Book Review – The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

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

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

Synopsis:

In C.S. Lewis’s classic children’s tale, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, four siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie—are evacuated to the countryside during World War II and stumble upon a magical wardrobe that serves as a portal to the enchanted land of Narnia. There, they discover a world trapped in eternal winter under the spell of the wicked White Witch, who rules with fear and deception, turning traitors to stone. As the children encounter talking animals, fauns, and prophecies of old, they meet the great lion Aslan, whose arrival signals the breaking of the curse and the dawn of hope. Through themes of sacrifice, redemption, and courage—clearly echoing deeper Christian truths—this story masterfully blends adventure with profound spiritual insight, making it a timeless entry point into Lewis’s true mythology world.

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Review

I’ve read this book so many times in my youth that I’m not sure what number read through this one is. This is one of the books and series I find myself having to visit every so often to remind me of the grandeur and majesty of Lewi’s world – and in turn, our own world. Every time I read it, I see something new or focus on something new. This was a family read-aloud time this year, and this was the first experience with my two girls (9 & 6) with the story and the world. Seriously, parents need to read great books to their kids to see these stories again through kids’ eyes. I really enjoy how quickly the story starts and how quickly the characters just accept their circumstances of Narnia. Lewis’s worldview oozes from every page and there’s no cynicism or nihilism here. I really saw the love that Lewis gave to the characters. They read like real children of their time and place. They quickly learn and grow throughout this book. However, I did see the love for Aslan is almost too quickly made. This may be due to the nature of Aslan but Lewis does not slow down in this book much for anything. The exposition at the Beavers’ house might be the exception but the lore that’s built there is worth it. The parallels between Christianity and the story were a lot more fun to make out reading it with “older eyes”. I will say that my older daughter got the symbolism pretty good, but my youngest did not. I did not view this as a failure on her par,t but thought I might explain it to her. She was way more concerned about where Mr. Tumnus was and when he was going to be saved than the implications of what happened on the stone tablet. That was a good lesson for me. I should allow her this time to just enjoy the story and trust that just as I came back to this story as impactful, that she might do so as well – when she’s ready to believe in fairy tales again. I also noticed a funny story that Lewis pulls from Jewish myth, which has the Witch being a descendant of Adam’s first wife, Lilith. I do not think Lewis believed the Lilith tale, but in a story about fantasy why not borrow a little from the sources’ mythology? The story moves along really quick,ly reading it now – maybe younger me used his imagination more. A good read for young and old, and the old who are young again.

Final Grade