I will simply say that the fact you included the Silver Chair as a good one above Prince Caspian and the Dawn Treader is unforgivable. Or possible just the result of different tastes lol.
That’s fair! I will say, both in Prince Caspian and The Lord of the Rings, a Deus ex machina ends the story, but to me these are the exceptions that prove the rule. Ie, usually an author uses this when they have written themselves into a corner and the plot can’t be resolved. In both Caspian and Tolkien, God’s intervention is the point. It’s part of the story that was being told rather than a writing crutch.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy the ending more than you did previously.
I am currently at the beginning of Perelandra. I've heard some say the series picks up the pace quickly towards the end, so it wouldn't be fair to judge it based solely on Out of the Silent Planet.
My first inclination, however, is that this first book shows both the best and the worst of Lewisian fiction. It has the character I mentioned in this very post: it takes ideas which are strange and hard to grasp, and makes them seem perfectly natural. I also love how the "science fiction" part of it is medieval, not modern, science.
But the antagonists are just a tad too flat. I'm not sure I'd call them stereotypes: but they're certainly Types, representants of their respective flawed worldviews, without much else to them.
Appreciate this take! I’ve not yet read them, but they’ve been bumped up very high on my reading list after encountering so many different people on here that speak highly of them. And they’re right up my alley, too — sci-fi meeting Christianity in strange and unusual ways. That’s actually the focus of my writing here in Substack. Would you know of any similar stories you might recommend?
I'm actually in the process of revisiting Narnia (in my third language, to practice listening via audiobooks) and would be interested in sharing notes with you.
I think the elephant in the room (or, in this case, the messianic lion in the room) is that Narnia (and, to a lesser extent, Mere Christianity) dominate the discourse around Lewis to the point of overshadowing everything else he did.
Which is a shape because he was an incredible author in multiple modes. Containing multitudes and certainly much, much more than the author of Christian allegories for children. The literary critic, the cultural critic and historian, the memoirist, the philosopher of love, the Samuel Johnson-esque essayist, the author of at least one excellent work of fantastic fiction for adults.
I agree, Lewis work as a children's author and as apologist often overshadows his other works. For example, I think his "An Experiment in Criticism" deserves more fame than it gets.
May I ask in which language you'll be reading Narnia? I am myself trying to decide if I should buy an English version or read my old worn-out Portuguese one.
I will simply say that the fact you included the Silver Chair as a good one above Prince Caspian and the Dawn Treader is unforgivable. Or possible just the result of different tastes lol.
I hope you enjoy your reread through.
The (literal) deus ex machina at the end of Prince Caspian bugged me lol. And I guess Dawn Treader was just too episodical for me.
Thanks for reading!
That’s fair! I will say, both in Prince Caspian and The Lord of the Rings, a Deus ex machina ends the story, but to me these are the exceptions that prove the rule. Ie, usually an author uses this when they have written themselves into a corner and the plot can’t be resolved. In both Caspian and Tolkien, God’s intervention is the point. It’s part of the story that was being told rather than a writing crutch.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy the ending more than you did previously.
Curious to know your take on the Space Trilogy!
I am currently at the beginning of Perelandra. I've heard some say the series picks up the pace quickly towards the end, so it wouldn't be fair to judge it based solely on Out of the Silent Planet.
My first inclination, however, is that this first book shows both the best and the worst of Lewisian fiction. It has the character I mentioned in this very post: it takes ideas which are strange and hard to grasp, and makes them seem perfectly natural. I also love how the "science fiction" part of it is medieval, not modern, science.
But the antagonists are just a tad too flat. I'm not sure I'd call them stereotypes: but they're certainly Types, representants of their respective flawed worldviews, without much else to them.
Appreciate this take! I’ve not yet read them, but they’ve been bumped up very high on my reading list after encountering so many different people on here that speak highly of them. And they’re right up my alley, too — sci-fi meeting Christianity in strange and unusual ways. That’s actually the focus of my writing here in Substack. Would you know of any similar stories you might recommend?
I get what you're saying.
I'm actually in the process of revisiting Narnia (in my third language, to practice listening via audiobooks) and would be interested in sharing notes with you.
I think the elephant in the room (or, in this case, the messianic lion in the room) is that Narnia (and, to a lesser extent, Mere Christianity) dominate the discourse around Lewis to the point of overshadowing everything else he did.
Which is a shape because he was an incredible author in multiple modes. Containing multitudes and certainly much, much more than the author of Christian allegories for children. The literary critic, the cultural critic and historian, the memoirist, the philosopher of love, the Samuel Johnson-esque essayist, the author of at least one excellent work of fantastic fiction for adults.
Thanks for commenting!
I agree, Lewis work as a children's author and as apologist often overshadows his other works. For example, I think his "An Experiment in Criticism" deserves more fame than it gets.
May I ask in which language you'll be reading Narnia? I am myself trying to decide if I should buy an English version or read my old worn-out Portuguese one.
Listening to the audiobooks in French.