I love the line “do not cite the deep magic to me, witch” and like to say it at work whenever someone explains something I obviously know better than them
Let's hear it for this great classic! Mike, you are once again doing the good work of directing our attention to stories that should not be forgotten -- thank you!
Absolutely love this series. Having grown up in a Christian home the Chronicles of Narnia was without a doubt my entry point into fantasy and it most certainly be my children's (when I have them) entry point into fantasy as well. I know a lot of people get turned off by the Christian allegory but being Christian myself, I appreciate it very much, but that's just me. Also, publication order FTW.
So happy you included the quote "The trouble with trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed." I've been saying that quote from THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW ever since I was 10! And it's unfortunately very very true.
I read this and enjoyed it as a child. But what really made me LOVE and appreciate it was when I learned, as an adult, that Aslan was Lewis’s allegorical depiction of Christ, I was floored! I read it now and it’s so rich and beautiful! Mike, hearing you talk about it makes me want to read it again and again. ❤
The Chronicles of Narnia was the first book series my mom read to us when we went to sleep. It has such a memory for me as I still love books and will reread them soon.
Grew up on these books, basically my first intro to fantasy when I was little. Edit: concerning religious allegory…anyone I’ve convinced to read these books (even if they’re atheist) still see how BEAUTIFUL his writing is. And I think it’s a good thing that you can plainly see how much he cherished his Christian values through his fantasy writing. He doesn’t dance around things, which I appreciate.
My wife discovered this series when she was in her 40s and completely loved it. The stories and archetypes are phenomenal. And yes, Lewis' writing style is some of my favorite. I've been a HUGE Lewis fan since my teens (I'm now 63y).
I finally decided in my mid 30s to read Narnia for the first time. I started the series last month and am currently 3 books in. They are short books that are easy to fit between longer more adult books. Very much enjoying it.
Also, if you read Michael Ward's "Narnia Code," it'll shine some light on a lot of subtleties from Lewis' study of medieval astrology and how he incorporates those themes as the core to the Narnia series. It's very fascinating.
These stories created a wonderful bond between me and my younger sisters when I read them to them. I'm sure i lost my voice a few times because they didn't want me to stop reading. It was a magical time for us.
I'm currently 19, so I may not exactly be your target demo, but I read the Narnia books in chronological order until Prince Caspian in middle school, got bored and never looked back. But I'm currently reading through the LOTR and it now bugs I never finished the series! So seeing the video is definitely pushing me to go back and read them again! Keep up the fantastic work!
I'd say Prince Caspian is my least favorite because it is a tad boring. I'd say the rest of the series is great. Voyage of the Dawn Treader is definitely a highlight of the series.
Narnia was the 2nd fantasy series I ever read, I was in middle school and happened to find "the lion the witch and the wardrobe" in the school library. None of my friends or teachers had ever read it, so no one really understood why I would read it any chance I had (and when i was bored in class). It's the style of gentle storytelling, even though there's danger and action in the narrative that i loved
I got goosebumps while you were reading the excerpts at the beginning 🥰 thanks for covering this magical series, you really do it justice! I’m rediscovering how much I love Narnia and how much it means to me ❤️ Great video Mike!
This is such a great series! CS Lewis is by far my favorite writer ever, and this is his masterpiece. After you read the series, another great book to deepen your appreciation for it is Planet Narnia, which explains the unifying theme behind all 7 books! Great video Mike, keep up the great work!
If you aren’t turned off by theology, check out his more adult fantasy “space trilogy” series beginning with “Out if the Silent Planet “. It’s really good and I think the third book of that series is prophetic in terms of today’s technology.
I remember being 7yrs old and unwell during a holiday. My brother sat on the bed beside me and read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...and from that moment I was hooked ❤
My introduction to fantasy and I am still loving it. Recently bought the book for my niece. I love that you are giving it a shout-out because I feel that it's not getting much recognition.
Been watching since your first red rising book review, you where the only person who had made a review I actually enjoyed. Been watching ever since. You've gotten me to read LOTR, The Hobbit, Micheal Krichton, the greatcoats, Ryiria Revelations, mistborn, Stormlight, The First Law, and so many more. In my second year of college at 20 years old now, and its great to know I can still watch your cozy youtube videos I first discovered as a kid. Just wanted to let you know how much you've impacted my life and how much joy you bring to all of your viewers, have a great one!
Narnia always steer up the cozy nostalgia in me! Narnia will always be my childhood- they are far from forgotten. Seeing this video makes me want to reread Narnia❤
Excellent video Mike! One of my favorite series as well! I'll add that another thing I think would make this series valuable and enjoyable to older readers is the prose. C. S. Lewis can turn a phrase like few others. He excels at making the reader feel of sense of depth and wonder. You'll be thinking about some of the implications for his ideas for quite a while without feeling like you were reading a book about philosophy and theme.
I remember reading 5 of the 7 books in just about two weeks when I was 14 years old. I don't remember exactly what stopped me from finishing it, but I plan to read through it starting from the beginning one of these days. Great video!
