Title: The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia #7) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1956 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: The last battle is the greatest battle of all. Narnia...
where lies breed fear... where loyalty is tested... where all hope seems lost.
During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge - not an
invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken
root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the
destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to the
Chronicles of Narnia.
STEPH SAID Rating: Review:
Most part of this book was like any other Chronicles of
Narnia book: human kids accompany some Narnians on a quest and the story ends
up with a battle. What makes this book different and better is what happened
after the battle.
The first chapter tells the story of how an ape, Shift, and
a donkey, Puzzle, found a lion’s fur and how Shift adjusted it and made Puzzle
wear it. I wish I hadn’t heard that story; I wish this first chapter was never
written. Later on in the story, an ape appears claiming to be Aslan’s
spokesperson. Aslan, apparently, wanted all kind of horrendous things, like
selling all dwarfs and talking animals as slaves, to Calormene. If I hadn’t
read the ape/donkey story of the first chapter, this would’ve intrigued me and
make me feel suspicious. However, since I did know the story, I knew Aslan wasn’t
asking for those things. Of course this is a book for children. I guess C.S.
Lewis didn’t want kids to think Aslan would actually do such things and decided
to expose the ape first handed. That way kids wouldn’t lose faith in Aslan.
Shift allied with Calormenes and so the last battle began:
King Tirian, Eustace, Jill and many Narnians vs. Shift, the Calormenes and many
Narnians. It wasn’t as big as I expected, or as epic. It was in fact a bit disappointing.
It wasn’t a great war-like battle, more like two or three small battles.
Up to this point, the book was ok. But then came the end of
Narnia and the book was way better. Not because of the actual end of Narnia, but for all the
friends that we were able to see again. Every human that was once in Narnia
appeared again: Digory, Polly, Peter, Edmund, Lucy, Eustace and Jill. The only
one missing was Susan. In Peter and Jill’s words:
"My sister Susan," answered Peter shortly and
gravely, "is no longer a friend of Narnia."
"Oh Susan!" said Jill. "She's interested in
nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations. She always was a
jolly sight too keen on being grown-up."
Also, it was overwhelming to see every character that was
important in the series. Fledge was there, and Trumpkin, the Badger and the
Beavers, Puddleglum, but most importantly (to me) Reepicheep and Mr. Tumnus. I
even cried when I read about the latter two.
It was a great ending to the series, not the actual last
battle, but what came after it: the second half of the book, the actual ending.
And the last page held a plot twist— which I’m not going to spoil even though I
saw it coming— that made the ending of the series perfect.
Tile: Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia #2) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1951 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: A prince fights for his crown. Narnia... where animals talk... where trees walk... here a battle is about to begin. A prince denied his rightful throne gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world. ELL SAID Rating: Review:
So, we get
to enjoy a bit more of the magic of Narnia on this one, which is brilliant.
Caspian escapes and has his little adventure, but everything seemed weird. It
felt like he (C.S. Lewis) as trying to extend the story with a bunch of
non-important things, and here's a few of them: At one moment, Caspian was at
war with his uncle's armies and he needed the help of the Pevensee, but they
were sitting casually, talking about Caspian's story. Also, while traveling
towards Caspian, they took a detour which ended up only being a plot to give
more length to the story, since it wasn't needed and, in the end, didn't add
anything to the story. It was epic, but most of the story seemed... Forced.
Title: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia #1) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1950 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist its ruler, the golden lion Aslan, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with eternal winter. ELL SAID Rating: Review:
So, This
book is epic. The pace is brilliant and cool. It's narrated excellently and it
portrays the characters well. Edmund begins beign shown as the bad guy but,
honestly? He wasn't doing anything bad, considering the possition he was in.
Imagine you enter a whole new world and talk to a gorgeous yet strong woman
that tells you she's the queen. Would a kid his age doubt it? No. She then
proceeds to give you food and drink. Bam, you're already under her spell. Of
course, for Edmund, he wasn't betraying his family, he was doing what he
thought was right given his circumstances. Peter, on the other hand, was far
worst. His attitude towards Edmund was, at best, evil. Insulting him for acting
like a kid his age was stupid, but hey, he's the one who thinks he's the adult.
The Professor's short appearance was impressively awesome, but I do have a bit
of a problem with Aslan. He allowed the girls to follow him all the way to his
death. The fact is, letting two kids no older than sixteen witness a murder in
such a horrid way shouldn't be allowed, even if he needed the support. Plus,
the two girls didn't seem very affected by it. Sure they cried, but when your
only hope dies, do you only cry? Over all, brilliant book, it'd be perfect if
it wasn't for those tiny little details I mentioned above.
Title: The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia # 4) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1953 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: NARNIA...where owls are wise, where some of the giants like
to snack on humans, where a prince is put under an evil spell...and where the
adventure begins.
