The Chronicles of Narnia
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The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy books (fairy tales) written by Clive Staples Lewis.
They tell about the adventures of children in a magical country called Narnia, where animals can talk, magic does not surprise anyone, and good fights evil.
The Chronicles of Narnia contains many hints of Christian ideas in a form accessible to young readers.
In addition to Christian themes, Lewis describes characters who have prototypes in Greek and Roman mythology and in traditional British and Irish fairy tales, including there are obvious motives close to the latter.
The series is very popular.
By 2006, more than 100 million copies of books in 41 languages had been sold (Kelly 2006, Guthmann 2005), there are theater productions, radio plays, TV screens, film screens and computer games.
The illustration of the original series of books was done by Pauline Baines.
Content
1 Contents of the books 1.1 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) 1.2 Prince Caspian (1951) 1.3 The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the End of the World (1952) 1.4 The Silver Chair (1953) 1.5 The Horse and His Boy (1954) 1.6 The Wizard's Nephew (1955) 1.7 The Last Battle (1956)
2 Reading Order 3 Geographical Influences 4 Christian Parallels 5 Criticism 5.1 Discrimination against Women 5.2 Racism
6 Film adaptations and radio plays 6.1 Television 6.2 Radio 6.3 Cinema
7 Influence on other works 8 Notes 9 References 10 Literature
Contents of books[edit / edit wiki text]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main article: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was completed in 1949 and published in 1950.
It tells the story of four ordinary children (Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy).
They find a wardrobe in the house of Professor Kirk, which leads to the magical land of Narnia, which is under the spell of an evil White Witch.
Four children fulfill an ancient prophecy with the help of Aslan and the good inhabitants of Narnia, and free Narnia from the White Witch, together with the overthrow of the White Witch, the Long Winter that lasted a century ends in Narnia[1].
Prince Caspian (1951)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main article: Prince Caspian
Completed in the fall of 1949 and published in 1951, the book Prince Caspian tells the story of the second journey of the Pevensey children to Narnia, in which they encounter the events when Miraz, the Lord regent of Narnia and uncle of Crown Prince Caspian, was the reason for the flight of the heir to the throne into the woods and, having usurped the throne, declared himself king.
The children must save Narnia again and help the Narnians return the throne to the rightful ruler Caspian.
The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the End of the World (1952)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main article: The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the end of the world
The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the End of the World was completed in 1950 and published in 1952.
In the third part, Edmund and Lucy Pevensey, along with their cousin Eustace Harm, join the voyage of Caspian, who wants to find the seven lords exiled by Miraz.
On the way to the land of Aslan, they come face to face with the wonders and dangers of the great Eastern Sea.
The Silver Chair (1953)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main Article: Silver Chair
The book The Silver Chair was completed in 1951 and published in 1953.
In it, Eustace and his classmate Jill Pole, running away from schoolchildren, fall into Narnia.
Aslan instructs to find the son of Caspian Prince Relian, who was kidnapped 10 years ago.
Eustace and Gil, together with the quack Frown, go in search of the prince in the northern lands inhabited by giants.
The Horse and his Boy (1954)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main article: The Horse and his boy
Completed in the spring of 1950 and published in 1954, The Horse and His Boy is the first book that is not a direct continuation of the previous one.
The time of the novel is the period of Pevensey's reign in Narnia, the period that begins and ends in the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
The story tells about the talking horse Igogo and a little boy named Shasta.
Both main characters were enslaved in Tarhistan, a country in the south of Narnia.
By chance, they meet and decide to return to Narnia.
While traveling, they discover that the Tarhistans are going to invade Orlando, and decide to get there first and warn King Lum.
The Wizard's Nephew (1955)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main article: The Wizard's Nephew
Completed in the winter of 1954 and published in 1955, The Sorcerer's Nephew is a backstory.
It takes the reader back to the birth of Narnia, when Aslan created the world, and tells how evil first got into it.
Digory Kirk and his girlfriend Polly Plummer get into other worlds as a result of Uncle Digory's experiment, meet Jadis (the White Witch) and witness the creation of Narnia.
The book provides answers to many questions about Narnia that the reader may have had while reading previous books.
