The Magician's Nephew
by C. S. Lewis
The Chronicles of Narnia-Chronological (1), The Chronicles of Narnia: Publication order (6)
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When Digory and Polly try to return the wicked witch Jadis to her own world, the magic gets mixed up and they all land in Narnia where they witness Aslan blessing the animals with human speech.Tags
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This is by far my favorite on the series. I loved rereading it and watching Diggory discover the consequences of his actions and the joys of helping others. I love the story, start to finish, and it was so fun to read with my daughter.
“Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!”
“Oh, Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!”
In nineteenth century London, Digory and his dying mother come to live with his aunt and uncle... an uncle who Digory at first believes to be mad, but who he soon discovers to be a magician (of sorts), and a very unscrupulous one at that. When his friend Polly is sent out of this World into an unknown place by his uncle’s experiments, Digory has no choice but to follow to bring her back. But Digory and Polly bring back far more than they bargained for: the evil Queen Jadis who had destroyed her own world of Charn, and who quickly causes chaos on the streets of London. And the children’s attempt to return her to Charn does not quite go according to plan ...
When I was a child I loved C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books above pretty much all show more others, and of all those books probably my favourite was The Magician’s Nephew. The story tells what is effectively a creation myth for the land of Narnia, but it’s more than half way through before Narnia is even thought of, and the sections in Charn and London in the first half are equally enjoyable. It’s quite dark at times (there is no doubt that the Queen Jadis is truly evil and will sacrifice everything and everyone to get her own way) and it also has very amusing sections:
The talking animals of Narnia, led by the Elephant try to decide whether Uncle Andrew is an animal or a tree:
On rereading this I would have to give it five stars, if only to reflect the pleasure that it gave me as a child. But really it was absolutely a joy to reread now, so the rating is fully justified. show less
When I was a child I loved C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books above pretty much all show more others, and of all those books probably my favourite was The Magician’s Nephew. The story tells what is effectively a creation myth for the land of Narnia, but it’s more than half way through before Narnia is even thought of, and the sections in Charn and London in the first half are equally enjoyable. It’s quite dark at times (there is no doubt that the Queen Jadis is truly evil and will sacrifice everything and everyone to get her own way) and it also has very amusing sections:
The talking animals of Narnia, led by the Elephant try to decide whether Uncle Andrew is an animal or a tree:
“What do most of us think? Is it an animal or something of the tree kind?”
“Tree! Tree!” said a dozen voices.
“Very Well,” said the Elephant. “Then, if it’s a tree it wants to be planted. We must dig a hole.”
The two Moles settled that part of the business pretty quickly. There was some dispute as to which way up Uncle Andrew ought to be put into the hole, and he had a very narrow escape from being put in head foremost. Several animals said his legs must be his branches and therefore the grey, fluffy thing (they meant his head) must be his root. But then others said that the forked end of him was muddier and that it spread out more as roots ought to do. So finally he was planted right way up. When they had patted down the earth it came above his knees.
“It looks dreadfully withered,” said the Donkey.
“Of course it wants some watering, “ said the Elephant.
On rereading this I would have to give it five stars, if only to reflect the pleasure that it gave me as a child. But really it was absolutely a joy to reread now, so the rating is fully justified. show less
First sentence: This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began.
Premise/plot: In this sixth book in the series, Lewis takes us back to 'in the beginning.' The Magician's Nephew introduces readers to the Professor when he was just a young boy, Digory. The adventures concern Digory, his friend and neighbor, Polly, and Digory's very foolish and slightly wicked uncle who sees himself as a MAGICIAN. The magician manipulates and tricks the children into taking part in his experiment--yellow rings and green rings, traveling to other worlds. Digory gives into temptation show more and awakens an evil queen named Jardis. This one has plenty of action but also a great deal of beauty. Readers witness the creation of Narnia, witness Aslan speaking--or singing--the world into being, witness Aslan establishing order and making provisions for his creation.
My thoughts: I really do like this one. I hate that some people want to make this the first in the series. But the story itself is well worth reading. It has so many great scenes, in particular the creation of Narnia is quite mesmerizing.
ETA: I listened to this one on audio in June/July 2025. I listened to the audio by Kenneth Branagh.