Eustace and Jill escape from the bullies at school through a
strange door in the wall, which, for once, is unlocked. It leads to the open
moor...or does it? Once again Aslan has a task for the children, and Narnia
needs them. Through dangers untold and caverns deep and dark, they pursue the
quest that brings them face and face with the evil Witch. She must be defeated
if Prince Rilian is to be saved.
STEPH SAID
Rating:
Review:
To better review this book, I will divided into three parts.
The first part covers chapter one through chapter five; the second part covers
chapter six through twelve; and the third part covers chapters thirteen to
sixteenth, the very end.
The first part is, in essence, like any other Narnia book. Some kids, in
this case Eustace and Jill, are living their lives when are summoned to Narnia
and are embarked on a quest. In this case, to find Caspian’s missing son:
Rilian. This book had something different though. First, upon leaving Earth
they entered Aslan’s world, not Narnia. And second, in this story the mission
and instructions were handed out by Aslan himself, the only time he ever has,
or ever will, do something like that. Eventually, (after neglecting the first
sign, out of four that Aslan talked about) Eustace and Jill recruited Puddleglum and started their
journey towards the Wild Lands of the North.
The second part of this story was predictable.
After crossing Ettinsmoor, the group encountered a woman on a green dress and a
silent knight in black armor. Earlier, while listening to the story of how
Rilian disappeared, these lines were spoken:
He saw the [snake] gliding away from [his mother] and made after it
with his sword drawn. It was great, shining, and as green as poison […]
[…] at noon Drinian looked up and saw the most beautiful
lady he had ever seen; and she stood at the north side of the fountain and said
no word but beckoned to the Prince with her hand as if she bade him come to
her. And she was tall and great, shining, and wrapped in a thin garment as
green as poison. […] It stuck in Drinian's mind that this shining green woman
was evil.
So, when I read about a woman in a green dress, I immediately
knew it was the same woman, the witch who had turned into a snake and killed
Rilian’s mother. Hence, the silent knight beside her was definitely Rilian. The
group didn’t suspect this. Then, the woman, upon learning the group was looking
for the ruined city of the giants, told the kids about Harfang: a city where
giants were nice. She said:
"Only tell them," answered the Lady, "that
She of the Green Kirtle salutes them by you, and has sent them two fair
Southern children for the Autumn Feast."
Knowing that giants eat humans, I understood that the kids
weren’t going to eat in the Feast, rather be eaten. Instead, the kids and
Puddleglum heard the literal words and rushed to Harfang. The next chapters
were employed in the journey towards Harfang, their stay there and their
escape, after finding out they were the main course for the Autumn Feast.
After missing three of the four signs Aslan told them to
search for, the group accidentally reached Underland, which lead to the third
part of the story: the unexpected.
What came afterwards was really good. Learning that Rilian
was under a spell, breaking the spell and trying to escape Underland, we even
got a glimpse of the gnomes’ homeland: the Land of Bism. This part was nicely
written; even though it didn’t have a faster pace, this part did have a change
in tone. Even though I knew everything was going to be fine at the end,
sometimes I felt tense and hopeless. The fact that they were underground and
the lights were going out one by one made things worse.
The ending was great. I love how Aslan helped Eustace and
Jill resolve their school issues. It is the first time I’ve seen Aslan do
something good, maybe even fun, without scolding someone.
Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader Year: 2010 Director: Michael Apted Rating by MPAA: PG for some frightening images
and sequences of fantasy action
Synopsis:Lucy and Edmund Pevensie return
to Narnia with their cousin Eustace where they meet up with Prince Caspian for
a trip across the sea aboard the royal ship The Dawn Treader. Along the way
they encounter dragons, dwarves, merfolk, and a band of lost warriors before
reaching the edge of the world.
For more information you can go to its IMDb Page. Official Trailer ELL SAID Rating: Review:
Wow. Just... Wow. I didn't think
this Narnia was going to impress me again, but, once again, Disney proved their
talent making epic movies. It started out sweet, with a strange Edmund moment
(As usual) and then we head into Narnia. But, this time, Peter and Susan aren't
even around, but a third and new friend is discovered (Kidnapped, according to
him): Eustice Scrubb, the Pevensie's cousin. He was hilarious and, definitely
was the star of the movie. Starting as a jerk (Similarily to Edmund on The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe, but a bit more pathetic), he evolves into one of my
favorite characters in the whole trilogy. Magic galore, to the point of
amazing: Dragons, magicians, creatures with one, gigantic foot and more! This
one movie outshone the previous two. Aslan didn't play a particularly important
role which, I consider, was good, because we can't always have him saving
everyone. Edmund, once again, was epic, but at the start he acted kinda whinny.
The plot seemed strange, but everything was amazing.