I'm rereading Narnia right now one per month to break up the bigger and denser things I'm reading (read: Malazan). I really enjoyed LWW but Prince Caspian didn't do much for me, but I'm definitely looking forward to Dawn Treader based on your thoughts. I'm reading publication order as Scot says haha, but C.S. Lewis scholars are split between what the proper order is. So when in doubt, I go with publication order! Thanks for the video!
My grade 3 teacher read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to us and it was magical. She did all the voices and I will always remember that. And now many, many years later I plan on reading the series. Thank you so much for bringing attention to this great series.
I loved this series as a child and I think it holds up really well today. Talking about reading order, I remember that my mom read the lion, the witch and the wardrobe first to us and then The Magician’s nephew and after that in chronological order. She did it that way because she thought the the lion, the witch and the wardrobe was a better introduction into the world and easier for kids to understand and then see where it all started in the Magician’s Nephew and we loved that when we were kids. Just another suggestion, if anyone’s interested.
I watched the lion the witch and the wardrobe when it came out when I was 12. That was the only exposure to the series I had until I listen to all the audiobooks while working when I was 23 or 24 years old and I loved it! I think adults could get into it.
Thank you for showing this series love. Specially sense most recently its been getting ridiculed. It was my introduction to fantasy. I love the world of Narnia and it holds a special place in my heart.
It is a great book series. Read it after hearing one or two of the books read by my dad. Read it I guess between the ages of 10-14. It thought it was really good and the overall message to be hopeful.
I love seeing people bring up Narnia! Even though I don’t connect with these books terribly well anymore, the writing is delightful and CS Lewis has a way of striking the heart of difficult topics and explaining them in beautiful ways. (As an aside, I’ve since grown to prefer his adult works! Til We Have Faces was an unexpectedly wonderful read.)
Yes! I love it when folks talk about his other adult works. Would be great to see Till We Have Faces talked about more, since everyone’s been so into Greek Myth retellings. I feel it’s so underrated. That & his Space Trilogy. Love that one too.
@@r.d.nibblets9133 Gotta mention the Screwtape Letters too! And his non fiction writing is excellent. Till We Have Faces is his best work in my opinion. I buddy read it with a friend and it was a great time. I enjoyed the first book of the Space Trilogy but found the next two somewhat tedious.😅 I appreciated the ideas but couldn’t quite get into the story.
@@brightwatcher3757Yes Till We Have Faces is right up there for me too. As to the Trilogy, I loved all three books but I understand your feelings about books 2 & 3. The first seems to be the favorite for many folks while the rest could be hit or miss.
I make sure to read this and The Lord of the Rings every few years. Still a classic. I pull more stuff every time I read this. Glad to see it getting a highlight.
I think reading The Lion the witch and the wardrobe first is what Lewis intended. Seeing Narnia first through The eyes of Lucy is important. One thing I always loved is at the end of the silver chair he mentions Prince rilian whistling a tune about Prince corin thunderfist. Which is cool because silverchair was published before a horse and his boy.
These books formed some of my fondest childhood reading memories! Great video, glad you're reading them to your kids--that's what I'm planning to do if I become a father.
Hi! I'm a bit older than you are and grew up in a French speaking environment. Never read the Narnia series. Now I'm curious and I'll probably read it in the coming months. Thanks. Love your channel.
Thank you for making this video! It's great to see appreciation for Narnia on booktube. I have read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Read them for the first time as an adult, and still found them enjoyable. Need to find time to read the rest of the series. I enjoyed the movie adaptations, especially the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Tilda Swinton was perfect as the White Witch. Again, thanks for sharing!
“I know that their are people who are Publication Order No Matter What.” Dang - I’ve been downgraded to “people” again and misquoted. Great video Mike. This series will always be nostalgically special to me.
I am with you all the way Scot. This mysterious quote by Lewis has never been confirmed by anyone except the publisher..who conveniently reordered the books 31 years after he was dead. If he wanted it to be read that way he would have: 1 written it that way or 2 reordered them in the 7 years he lived after he finished The Last Battle. It was literally a publishers gimmick to try and resell more books.
We read Narnia at home when I was around 7 years old and I loved it! I've reread it a couple of times since and they are almost even better as an adult
In terms of adaptations, the dream would be a ghibli animated film. Reading the series for the first time as an adult (i never finished it as a kid) the first thing i felt was how amazing a miyazaki film of it would be
Great video! Narnia is one of the first books/series (other two being the Hobbit and the Prydain books) that I read as a kid that turned me into a lifelong fantasy fan!
I grew up reading the Chronicles of Narnia, and it was my entry into the world of Fantasy. To this day, I don't care how many people shit on it, but The Horse and His Boy is still one of my favorite stories. Something about it has always just connected with me.
Someone once told me that you had to enter Narnia through the wardrobe. I get it but you can enjoy it either way. Wish more people would pick it up. Great video Mike!