The Last Battle (1956)[edit / edit wiki text]
Main article: The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia)
Completed in the spring of 1953 and published in 1956, The Last Battle describes the end of the world of Narnia.
Jill and Eustace return at the call of the last king of Narnia, Tyrian, to save Narnia from the monkey Cunning, who dresses the donkey Burdock in a lion's skin and introduces the others as Aslan, and begins to rule on his behalf and cooperate with the Tarhistans, long time enemies of Narnia.
The situation results in a battle between those who believe in Aslan and those who are on the side of the impostor…
Reading order[edit / edit wiki text]
The first American publisher, Macmillan & Co., published books in the order of their writing.
But when the series was republished by Harper Collins, the books were published according to the internal chronological order proposed by Clive Lewis ' stepson, Douglas Gresham.
Order of publication vs Order by chronology Order of publication Chronological order 1.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) 1.
The Wizard's Nephew (1955) 2.
Prince Caspian: Return to Narnia (1951) 2.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) 3.
The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the End of the World (1952) 3.
The Horse and his Boy (1954) 4.
The Silver Chair (1953) 4.
Prince Caspian: Return to Narnia (1951) 5.
The Horse and his Boy (1954) 5.
The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the End of the World (1952) 6.
The Sorcerer's Nephew (1955) 6.
The Silver Chair (1953) 7.
The Last Battle (1956) 7.
The Last Battle (1956)
Douglas Gresham quotes Lewis ' response to a letter from an American boy written in 1957, who argued with his mother about the order of reading books:
I think I agree more with your order of reading books (that is, chronological) than with the one your mother is talking about.
The cycle was not planned in advance, as she thinks.
When I wrote "The Lion", I did not know what I would write next.
When I wrote the sequel to "Caspian", I still did not think that I would continue to write.
When I wrote "The Conqueror", I was almost sure that it would be the last book of the cycle.
But then I realized that I was wrong.
So in fact, it is not very important in what order to read the books.
I donot even know for sure whether the books were published in the order in which they were written.
The original text (English)
I think I agree with your order [i.e. chronological] for reading the books more than with your mother’s.
The series was not planned beforehand as she thinks.
When I wrote The Lion I did not know I was going to write any more.
Then I wrote P. Caspian as a sequel and still didnot think there would be any more, and when I had done The Voyage I felt quite sure it would be the last, but I found I was wrong.
So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them.
I’m not even sure that all the others were written in the same order in which they were published.
But it is widely believed that the initial order is preferred, which first introduces the basic terms of the Narnia universe and later explains them in the prequels.
For example, the history of creation in" The Wizard's Nephew " becomes less clear when the order is changed.
Another argument for reading in the order of publication claims that "Prince Caspian" has the subtitle "Return to Narnia", and some fragments of the text of the book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" confirm that these two books should go sequentially:
"The children knew no more about who Aslan was than you did."
"That's the end of the adventures in the wardrobe.
But if the Professor is still right, then the adventures in Narnia are just beginning."
Another argument given by supporters of the original order of the books is that if the cycle is first read in chronological order, the reader will not be able to feel the essence of the books without knowing the prequels.
On the other hand, you can please yourself with the chronological order even after reading it in the original order.
Also, an argument in favor of the chronological order can be considered the official name of the cycle[the source is not specified 1486 days].
The Russian version was published in the following order: "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "The Magician's Nephew", "The Horse and his boy", "Prince Caspian", "The Conqueror of the Dawn", "The Silver Chair", "The Last Battle".
The storyline was changed in such a way that the subsequent book describes the phenomena or events mentioned in the previous one.
For example, from "The Wizard's Nephew" it becomes clear what Professor Kirk has to do with Narnia from the book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe".
Geographical influences[edit / edit wiki text]
According to some sources, Lewis based his description of the world of "Narnia" on the landscapes of the Morne Mountains of County Down, located in his native Northern Ireland.
According to other sources, this is a district in Italy.
Christian parallels[edit / edit wiki text]
There are different points of view, whether the numerous Christian images are an accident.
Starting with the biblical address at the beginning of the novel: "the daughters of Eve", until the resurrection of leo Aslan, like the resurrection of Jesus.