As a stand-alone movie (not comparing it to the book):
Rating:
To those that haven’t read the
books, this will probably be the best out of The Chronicles of Narnia movies.
It was an amazing journey that immerses the viewer in the magical and wondrous
world of Narnia. The viewers were, for the first time, given full access to the
breath-taking, enchanting places and creatures that exist beyond the borders of
the country of Narnia. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian
took place in the country of Narnia --that is not to be mistaken with the world
of Narnia. In the country of Narnia magical creatures and talking
animals exist but that’s it; in the world of Narnia there is more than that. We were
able to see islands that make people’s dreams come true, waters that turn
everything it touches into gold, a sea of lilies, the end of the world itself
and even got a glimpse of Aslan’s country; we met invisible people, magicians,
sea serpents, dragons and stars.
Eustace’s character was powerful. He starts as an obnoxious character that nobody likes;
by the end, he has turned into a beloved character that makes you cry with his
inspiring change. This, of course, is thanks to Will Poulter’s impressive
performance. He used little details, like his facial expressions or tone of
voice, to help him portraying Eustace’s different sides. As a result, the boy that
enters Narnia, is nothing like the one that leaves it.
Reepicheep’s goodbye was
emotional. He has become one of my favorite characters from The Chronicles of
Narnia (the second favorite, after Edmund), so seeing him leaving was the
saddest part of the movie.
Comparing the movie to the book
Rating:
The movie kept the basic story
straight, as is usually done, but changed many, many things. Some of these
changes were for the better; those parts of the story are better in the movie
than in the book. Some of the changes were for the worst; I prefer the way it
was done in the book, rather than the movie.
For the better:
The way Edmund, Lucy and
Eustace entered Narnia. In the books, the kids enter the moving painting; some
water came out of it, but not the whole sea. In the movie, Narnia comes out
through the painting, sinking the room.
Eustace personality. Most of
this point is explained above, but not all of it. In the book, Eustace started
to change after becoming a boy again. Key word being “started”, but sometimes
his change was unsuccessful. Eustace, from time to time, acted cruelly and
ungratefully towards everybody around him. In the movie he did have a change of
heart, visible to everybody and constant.
The friendly swordplay. Caspian
and Edmund’s practice was entertaining, and it was good to see neither of them
had lost their touch. Reep and Eustace’s was an added bonus. In the book,
Eustace doesn’t give Reep the satisfaction; in the movie, however, he does.
But, Reep took it a step further and used that opportunity to teach Eustace the
proper way to duel. The funny thing was that Eustace took Reep’s advices, even
though he dislikes Reep.
Caspian’s end. The only thing I
disliked about the book was Caspian’s ending. I didn’t like how he had an
out-of-character moment and contended with everybody that opposed his decision
to go to Aslan’s country. In the movie, Caspian was given an accurate and
realistic ending. Yes, Caspian wanted to see Aslan’s country, but he was wise
enough to know he shouldn’t abandon Narnia.
Aslan’s message on
individuality. This is a present matter involving kids and teens. Now, kids
want to become their favorite artists. They dye their hair, buy specific
clothes and start talking like their favorite artists. Aslan, taught Lucy that
she shouldn’t wish to be somebody else; she should be happy to be Lucy
Pevensie, because there is not another Lucy Pevensie in the world. (And he
wasn’t talking about the name). Aslan showed Lucy, what would have happened is
she wasn’t born: the kids wouldn’t have found Narnia. This is a nice change
from the book, in which Aslan just reprimands Lucy for the enchantments she
tried.
For the worse:
Edmund’s portrayal. At the
beginning of the story he was acting just like Peter: whining about how nobody
treated him like the king he was, but acting like a child, sticking his tongue
out to his uncle. If he wants to be treated like a king, he has to behave like
one. But what’s worse is that he is nothing like that in the books. He is the
wisest and best behaved of the Pevensie children. He is the one that should
have been named High King of Narnia. Not happy with that, the movie presents
Edmund as the creator of the Sea Serpent (he isn’t), making him look weak, as
he was the only one that had a bad thought at that moment.
Short end of the world. In the
book, the End of the World lasts for many chapters. Days and days of traveling
through crystal seas and undersea cities were shortened to a few minutes of
traveling through the sea of lilies.
Title: Votage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia #3) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1952 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: NARNIA . . . the world of wicked
dragons and magic spells, where the very best is brought out of even the worst
people, where anything can happen (and most often does) . . . and where the
adventure begins. The Dawn Treader is the first ship Narnia has seen in
centuries. King Caspian has built it for his voyage to find the seven lords,
good men whom his evil uncle Miraz banished when he usurped the throne. The
journey takes Edmund, Lucy, and their cousin Eustace to the Eastern Islands,
beyond the Silver Sea, toward Aslan's country at the End of the World. Enter
this enchanted world countless times in The Chronicles of Narnia.