Favorite quotes:
“Oh, I see. You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I’m sure, and I’m very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys—and servants—and women—and even people in general, can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.”
“Silence, sir!” said Uncle Andrew, bringing his hand down on the table. “I will not be talked to like that by a little, dirty, schoolboy. You don’t understand. I am the great scholar, the magician, the adept, who is doing the experiment. Of course I need subjects to do it on. Bless my soul, you’ll be telling me next that I ought to have asked the guinea-pigs’ permission before I used them! No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. But the idea of my going myself is ridiculous. It’s like asking a general to fight as a common soldier. Supposing I got killed, what would become of my life’s work?”
“Very well. I’ll go. But there’s one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn’t believe in Magic till today. I see now it’s real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you’re simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I’ve never read a story in which people of that sort weren’t paid out in the end, and I bet you will be. And serve you right.”
“There’s not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you’re afraid to look at them when you’ve got there.”
“Don’t you understand?” said the Queen (still speaking to Digory). “I was the Queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will?” “It was rather hard luck on them, all the same,” said he. “I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.”
Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.
In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.
The earth was of many colors; they were fresh, hot and vivid. They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else. It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away.
THE LION WAS PACING TO AND FRO about that empty land and singing his new song. It was softer and more lilting than the song by which he had called up the stars and the sun; a gentle, rippling music. And as he walked and sang the valley grew green with grass. It spread out from the Lion like a pool. It ran up the sides of the little hills like a wave. In a few minutes it was creeping up the lower slopes of the distant mountains, making that young world every moment softer. The light wind could now be heard ruffling the grass. Soon there were other things besides grass. The higher slopes grew dark with heather. Patches of rougher and more bristling green appeared in the valley. Digory did not know what they were until one began coming up quite close to him. It was a little, spiky thing that threw out dozens of arms and covered these arms with green and grew larger at the rate of about an inch every two seconds. There were dozens of these things all round him now. When they were nearly as tall as himself he saw what they were. “Trees!” he exclaimed.
IT WAS OF COURSE THE LION’S VOICE. The children had long felt sure that he could speak: yet it was a lovely and terrible shock when he did. Out of the trees wild people stepped forth, gods and goddesses of the wood; with them came Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs. Out of the river rose the river god with his Naiad daughters. And all these and all the beasts and birds in their different voices, low or high or thick or clear, replied: “Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know.”
“Creatures, I give you yourselves,” said the strong, happy voice of Aslan. “I give to you forever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return.
For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.
Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.
“Foolish boy,” said the Witch. “Why do you run from me? I mean you no harm. If you do not stop and listen to me now, you will miss some knowledge that would have made you happy all your life.” “Well I don’t want to hear it, thanks,” said Digory. But he did. “I know what errand you have come on,” continued the Witch. “For it was I who was close beside you in the woods last night and heard all your counsels. You have plucked fruit in the garden yonder. You have it in your pocket now. And you are going to carry it back, untasted, to the Lion; for him to eat, for him to use. You simpleton! Do you know what that fruit is? I will tell you. It is the apple of youth, the apple of life. I know, for I have tasted it; and I feel already such changes in myself that I know I shall never grow old or die. Eat it, Boy, eat it; and you and I will both live forever and be king and queen of this whole world—or of your world, if we decide to go back there.” show less
Premise/plot: In this sixth book in the series, Lewis takes us back to 'in the beginning.' The Magician's Nephew introduces readers to the Professor when he was just a young boy, Digory. The adventures concern Digory, his friend and neighbor, Polly, and Digory's very foolish and slightly wicked uncle who sees himself as a MAGICIAN. The magician manipulates and tricks the children into taking part in his experiment--yellow rings and green rings, traveling to other worlds. Digory gives into temptation show more and awakens an evil queen named Jardis. This one has plenty of action but also a great deal of beauty. Readers witness the creation of Narnia, witness Aslan speaking--or singing--the world into being, witness Aslan establishing order and making provisions for his creation.
My thoughts: I really do like this one. I hate that some people want to make this the first in the series. But the story itself is well worth reading. It has so many great scenes, in particular the creation of Narnia is quite mesmerizing.