Many believe that, in contrast to his friend John Tolkien, Lewis decided to write a children's book created on a Christian basis, while Tolkien actively uses pagan symbols.
Lewis comments on the attribution of Christianity in "Other Worlds":
Some people seem to think that I started by asking myself how to tell children about Christianity; then, using a fairy tale as a tool and based on information about child psychology, I decided which age group I would write for; then I made a list of the main Christian truths and developed allegories to describe them.
All this is pure fantasy.
I couldnot write like that.
It all started with images: a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sleigh, a magnificent lion.
Initially, nothing related to Christianity was planned, this element appeared as if by itself.
The original text (English)
Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument, then collected information about child psychology and decided what age group I’d write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out ‘allegories’ to embody them.
This is all pure moonshine.
I couldnot write in that way.
It all began with images; a faun carrying an umbrella, a queen on a sledge, a magnificent lion.
At first there wasnot anything Christian about them; that element pushed itself in of its own accord.
Lewis, as an expert in the field of allegories, argued that the books were not allegories, and preferred to call the Christian aspects in them "presumptive".
As in what we call an alterna tive history (fiction).
As he wrote in a letter to Mrs. Hook in December 1958:
If Aslan represented an immaterial deity in the same way that the Giant Despair represents despair, he would be an allegorical character.
In reality, He is an invention that seems to give an answer to the question "What could Christ be like if there was a world like Narnia, and He decided to be incarnated, die and rise again in this world, as He did in ours?"
This is not an allegory at all.
The original text (English)
If Aslan represented the immaterial Deity in the same way in which Giant Despair [a character in The Pilgrim's Progress] represents despair, he would be an allegorical figure.
In reality, however, he is an invention giving an imaginary answer to the question, ‘What might Christ become like if there really were a world like Narnia, and He chose to be incarnate and die and rise again in that world as He actually has done in ours?’
This is not allegory at all.
With the release of the film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", interest in the Christian parallels found in the books has resumed.
Some found them unsuccessful, noting that they are easy to miss if you are not familiar with the basics of Christianity.
Others see the Chronicles of Narnia as an excellent tool for converting to Christianity.
In the book "The Conqueror of the Dawn" there are a lot of images from early medieval books about fantastic voyages by sea, in particular from "The Voyage of St. Brendan".
It is quite logical that Lewis, who lived in Ireland, could not have been unaware of the travels of the Irish saint.
Criticism[edit / edit wiki text]
Clive Staples Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia cycle have been repeatedly criticized, mostly by other authors.
Discrimination against women[edit / edit wiki text]
The allegations of gender discrimination are based on the description of Susan Pevensey in "The Last Battle".
Lewis writes that Susan has ceased to be "a friend of Narnia".
She is "no longer interested in anything but lipstick, stockings and love."
J. K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, said[2]:
There comes a moment when Susan, who has become an adult girl, is already lost to Narnia, because she is interested in lipstick.
She became an unbeliever because she discovered gender issues, and I donot like it at all.
The original text (English)
There comes a point where Susan, who was the older girl, is lost to Narnia because she becomes interested in lipstick.
She's become irreligious basically because she found sex.
I have a big problem with that.
Philip Pullman, the author of the trilogy "Dark Beginnings", offers a different interpretation[3]:
Susan, like Cinderella, is undergoing a transition from one phase of life to another.
Lewis does not approve of this.
Either he didnot like women in general, or he was simply repelled by sexuality, at least during the period when he was writing books about Narnia.
He was scared and shocked by the idea of wanting to grow. [ ... ]
Death is better than life; boys are better than girls; people of light color are better than people of dark color, and so on.
Such disgusting nonsense in "Narnia" is more than enough, if you look closely.
The original text (English)
Susan, like Cinderella, is undergoing a transition from one phase of her life to another.
Lewis didnot approve of that.
He didnot like women in general, or sexuality at all, at least at the stage in his life when he wrote the Narnia books.
He was frightened and appalled at the notion of wanting to grow up. […]
Death is better than life; boys are better than girls; light coloured people are better than dark coloured people; and so on.
There is no shortage of such nauseating drivel in Narnia, if you can face it.