STEPH SAID Rating: Review:
This is an amazing book.
Everything I was expecting from The Chronicles of Narnia as a whole, was
fulfilled in this book alone. The discovery of other worlds, different people,
adventures, even a love story (although this was just mentioned at the end) and
not the slightest glimpse of a battle.
From the beginning of the book I
felt captivated by the scenery and change in environment. Reepicheep said that
their adventures would begin after they leave the Lone Islands and, in fact,
they did. One of the reasons behind the voyage was to find the lords Miraz sent
to the east in Prince Caspian. And as they traveled east, the crew of the Dawn
Treader discovered new islands, new people within them and, in each one, they
lived a different adventure. In one island one of the crew member became a
dragon, in another the water from a pond turned everything to gold; there was
one that made people’s dreams a reality; in another one there were invisible
people; and in one the crew met a star. Also, in between islands, they fought a
Kraken! This is everything I was expecting and asking of Narnia since I read
The Magician’s Nephew (the first book from The Chronicles that I read). I was
left wanting more from the books of Narnia. In "The Woods between the Worlds" every
world is connected and I lamented that Digory and Polly didn’t see them. But in
this book the crew did. I mean, they didn’t met new worlds but they did
discovered new islands; these islands were so amazing and so new and different from everything else, that every time the Dawn Treader docked on an
island it felt like it had arrived at a different world.
The other reason for the voyage,
Reepicheep’s personal motive, was to go to the end of the world and find
Aslan’s country. This part of journey started after the last lord was found and
was so inspiring, it could’ve been stretched to last a whole book. C.S. Lewis
brilliantly wrote these awe-inspiring pictures, bringing to life crystal
waters, underwater cities and a sea of white lilies; a place so amazing people
started to rejuvenate. The only words that can describe those scenes, Lewis already
used. If I try to describe it or explain it I’ll just lessen its impact and
brilliancy.
This book saw the introduction of
a new character: Eustace, cousin of the Pevensie children. I didn’t like him much, even after his change in personality. At first he was obnoxious
and mean. When he was on board of the Dawn Treader all he did was complain.
However, during one of the adventures he underwent a change of heart. He began
acting differently, changing slowly. At the end of the book, people noticed the
difference. I did notice a difference: I notice that, with the exception of
some “heroic” acts, he didn’t had a personality. At first he wasn’t nice, but
you could say something about him. After his change of heart I couldn’t find
anything to say about him. He was just there, said some lines and did some
things that were considered heroic, even though worthless, by teenagers and Narnians
alike.
The love story, Prince Caspian’s,
was subtle; just mentioned in two or three sentences. I would have loved to
hear everything about it or at least know how it happened. I still want to know
what happened when Caspian reached Ramandu’s island and how and why Caspian
decided to marry Ramandu’s daughter.
On a negative note I do have to
point out that in a part of the story Caspian’s behavior was out of character.
He was mean, rude and proud; he was shouting and even insulted Reepicheep. He
was ready to fight Edmund (”Caspian's hand had gone to his sword hilt”), and if
it wouldn’t have been for Lucy, he would’ve. Caspian, the character, would’ve never
done such a thing. Now at this point the Dawn Treader was at the end of the
world and people were feeling happier, healthier and younger every day. So,
even if Caspian would normally act like a bully, he wouldn’t have such behavior
under these circumstances. It would be
impossible.
My favorite quotes from this book
are (in order of appearance):
Firstly:
"That's all
right," said Edmund. "Between ourselves, you haven't been as bad as I
was on my first trip to Narnia. You were only an ass, but I was a
traitor."
I got to love Edmund! Secondly, and this is the one I
found the funniest:
[…] said the Chief Monopod “for there's
no denying we're mortal ugly now" […]
"Eh, that we are, Chief,
that we are," echoed the others […]
"But I don't think you are
at all," said Lucy, shouting to make herself heard. "I think you look
very nice."
"Hear her, hear her,"
said the Monopods. "True for you, Missie. Very nice we look. You couldn't
find a handsomer lot." They said this without any surprise and did not
seem to notice that they had changed their minds.
And last, but not least:
"Do you mean to say,"
asked Caspian, "that you three come from a round world (round like a ball)
and you've never told me! It's really too bad of you. Because we have
fairy-tales in which there are round worlds and I always loved them. I never
believed there were any real ones. But I've always wished there were and I've
always longed to live in one. Oh, I'd give anything - I wonder why you can get
into our world and we never get into yours? If only I had the chance! It must
be exciting to live on a thing like a ball. Have you ever been to the parts
where people walk about upside-down?"
Rating by MPAA: PG for epic battle action and violence
Synopsis: The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia, where they are
enlisted to once again help ward off an evil king and restore the rightful heir
to the land's throne, Prince Caspian.