I found a lovely set in a charity shop but I'm going to wait till December to read it. I've got a long TBR so some other stuff comes first and I also fell like it will be a cosy Christmas read
Although they're for adults, I loved Lewis' Space Trilogy as a kid, though I didn't really "get" the third book until I was older and read his non-fiction book The Abolition of Man first before re-reading the Space Trilogy. I really hope these get made into movies one day.
Just a few more pages to go in Return To The Black Farm (the sequel of The Black Farm) and I will start my first journey to the magical land of Narnia (I am 45, but it is never to late right and better late than never) . I have listened to the first five chapters on audiobook and that made me fall in love with the book already. I have both the illustrated version and a hardback edition (which looks like a Bible). I am very excited 😆
Great video Mike,thank you.I know nothing about Narnia,haven't read it or watched any movie,that's why this video was highly anticipated for me.Although I may be too old,I'm looking forward to start this series.There comes a time when you need something easy and whimsical over those epic fantasy series 😅. Also,great intro and artwork.
This was one of the series that is considered a classic, but I didn't hear anything about it when I was a kid. I only discovered this when I got more interested in fantasy and originally I wasn't keen on reading it Now it looks interesting but there's a lot on my tbr, i don't know when I'll get to it as I have wheel of time and lotr next 😅
Watched the 2005 movie as a kid without knowing anything about the Books. 2 years later I've read the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but that was it. Now I'm in my late 20s currently reading Dune for the first time, but I can see myself reading the Chronicles of Narnia afterwards
I read infrequently, but in binges when I do, despite the medium being responsible for most of my favourite entertainment experiences (The Great & Secret Show by Clive Barker, Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time, (The) Hyperion (cantos) by Dan Simmons, everything in Joe Abercrombie's 'First Law' world). As a child, my initial disinterest in books lasted until around the age of 17, before which point I'd merely simulated reading in school. I'll never forget the experience of having The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe read to me (and my class) by my primary school teacher, an expressive lady whose name I can't recall. We sat captivated, to a child, enrapt at the wild ride of talking animals, strange magic, and worlds inside furniture.
Narnia was my introduction to fantasy in grade school. Growing up in a Christian household, the religious themes and allegorical message really connected with me at a young age, and I still have a lot of nostalgia for this series. Personally, Horse and His Boy is the weak point in the series, cause of it being a side story with a different main cast. I just remember it being kinda boring, and it doesn't have anything to do with the Penensie children. Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe along with Dawn Treader are my favorites in the series.
I remember thinking Horse & His Boy being ok on my first read. But when I recently reread the series for probably the third time, I’m finding to be one of my favorites in the series. It’s funny but I feel like my favorites change each time I come back to the books but I find I just enjoy this book so much more now.
I loved 'The Horse and His Boy'--still do. It was an amazing look into the wider world of Narnia, along with a really cool side view of the main characters. Plus, I loved the snippy interactions between Aravis, Shasta, Bree, and Hwin!
I read the first two books to my 6 year old and we both loved it. Narnia was one of those series I never read as a kid, wish I did. I was the boy reading hobbit and LOTR over and over and over. This is a must read to your children.
I wouldn't have been captivated by the series had I started with the Magician's Nephew. I would have stopped right there. I think that is the biggest reason to start with The Lion, the Witch and the Warddrobe. My teacher read this to our class when we were eight, and you could have heard a pin drop at those times. We begged her to continue when she stopped each day. I didn't like Magicians Nephew until I was older.
FYI , for all your subs, The Legendarium Podcast did a one hour discussion for each of the 8 books in the series! I watched the animated movie as a child then went on to read the whole series. James and the Giant Peach and the Chronicles of Narnia were my first introductions into reading.
I had the exact same experience with the Goonies as your wife. I don’t know how, but I never saw it as a child and by the time I did, I just wasn’t into it and I love adventure movies. I definitely think it’s a film that has to be seen when you’re a child.
Gosh, my plan was publication order, but I hadn't heard the argument you made for chronological before and it's really swayed me and got me wondering. I'm told the publication order preserves some surprises and revelations, but I think I'd rather have the big moments hit harder as you said. Either way, the box set is waiting for me. I'll just have to give it some more consideration before I start! Thanks for the video!
I guess I'm part of the pub order death cult Mike mentioned elsewhere. Chrono order is fine on a reread, but I really think pub order is the way to go. Magician's Nephew is definitely a prequel and really enhances the story after the fact. It's like Star Wars. You should totally watch the original trilogy first, then the prequels. Later viewings can be done in episode order because you know what happens already.
I'm an atheist, but the Christian themes have never bothered me any more than Dante's imagery being used in Final Fantasy 4 and 6 does. American Evangelicals used to dislike Lewis for not being fundamentalist enough. Now they present his success as a victory for their "side".
You are generalizing. A lot of American Evangelicals loved Lewis from the beginning, writing about him, doing interviews with him, etc. Lewis and Billy Graham, the most famous of all American Evangelicals of the time, supportively met with each other back in the 1950s. Most Evangelicals are not Fundamentalists and accept that Christians can disagree over specifics so long as the main points of "mere Christianity" (as Lewis called it) are accepted.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.”
