The Chronicles of Narnia

[jordmundt6]

Everyone has their own tastes, as you can see. The books are easy to read and were always easy for me to get into. Fleurdujardin--You forgot the rail accident, eh? Well, it isn't revealed for what it is until the very end, but it's the jumping off point from which Eustace and Jill cross into Narnia for the last time.

[Pearl_Took]

Originally Posted by deathly721

The only problem I had with morals in the books was the way the conflicted with his own religious beliefs. If you look through the Bible, you will notice every traitor is executed or has something horrible done to them.

Er ... examples?

I mean, there's Judas ... but Peter also betrayed Jesus (and surely his denial of Jesus is hardly less grievous than what Judas did), repented, and was forgiven. Paul murdered plenty of people before he saw the light, as it were. The message of Christianity is that even the worst sinner can be redeemed, that nobody is beyond redemption if they repent, and there are plenty of examples of that in the Bible. I thought that Lewis illustrated this redemptive principle in his Narnia stories admirably.

Edmund and Eustace are my favourite characters for that very reason: both boys start out obnoxious but experience genuine moral transformation and, literally, a spiritual rebirth.

I'm one of those who have always been rather bugged by Susan's fate, and the way Lewis writes about it. However, I don't think we should assume that Susan was lost forever.

All the Narnia books are wonderful in their own way, with their own distinctive character. A favourite of mine has always been The Silver Chair. And Voyage of the Dawntreader is wonderful.

I also love the bit in The Magician's Nephew when Polly and Diggory encounter the evil Jadis on the doomed world of Charn. Awesome!

[MmeBergerac]

Yes, they spent a good part of the book wondering how they had got there, since they didn't really used the way they had planned (the rings). They all were a bit puzzled about it, because Jill and Eustace thought they still could go back, but Peter, Edmund and Lucy had been told they never would return to Narnia, and suddenly they found themselves there (or, better, the place they thought to be Narnia).

What I've always wondered since I read it is this: were Jill and Eustace already dead when they appeared by King Tirian? The others died and appeared directly at "Real Narnia", but these two didn't. Did they simply disappear from the train, or were they still alive (i.e, unconscious in a hospital) and died for our world when they crossed the stable door? When Caspian at the end of The Silver Chair, he said something about living and dying and being a ghost in one world, but not in another, but just now I don't remember.

By the way, that of the train crash was a bit of a shock . It seemed to me quite a tragic and sudden way to finish things. I remember bursting out at reading it: Dead? All of them? C'mon, no!! Then I realized it was the way they could reunite their two worlds, and but anyway... it was a bit hard to assimilate. It was then that I realized of Susan's tragedy.

And now, to cheer things a bit up, a poll: which is/are your favourite character/s in The Chronicles of Narnia? Mine are these:

For his spectacular change from awful little selfish traitor into Witch's-wand breaker and wise King... King Edmund the Just!

For her tireless faith in Aslan, against her own family if necessary... Queen Lucy the Valiant!

For his running in the right direction when things go bad, even without knowing why... Shasta! (aka Prince Cor).

For reasons obvious enough to anyone who's read the books... Reepicheep the Mouse!

And last, but not least: for being stubbornly Narnian even if Narnia doesn't exist; for stamping on the Witch's fire at the right time and for the (probably) bravest speech anyone ever made in Narnia, our favourite wet-blanket in the series... Puddleglum the Marsh-wiggle!!!!

[jordmundt6]

Jill thought she could go back, but Eustace was sure that the Silver Chair was his last trip. His comment at the time was something along the lines of "Well, if Aslan feels I'm needed, I guess the rules can be bent."

My favorites are probably Lucy, Shasta, and Edmund. I like Hwin's quiet care, though.

I often wonder why Peter was off-a-questing when half the Cair Paravel four went on that ill-fated embassy to Calormen.

About Eustace and Jill--they were yanked out miliseconds before death to help Tirian in his last stand.

[Raven_Girly]

I tried to read them after I saw The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at the movies but I just couldn't get into them. I think I may have liked them if I'd started the series when I was younger. I remember my teacher reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to our class when I was about 8 or 9 and I thought it was pretty good back then.

[MmeBergerac]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

I often wonder why Peter was off-a-questing when half the Cair Paravel four went on that ill-fated embassy to Calormen.

As far as I remember, Peter was in the Norht fighting the giants while edmuns and Susan went to Tashbaan and Lucy stayed in Cair Paravel.

About Eustace and Jill--they were yanked out miliseconds before death to help Tirian in his last stand

Then, they actually never died for our world!!! They "died", as Tirian did, when Narnia itself died, though they didn't really belong to that world... Uf, a bit messy for me today; my neurones are too tired (I need holidays...).

[jordmundt6]

I remember that--but if you recall, the evil giants were always in the northern hinterlands--they never mounted a serious invasion. That's why I called his battle against them, going a-questing. So, my question stands. Was he leaving Lucy alone to hold down Cair Paravel during the struggles to the north and south? If so, that speaks quite highly of his confidence in her as an adult.