Okay. I love epic movies but, unfortunately, I found this
particular one lacking. See, it starts off alright, but at one particular point
in it, it goes down a hill made of ice that's quickly melting. See, for once,
Edmund (the second youngest) acted like the king he is, but his brother, Peter,
did not. He (Peter) was a complete jerk, to the point of being moronic at a
time. His constant struggle to outshine Caspian proved to be horrible
leadership and, unfortunately, make the most pointless and stupid thing ever. Considering
the wholeness of the movie, the final battle was incredibly epic, which made
the previous assault on the Telmarian castle extra-stupid and pointless, which
only made the Narnians lose a bunch of excellent warriors. Now, even with that
awesome final battle, I have a problem- Several. First! A character that had
proven to be a good guy throughout the movie suddenly turned traitor to his
king and everything he had done previously. Second! The Narnian army seemed to
grow larger and larger, like some kind of multiplying effect- I mean, at one
point, there was only a handful good guys left alive and suddenly, they have
the strength to match, and even push back, their enemies. Third! Aslan, even
though an extremely sexy lion, saved the day, which will, in a future, only
make him the go-to solution to all the Narnian problems. Moving on, Susan and
Lucy didn't do anything (At all) during the movie. A half-baked attempt at
romance between two characters was there, but it was contradictory. Overall, it
was an average movie, but, with it's potential, it could have been much more.
STEPH SAID
Review:
As a stand-alone movie (not comparing it to the book):
Rating:
Not thinking about the book, I have to say this is a really
good movie. It has drama, action, suspense and a bit of romance.
I didn’t like how they divided the explanation behind
Caspian’s escape in pieces. Also Peter’s
pride was exasperating. From the beginning of the movie, even before the Pevensie
children were in Narnia, Peter was being a huge jerk. He believed he is still
king of Narnia and everybody must bow down to him. He kept getting worse, even
having a power play with Caspian, the actual king of Narnia. I know that once
you’re a King or Queen of Narnia you will always be one. But as a king he would
have to be just and wise not proud enough to almost start a civil war. Ok, I
know I’m exaggerating here, but his pride was definitely troublesome. If you
want to be treated as the king, you have to act like one, not act like a bratty
toddler because you’re not being treated like an adult. By the end, and I mean
literally the end, Peter sucked it up, a bit, and said: “We’re not really
needed here anymore” and gave his sword to Caspian. He was trying to sound like
he gave his blessing as well, to Caspian. But trying is the key word here; he
never said, he just hinted it.
Beside this, the movie was really good, and enjoyable.
That said, I want to compare the movie to the book.
Rating:
This movie is loosely based on the book Prince Caspian. Many
things were different; some for the better, some for the worse.
For the better: (Besides the obvious being able to see the
story)
The Pevensie children arriving earlier to Narnia. This sped
things up because both parts of the story, Caspian’s and the Pevensies’, were
happening at the same time. In the book we have to listen to the Caspian’s part
of the story and then to the Pevensies’ part. As I read the Pevensies’ part I
was getting exasperated because Caspian had been at war for a couple of days.
Afterwards, the horn was blown and the Pevensie arrived at Narnia. In the
book it took the Pevensie about three days to reach Caspian. During those three
days the war was raging, people were dying, and the Pevensie children were just
enjoying the scenery.
The romance. Many may disagree on this one, but to me it was
a plus. Susan is a pretty teenage girl and Caspian is a pretty young prince, it
is only obvious that they will like each other. I think C.S. Lewis didn’t write
any love story because his audience was going to be kids from the sixties.
Maybe if he knew teenagers and adults were going to love his story, he would’ve
written a bit of romance. Also, times have changed, at that time kids just
wanted to play. Now I hear seven and eight years old talking about their
girlfriends.
Aslan’s portrayal. While reading the book I didn’t felt
Aslan as the caring god Lewis wanted him to be. I didn’t like how he
reprimanded Lucy for not going to him and following her siblings. I was like:
“Dude, you need her! Why do you make her feel so bad about herself?”. Aslan himself said that the
rulers of Narnia needed to be sons and daughters of Adam and Eve. So, Aslan
needed the kids, why treat them badly? He could’ve said “You did wrong, but
this is what we’re going to do to make it better.” And in the movie he did!
The White Witch’s appearance. In the book Caspian is tempted
to bring back the White Witch. The movie takes it a step further, having the
White Witch doing the tempting. Caspian and Peter were enthralled by her beauty
and magic, almost giving in to her wishes. Edmund had to become the grown up
and save them all. Of course, he had been under the witches spell before and
came out of it, which made him stronger. Peter’s ego received a blow by being
saved by his little brother and because he, even with his years of experience
(the ones he was boasting about) fell for the witch’s spell just like Caspian.
