The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe~ C.S.Lewis

It’s been a little while since I last read any of the Chronicles of Narnia, but I had forgotten how well I know the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Normally, I forget some of the little details, but this time I wasn’t surprised by anything which was a little disappointing.

I grew up watching the BBC adaptations and then the Disney movies, so it’s fair to say that Narnia is a huge part of my childhood and has shaped my taste in literature and films. In fact, the Disney adaptation is the first film I can properly remember seeing in the cinema. Going back and reading this for the first time as an adult was no different than reading it as a child. C.S.Lewis has a way with words that automatically sends you back to a time where things were simpler. It’s a story that makes you believe that good can triumph over evil with no real-life complications.

I know that Aslan is supposed to be God, but even now, I don’t read it with that knowledge in my head. I get lost in the story of a magical lion fighting against the evil witch. Seeing religious imagery in this pinnacle point of my childhood is not something I want and the fear that this time I would see it made it hard for me to find the motivation to read.

I think the only things that changed for me were my perceptions of some of the characters. I don’t think I ever fully realised how terrifyingly powerful Aslan is. I knew he was powerful, but knowing old magic that no one else seems to is a little bit too powerful. I’ve always been sympathetic to Edmund, often immediately forgiving him before he has even done anything, but rereading it, I realised that he is a lot more of a brat than I should probably forgive so quickly. It doesn’t change the outcome because I did like always, forgive him.

I love The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S.Lewis and the child-like joy it brings out in near everyone. As a story, I will always remember the magic and awe and rate it as five stars. However, for this read-through, I have to give it four stars because I knew it too well to get as much enjoyment out of it as possible. It’s quite a sad truth.

C🌙