I’m reading the “Chronicles of Narnia” series that my aunt bought me when I was in third or fourth grade (yeah, that was a long time ago – the pages are yellowed and everything). I noticed the other day in my book club catalogue that the “Chronicles of Narnia” series they had for sell was in a different arrangement.
My series of books are in this order: 1) “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” 2) “Prince Caspian” 3) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” 4) “The Silver Chair” 5) “The Horse and His Boy” 6) “The Magician’s Nephew” and 7) “The Last Battle”.
The series they had for sell are in this order: 1) “The Magician’s Nephew” 2) “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” 3) “The Horse and His Boy” 4) “Prince Caspian” 5) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” 6) “The Silver Chair” 7) “The Last Battle”.
So you see they are in completely different arrangements. I’m wondering if anyone knows the original order and why these two would be totally different. I’m thinking there has to be a “Chronicles of Narnia” fan out there that can solve my dilemma. I want to read them in the way they were intended to be read. I did notice on the website that they are beginning production on the "Prince Caspian" movie, but in the list of books they had on the site, "The Horse and His Boy" is chronologically next.
My series of books are in this order: 1) “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” 2) “Prince Caspian” 3) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” 4) “The Silver Chair” 5) “The Horse and His Boy” 6) “The Magician’s Nephew” and 7) “The Last Battle”.
The series they had for sell are in this order: 1) “The Magician’s Nephew” 2) “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” 3) “The Horse and His Boy” 4) “Prince Caspian” 5) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” 6) “The Silver Chair” 7) “The Last Battle”.
So you see they are in completely different arrangements. I’m wondering if anyone knows the original order and why these two would be totally different. I’m thinking there has to be a “Chronicles of Narnia” fan out there that can solve my dilemma. I want to read them in the way they were intended to be read. I did notice on the website that they are beginning production on the "Prince Caspian" movie, but in the list of books they had on the site, "The Horse and His Boy" is chronologically next.
4 comments:
Oh, oh, oh!!! I know! Okay, so this makes me a total Narnia geek, but I know the answer.
When Lewis originally wrote the books, he wrote them in the order that your series comes in. That is how he intended them to be read.
However, if you want to read them chronologically, you should go with the new order.
But the interesting thing is that if read in the order that he wrote them...the books make a circle. It all comes back around to the beginning. So even though The Magician's Nephew is the first in chronological order, it actually helps wrap up and complete the whole Narnia story.
My recommendation is this: first-time Narnia readers should start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. For people who have already read the whole series and want to re-read, start with The Magician's Nephew and read through chronologically.
Laurie, you're my hero! Thanks so much for solving my dilemma ;). I was so confused. I'll just stick my the original order then.
Laurie is a Narnia geek! Laurie is a Narnia geek!
I love the way that Lewis references his other stories. Like in "Prince Caspian" where he tells you that you would already know the Pevensy children if you had read TLTWATW. And in "The Silver Chair" where he talks about the poet telling the story of "The Horse and His Boy." I love Lewis's parenthetical comment: "I haven't the time to tell it now, though it is worth hearing." I wonder if he had thought of the story beforehand, or came up with THAHB after writing the title in TSC. And am I a bigger Narnia geek in that I felt the need to go look up the quote about THAHB?
Kelly, are you reading these for the first time, or is this a re-read?
Troy, you make me laugh ;). I think you may be a bigger Narnia geek than Laurie. You probably knew about the orders of the books too, didn't you?
This is my first time to read the series, and I'm really enjoying it. At HBU they have a class on the "Chronicles of Narnia", but I wasn't able to take it. How fun would that have been? It probably would have answered a lot of questions.
I do enjoy the Narnia insight, so if you have any more, then let me know.
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