ETA: I listened to this one on audio in June/July 2025. I listened to the audio by Kenneth Branagh.
Favorite quotes:
“Oh, I see. You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I’m sure, and I’m very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys—and servants—and women—and even people in general, can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.”
“Silence, sir!” said Uncle Andrew, bringing his hand down on the table. “I will not be talked to like that by a little, dirty, schoolboy. You don’t understand. I am the great scholar, the magician, the adept, who is doing the experiment. Of course I need subjects to do it on. Bless my soul, you’ll be telling me next that I ought to have asked the guinea-pigs’ permission before I used them! No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice. But the idea of my going myself is ridiculous. It’s like asking a general to fight as a common soldier. Supposing I got killed, what would become of my life’s work?”
“Very well. I’ll go. But there’s one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn’t believe in Magic till today. I see now it’s real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you’re simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I’ve never read a story in which people of that sort weren’t paid out in the end, and I bet you will be. And serve you right.”
“There’s not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you’re afraid to look at them when you’ve got there.”
“Don’t you understand?” said the Queen (still speaking to Digory). “I was the Queen. They were all my people. What else were they there for but to do my will?” “It was rather hard luck on them, all the same,” said he. “I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.”
Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.
In the darkness something was happening at last. A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the earth herself. There were no words. There was hardly even a tune. But it was, beyond comparison, the most beautiful noise he had ever heard. It was so beautiful he could hardly bear it.
The earth was of many colors; they were fresh, hot and vivid. They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else. It was a Lion. Huge, shaggy, and bright, it stood facing the risen sun. Its mouth was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away.
THE LION WAS PACING TO AND FRO about that empty land and singing his new song. It was softer and more lilting than the song by which he had called up the stars and the sun; a gentle, rippling music. And as he walked and sang the valley grew green with grass. It spread out from the Lion like a pool. It ran up the sides of the little hills like a wave. In a few minutes it was creeping up the lower slopes of the distant mountains, making that young world every moment softer. The light wind could now be heard ruffling the grass. Soon there were other things besides grass. The higher slopes grew dark with heather. Patches of rougher and more bristling green appeared in the valley. Digory did not know what they were until one began coming up quite close to him. It was a little, spiky thing that threw out dozens of arms and covered these arms with green and grew larger at the rate of about an inch every two seconds. There were dozens of these things all round him now. When they were nearly as tall as himself he saw what they were. “Trees!” he exclaimed.
IT WAS OF COURSE THE LION’S VOICE. The children had long felt sure that he could speak: yet it was a lovely and terrible shock when he did. Out of the trees wild people stepped forth, gods and goddesses of the wood; with them came Fauns and Satyrs and Dwarfs. Out of the river rose the river god with his Naiad daughters. And all these and all the beasts and birds in their different voices, low or high or thick or clear, replied: “Hail, Aslan. We hear and obey. We are awake. We love. We think. We speak. We know.”
“Creatures, I give you yourselves,” said the strong, happy voice of Aslan. “I give to you forever this land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return.
For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.
Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.
“Foolish boy,” said the Witch. “Why do you run from me? I mean you no harm. If you do not stop and listen to me now, you will miss some knowledge that would have made you happy all your life.” “Well I don’t want to hear it, thanks,” said Digory. But he did. “I know what errand you have come on,” continued the Witch. “For it was I who was close beside you in the woods last night and heard all your counsels. You have plucked fruit in the garden yonder. You have it in your pocket now. And you are going to carry it back, untasted, to the Lion; for him to eat, for him to use. You simpleton! Do you know what that fruit is? I will tell you. It is the apple of youth, the apple of life. I know, for I have tasted it; and I feel already such changes in myself that I know I shall never grow old or die. Eat it, Boy, eat it; and you and I will both live forever and be king and queen of this whole world—or of your world, if we decide to go back there.” show less
"When I was 15 I finally decided it was high time I read the entire Narnia series. Up until then I'd only watched The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In my set of Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew is labeled as the 6th book in the series. However, I recently noticed another set that labeled it as the first book. This made me curious about where the book ""should"" fit in the reading order. So even though I still hadn't read Horse and His Boy or Silver Chair, I jumped ahead to read The Magician's Nephew.