For the worse (the ones presented in the movie as a
stand-alone apply here but I’m not going to write them twice):
The attack on Miraz’s castle. This only prolonged the story.
Nothing good came out of these scenes. Many died and it helped in Peter and
Caspian’s annoyance for each other.
Caspian and Peter’s power play. They were supposed to work
together for Narnia’s good. Blaming the other didn’t help anyone.
Bottom line: the transition from book to movie was not great,
the attack on Miraz’s castle being the major reason behind it, but it was still
an enjoyable and entertaining movie.
Tile: Prince Caspian (Chronicles of Narnia #2) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1951 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: A prince fights for his crown. Narnia... where animals
talk... where trees walk... here a battle is about to begin. A prince denied
his rightful throne gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a
false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that
will decide the fate of an entire world.
STEPH SAID
Rating:
Review:
The first time I read Prince Caspian I stopped reading it
halfway through, something I don’t usually do. No matter how boring a book is,
I keep reading because maybe, just maybe, the ending will be worthwhile.
However, Prince Caspian exasperated me. I kept reading and reading and Prince
Caspian was nowhere to be seen.
Furthermore, the dwarf, Trumpkin, kept talking about how
Caspian was in a war and needed the Pevensies’ help. And instead of hurrying to
his aid, (and listen to the story along the way) the Pevensie children decided
to listen to the whole story first. Then, they decided to show Trumpkin they
were really the old kings and Queens of Narnia, loosing so much time. Then was
the expedition to where Caspian was; and during all that time the Pevensies wasted,
Caspian army was being murdered.
After many troubles, and more waste of time, they reached
Aslan’s How. Peter, Edmund and Trumpkin stayed outside the room where Caspian
was. Inside the room, people where talking about how Peter was not going to help
them, about how the Pevensies where, probably, not on Narnia and about how much
they needed some extra help. Some even suggested bringing the White Witch back.
These three topics were repeated over and over again. Meanwhile, Peter was
outside, listening to every word and doing nothing. He didn’t react to the
mention of his name, he didn’t go in to calm everyone’s fears and, most
certainly, he didn’t do anything at the mention of the White Witch. If it
weren’t because a fight broke out inside the room, Peter probably wouldn’t have
done anything. It was exasperating.
At last Peter entered the room and everybody knew the
Pevensies where there to help. Afterwards Peter commanded many things, which
basically changed nothing and culminated exactly where they started: a war
between Caspian’s side and Miraz’s side. Meaning: Peter didn’t actually do
much, except, perhaps, helped in bringing Miraz’s death. Just help, because he
didn’t actually kill him.
Bottom line, the Pevensies were totally useless in this
story. Susan and Edmund (as much as I love him) did nothing important. Lucy
managed to fail the one thing Aslan asked her to do (and he made sure she knew
how disappointed he was). And Peter fought Miraz one-on-one trying to solve the
war that way, but it amount to nothing, since the war resumed. At the end it
was Aslan who saved everybody and set things right. Which begs the question: if
Aslan was going to do everything, and save everybody, why wait until the last
minute to do it?
On the good side, Caspian's story was really good and interesting. Caspian, Trumpkin and Reepicheep are
amazing characters, and a great addition to the series. Reep is my favorite
overall. My heart just melted when Reep’s underlings said they would cut their
own tails if Reep had to live without his.
"May it please your High
Majesty," said the second Mouse, whose name was Peepiceek, "we are
all waiting to cut off our own tails if our Chief must go without his. We will
not bear the shame of wearing an honour which is denied to the High
Mouse."
These lines, along with Aslan’s response gave me goose bumps and brought tears to my eyes.
Title: The Horse and His Boy (The Chronicles of Narnia #5) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1950 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: Shasta is a young boy living in Calormene with a cruel man
who claims to be his father. One night he overhears his "father"
offering to sell him as a slave, so Shasta makes a break and sets out for the
North. He meets Bree, a talking horse who becomes his companion. On their way
they encounter Aravis, a high-born girl escaping an arranged marriage, and her
talking horse. Despite their differences the children and horses learn to work
together to reach the freedom they long for. In the meantime, they uncover a
Calormene plot to conquer Narnia. STEPH SAID Rating: Review: *This review contains spoilers.*
This book was a pleasure to read. It has a nice change in
pace and scenery from the other books from The Chronicles of Narnia. It is a fast
pace, action story with a little bit of drama.
In this story Shasta is the main character, an orphan raised
in Calormene as a slave. Calormene is the total opposite of Narnia: people’s
values and clothes are different, their accent, their transportation vehicles,
even the skin color. The way people are described, Calormene feel like an Arab
country or maybe ancient Persia.
