Narnia

[Allegra]

The version I have is this: Amazon.com: The Chronicles of Narnia: Books: C. S. Lewis,Pauline Baynes. It starts with The Magician's Nephew. According to the publisher's note in the book, it is the author 'preferred order'.

Originally Posted by chrispenycate

And I don't complain about Lewis's allegories for christianity( he did it again in "out of the silent planet"; it's merely the way he saw the world. If I decided to only read books by authors who agreed with me, my reading list would be much shorter.

I agree. I'm not at all bothered by the religion element in the books. Sometime ago I read an article about Philip Pullman lashing C.S. Lewis with harsh accusation on his religious issue and I thought that was totally unnecessary and petty.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Allegra

The version I have is this: Amazon.com: The Chronicles of Narnia: Books: C. S. Lewis,Pauline Baynes. It starts with The Magician's Nephew. According to the publisher's note in the book, it is the author 'preferred order'.

Yes, but CSL actually says in Letters to Children:

"So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them."

Originally Posted by Allegra

Sometime ago I read an article about Philip Pullman lashing C.S. Lewis with harsh accusation on his religious issue and I thought that was totally unnecessary and petty.

Yes I heard about that, too. And, of course, CSL being unable to refute arguments makes it worse. Pullman seems have made no attempt to research CSL's life or the reasons for his faith.

[Patrick Mahon]

I've really enjoyed reading the Narnia series to my son, but I must admit that the 1950s stilted dialogue does cause me some difficulties from time to time. Perhaps it's not such a problem if you're reading it to yourself, but when you read it out loud to someone else, it can sometimes sound like the worst kind of stereotype of how the British are (were) supposed to speak. I recognise that, to some extent at least, this is just a function of CS Lewis's style, but I've found myself having to slightly adapt some of the dialogue as I go along, so I don't sound like Dick van Dyke on a bad day.

Has anyone else found this a problem? Or is it just me?

[pyan]

Originally Posted by Patrick Mahon

so I don't sound like Dick van Dyke on a bad day.

"Shudders*

Yes, I know what you mean, Patrick - but for me, it's just part of the charm of the books. I have the same problem with the "Swallows and Amazons" series by Arthur Ransome, and with a lot of classic detective novels, where everyone speaks with the same sort of slightly stilted speech, apart from the odd comic policeman.
(apologies for the alliteration!)

[bookaholic]

I'm glad I don't have to read the Narnia books aloud to anyone, it would take me all day to get the tone right!

[Cayal]

I just started reading these books. I bought the 7 books in one version from a bookstore and got through Magicians Nephew and only Lion, Witch, Wardrobe (which I have read before).

But, despite the somewhat childlike writing, I really have enjoyed both books and I really enjoyed the Lion, Witch, Wardrobe movie and can't wait for Prince Caspian.

[The Ace]

Looks like we won't have to wait that long, Jaire.
I suppose the dialogue is just part of it. I remember collecting a series of classic children's books (they were on special offer and with a limited income and three nephews it wasn't a bad idea) I found, 'Swallows and Amazons,' to be the only one which felt dated, with it's references to, 'Queen Elizabeth,' (the present Queen, was, of course only a child at the time and her parents were the Duke and Duchess of York, the thought of a second Queen Elizabeth just wasn't there).

[Grimward]

If memory serves, some of the critics who reviewed the film took the same exceptions to the religious overtones that book critics took (and still take) to Lewis' works. It is indeed unfortunate that Lewis isn't around to refute them, but I think one can get a taste of what those responses might have looked like by checking out the exchanges between Lewis and JRR Tolkien (lots of different places on the web to dig in here). I'm with you on the charm of the dialogue, Pyan, and would add that the dialogue helped me "get" the setting the first time I read the books (I was 12 or 13, growing up in suburban Washington. D.C., and people just didn't talk like that as far as I was concerned....then!).

I think the books do stand up enough as stories on their own, seemingly more so than many other series that came after them, with the obvious exception being The Last Battle, of course (to those who've not read them but are interested...it's title says enough!).

[Dee_hee]

It's strange, but years ago when I read these stories to my kids I was enthralled as well.

Recently, I returned to them. It was not the same.

Not sure why

PS- it was the books I returned to, not my kids

[Bentony]

What with the movies and all I have been rereading the Narnia Series. Other than the fact that in my view the tales should start with The magician's Nephew - a point that really annoys me about the films, the movies have been quite good. However the books still retain a charm for me although they can be a bit staid. But that I supppose is a sign of the time they were written. As for the religious aspect - well, form follows function and I do not find them nearly as in your face as Phillip Pullman. At least CSL did,nt try to push his ideas down your throat.

[kuriosity]

I've been rereading the series too, as a consequence of seeing Prince Caspian the other week. :] I'm currently on the Silver Chair.

The last time I read this was many, many years ago... and my memory of it is completely not matching up to what I'm reading right now. >.>

[Bentony]

I have never been able to decide if the SIlver Chair is my favorite or Prince Caspian.
If they intend making movies of the whole lot I think they are going to run into problems.By not making the Magician's Nephew the first one it has lost context and I doubt they will ever make it now.
Secondly I think they will have trouble with the ending of the Dawn Treader - a bit to allegorical for your average audience.
Thirdly I think they will have to change the Last Battle quite substantially as it's ending will be rather narrow for a lot of people. The Calormenes are also going to be problematic because there is no getting away from the fact that they are basically depicted as muslims, well as arabs and ottomans at any rate- and thus the antithesis of the narnians.
I thus suspect that ultimatly the series will end with the silver chair, or the horse and his boy.

[Heteronym]

Although the first movie didn't interest me enough to pick up the series (although I liked it very much), the second movie, Prince Caspian, has gotten me excited about future movies and curious about the books. It's difficult not not be curious about a character like Reepicheep

[Urlik]

Originally Posted by Bentony

If they intend making movies of the whole lot I think they are going to run into problems.By not making the Magician's Nephew the first one it has lost context and I doubt they will ever make it now.

not starting with book 1 didn't hurt Star Wars and could be said to have helped rather than hndered its success.

[Bentony]

The problem, Urlik, with not starting at the begining is that you loose context - Where did Narnia come from, Who is Aslan etc. Frankly I only watch the films because of my loyalty to the books, and if I had not read them I would battle to understand the context of the films.
I also would not beat the Star Wars drum too hard as the first three films had no context or continuety problems - which Narnia does. They are being presented in a vacum and will probably end up the same way as I do not see the film makers being able to present the last book in any coherent way - firstly because of the lack of context caused by not filming the Magician's Nephew, and secondly because the end of The Last Battle is probably too niche for the general market.
In that sense it has similarities with His Dark Materials (although not in such a welf indulgent way) in that although the first book was filmable, the third one is probably not. This means that the Narnia books will be cherry picked in terms of filming and non readers will not actually have an understanding of the context.