I did not read The Chronicles of Narnia but I watched the movies and I did not enjoy it as much. But it was very inspiring how you speak about the book and now I definitely wanna read it myself. Thank you!
Nice. I'm actually wrapping up Sojourn (Drizzt Book 3) and then it's Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone Book 3) but after that I am finally getting into Narnia.
The reverse impact of the spoilery things you mentioned make me solidly on the publication order side of things. My son accidentally read chronological order and I'm happy that it didn't impact his enjoyment but I'll always be a tiny bit secretly salty about it lol.
Finally someone else who likes chronological order. Magicians Nephew is my favorite book in the series. I’ve tried to read it in publication order, but I can’t. It doesn’t feel right if I don’t start with my boy Digory.
I loved the original movie as a kid, I watched the sequel’s but really can’t remember anything about them like I can with the original. The chronicles of Narnia is on my reading backlog for sure.
Hey, I just wanted to let you know that UA-cam recommended this to me so you're still getting recommendations in the algorithm. I always thought you deserve more views. But looking at the channel, it looks like you can still pull in an audience of 10,000 views on your videos, which is a ton when you think about the reach of a single person on the internet. Anyway, it's good to see you're still around.
Yes! Narnia is a great series. It’s in a weird place for me though, because in some ways I don’t think it should be praised quite as highly as it is, and then in other ways I think it’s severely underrated. But it is one that I’ve reread several times, and probably will do so several more. -T
I never really liked the series. The world didn't feel cohesive enough. I appreciate the important place it holds in the history of literature but i wasn't able to get over my lack of immersion. That being said i did love the Screwtape Letters and found the Great Divorce to be an interesting read.
I first read this series when I was around 16 or 17, so not super young but not into adulthood yet. Still enjoy it to this day. Honestly I love it even more so now in my mid 30’s. As for themes, the Christian stuff is obvious. Everyone wants to discuss (or complain about) those. That’s fine. But there’s other themes I’ve found of interest. In one of my rereads, I’ve noticed it taking shots at Imperialism & Colonialism, humorous cracks at Government bureaucracy & so on. There’s more there. But overall, I just find it to be a fun read. I will say that Lewis’ critique on things like Colonialism is much more of a thing in his Space Trilogy, in particular the first book. Speaking of which, as much as I love Narnia, his more adult Space Trilogy is unfortunately underrated. But that’s just me.
@@Rogue_VI I guess one’s mileage varies on that. I ended up enjoying it despite my first lack of knowledge concerning the original myth. That being said, I did like it even more the 2nd time I read it. I have to say that my overall positive feelings towards it has increased after rereadings. I’ve probably read it 4 times now, also listened to it on audio book. Really liked that. Can’t remember the narrator’s name but she did great.
"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest." -C.S Lewis
I love the line “do not cite the deep magic to me, witch” and like to say it at work whenever someone explains something I obviously know better than them
Ha ha I say it to the kids all the time.
Let's hear it for this great classic! Mike, you are once again doing the good work of directing our attention to stories that should not be forgotten -- thank you!
Absolutely love this series. Having grown up in a Christian home the Chronicles of Narnia was without a doubt my entry point into fantasy and it most certainly be my children's (when I have them) entry point into fantasy as well. I know a lot of people get turned off by the Christian allegory but being Christian myself, I appreciate it very much, but that's just me. Also, publication order FTW.
Narnia is a classic series for a reason! As a father it was great to share it with my kids; it was a great introduction to fantasy for them.
So happy you included the quote "The trouble with trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed." I've been saying that quote from THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW ever since I was 10! And it's unfortunately very very true.
Reading this with my kids rn and it's amazing how compact and effective yet beautiful the prose is.
I read this and enjoyed it as a child. But what really made me LOVE and appreciate it was when I learned, as an adult, that Aslan was Lewis’s allegorical depiction of Christ, I was floored! I read it now and it’s so rich and beautiful! Mike, hearing you talk about it makes me want to read it again and again. ❤
The Chronicles of Narnia was the first book series my mom read to us when we went to sleep. It has such a memory for me as I still love books and will reread them soon.
Amazing parenting job.
Grew up on these books, basically my first intro to fantasy when I was little.
Edit: concerning religious allegory…anyone I’ve convinced to read these books (even if they’re atheist) still see how BEAUTIFUL his writing is. And I think it’s a good thing that you can plainly see how much he cherished his Christian values through his fantasy writing. He doesn’t dance around things, which I appreciate.
My wife discovered this series when she was in her 40s and completely loved it. The stories and archetypes are phenomenal. And yes, Lewis' writing style is some of my favorite. I've been a HUGE Lewis fan since my teens (I'm now 63y).
My 3rd grade teacher had us read The Lion the witch and the wardrobe aloud. That’s how I became a book lover
I finally decided in my mid 30s to read Narnia for the first time. I started the series last month and am currently 3 books in. They are short books that are easy to fit between longer more adult books. Very much enjoying it.
