The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew

In my childhood I’ve only read The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe from The Chronicles of Narnia series. Since I’ve gotten my Kindle, I have purchased and received many ebooks. The Chronicles of Narnia series is one such series that I bought a while back. I read novels on train rides mostly. It’s been awhile since I’ve written a book review and it has also been a while since I’ve read The Magician’s Nephew, but I’ll take a shot at reviewing this book and see what parts I still remember. I would like to write a review for each of the books in the future.

This is the first book in the series (though published second to last). It's nice in that you learn about the beginnings of Narnia, and the beginnings of Lucy, Edmond, Susan, and Peter's uncle, Digory, as well as about the witch, Jadis, and where she came from, and how she ends up in Narnia. You also learn about traveling to different worlds. So if you like adventure fantasy books, this is a great read. Though it's a children's book, it's still pleasurable even if you're an adult.

In this book Digory is just a child, and he has an uncle who had magical rings that he had found in a box that he was told not to open. The rings, in theory, allow Digory's uncle to travel to different worlds and back, but he is too afraid to try it himself so he forces/tricks Polly to do so. Polly is Digory's friend. Digory is concerned for Polly so he goes after her. And so begins their journey.

Setting:

England, Narnia

Themes (what I think are themes anyways):

Curiosity may lead to interesting adventures both good and bad.

A selfless and obedient heart that obeys wisdom leads to good outcomes, while a selfish and disobedient heart leads to misery.

Animals and children can know God more than adults unless you come with a child's heart.

From here on there are spoilers so please don't read if you haven't read the book but plan to and don't want to know more about the book before reading it. But if you like to read about the book before reading, or you've read the book and would like to read this for fun, go ahead. It's basically a summary of the book.

Now Digory and Polly both discover that there are puddles that they can jump through to enter different worlds. They jump in a puddle and enter a world that seems to have come to an end. No one is alive in it, though in one of the buildings there are frozen creatures that look like people but more like elves that are really tall. There is also a bell in that building and Digory is curious about the bell so he strikes it, which is a mistake because that breaks the spell that was on the witch.

The witch then goes after Digory and Polly. They manage to figure out how to go back to England where they were from, after much trial and error, and to their dismay, the witch follows them. Apparently if someone hangs onto someone who is wearing the ring, then they can all travel together.

Digory's uncle likes the witch somehow, so he follows her. He is afraid of her but at the same time feels honored to be with her. She can care less though as she doesn't care for anyone really. When they go back is when we learn that Digory's mom is very sick. Somehow there ends up being a chase involving the witch, making a scene with police and other citizens nearby. So back to the different worlds they went, Digory, Polly, Digory's uncle, and the witch as well as a cab driver with his horse and his wife, with the rings.

This is where it gets interesting, as if it weren't interesting enough. They enter Narnia! Aslan is there and there are animals. It seems like it's the beginning of Narnia and Aslan is talking life into the world. The animals can talk including the cab driver's horse. Everyone who sees Aslan, especially animals and the kids, know that he is very different from everyone else. Something about Aslan, he's so lovely, yet so powerful, fearful, yet gentle. Digory musters up the courage to ask Aslan for help to cure his mother. Aslan sends Digory on a mission to find a magical apple that will save his mother. Digory and Polly ride on the cab driver's horse which now has wings. By this point the cab driver and his wife have been made king and queen of Narnia.

Digory finds a place that has a gate, and enters the gate to get the magical apple from a tree in the garden of that estate. Then he leaves, not getting anything else but that magical apple for his mother. The gate had specific instructions not to steal from the place, but that you can get an apple for someone else, to enter through the gates and not climb over it. Digory passes the test, but the witch, somehow she also ends up there, and she does not follow the instructions on the gate. She takes and eats it for herself and becomes immortal. But it's immortality with eternal misery.

Digory goes back to Aslan and he sends him back home to England with Polly and his uncle. There he gives the apple to his mother. She eats the apple and revives from her sickness. Digory buries the apple core in his aunt and uncle's backyard with the rings. An apple tree grows. Later it falls down and gets made into a wardrobe. That sets the stage for the next book, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.