The story progresses just like in The Lion, The Witch and
The Wardrobe and Prince Caspian: the protagonist of this story needs to move from
one place to another to fight in a battle at the end of the book. However, this
story differs from the ones mention above because Shasta is not moving from one
place to the other to fight in a battle. Shasta, along with a talking horse,
Bree, are escaping their life of enslavement on Calormene in the hopes of
living free on Narnia.
The pace of the story is also different; it has a faster
pace. Again, Shasta is not just moving from one place to the other, he is
escaping. Lewis made sure the reader felt Shasta’s anxiety and expectancy by
putting Shasta in situations in which he could get caught. On top of that,
Shasta had to escape wild animals on various occasions, making the whole story
feel like a race against the clock.
To leave Calormene, Shasta had to go through a city called
Tashbaan. Many adventures were lived in that city. In one of them, Shasta was
confused for a prince from Archenland by none other than Edmund and Susan. (Mr.
Tumnus makes an appearance too!) Shasta got to live like a prince for a few
hours and, afterwards, met the actual prince of Archenland: Corin, a boy that
looked just like Shasta. At this point, the reader is lead to understand that
Shasta and Corin are twins. At the end of the book this is explained to its
entirety and Shasta, actually named Cor, takes his place as prince of
Archenland and heir to the throne.
All of this was really good, but what I love the most about
this story was the ending: Rabadash’s ending. A prince so obsessed with having
Susan as his wife, he even began a war to force her into marrying him. When Rabadash was beaten,
nobody agreed on what to make with him. Then came Aslan to save the day. He
turned Rabadash into a donkey, which was one of the most hilarious things to
ever happen in a Narnia story. To become human, Rabadash had to stay close to a
certain temple in Tashbaan, which put an end to Rabadash’s reign and made him
unsuitable to become the next Tisroc. It is the perfect ending because he
wasn’t murdered or imprisoned, he was shown mercy and still he received what he
deserved.
Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Year: 2005 Director: Andrew Adamson Rating by MPAA: PG for battle sequences and frightening moments
Synopsis:Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia
and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.
I was thinking of writing two small reviews: one reviewing
the movie as a stand-alone movie, the other one comparing the movie to the
book. As I analyzed it, and thought about what to write, I realized that the
movie’s pros and cons are basically the same, whether I’m reviewing it as a
stand-alone or not.
This movie made justice to the legend that The Chronicles of
Narnia is. It’s not a perfect adaptation but it’s pretty close.
The story overall is the same. There are some changes to
help the story move along. For example, when Maugrim and his wolves surrounded
the Pevensies on the melting river. One important addition to the movie was when
Pevensies checked the wardrobe after Lucy went to Narnia. After reading the
book, I couldn’t understand why Narnia came and go, I even thought Lucy was
imagining things. However, the movie offers a possible explanation why Narnia
is not always present.
Some changes, well, I don’t know why they were added. For
example, the introduction of Mr. Fox as a supporting character: Yes, he helped
the Pevensies escape from the wolves but if the movie kept to the book, Mr. Fox
wasn’t needed. Nevertheless, one of my favorites parts of the movie, occurred
thanks to Mr. Fox:
Fox: Forgive me, your Majesty.
Jadis The White Witch: Oh, don't waste my time with
flattery.
Fox: Not to seem rude, but I wasn't actually talking to you.
[looks at Edmund]
Usually when I watch movies with CGI, I scrutinize the
scenes, so I can pinpoint the shots that look fake. The CGI in this movie was
splendid. The world of Narnia looked marvelous, its creatures realistic. The
Beavers looked genuine and Aslan, impressive and powerful. After watching the
movie I understood why it is said, in the books, that he doesn’t look like a
regular lion.
The supporting cast and the kid actors played their roles
very well, especially Skandar Keynes, who played Edmund. But Tilda Swinton
and James McAvoy took the cake with their remarkable performances as The White
Witch and Mr. Tumnus. As a bonus, Liam Neeson gave voice to Aslan. Enough said.
The movie’s high point was Aslan’s death. Every bad creature
from lore, legend and mythology made an appearance. Among those beasts Aslan was humiliated and
murdered; his “performance” was mighty and the pain, real.
The ending of the movie was basically the same as the
book’s. The Pevensies are shown as grown-up queens and kings following The
White Stag. Then, inadvertently, they fall through the wardrobe’s door to the
real world. Even though the Pevensies spent a lifetime in Narnia, only a couple
of minutes had passed on Earth. At this point people are left wondering if
Narnia is actually real or just part of the Pevensies imagination. Sincerely,
if I hadn’t read the book before watching the movie, I would still be
wondering.
Title: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia #1) Author: C.S. Lewis Year of Publication: 1950 Official Fan Page
Synopsis: Four English schoolchildren find their way through the back
of a wardrobe into the magic land of Narnia and assist its ruler, the golden
lion Aslan, to triumph over the White Witch, who has cursed the land with
eternal winter.