I can see why some people would push for this book to be the first in the reading order. Plot-wise, it takes place before the others. However, the way the narrator explains things makes it clear that it is anticipated that show more the reader already knows something of Narnia, Aslan and the others. Also, when thinking about the other Narnia books, there is a lot of enjoyment to be gained through the mystery and surprise of the way the story is laid out. If you'd already read Magician's Nephew, I think you might lose some of the excitement in discovering Narnia and its magic. Still, if you want to be a chronological plot reader, there isn't anything that would preclude you from starting here. It is definitely a stand alone story and does a good job of keeping the reader informed of anything they might need to know.
As to the plot itself, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I think I was expecting Digory and Polly to hop into Narnia within a few chapters and have most of their adventures there. Instead there was a fair amount of build up around the characters and their lives in London followed by magical adventures not in Narnia but in other worlds.
I enjoy Lewis's narrative style in these books. I love the way the narrator speaks to the reader directly in a friendly and casual way. This conversational attitude makes the book seem more intimate and likely makes it more approachable to younger readers. I particularly enjoy the little asides where the narrator comments on the behavior of good little boys and girls or says things like ""surely you wouldn't do this, but [this character] doesn't know any better."" It's sort of an off-handed teaching tool to emphasize ""correct"" behavior.
The story in Magician's Nephew is really a lot of fun. Where The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and Dawn Treader all involve large scale adventures set in Narnia, this book is focused on the smaller scale adventures of Digory and Polly, the idea of magic and other worlds, and the nature of people.
There are a lot of very creative and intriguing ideas in this book. There are sets of magical rings to transport the wearer between worlds (although, as the narrator explains, the Magician doesn't truly understand how or why they really work like they do). There is a strange World Between Worlds where a person has access to any world throughout the wide universe. There are worlds dying and dead through curses and greed. There are new worlds being born from out of nothing.
As with his other books, I could definitely see the Christian themes running through this novel. As is true of the others, he doesn't come right out and preach to the reader, but if you are familiar with your Bible stories (particularly the creation story), you will find a lot of similarities. And yet, this book is much more than a simple retelling of a Bible story in a fantasy world. Lewis provides us with fantastic and fun adventures alongside simple moral lessons of pride, wisdom, honesty, mercy and others.
I especially loved the story thread running in the background about Digory's mother who is slowly dying. Without spoiling the plot points too much, I just want to say that I really loved the way Digory is faced with very difficult choices and has to make decisions based on the balance between his desires and his integrity. The internal turmoil he faces are really insightful.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. In many ways, it's my favorite in the Narnia series. At the same time, it's different enough from the other Narnia books I've read that it's hard to make a direct comparison. I love the imagery, language and themes that run through this book. I love the fabulous conversational way the narrative is presented to facilitate both enjoyment and teaching. I love the fun and creative fantasy elements and how they are used to present a commentary on human nature and larger themes. It is definitely aimed at children from a structural and plot perspective but it has greater depth which should appeal to and entertain older readers as well.
Interesting quotes that I didn't include in the review:
The Last Passage
" show less
I can see why some people would push for this book to be the first in the reading order. Plot-wise, it takes place before the others. However, the way the narrator explains things makes it clear that it is anticipated that show more the reader already knows something of Narnia, Aslan and the others. Also, when thinking about the other Narnia books, there is a lot of enjoyment to be gained through the mystery and surprise of the way the story is laid out. If you'd already read Magician's Nephew, I think you might lose some of the excitement in discovering Narnia and its magic. Still, if you want to be a chronological plot reader, there isn't anything that would preclude you from starting here. It is definitely a stand alone story and does a good job of keeping the reader informed of anything they might need to know.
As to the plot itself, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I think I was expecting Digory and Polly to hop into Narnia within a few chapters and have most of their adventures there. Instead there was a fair amount of build up around the characters and their lives in London followed by magical adventures not in Narnia but in other worlds.
I enjoy Lewis's narrative style in these books. I love the way the narrator speaks to the reader directly in a friendly and casual way. This conversational attitude makes the book seem more intimate and likely makes it more approachable to younger readers. I particularly enjoy the little asides where the narrator comments on the behavior of good little boys and girls or says things like ""surely you wouldn't do this, but [this character] doesn't know any better."" It's sort of an off-handed teaching tool to emphasize ""correct"" behavior.