My favorite book series ❤
Also, if you read Michael Ward's "Narnia Code," it'll shine some light on a lot of subtleties from Lewis' study of medieval astrology and how he incorporates those themes as the core to the Narnia series. It's very fascinating.
These stories created a wonderful bond between me and my younger sisters when I read them to them. I'm sure i lost my voice a few times because they didn't want me to stop reading. It was a magical time for us.
Love to hear it.
I'm currently 19, so I may not exactly be your target demo, but I read the Narnia books in chronological order until Prince Caspian in middle school, got bored and never looked back. But I'm currently reading through the LOTR and it now bugs I never finished the series! So seeing the video is definitely pushing me to go back and read them again! Keep up the fantastic work!
I'd say Prince Caspian is my least favorite because it is a tad boring. I'd say the rest of the series is great. Voyage of the Dawn Treader is definitely a highlight of the series.
Dawn treader and last battle are my favorite books
9 months later and I've read through them til Dawn Treader, which I started last night! So far it's really promising!
Narnia was the 2nd fantasy series I ever read, I was in middle school and happened to find "the lion the witch and the wardrobe" in the school library. None of my friends or teachers had ever read it, so no one really understood why I would read it any chance I had (and when i was bored in class). It's the style of gentle storytelling, even though there's danger and action in the narrative that i loved
I got goosebumps while you were reading the excerpts at the beginning 🥰 thanks for covering this magical series, you really do it justice! I’m rediscovering how much I love Narnia and how much it means to me ❤️ Great video Mike!
This is such a great series! CS Lewis is by far my favorite writer ever, and this is his masterpiece. After you read the series, another great book to deepen your appreciation for it is Planet Narnia, which explains the unifying theme behind all 7 books! Great video Mike, keep up the great work!
Crazy coincidence I sent my mom a CS Lewis quote literally earlier today!!!
Thank you Mike and everyone. You make doing the laundry and cooking for my dogs go that much faster with these great long form videos.
LWW is more magical if you have not read Magician’s Nephew first, which is why many recommend publication order for this series
I love The Chronicles of Narnia and I have loved rereading it with my 6 year old!
If you aren’t turned off by theology, check out his more adult fantasy “space trilogy” series beginning with “Out if the Silent Planet “. It’s really good and I think the third book of that series is prophetic in terms of today’s technology.
Perelandra was always my favorite in that series since it is a massive "what if?" scenario regarding creation and the garden of Eden.
You just convinced a 17 year old to pick up Narnia.
Thanks for the recommendation.
I remember being 7yrs old and unwell during a holiday. My brother sat on the bed beside me and read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe...and from that moment I was hooked ❤
C.S. Lewis - 'Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.'
I love your introduction on these videos so much. I even re-watch old ones from time to time.
I love the Chronicles of Narnia! It is such a classic!
My introduction to fantasy and I am still loving it. Recently bought the book for my niece. I love that you are giving it a shout-out because I feel that it's not getting much recognition.
Adore Narnia.
I Love when Mike goes down that nostalgic lane
Ha. It happens frequently.
I'm rereading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
Been watching since your first red rising book review, you where the only person who had made a review I actually enjoyed. Been watching ever since. You've gotten me to read LOTR, The Hobbit, Micheal Krichton, the greatcoats, Ryiria Revelations, mistborn, Stormlight, The First Law, and so many more. In my second year of college at 20 years old now, and its great to know I can still watch your cozy youtube videos I first discovered as a kid. Just wanted to let you know how much you've impacted my life and how much joy you bring to all of your viewers, have a great one!
Narnia always steer up the cozy nostalgia in me! Narnia will always be my childhood- they are far from forgotten. Seeing this video makes me want to reread Narnia❤
Mission accomplished.
i love CS Lewis!!!
Excellent video Mike! One of my favorite series as well!
I'll add that another thing I think would make this series valuable and enjoyable to older readers is the prose. C. S. Lewis can turn a phrase like few others. He excels at making the reader feel of sense of depth and wonder. You'll be thinking about some of the implications for his ideas for quite a while without feeling like you were reading a book about philosophy and theme.
I remember reading 5 of the 7 books in just about two weeks when I was 14 years old. I don't remember exactly what stopped me from finishing it, but I plan to read through it starting from the beginning one of these days. Great video!
I'm rereading Narnia right now one per month to break up the bigger and denser things I'm reading (read: Malazan). I really enjoyed LWW but Prince Caspian didn't do much for me, but I'm definitely looking forward to Dawn Treader based on your thoughts. I'm reading publication order as Scot says haha, but C.S. Lewis scholars are split between what the proper order is. So when in doubt, I go with publication order! Thanks for the video!
Dawn Treader is So Good!!! I just finished The Silver Chair which was even better!
It doesn’t hurt the experience either way. But the PUBLICATION ORDER OR DEATH cult baffles me.
Dawn Treader is my favorite. It's SO good.
My grade 3 teacher read the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe to us and it was magical. She did all the voices and I will always remember that. And now many, many years later I plan on reading the series. Thank you so much for bringing attention to this great series.
