The Magician's Nephew

Regular readers of this blog will have noted that I have planned to read the entire Narnia series, having previously dismissed it as mere children’s fiction. I’m slowly making good my words, and have just finished The Magicians’ Nephew. It is a prequel to the other books, though it was written after most of them. It explains to us, in part, the origin of the Witch, who is called Jadis. She was once an empress of a world called Charn which she eventually destroyed. Two children unwittingly grant her access to Narnia from whence she begins again her goal of conquest and destruction.

The book is rather comical in places, more so than the others. In one scene, Jadis rides around the streets of Victorian London stood on top of a hansom cab, robes and hair flying, whip in hand. In other sections, the characters take on a darker hue. Uncle Andrew, for example, while attempting to trick the children, says to Polly “You’ve no idea how lonely I am…it’s not every day that I see a little girl in my dingy old study; especially, if I may say so, such a very attractive young lady as yourself”. Digory, the boy, earlier laments “You wouldn’t like it if you had to sleep there. How would you like to lie awake listening for Uncle Andrew’s steps to come creeping along the passage to your room? And he has such awful eyes”. Is Lewis offering hints as to Andrew’s real malice, or am I superimposing my twenty-first century fears onto a more innocent age? Who knows, but when Andrew and the Witch first meet, Polly thinks ‘you would never again be afraid of Uncle Andrew, any more than you’d be afraid of a worm after you had met a rattle snake’.

In the first of two scenes resonant of Eden and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the children are invited to strike a bell. A sign nearby states:

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;

Strike the bell and bide the danger.

Or wonder, till it drives you mad,

What would have followed if you had.

The bell is struck, and Jadis awakens.

The ninth chapter, The Founding of Narnia, is a truly beautiful piece of writing. Aslan, the Christ-like lion, sings into existence the hills, trees, stars and creatures. When Aslan speaks, the children hear words whereas Andrew hears nothing but growls (‘My sheep know my voice’).

Aslan explains to the newly made animals of Narnia: “You see my friends that before the clean new world I gave you is seven hours old, a force of evil has already entered it, waked and brought hither by this son of Adam…as Adam’s race has done the harm, Adam’s race shall help to heal it”.

I turned over the corner of many a page, that I might share it on here. Alas, there is neither time nor space, and neither would I spoil too much of the story which I hope you shall resolve to read. But those of you in material need, indulge me one more section:

“Well, I do think someone might have arranged about our meals”, said Digory.

“I’m sure Aslan would have had you asked him”, said Fledge

“Wouldn’t he know without being asked”, said Polly.

“I’ve no doubt he would”, said the Horse (still with his mouth full). “But I’ve a sort of idea he likes to be asked”. 

Image by drewplaysdrums from Pixabay