STEPH SAID Rating:
Review:
After reading The Magician’s Nephew, I lowered my
expectations for this book. The first book from The Chronicles of Narnia (in a
chronological order) was good but wasn’t all that I expected, and I didn’t
want to be disappointed again. “Then again, this is the book that started it
all, the one people remember, so this one ought to be good.” I thought.
Keeping in mind is a children’s book I have to say it is a really
good book. Not perfect, but really good. I’ll start with the positive.
I loved the world of Narnia, its talking animals and
mystical creatures, the good and the bad ones alike. It truly is an enchanting
place, where magic exists and anything can happen. It is place where time
passes in a different rhythm at a different time; nobody knows how time passes
in Narnia. I can honestly understand why it has become part of the literature
canon.
One of this book’s strongest points is its ability to
intrigue the reader. For example, at the beginning of the story, when Lucy
visits Narnia, there is a street lamp in the middle of a forest. Since I had
already read The Magician’s Nephew I knew why it was there, but to a person
that reads the series’ books in the publication order, this will be intriguing.
Why is it there? How did it got there? People will continue to read the book to
find the answers to these questions. Another example is how, after Lucy is back
from her first trip to Narnia, the reader can’t be sure if Narnia is real, or
just part of Lucy’s imagination. Even to this moment I ask myself if Narnia is
actually real.
The professor is a great part of the story, how he instantly
believes Narnia is real to the bewilderment of Peter and Susan. Of course, the
professor had been to Narnia before, but the kids didn’t know that.
As a neutral point I’m going to present the Christ allegory.
Within itself there are positive and negative points, thus I decided to not put
it in either category. Aslan’s generosity and love for the Pevensies were a
high point in this allegory. I loved the way he forgave Edmund and asked the
others to do so. On the other hand, it being a Christ allegory I knew Aslan
would resurrect when killed by the White Witch, hence taking the suspense,
sorrows and confusion out of this part of the story.
On the negative side, one of the things I disliked the most about
this story was when Aslan asked Lucy and Susan to accompany him to his death. I
know he was sad and the girls were following him, but he should’ve told them to
stay behind. He didn’t let them go all the way to where he was going to die;
still, the girls saw everything. That must have been a traumatizing event. I
didn’t like that Lewis had little girls witnessing it.
Also, I disliked that Lewis didn’t gave a background story.
The Pevensie children learned about Aslan and the White Witch from Mr. Tumnus
and the Beavers, and are told that Aslan’s side is the right one. However, why
would the children believe them? The Pevensies just took the Beavers’ word for
granted without being sure they were in the right side. What if the Beavers
were telling lies and Queen Jadis was the actual ruler of Narnia? How would
they have known? That’s why I don’t see Edmund as a traitor.
At first, Edmund didn’t know what was going on; he entered a
new world and meet a woman with a crown, servants and a sense of belonging (she was white and icy, just like Narnia's landscape). Jadis was nice to him and
he believed her. Why would he think she was lying? Also Jadis told him that all
fauns lied, so when Lucy told Edmund that every faun knew how bad the White
Witch was, why would he believe her? It's the typical he said/she said. Even if
Edmund believed Lucy, he was already enchanted by the White Witch. Later, when
he understood what was going on, he wanted to get away but he couldn’t. Don’t
get me wrong I know he was a mean and proud boy, which led him to fall for the
Witch’s appealing propositio,. but, if he had known the whole story of Narnia,
Aslan and the White Witch, maybe he would’ve chosen Aslan’s side.
Also, Edmund was treated poorly by his siblings, probably
the reason he was mean. Peter acted like the father figure; Susan was the
mother figure; Lucy was the youngest, therefore was protected by Peter and
Susan. Thus, leaving Edmund hanging and feeling resentment. Besides, the book
presents Edmund as mean and arrogant, but Peter is the same. Peter is older and
acts like he is in charge, still he can't take care of a simple situation. He
insults Edmund and don't support Lucy, in other words just made things worse:
"Look here," said Peter, turning on him savagely,
"shut up! You've been perfectly beastly to Lu ever since she started this
nonsense about the wardrobe, and now you go playing games with her about it and
setting her off again. I believe you did it simply out of spite."
"But it's all nonsense," said Edmund, very taken
aback.
"Of course it's all nonsense," said Peter,
"that's just the point. Lu was perfectly all right when we left home, but
since we've been down here she seems to be either going queer in the head or
else turning into a most frightful liar. But whichever it is, what good do you
think you'll do by jeering and nagging at her one day and encouraging her the
next?"
Overall, the book’s good aspects outweigh the bad ones. It
is in fact a grand book; a book that deserves the praise it receives. It is a book that
will live on as a classic, admired by both young and old.