First discovered the series in my mid 20s. Love it.
Love this series, I have a lot of great memories reading these books as a kid and watching the BBC adaptation.
Such a great story. CS Lewis is fantastic.
Excellent video Mike.
This is a wonderful video Mike, I only read two books in the series and as far as I remembered CS Lewis’s writing is so emotional.
I loved this series as a child and I think it holds up really well today. Talking about reading order, I remember that my mom read the lion, the witch and the wardrobe first to us and then The Magician’s nephew and after that in chronological order. She did it that way because she thought the the lion, the witch and the wardrobe was a better introduction into the world and easier for kids to understand and then see where it all started in the Magician’s Nephew and we loved that when we were kids. Just another suggestion, if anyone’s interested.
I prefer publication order, but this order makes sense.
Currently reading this series and I’m loving it. Will be reading to my sons when they are a bit older.
❤️
I first read this series in the 70’s and still pick it up to reread every few years. The best ever!
I watched the lion the witch and the wardrobe when it came out when I was 12. That was the only exposure to the series I had until I listen to all the audiobooks while working when I was 23 or 24 years old and I loved it! I think adults could get into it.
WOW🎉. I own the chronicles of Narnia. I’m waiting for this winter to read it.
Thank you for showing this series love. Specially sense most recently its been getting ridiculed.
It was my introduction to fantasy. I love the world of Narnia and it holds a special place in my heart.
Fantastic video! Thanks for bringing some of that classic nostalgia back. Love this series!
It is a great book series. Read it after hearing one or two of the books read by my dad. Read it I guess between the ages of 10-14. It thought it was really good and the overall message to be hopeful.
I love seeing people bring up Narnia! Even though I don’t connect with these books terribly well anymore, the writing is delightful and CS Lewis has a way of striking the heart of difficult topics and explaining them in beautiful ways.
(As an aside, I’ve since grown to prefer his adult works! Til We Have Faces was an unexpectedly wonderful read.)
Yes! I love it when folks talk about his other adult works. Would be great to see Till We Have Faces talked about more, since everyone’s been so into Greek Myth retellings. I feel it’s so underrated. That & his Space Trilogy. Love that one too.
@@r.d.nibblets9133 Gotta mention the Screwtape Letters too! And his non fiction writing is excellent.
Till We Have Faces is his best work in my opinion. I buddy read it with a friend and it was a great time.
I enjoyed the first book of the Space Trilogy but found the next two somewhat tedious.😅 I appreciated the ideas but couldn’t quite get into the story.
@@brightwatcher3757Yes Till We Have Faces is right up there for me too. As to the Trilogy, I loved all three books but I understand your feelings about books 2 & 3. The first seems to be the favorite for many folks while the rest could be hit or miss.
Thank you for doing a vid on CS Lewis’s series and yes, nostalgia was on point, definitely enjoyed this one 🎉
Glad you enjoyed!
I make sure to read this and The Lord of the Rings every few years. Still a classic. I pull more stuff every time I read this. Glad to see it getting a highlight.
I think reading The Lion the witch and the wardrobe first is what Lewis intended. Seeing Narnia first through The eyes of Lucy is important.
One thing I always loved is at the end of the silver chair he mentions Prince rilian whistling a tune about Prince corin thunderfist. Which is cool because silverchair was published before a horse and his boy.
These books formed some of my fondest childhood reading memories! Great video, glad you're reading them to your kids--that's what I'm planning to do if I become a father.
Hi! I'm a bit older than you are and grew up in a French speaking environment. Never read the Narnia series. Now I'm curious and I'll probably read it in the coming months. Thanks. Love your channel.
Great video Mike, thanks! Now The Chronicles of Narnia has definitely climbed up on my TBR list.
Thank you for making this video! It's great to see appreciation for Narnia on booktube.
I have read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Read them for the first time as an adult, and still found them enjoyable. Need to find time to read the rest of the series.
I enjoyed the movie adaptations, especially the Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Tilda Swinton was perfect as the White Witch.
Again, thanks for sharing!
“I know that their are people who are Publication Order No Matter What.” Dang - I’ve been downgraded to “people” again and misquoted.
Great video Mike. This series will always be nostalgically special to me.
Ha ha you’ll always be “someone” to me.
I am with you all the way Scot. This mysterious quote by Lewis has never been confirmed by anyone except the publisher..who conveniently reordered the books 31 years after he was dead. If he wanted it to be read that way he would have: 1 written it that way or 2 reordered them in the 7 years he lived after he finished The Last Battle. It was literally a publishers gimmick to try and resell more books.
We read Narnia at home when I was around 7 years old and I loved it! I've reread it a couple of times since and they are almost even better as an adult
In terms of adaptations, the dream would be a ghibli animated film. Reading the series for the first time as an adult (i never finished it as a kid) the first thing i felt was how amazing a miyazaki film of it would be
Great video! Narnia is one of the first books/series (other two being the Hobbit and the Prydain books) that I read as a kid that turned me into a lifelong fantasy fan!