The story in Magician's Nephew is really a lot of fun. Where The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and Dawn Treader all involve large scale adventures set in Narnia, this book is focused on the smaller scale adventures of Digory and Polly, the idea of magic and other worlds, and the nature of people.
There are a lot of very creative and intriguing ideas in this book. There are sets of magical rings to transport the wearer between worlds (although, as the narrator explains, the Magician doesn't truly understand how or why they really work like they do). There is a strange World Between Worlds where a person has access to any world throughout the wide universe. There are worlds dying and dead through curses and greed. There are new worlds being born from out of nothing.
As with his other books, I could definitely see the Christian themes running through this novel. As is true of the others, he doesn't come right out and preach to the reader, but if you are familiar with your Bible stories (particularly the creation story), you will find a lot of similarities. And yet, this book is much more than a simple retelling of a Bible story in a fantasy world. Lewis provides us with fantastic and fun adventures alongside simple moral lessons of pride, wisdom, honesty, mercy and others.
I especially loved the story thread running in the background about Digory's mother who is slowly dying. Without spoiling the plot points too much, I just want to say that I really loved the way Digory is faced with very difficult choices and has to make decisions based on the balance between his desires and his integrity. The internal turmoil he faces are really insightful.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. In many ways, it's my favorite in the Narnia series. At the same time, it's different enough from the other Narnia books I've read that it's hard to make a direct comparison. I love the imagery, language and themes that run through this book. I love the fabulous conversational way the narrative is presented to facilitate both enjoyment and teaching. I love the fun and creative fantasy elements and how they are used to present a commentary on human nature and larger themes. It is definitely aimed at children from a structural and plot perspective but it has greater depth which should appeal to and entertain older readers as well.
Interesting quotes that I didn't include in the review:
Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.
What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.
The Last Passage
It was like this. The tree which sprang from the Apple that Digory planted in the back garden, lived and grew into a fine tree. Growing in the soil of our world, far out of the sound of Aslan’s voice and far from the young air of Narnia, it did not bear apples that would revive a dying woman as Digory’s Mother had been revived, though it did bear apples more beautiful than any others in England, and they were extremely good for you, though not fully magical. But inside itself, in the very sap of it, the tree (so to speak) never forgot that other tree in Narnia to which it belonged. Sometimes it would move mysteriously when there was no wind blowing: I think that when this happened there were high winds in Narnia and the English tree quivered because, at that moment, the Narnia tree was rocking and swaying in a strong southwestern gale. However that might be, it was proved later that there was still magic in its wood. For when Digory was quite middle-aged (and he was a famous learned man, a Professor, and a great traveler by that time) and the Ketterleys’ old house belonged to him, there was a great storm all over the south of England which blew the tree down. He couldn’t bear to have it simply chopped up for firewood, so he had part of the timber made into a wardrobe, which he put in his big house in the country. And though he himself did not discover the magic properties of that wardrobe, someone else did. That was the beginning of all the comings and goings between Narnia and our world, which you can read of in other books.
When Digory and his people went to live in the big country house, they took Uncle Andrew to live with them; for Digory’s Father said, “We must try to keep the old fellow out of mischief, and it isn’t fair that poor Letty should have him always on her hands.” Uncle Andrew never tried any Magic again as long as he lived. He had learned his lesson, and in his old age he became a nicer and less selfish old man than he had ever been before. But he always liked to get visitors alone in the billiard-room and tell them stories about a mysterious lady, a foreign royalty, with whom he had driven about London. “A devilish temper she had,” he would say. “But she was a dem fine woman, sir, a dem fine woman.”
Reading this as an adult is weird. Now the allegory is clear and overwhelming. The creation of Narnia, the lands and the animals and the plants, feels just as improbable and poorly-thought out as the creation in Genesis. No bugs at all, which is nice from a picnic perspective, but really wreaks havoc on decomposition. Where does Aslan come from? Does he have a ring in his pocket? Hours in to the creation of this new world, the talking animals have the idea to plant Uncle Andrew. But nothing has ever been planted before. How does Aslan decide what kinds of trees and animals he wants? While the elephant is necessary from a plot perspective, it seems an unlikely creature for a temperate forested climate much like England's.
