Reviews
From Spare Oom to War Drobe: Travels in Narnia with My Nine-Year-Old Self by Katherine Langrish
eatingfiction's review
5.0
This is a beautifully balanced book. It's full of insights into Lewis's themes & influences throughout the stories of Narnia, showing what he's saying and where he may have been inspired from. There were many connections and ideas I had never noticed. It was truly fascinating as a literature nerd.
At the same time, the author brings in the perspectives of her Nine-Year-Old self, the young girl who truly, deeply loved this series. It was great (and relatable to my own childhood) to get the insights of her personal experience.
Despite her obvious deep love for the books, Katherine Langrish does not hesitate to discuss the more difficult, controversial, and challenging topics. And she doesn't sugarcoat it. Was C.S. Lewis racist? Sexist? Why, why on Earth, did he do that to poor Susan? She tackled these questions with honesty & great depth.
I highly recommend this as a companion for rereading the Chronicles of Narnia. My only real gripe is that it follows the chronological order for the series, whereas I prefer publication order... but that's just me.
At the same time, the author brings in the perspectives of her Nine-Year-Old self, the young girl who truly, deeply loved this series. It was great (and relatable to my own childhood) to get the insights of her personal experience.
Despite her obvious deep love for the books, Katherine Langrish does not hesitate to discuss the more difficult, controversial, and challenging topics. And she doesn't sugarcoat it. Was C.S. Lewis racist? Sexist? Why, why on Earth, did he do that to poor Susan? She tackled these questions with honesty & great depth.
I highly recommend this as a companion for rereading the Chronicles of Narnia. My only real gripe is that it follows the chronological order for the series, whereas I prefer publication order... but that's just me.
lory_enterenchanted's review
Read this to finish off the Narniathon - it was nice to revisit the stories, and Langrish had some interesting commentary to make, but there was way too much plot summary. The book cannot be for someone who hasn't read the Narnia books -- they wouldn't be interested in all the sources for something they have not read yet, and reading Langrish's paraphrases would only spoil the experience for them -- and for someone who has read them, is it really necessary to go on at such length? It was more of a book-length paraphrase with a few notes scattered within, than an original book in its own right.
And most of the notes were about comparisons to literary sources of similar motifs and plotlines, which were interesting, but there is so much more to say. What about Lewis's life? What about what was going on in history and society? What about theological ideas? The latter is touched on a bit, the others hardly at all.
Some good things:
I had not noticed how full the books are of blood, vs. the bloodlessness of Tolkien, so that was an interesting point. Battles and blood have always been something I skip over and don't imagine very thoroughly though.
"Lewis is most successful when he works within the framework of his imaginary world, not when he tries to break out of it." (Introduction) True.
"This isn't a story 'about' repentance and baptism: this is the _experience_ of which repentance and baptism are the symbols." (Voyage of the Dawn Treader, about Eustace's undragoning) A neat way to put it, and points up the importance of seeing the stories as something in their own right and not just allegories.
Further to that, she quotes Lewis writing of Bunyan, "We ought not to be thinking 'this green valley where the shepherd boy is singing, represents humility,'; we ought to be discovering, as we read, that humility is like that green valley." (The Silver Chair) This is why the Narnia books succeed, when they do: they give us an experience of discovery of imaginative realities. When they try too hard to hit us over the head with Messages, as in The Last Battle, they don't work.
"What I drew from the Narnia books has stayed with me for life: the colour, richness and beauty, the breadth, depth, and glory of the world." (The Silver Chair) My sentiments exactly.
The critique of The Last Battle is good. Again, I didn't notice the inconsistencies or stupid strategic moves of Tirian as a battle leader, because I never care much about battles and cannot keep geography or strategy straight in my head. I must say that I never get bored with Lewis's battles, though, unlike Tolkien's. He keeps up the storytelling pace marvellously.
I entirely agree with Langrish's critique of the treatment of Susan (the worst thing is that her family seems to write her off completely), and Emeth the Token Good Calormene, who really has no likeable qualities and also worships a horrible demon.