In many of Lewis 'works, for example, "The Abominable Power", the growing up of a woman (and men, too) as a departure from infantile and superficial attitude to life, the formation of maturity of judgments and actions is expressed in the adoption of behavioral motivation and moral values, specifically related to gender issues, associated with a spiritual, not materialistic, secular perception of the universe.
Lewis ' defenders claim that most of the criticism of his works comes from those who do not accept Christianity.
Some[who?
they believe that the religious aspect of Lewis ' books prevents a truly objective analysis of The Chronicles of Narnia as an ordinary children's book.
Lewis ' fans support him, arguing that it is completely pointless to write children's books, strictly adhering to all modern Western ethical standards.
If literary critics consider other classical works to correspond to modern social norms, they should not criticize Lewis.
Lewis 'apologists also refer to positive female images in his books, such as Lucy Pevensey and Aravita, the heroines of the books "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and" The Horse and His Boy", respectively, as well as the image of Jill Pole in "The Silver Chair" and "The Last Battle".
The essence of the fact that Susan has ceased to be a friend of Narnia is not in "stockings, lipsticks" and other manifestations of self — love, but in a deeper one, is based on questions of faith, in the Christian worldview of C. S. Lewis, which is most clearly revealed in the "Space Trilogy", especially in its third part - "The Abominable Power".
Racism[edit / edit wiki text]
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You can edit this article by adding links to authoritative sources.
This mark was set on June 22, 2015.
Hensher and Pullman also accused The Chronicles of Narnia of inciting racism.
The reason was the negative representation of other races and religions, especially the Tarkhistans, as enemies of Aslan and Narnia.
The Tarkhistans are described by Lewis as oily and dark skinned people who wear turbans, shoes with pointed noses and are armed with scimitars.
This description is an allegorical comparison with the traditional dress of Muslims and Sikhs.
Turbans are worn by Muslim clerics and most adult Sikh men.
Scimitars were created in the Middle East and are associated with Islam.
Tarhistans worship a "false god" - the goddess Tash, who has a stereotypical image of Baal, who demands evil deeds and sacrifices from his followers.
Lewis ' Tarhistan is contextually and historically similar to the Ottoman Empire, so Hensher and Pullman believe that the Tarhistans are depicted as Saracens, and the Narnians as medieval crusaders.
On the other hand, the Telmarines, who resemble medieval knights, act much tougher, treating the Narnians like crusaders in the Polabia and the Baltic States with Slavs and Balts, and are not shown in the best colors.
Many of the realities of the Telmarines resemble the Norman conquerors of England and the Anglo Norman barons.
Despite the fact that Lewis is from Ireland, it is obvious that he is a distinctly British author, like his contemporaries Tolkien, Charles Williams and others.
Therefore, his style may have a taste of the British Victorian era, which may seem old fashioned or conservative.
Film adaptations and radio plays[edit / edit wiki text]
Television[edit / edit wiki text]
In 1967, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was first presented on the screens of a television series.
Unlike the subsequent film adaptations, it is currently difficult to get it for home viewing.
In 1979, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" was released as a cartoon.
This work was awarded an Emmy Award as "Outstanding Animated Project".
"The Chronicles of Narnia" was adapted by the BBC into the television series "The Chronicles of Narnia" (English) in 1988-1990.
Only "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "Prince Caspian", "The Conqueror of the Dawn, or Sailing to the End of the World" and "The Silver Chair"were filmed.
The rest was not removed.
The four parts of this series were later edited into three full length films (combined Alex Kirby's films "Prince Caspian" and "The Conqueror of the Dawn or Sailing to the End of the World") and released on DVD.
Radio[edit / edit wiki text]
A radio play based on The Chronicles was released on BBC Radio and Focus on the Family.
A radio play of the entire series of books "The Chronicles of Narnia" (read by Alexander Krupinin) was released on the radio station of the St. Petersburg Metropolia Radio "Grad Petrov".
Movies[edit / edit wiki text]
The first film Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Magic Wardrobe — a film version of the book "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", made at the Walden Media film Studio with the assistance of Walt Disney, was released in December 2005.
The project manager is Andrew Adamson.
Written by Ann Peacock.
The film was shot mainly in the Czech Republic and New Zealand.