I grew up reading the Chronicles of Narnia, and it was my entry into the world of Fantasy. To this day, I don't care how many people shit on it, but The Horse and His Boy is still one of my favorite stories. Something about it has always just connected with me.
Someone once told me that you had to enter Narnia through the wardrobe. I get it but you can enjoy it either way. Wish more people would pick it up. Great video Mike!
I grew up on these books and loved them. Read them countless times and now reading them to my son who loves them
I found a lovely set in a charity shop but I'm going to wait till December to read it. I've got a long TBR so some other stuff comes first and I also fell like it will be a cosy Christmas read
I've never read the series. Did see the movies. I have it on audio so I have no excuse. I did read The Space Trilogy which is definitely for adults.
Although they're for adults, I loved Lewis' Space Trilogy as a kid, though I didn't really "get" the third book until I was older and read his non-fiction book The Abolition of Man first before re-reading the Space Trilogy. I really hope these get made into movies one day.
Just a few more pages to go in Return To The Black Farm (the sequel of The Black Farm) and I will start my first journey to the magical land of Narnia (I am 45, but it is never to late right and better late than never) . I have listened to the first five chapters on audiobook and that made me fall in love with the book already. I have both the illustrated version and a hardback edition (which looks like a Bible). I am very excited 😆
Great video Mike,thank you.I know nothing about Narnia,haven't read it or watched any movie,that's why this video was highly anticipated for me.Although I may be too old,I'm looking forward to start this series.There comes a time when you need something easy and whimsical over those epic fantasy series 😅.
Also,great intro and artwork.
Have you watched the film Shadowland where Anthony Hopkins plays C S Lewis? A beautiful movie!
I love Narnia, I grew up reading it and still love re-reading it
This was one of the series that is considered a classic, but I didn't hear anything about it when I was a kid. I only discovered this when I got more interested in fantasy and originally I wasn't keen on reading it
Now it looks interesting but there's a lot on my tbr, i don't know when I'll get to it as I have wheel of time and lotr next 😅
Watched the 2005 movie as a kid without knowing anything about the Books. 2 years later I've read the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe but that was it. Now I'm in my late 20s currently reading Dune for the first time, but I can see myself reading the Chronicles of Narnia afterwards
Lev Grossman's "Magicians" series is a great adult analogue to the Narnia series, and highly recommended.
I’m currently reading this with my 7 year old since Disney is making a movie my son asked me to read it with him 😊
I read infrequently, but in binges when I do, despite the medium being responsible for most of my favourite entertainment experiences (The Great & Secret Show by Clive Barker, Adrian Tchaikovsky's Children of Time, (The) Hyperion (cantos) by Dan Simmons, everything in Joe Abercrombie's 'First Law' world).
As a child, my initial disinterest in books lasted until around the age of 17, before which point I'd merely simulated reading in school.
I'll never forget the experience of having The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe read to me (and my class) by my primary school teacher, an expressive lady whose name I can't recall.
We sat captivated, to a child, enrapt at the wild ride of talking animals, strange magic, and worlds inside furniture.
Narnia was my introduction to fantasy in grade school. Growing up in a Christian household, the religious themes and allegorical message really connected with me at a young age, and I still have a lot of nostalgia for this series. Personally, Horse and His Boy is the weak point in the series, cause of it being a side story with a different main cast. I just remember it being kinda boring, and it doesn't have anything to do with the Penensie children. Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe along with Dawn Treader are my favorites in the series.
I remember thinking Horse & His Boy being ok on my first read. But when I recently reread the series for probably the third time, I’m finding to be one of my favorites in the series. It’s funny but I feel like my favorites change each time I come back to the books but I find I just enjoy this book so much more now.
I loved 'The Horse and His Boy'--still do. It was an amazing look into the wider world of Narnia, along with a really cool side view of the main characters. Plus, I loved the snippy interactions between Aravis, Shasta, Bree, and Hwin!
I read the first two books to my 6 year old and we both loved it. Narnia was one of those series I never read as a kid, wish I did. I was the boy reading hobbit and LOTR over and over and over. This is a must read to your children.
I only read the first one when I was a kid. I should go back and read them all
I wouldn't have been captivated by the series had I started with the Magician's Nephew. I would have stopped right there. I think that is the biggest reason to start with The Lion, the Witch and the Warddrobe. My teacher read this to our class when we were eight, and you could have heard a pin drop at those times. We begged her to continue when she stopped each day. I didn't like Magicians Nephew until I was older.
FYI , for all your subs, The Legendarium Podcast did a one hour discussion for each of the 8 books in the series! I watched the animated movie as a child then went on to read the whole series. James and the Giant Peach and the Chronicles of Narnia were my first introductions into reading.
I had the exact same experience with the Goonies as your wife. I don’t know how, but I never saw it as a child and by the time I did, I just wasn’t into it and I love adventure movies. I definitely think it’s a film that has to be seen when you’re a child.