I was really show more enjoying it up until Narnia. I still love the idea of the attic spaces and cisterns. And I'm okay with a witch queen who has the power to destroy all forms of life on her planet, because who doesn't want that kind of power sometimes? Weirdly, I'm even okay with the idea that there are all these different universes which exist only as pretty backdrops to a single planet in each. But if Lewis was going to take only large mammals from earth, why didn't he just go ahead and fill up an ark at the London Zoo? It would have been more plausible as a way to get one male and one female each of those particular species. And where are all those monsters that appear in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe going to come from? Is Aslan going to start singing death metal?
***
Finished last night. It's not a great book, I don't think. How came these dwarves to arise from a song, fully informed with their mining and goldsmithing skills? did Aslan sing up the anvil, too? All the religious stuff just bugs me now, because it seems to raise more questions than it answers. But, wow, does Lewis tell his story well. He had us laughing at all the right points. He's a charming snake oil salesman, so charming that you don't notice all the trickery, until the next morning when your pocket is empty. show less
I was really show more enjoying it up until Narnia. I still love the idea of the attic spaces and cisterns. And I'm okay with a witch queen who has the power to destroy all forms of life on her planet, because who doesn't want that kind of power sometimes? Weirdly, I'm even okay with the idea that there are all these different universes which exist only as pretty backdrops to a single planet in each. But if Lewis was going to take only large mammals from earth, why didn't he just go ahead and fill up an ark at the London Zoo? It would have been more plausible as a way to get one male and one female each of those particular species. And where are all those monsters that appear in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe going to come from? Is Aslan going to start singing death metal?
***
Finished last night. It's not a great book, I don't think. How came these dwarves to arise from a song, fully informed with their mining and goldsmithing skills? did Aslan sing up the anvil, too? All the religious stuff just bugs me now, because it seems to raise more questions than it answers. But, wow, does Lewis tell his story well. He had us laughing at all the right points. He's a charming snake oil salesman, so charming that you don't notice all the trickery, until the next morning when your pocket is empty. show less
One of the advantages of reading this in publication order (especially to kids) is that you get those "that's where the wardrobe came from!" moments. So fun! I loved seeing the creation of Narnia (singing it into being is so cool!) and how evil enters the brand new world. I like how Aslan is so compassionate and yet also so implacable on the question of good and evil. Evil actions have unavoidable consequences that are more connected with who we are than with some imposition from the outside. Food for thought for a Christian adult and lots of fun for kids.
First, about the numbering: This book should NOT be read first in the Narnia series. It was actually the sixth of the seven Narnia books that Lewis wrote. The remarkably clueless publishers renumbered the series recently, placing The Magician's Nephew first, but that simply ruins what is otherwise a lovely surprise: the origin of the Wardrobe from The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. And from the internal text, it's clear that TL,TW,&TW should be read first. It's in that book that Lewis introduces Aslan, after all.
However, rather than read the series in strict publication order, I chose to read The Magician's Nephew to my son, Sebastian, as the second book in the series. That enhances the surprise at the end, and answered some show more questions that he'd been asking as we read TL,TW,&TW while they were still fresh in his mind.
The connection of this book to the Pevensies, the four children from TL,TW,&TW, is comparatively tenuous compared to all the other books in the series (except for The Horse and His Boy, which is the only book in the series to have no connection with them at all). However, the link to the Wardrobe that is revealed at the end was more than enough to interest and delight my son.
We follow two English children, Digory and Polly, through some very memorable world-crossing adventures that end up bringing them into the origin of Narnia. Lewis had a gift for imagery, and his Wood Between the Worlds is particularly strong and memorable - as is dead, accursed Charn.
This turned out to be one of Sebastian's favorite books in the series so far, in large part due to the comical but frightening character of Uncle Andrew, the Magician of the book. Sebastian connected with the characters and the story right away, more easily than he did with TL,TW,&TW.