[MmeBergerac]

Perhaps the giants were giving trouble at the borders and Peter was putting things in order... As for Lucy, they didn't trust her just for ruling things while the others are abroad, she also fights in war (she was with the Narnians who helped Archerland against Calormen).

You know, now I think of it, though in the books they're always trying the girls don't get involved in battle and so (in the Lion, or in Prince Caspian), they're not as "traditional" as one would expect. If you realize, Lucy runs things in her siblings' absence and fights in Anvard as another soldier, Aravis is a born warrior and Jill is a very strong character. I can't call them feminist books, but it's not so bad for the time they were written.

[jordmundt6]

No it's not. Lucy ended up being something of a fighting nurse. She can tend the wounded and fight with the best of them. I prefer Edmund to Peter even though Peter gets battle highlights in the first two books (fighting Jadis and besting Miraz in a duel).

[dweaselqueen]

My favorite characters are Edmund, Peter, Shasta and Aravis. I'm not sure why, but I just love them.

originally posted by MmeBergerac
It was then that I realized of Susan's tragedy.

It is a tragedy. I've felt horrified for Susan's fate ever since I read it. Not ony has she stopped believing in Narnia (which, after being a Queen in Narnia, I don't understand how that's possible), but she has also lost her entire family in one day. Weren't her parents on the train too? Poor Susan.

The question is, did she ever come back? Is she really lost forever or will she eventually join them in Narnia?

[Mad_Druid]

I read the books throughout my childhood, but I didn't realise until I was about 10 that they had many religious themes running throughout them. That didn't really bother me because we were raised in an Agnostic household, I just thought "hmm that's interesting".

Even at a young age I didn't like how the Calormenes were written as cruel and dirty, seemingly just because they had dark skin. I also never liked how Susan was treated at the end.

I've always enjoyed them for the fantasy and adventure element.

My favourite character would have to be Puddleglum, he's so delightfully gloomy

[jordmundt6]

I think she'll end up in Heavenly London, but I don't know if she'll ever be able to return to the Narnia Paradise. Wait, wasn't she on that train too? It's been awhile since I read The Last Battle.

[dweaselqueen]

Well, it's been awhile since I read the books, but I think it was all of the others who had been to Narnia, plus the parents. I'm pretty sure Susan was not on the train. Weren't the others discussing how best to get back to Narnia when the train crashed? Susan wouldn't have been there for that. And the parents were killed from the platform, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't there either. She had sort of ostracized herself from the others, so I can't imagine that she would have been there to greet them.

[MmeBergerac]

No, Susan wasn't either on the train or the platform. The children, Diggory and Polly were on the train because of the rings thing (magical rings, now I think of it... Could Lewis borrow the idea from his friend Tolkien?), and their parents were there by chance. Susan wasn't.

Mad_Druid: Yes, Puddlegum is the best. You find him a bit annoying at the first, but then you like him a lot. And it's precisely that gloom what saves them from the Witch. I love that scene. When he says it's better an imaginary Narnia than so boring a real world, I always clap and cry. The man (sorry, the marsh.wiggle) is completely right.

[jordmundt6]

I guess Puddlegum's okay--and I admire his self-sacrifice. However, I find myself enjoying Bree and Hwin a lot more, as well as the first Narnian winged horse, the former Strawberry.

[Mad_Druid]

I can just imagine Alan Rickman playing Puddleglum.

[jordmundt6]

Really? I guess, I never thought Puddlegum had that much gravitas or bite.

[MmeBergerac]

Originally Posted by Mad_Druid

I can just imagine Alan Rickman playing Puddleglum.

Alan Rickman????? Wow!!! It would be a very imposing Puddleglum... But, IMO, he would be a bit scary for Jill and Eustace; not to mention that the Witch would fall in love with him and the director would have to change the end...

I sometimes imagine Puddleglum as a kind of Woody Allen (don't ask me why), though the picture just don't fit the part of the stamping on the fire. But, seriously, if I had to pick an actor to play him, I'd choose Johnny Depp. After Edwar Scissorhands, Ichabod Crane, Jack Sparrow, J.M. Barrie and Sweeney Todd, he'd have no difficulty in playing a lovely wet-blanket marsh-wiggle.

Alan Rickman would have made a wonderful Aslan's voice.

[jordmundt6]

Now that makes more sense to me--neurotic, loner, full of hang-ups--that fits. Rickman is WAY too imposing for Puddlegum, though he can play refined and weak--just like Hugh Laurie used to make his living playing refined and weak before he signed on to play Greg House.

[dweaselqueen]

originally posted by MmeBergerac
Alan Rickman would have made a wonderful Aslan's voice.

Hmm, I'm not sure if I can see that. Don't get me wrong, I love Alan Rickman's voice, but he has more a silky, slick tone then Aslan's gentle, powerful tone. Personally, I think Liam Neeson was the best choice for that voice, his voice portrays power, wisdom, and yet there's an unassuming, gentle quality to it.