Oh, in the Horse and His Boy chapter she points out that Calormene can't have any magical or beautiful qualities, which could certainly well have been borrowed from the Oriental stories Lewis was imitating, because it is conceived of as the Anti-Narnia. An artistic mistake on Lewis's part, I think, which is why Horse is so dull and disappointing compared to the other books -- but completely in line with his ideological program, the worst thing about Narnia.
And most of the notes were about comparisons to literary sources of similar motifs and plotlines, which were interesting, but there is so much more to say. What about Lewis's life? What about what was going on in history and society? What about theological ideas? The latter is touched on a bit, the others hardly at all.
Some good things:
I had not noticed how full the books are of blood, vs. the bloodlessness of Tolkien, so that was an interesting point. Battles and blood have always been something I skip over and don't imagine very thoroughly though.
"Lewis is most successful when he works within the framework of his imaginary world, not when he tries to break out of it." (Introduction) True.
"This isn't a story 'about' repentance and baptism: this is the _experience_ of which repentance and baptism are the symbols." (Voyage of the Dawn Treader, about Eustace's undragoning) A neat way to put it, and points up the importance of seeing the stories as something in their own right and not just allegories.
Further to that, she quotes Lewis writing of Bunyan, "We ought not to be thinking 'this green valley where the shepherd boy is singing, represents humility,'; we ought to be discovering, as we read, that humility is like that green valley." (The Silver Chair) This is why the Narnia books succeed, when they do: they give us an experience of discovery of imaginative realities. When they try too hard to hit us over the head with Messages, as in The Last Battle, they don't work.
"What I drew from the Narnia books has stayed with me for life: the colour, richness and beauty, the breadth, depth, and glory of the world." (The Silver Chair) My sentiments exactly.
The critique of The Last Battle is good. Again, I didn't notice the inconsistencies or stupid strategic moves of Tirian as a battle leader, because I never care much about battles and cannot keep geography or strategy straight in my head. I must say that I never get bored with Lewis's battles, though, unlike Tolkien's. He keeps up the storytelling pace marvellously.
I entirely agree with Langrish's critique of the treatment of Susan (the worst thing is that her family seems to write her off completely), and Emeth the Token Good Calormene, who really has no likeable qualities and also worships a horrible demon.
Oh, in the Horse and His Boy chapter she points out that Calormene can't have any magical or beautiful qualities, which could certainly well have been borrowed from the Oriental stories Lewis was imitating, because it is conceived of as the Anti-Narnia. An artistic mistake on Lewis's part, I think, which is why Horse is so dull and disappointing compared to the other books -- but completely in line with his ideological program, the worst thing about Narnia.
ravenclawlibrarybooks's review
3.0
The author fell in love with the Chronicles of Narnia as a young girl and even writing her own collection of short stories set in Narnia. As an adult, Katherine rereads and reappraises the books, asking the question what will they mean to her at this point in her life?
Having loved and still rereading The Chronicles o fNarnia even 20 odd years later. I was fascinated to see what Katherine thought of the series. I didn't necessarily agree with all of Langrish's opinions and ideas, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book greatly and appreciating her work
Would recommend to anyone fans of the Narnia series.
#FromSpareOomtoWarDrobe #NetGalley
Having loved and still rereading The Chronicles o fNarnia even 20 odd years later. I was fascinated to see what Katherine thought of the series. I didn't necessarily agree with all of Langrish's opinions and ideas, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book greatly and appreciating her work
Would recommend to anyone fans of the Narnia series.
#FromSpareOomtoWarDrobe #NetGalley
farahmendlesohn's review
5.0
I loved this book. I'm the obvious audience for it, but I particularly liked the care with which Langrish blended her memories of childhood reading with the growing awareness of the adult reader of the depths of the books. Langrish doesn't skate over the problems often pausing to do a literary head desk.
Am I the only person tho' who adored The Last Battle?
Am I the only person tho' who adored The Last Battle?
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