The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Style: Classic
Attitude: Positive
In Brief: First-written and most famous of the Narnia stories, whimsical, moving, human and ultimately Christian without that detracting from its readability.
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia
Publisher: Puffin
Age Range: Children+
Period: Mid 20th C
Setting: Narnia
Genres: Animal , Classic , Fantasy , Growing-Up , Magic
Characters:
- Peter is the oldest of the Pevensies and unwillingly takes on the mantle of the High King of Narnia, according to an ancient prophecy. He recognises his faults in alienating Edmund and proves himself in battle.
- Susan is the elder of the Pevensie girls and the most practical of the children.
- Edmund is the most complex of the Pevensie children, the younger brother with more to prove, blamed (justifiably) for upsetting Lucy, and bitter for revenge against Peter, making it easy for the White Witch to persuade him to betray his brother and sisters.
- Lucy is the simplest and most innocent, the youngest child, the first to come across Narnia and -- here and later -- the closest to Aslan.
- The White Witch has held Narnia in a spell of winter -- and never Christmas -- for 100 years, ruling by her cruelty enforced by her wolf police.
- Aslan is the mysterious King of Narnia, present only in time of need, the Christ-figure who sacrifices his innocence to save Edmund's guilt.
Synopsis:
The Pevensie children find a mysterious winterbound land when they step through a wardrobe in a forgotten room of the house they're evacuated to. There are no other humans, only talking animals and the cruel ruler, a white witch. The children are hailed as the saviours of the world after an ancient prophecy, and discover the world's creator and ruler, Aslan the Lion. Edmund betrays the others to the White Witch and Aslan must buy the boy's life back with his own.
Notes:
Tuesday 1st January 2002