The one drawback is that the illustrations in this particular edition are rather dull and literal. I much preferred the simpler and more imaginative illustrations from the editions that I read when I was young. They had an almost art deco style that reminded me of Tolkien's illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. show less
However, rather than read the series in strict publication order, I chose to read The Magician's Nephew to my son, Sebastian, as the second book in the series. That enhances the surprise at the end, and answered some show more questions that he'd been asking as we read TL,TW,&TW while they were still fresh in his mind.
The connection of this book to the Pevensies, the four children from TL,TW,&TW, is comparatively tenuous compared to all the other books in the series (except for The Horse and His Boy, which is the only book in the series to have no connection with them at all). However, the link to the Wardrobe that is revealed at the end was more than enough to interest and delight my son.
We follow two English children, Digory and Polly, through some very memorable world-crossing adventures that end up bringing them into the origin of Narnia. Lewis had a gift for imagery, and his Wood Between the Worlds is particularly strong and memorable - as is dead, accursed Charn.
This turned out to be one of Sebastian's favorite books in the series so far, in large part due to the comical but frightening character of Uncle Andrew, the Magician of the book. Sebastian connected with the characters and the story right away, more easily than he did with TL,TW,&TW.
The one drawback is that the illustrations in this particular edition are rather dull and literal. I much preferred the simpler and more imaginative illustrations from the editions that I read when I was young. They had an almost art deco style that reminded me of Tolkien's illustrations for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. show less
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Author Information

538+ Works 524,270 Members
C. S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, "Jack" to his intimates, was born on November 29, 1898 in Belfast, Ireland. His mother died when he was 10 years old and his lawyer father allowed Lewis and his brother Warren extensive freedom. The pair were extremely close and they took full advantage of this freedom, learning on their own and frequently enjoying show more games of make-believe. These early activities led to Lewis's lifelong attraction to fantasy and mythology, often reflected in his writing. He enjoyed writing about, and reading, literature of the past, publishing such works as the award-winning The Allegory of Love (1936), about the period of history known as the Middle Ages. Although at one time Lewis considered himself an atheist, he soon became fascinated with religion. He is probably best known for his books for young adults, such as his Chronicles of Narnia series. This fantasy series, as well as such works as The Screwtape Letters (a collection of letters written by the devil), is typical of the author's interest in mixing religion and mythology, evident in both his fictional works and nonfiction articles. Lewis served with the Somerset Light Infantry in World War I; for nearly 30 years he served as Fellow and tutor of Magdalen College at Oxford University. Later, he became Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University. C.S. Lewis married late in life, in 1957, and his wife, writer Joy Davidman, died of cancer in 1960. He remained at Cambridge until his death on November 22, 1963. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
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Awards
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Is contained in
The Complete Works: Fantasy & Sci-Fi Novels, Religious Studies, Poetry & Autobiography: Enriched edition. The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy, The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis (indirect)
The Magician's Nephew / The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe / The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis
Has the adaptation
Is abridged in
Has as a commentary on the text
Has as a student's study guide
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Magician's Nephew
- Original title
- The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Magicians Nephew
- Alternate titles*
- The magician's nephew; 魔術家的外甥; 納尼亞傳奇 6 :魔術家的外甥
- Original publication date
- 1955
- People/Characters
- Digory Kirke; Polly Plummer; Andrew Ketterley; Jadis (Narnia); Aslan; King Frank (show all 10); Fledge (Strawberry); Queen Helen; Letty Ketterley; Mabel Kirke
- Important places
- London, England, UK; Charn; The Wood Between the Worlds; Narnia; England, UK
- Important events
- Creation of Narnia
- Dedication
- To the Kilmer family
- First words
- This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child.
- Quotations
- A terrible thirst and hunger came over him and a longing to taste that fruit. He put it hastily into his pocket; but there were plenty of others. Could it be wrong to taste one? After all, he thought, the notice on the gate m... (show all)ight not have been exactly an order; it might have been only a piece of advice - and who cares about advice?
Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.
For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"But she was a dem fine woman, sir, a dem fine woman."
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 823.087661
- Disambiguation notice
- Please do NOT combine "The Magician's Nephew" with "The Chronicles of Narnia".
Unabridged - please do NOT combine with any abridged edition.
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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- PZ7 .L58474 .M — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
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