The film of the second Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was released in 2008.
The second film was made "Prince Caspian", because otherwise the actors would have had time to grow up.
Even before the final decision was made to shoot the second part, producer Mark Johnson said:
I think it would be bold to say that we are going to make another film — but of course I would like Prince Caspian to be shot next, because this is the only thing where all four children are present.
And if we donot shoot right away, we will never shoot, because the children will become too old for the story.
This" chronicle " takes place one year after the previous one, so children can be a little older.
The third film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Conqueror of the Dawn" was released in December 2010.
The film's director changes, Michael Aptid becomes the new director.
En drew Adamson is working on the film, but as a producer.
Walt Disney ceases to be a partner of Walden Media, and 20th Century Fox becomes a new partner.
On October 1, 2013, an announcement about the beginning of work on the fourth film appeared on the network.
The preliminary title of the film "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair" (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair).
The project involves the C. S. Lewis Company, represented by the heirs of the creator of "Narnia" writer Clive Staples Lewis, and the Mark Gordon film company together with eOne.
The script of the film is still in development, and the release date of the film itself is still unknown.
See also: List of characters in the Chronicles of Narnia film series
Influence on other works[edit / edit wiki text]
The collection of comics "The Sandman (DC Comics Modern Age)", invented by the English writer Neil Gaiman, in one of its chapters — "Playing You", tells about a Narnia like "dream island", which can be accessed with the help of Barbie.
Neil Gaiman also wrote a short story continuation of the "Chronicles": "The Problem of Susan"[4].
Notes[edit / edit wiki text]
Gill Gillespie, 2008, p. 99 ↑ Lev Grossman. (July 17, 2005)
, "«J.K. Rowling Hogwarts And All»", Time Magazine, <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1083935,00.html> ↑ Philip Pullman.
The Darkside of Narnia // The Cumberland River Lamppost, 2 September 2001 ↑ The Narnia Skirmishes — New York Times
Links[edit / edit wiki text]
Portal "Chronicles of Narnia" Chronicles of Narnia in Wikicitatnik?
The Chronicles of Narnia on Wikimedia Commons?
Into The Wardrobe — Comprehensive C.S. Lewis Site With Forums and More Narnia.
Ucoz.
Com Russian language website about Narnia narnianews.ru A similar Russian language website
Literature[edit / edit wiki text]
Natalie Nichols Gillespie.
Believing in Narnia: A Kid's Guide to Unlocking the Secret Symbols of Faith in C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia.
- Thomas Nelson Inc, 2008.
- p. 1. - 192 p.
— ISBN 9781418573119.
The Chronicles of Narnia a series of novels by Clive Staples Lewis p·o·r
The Wizard's nephew
(1955) The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
(1950) The Horse and his boy
(1954) Prince Caspian
(1951) "The Conqueror of the Dawn", or Sailing to the End of the world
(1952) Silver Chair
(1953) The Last Battle
(1956)
Characters Aslan · Peter · Susan · Edmund · Lucy · Eustace · Jill · Digory · Polly · Caspian · Relian · Shasta · The White Witch · Miraz · Frown · Mr. Tumnus · Reepicheep The World of Narnia · The Inhabitants of Narnia · The State of Narnia · Orlando · Tarhistan · The Lonely Islands · Telmar · Caer Paravel · Beruna · Anward · Charn · Forest between Worlds * Pagrahan · Lamppost Plain * Wardrobe * Lamppost · Susan's Horn · The ship "The Conqueror of the Dawn" Films Walden Media The Lion, the Witch and the Magic Cabinet (2005 · * Prince Caspian (2008) · The Conqueror of the Dawn (2010) 20th Century Fox Film The Silver Throne (2015) TV series "BBC"[en] The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988 · * Prince Caspian and the voyage on the "Conqueror of the Dawn" (1989) · "The Silver Chair"[en] (1990)
Other film adaptations of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1967) · m/f "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Computer games The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe · The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian · The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Source — "https://ru.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The Chronicles of Narnia&oldid=76217979"
Categories: Alphabetical books The Chronicles of Narnia Children's literature Works by Clive Staples Lewis Heptalogies Books about traveling between worlds Fantasy series of novels
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