The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia is a children's book cycle written by British Christian scholar and author C. S. Lewis between 1950 and 1956. The story, as it unfolds, tells of the origins, various ages, and finally the demise of a magical world called Narnia, which contains elements of Classic Greek mythology (such as fauns, centaurs, satyrs, and gryphons) and most notably talking animals. The central character Aslan the lion, though Lewis was careful never to say so outright, is revealed as an allegory for Jesus Christ.

The stories

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Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

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1. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - introduces the four Pevensey children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy), the Lion Aslan, and the magic Wardrobe that leads from Earth to Narnia.
2. Prince Caspian - Tells how of the four children helped Caspain the Tenth regain his throne from his uncle; the war between the kingdom of Narnia and its aggressive southern neighbor, Calormen also plays a part.
3. Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Edmund and Lucy, accompanied by Eustace Scrubb, join Caspian on a voyage to rediscover the lost islands of the Utter East and the End of the world, as well as the redemption of Eustace.
4. The Silver Chair - Eustace and Jill Pole delve underground to find the lost Prince Rilian and defeat the Green Witch and the object of her power.
5. The Horse and His Boy - Set during the time period of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, tells of a talking horse named Bree in search of his home who befriends a poor human boy who is much more than he appears.
6. The Magician's Nephew - tells the secret origin of Digory Kirke (the Professor in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), the White Witch, the Wardrobe, and Narnia itself.
7. The Last Battle - tells of Narnia's final days; the battle against the pretender ape, his followers, and all the other enemies of Narnia; the door that leads to Aslan's Country; the death of Narnia; and the happy eternal destiny of Aslan's friends.

The logical order of the stories (which Lewis himself preferred and most modern imprints follow) is actually 6, 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 7. However, Lewis's writing style and tone evolved as he wrote the books, so reading them in this order can produce a jarring transition from book 6 to book 1.

Popular characters

There are many popular characters amongst furries which feature many anthropomorphic animals, especially Aslan. There are also Mr. Tumnus the faun, Mr. & Mrs. Beaver, Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle, Bree the talking horse, and many other supporting characters, too many to list here. Reepicheep the mouse, introduced in Prince Caspian, is considered by many to be one of the most beloved characters in the entire cycle. Other fans, especially those who love wolves and/or villains, love Maugrin, the head of the White Witch's secret police and there are many rants about his death in the novels and films. Another popular furry character, while an insignificant mention in the book but with a new and expanded role in the movie version, is the fox who risks his life twice to save the Pevensie children.

Screen adaptations

The poster for the 2005 release of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was first adapted for the small screen on British television as a black-and-white miniseries in 1967. In 1979, the Children's Television Workshop produced a well-known animated adaptation of the first story. In 1988, another live-action adaptation came to TV, which grew into a miniseries including Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. If nothing else, this series followed the books very closely.

In December 2005, the first story was brought to the big screen with a faster-paced script and an extended role for the old fox, among other things. There are four more movies slated for production with the next one, Prince Caspian, already in pre-production as of this writing. As a side note, the made-for-TV biographical drama Through the Shadowlands (1985) revealed that Magician's Nephew was also partly autobiographical.

Other adaptations

The immersive world of Narnia has spawned, among other things, a MU* called NarniaMUCK and a fan fiction short story by K. Sheasley HonorH entitled Queen's Return.

See also

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (movie)
• The Chronicles of Narnia on Wikipedia

External links

• The first Narnia movie
• NarniaMUCK

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