Wayback Wednesday: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe 1950
Sixty-nine years ago, today, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, written by C. S. Lewis and illustrated by Pauline Baynes, was published by Geoffrey Bles. This is the first and best known of the books from The Chronicles of Narnia (1950-1956). Though this was the first book, the entire story’s chronology makes it second in reading order.
Most of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that is ruled by the evil White Witch. In the frame story, four English children are relocated to a large, old country house following a wartime evacuation. The youngest, Lucy, visits Narnia three times via the magic of a wardrobe in a spare room. Lucy’s three siblings are with her on her third visit to Narnia. In Narnia, the siblings seem fit to fulfill an old prophecy and find themselves adventuring to save Narnia and their own lives. The lion Aslan gives his life to save one of the children. He, later, rises from the dead, vanquishes the White Witch and crowns the children Kings and Queens of Narnia.
[Source]
The Lucy in the story was based on Lucy Barfield, C. S. Lewis’s goddaughter and daughter of Owen Barfield.
Main Characters
Plot Summary
Rewrites
1967 British TV Serial
1979 Animated TV Film
1988 British TV Serial
2005 British-American Theatrical Film
October 17, 2019 at 2:57 AM
One of my favourite books. Read it so many times and now going to read it again.
October 17, 2019 at 3:26 AM
One of my faves, too.
October 17, 2019 at 2:00 PM
I never read this but always wanted to. I read the Harry Potter books but not this.
October 17, 2019 at 7:42 PM
I read it as a kid and got to see the 1988 Brit TV series. I’ve had a fascination with wardrobes ever since. A wardrobe is a key piece in the TV show The Hidden Room.
October 17, 2019 at 7:36 PM
This is an excellent series. I several copies of the set. i have worn out copies reading and re-reading it. I love these books. Have you read ‘ Out of A Silent Planet’ and two others from the same author. That is another favorite of mine. Perelandra and That hideous strength. Worth the time to read
October 17, 2019 at 8:40 PM
I read this as a kid and developed a fascination with wardrobes that continues to this day. I don’t recall having access to the other books. Not in my school library? I don’t remember.
I haven’t read any of his other stuff but, I have seen the 1988 Brit TV series & the theatrical stuff from 2005 on.
October 17, 2019 at 7:44 PM
i am still a kid…lol…i never tire of reading those lovely books
October 17, 2019 at 9:56 PM
Oh how I SOBBED when Aslan died!! It was only many years later I wondered if this had biblical analogies.
October 17, 2019 at 10:10 PM
I cried, too.
Lewis was very religious. Resurrection, anyone?
October 17, 2019 at 10:32 PM
Exactly. Once you ‘see’ that, you can never re read without it being present. Aslan died to save everyone and then rise again? Not even subtle – but at least plagiarising the Bible won’t have you up in a Sons of Adam court!!
October 17, 2019 at 10:33 PM
Yeah, C.S. Lewis was an interesting guy. A lot going on there.
October 17, 2019 at 11:59 PM
He did, indeed.