of allegory.

Very entertaining

It is the classic conflict between Good and Evil. Four school children discover an entrance to a world of fantasy through a wardrobe. It is a world that will change them forever. They assist the golden lion Aslan to defeat the White Witch who has cursed Narnia with eternal winter.... "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" was so interesting and captivating that I read it in one day. It is one of my favourite books. After reading it I bought the other books in the series.
Another great new series that reminds me of Narnia series is "Why Some Cats are Rascals". I have just finished the first two books in the Rascal series and I am looking forward to the third one.