The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy novels for children by C.S. Lewis, published during the 1950s. The seven books in the series are The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), Prince Caspian (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy (1954), The Magician's Nephew (1955), and The Last Battle (1956).
J.R.R. Tolkien once admitted "I seldom find any modern books that hold my attention"[1] including some of Lewis's works.[2] Likewise, he has been quoted and described at several occasions to express his dislike of the Narnia books for various reasons[3] which he attributed to "merely a difference in taste".[4] Specifically he said to Eileen Elgar "I do not like 'allegory', and least of all religious allegory of this kind",[5][6] considering its Christian message too blatant and obvious.[3] George Sayer has remarked that Tolkien's dislike of the novels derived from incongruously "assembling figures from various mythologies" and that the books "were carelessly and superficially written."[7]
On the other hand, his granddaughter Joan Anne Tolkien remembers that her grandfather directed her to reading his copies of The Chronicles of Narnia before The Lord of the Rings, suggesting that it was "perhaps an indication of his humility".[8][9]
Pauline Baynes, an artist Tolkien appreciated and frequently used,[10] made the original cover and interior illustrations for the books in the The Chronicles of Narnia series.
Daniel Reeve, an artist who worked in the production of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, also worked for the Narnia movies.
The Magician's Nephew shows Aslan creating Narnia while singing, like Arda and Eä. Lewis was perhaps inspired or influenced by the Ainulindalë.[11]
External links
- The Chronicles of Narnia at Wikipedia
- WikiNarnia - The Chronicles of Narnia Wiki
- Atlantis and Ettinsmoor, two names that exist both in Narnia and Arda.
Further reading
- Richard Abanes, Harry Potter, Narnia, and The Lord of the Rings
- Rolland Heins, Christian Mythmakers: C.S. Lewis, Madeleine L'Engle, J.R.R. Tolkien, George MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, & Others
- Josh B. Long, "Disparaging Narnia: Reconsidering Tolkien's View of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", in Mythlore 121/122
References
- ↑
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 265, (dated 11 November 1964)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Josh B. Long (2013) "Disparaging Narnia: Reconsidering Tolkien's View of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," Mythlore; Vol. 31: No. 3, Article 4
- ↑ Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond, “chapter=I. Chronology,” in The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (2006), p. 758
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 265, (dated 11 November 1964)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Letter to Eileen Elgar (24 December 1971)" (letter)
- ↑ George Sayer, Jack: A Life of C.S. Lewis (2nd ed., 1994), p. 313)
- ↑ Joan Anne Tolkien, "Joanna Tolkien Speaks at the Tolkien Society Annual Dinner, Shrewsbury, April 16, 1994", in Digging Potatoes, Growing Trees (ed. Helen Armstrong), p. 34
- ↑ Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond, “II. Reader's Guide,” in The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide (2006), p. 507
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien; Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien (eds.), The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 235, (dated 6 December 1961)
- ↑ Colin Duriez, The Tolkien and Middle-earth Handbook