- Paperback: 212 pages
- Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (July 13 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0802829848
- ISBN-13: 978-0802829849
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.5 x 1.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 299 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,853,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Schakel, author of Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia and Imagination and the Arts in C.S. Lewis, combines material from those books with new insights in this perceptive and thorough reader's guide. The book is driven by Schakel's conviction that "the best way to enter Narnia is to read the Chronicles as fairy tales," and to that end, he offers an essay on how Lewis's notion of the fairy tale was profoundly shaped by his friend J.R.R. Tolkien's definitions of faeries and fantasy worlds. Schakel can be refreshingly opinionated, such as when he admonishes readers who try to read the Narnia series as a strict allegory: "they are tempted to look for one-to-one parallels between characters, objects, and events in Narnia and corresponding ones in the Bible. However, that is not the way Lewis wanted the Chronicles to be read. Instead, he proposes "broad patterns of Christian meaning" in the series, analyzing each novel and discussing how each employs elements of the fairy tale to construct those patterns. Schakel's guide is sometimes scholarly in approach (which is not surprising, as he is an English professor and a Lewis scholar), incorporating, for example, a detailed essay on the textual differences between various editions of the Chronicles and a thorough discussion of the vexing question of the order in which they should be read. He also offers an engaging biographical essay on Lewis and almost 80 pages of annotations at the end of the book, "clarifying...archaic words, identifying allusions, indicating parallels to other works of Lewis, and offering interpretive comments for problematic passages."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
The practical companion you need for your journey through C. S. Lewiss Chronicles of Narnia How did a middle-aged professor with no children write books that have become beloved classics of childrens literature? What is the best order for reading the Chronicles of Narnia? Whatever ones question, offers valuable guidance for first-time visitors to Narnia and fresh insights for those who have already traveled there often. Exploring ideas from Lewiss friend J. R. R. Tolkien, Peter Schakel shows that the best way to enter Narnia is to read the Chronicles as fairy tales. After walking readers through each of the books, he concludes the tour with a unique section of annotations that clarify unfamiliar words and unusual passages.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Way Into Narnia Inspires,
By jersey girl (usa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Way into Narnia: A Readers Guide (Paperback)
Having read the Chronicles of Narnia in excess of 25 times, I was amazed that Peter Schakel's _The Way Into Narnia_ inspired me to read them yet again. For many years I have read these books with my students in the order in which they were originally published because nothing thrills me more than hearing a child exclaim, "so THAT'S how the lampost got there!" This is a sentiment that readers are cheated of if they read them chronologically. Schakel makes this point in his book, and several other, more scholarly reasons, that I had never considered.He also compares the versions of the books and supplies the reader with the alternate ending of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which today's reader will miss. Another plus is the "glossary" of archaic and British terms so often used by Lewis in the Chronicles. _The Way Into Narnia_ is well written, readable in its own right, and is suitible for the first time reader and the Lewis scholar alike. A must read for any lover of Narnia.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews) 11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Narnia commentaries,
By jersey girl - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Way into Narnia: A Readers Guide (Paperback)
Having read the Chronicles of Narnia in excess of 25 times, I was amazed that Peter Schakel's _The Way Into Narnia_ inspired me to read them yet again. For many years I have read these books with my students in the order in which they were originally published because nothing thrills me more than hearing a child exclaim, "so THAT'S how the lampost got there!" This is a sentiment that readers are cheated of if they read them chronologically. Schakel makes this point in his book, along with several other, more scholarly reasons that I had not considered.He also compares the versions of the books and supplies the reader with Lewis's alternate ending of the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Another plus is the "glossary" of archaic and British terms so often used by Lewis in the Chronicles. _The Way Into Narnia_ is well written, readable in its own right, and is suitible for the first time reader and the Lewis scholar alike. A must read for any lover of Narnia. 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A guide written especially for first-time readers of Lewis' beloved classics of children's literature,
By Midwest Book Review - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Way into Narnia: A Readers Guide (Paperback)
Professor of English and internationally respected student of C.S. Lewis' work Peter Schakel presents The Way Into Narnia, a guide written especially for first-time readers of Lewis' beloved classics of children's literature. Suggesting that the best way to enter Narnia is to read the Chronicles of Narnia as fairy tales, The Way Into Narnia walks the reader through each of the seven books and concludes the tour with a section of annotations meant to clarify unfamiliar words and unusual written passages. Especially recommended for lay readers and beginning literature scholars seeking greater familiarity with the series, The Way Into Narnia is a highly recommended supplement for getting the most out of Lewis' immortal stories.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Way Into Narnia-A "Must" for all Narnia travelers and adventurers,
By Jon Kay "jonkay34" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Way into Narnia: A Readers Guide (Paperback)
Peter J. Schakel's "The Way Into Narnia: A Reader's Guide" is a fascinating, in-depth look into the beautiful realm of C. S. Lewis's land of Narnia. In each chapter Schakel develops and shapes the key underlying ideas that are hidden just under the surface of all seven of the Chronicles. Schakel's "Guide" is a great companion to use while reading the Narnia series. Not only is Schakel's approach intelligent and enlightening, but it is also fun and very user/reader-friendly. "The Way Into Narnia" is a treasure...I only wish I had it when I was reading Lewis's series the first time! Perfect for anyone wanting to learn what lies beneath the surface and have a clearer understanding of why Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia. Also quite helpful are the annotations and the chapter discussing the order of the series.
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