Gosh, my plan was publication order, but I hadn't heard the argument you made for chronological before and it's really swayed me and got me wondering. I'm told the publication order preserves some surprises and revelations, but I think I'd rather have the big moments hit harder as you said. Either way, the box set is waiting for me. I'll just have to give it some more consideration before I start! Thanks for the video!
I guess I'm part of the pub order death cult Mike mentioned elsewhere. Chrono order is fine on a reread, but I really think pub order is the way to go. Magician's Nephew is definitely a prequel and really enhances the story after the fact. It's like Star Wars. You should totally watch the original trilogy first, then the prequels. Later viewings can be done in episode order because you know what happens already.
@@Rogue_VI Thanks for your perspective on this! I definitely like to preserve the reveals as originally experienced when I can.
I'm an atheist, but the Christian themes have never bothered me any more than Dante's imagery being used in Final Fantasy 4 and 6 does.
American Evangelicals used to dislike Lewis for not being fundamentalist enough.
Now they present his success as a victory for their "side".
You are generalizing. A lot of American Evangelicals loved Lewis from the beginning, writing about him, doing interviews with him, etc. Lewis and Billy Graham, the most famous of all American Evangelicals of the time, supportively met with each other back in the 1950s. Most Evangelicals are not Fundamentalists and accept that Christians can disagree over specifics so long as the main points of "mere Christianity" (as Lewis called it) are accepted.
“I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.”
Aslan sure knew how to get your attention.
I did not read The Chronicles of Narnia but I watched the movies and I did not enjoy it as much. But it was very inspiring how you speak about the book and now I definitely wanna read it myself. Thank you!
The Disney movies are terrible, that's why you didn't enjoy them.
The books are WAY better than the movies in my opinion. I'm glad you want to give them a try.
Got the 7 in one book love this series legendary storytelling! Just like Lord of the Rings!
Nice. I'm actually wrapping up Sojourn (Drizzt Book 3) and then it's Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone Book 3) but after that I am finally getting into Narnia.
Hope you enjoy it!
The reverse impact of the spoilery things you mentioned make me solidly on the publication order side of things. My son accidentally read chronological order and I'm happy that it didn't impact his enjoyment but I'll always be a tiny bit secretly salty about it lol.
I read Narnia as an adult. They were great, but nothing that blew my mind. Probably would've really loved them as a kid
I've not read Narnia, nor Potter for that matter. But they are bucket list items for me. I would love to own that edition you got there
Finally someone else who likes chronological order. Magicians Nephew is my favorite book in the series. I’ve tried to read it in publication order, but I can’t. It doesn’t feel right if I don’t start with my boy Digory.
I loved the original movie as a kid, I watched the sequel’s but really can’t remember anything about them like I can with the original. The chronicles of Narnia is on my reading backlog for sure.
Narnia is one of my fav books, but I have to say the ending of the last book will floor anyone and I’m not sure how he intended it to be for kids
Hey, I just wanted to let you know that UA-cam recommended this to me so you're still getting recommendations in the algorithm. I always thought you deserve more views. But looking at the channel, it looks like you can still pull in an audience of 10,000 views on your videos, which is a ton when you think about the reach of a single person on the internet. Anyway, it's good to see you're still around.
Yes! Narnia is a great series. It’s in a weird place for me though, because in some ways I don’t think it should be praised quite as highly as it is, and then in other ways I think it’s severely underrated. But it is one that I’ve reread several times, and probably will do so several more.
-T
I never really liked the series. The world didn't feel cohesive enough. I appreciate the important place it holds in the history of literature but i wasn't able to get over my lack of immersion.
That being said i did love the Screwtape Letters and found the Great Divorce to be an interesting read.
I first read this series when I was around 16 or 17, so not super young but not into adulthood yet. Still enjoy it to this day. Honestly I love it even more so now in my mid 30’s. As for themes, the Christian stuff is obvious. Everyone wants to discuss (or complain about) those. That’s fine. But there’s other themes I’ve found of interest. In one of my rereads, I’ve noticed it taking shots at Imperialism & Colonialism, humorous cracks at Government bureaucracy & so on. There’s more there. But overall, I just find it to be a fun read. I will say that Lewis’ critique on things like Colonialism is much more of a thing in his Space Trilogy, in particular the first book. Speaking of which, as much as I love Narnia, his more adult Space Trilogy is unfortunately underrated. But that’s just me.
Space trilogy is DEFINITELY underrated.
@@Rogue_VI Oh yes no doubt. Ransom’s adventures deserve more attention. That & Till We Have Faces.
@@r.d.nibblets9133 I was not a fan of TWHF. I may have enjoyed it if I was more familiar with the myth of Cupid and Psyche at that time.
@@Rogue_VI I guess one’s mileage varies on that. I ended up enjoying it despite my first lack of knowledge concerning the original myth. That being said, I did like it even more the 2nd time I read it. I have to say that my overall positive feelings towards it has increased after rereadings. I’ve probably read it 4 times now, also listened to it on audio book. Really liked that. Can’t remember the narrator’s name but she did great.