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cubbykay's review against another edition
adventurous
2.5
Aslan really was at peak assery in this book. He's far too punishing and sets them up to fail. And before you say, yeah but everything worked out the way it was divinely meant to, know that I don't care and I don't want to hear it. It's stupid. Eustace and Jill's banter is good, but they're also insufferable sometimes and can be ignorant and negligent to a point that is not entertainable in a dramatic irony sense.
Lewis's own narrative was also pretty obnoxious. He switches between empowering and belittling women with confounding irregularity. There's some fatphobia and his constant shade throwing on modern schooling is very boomer mentality. "How could they not be teaching the bible or showing the girls how to curtsy grumble grumble."
The feast with the gentle giants was the first interesting thing that happened in the book, and while I can enjoy dark twists, it felt too far for a children's book.
Puddle-Glum and the villian kind of save the story. They are a joy and well written.
But my final gripe with this book is how Caspian waited his whole life to see our world and all he gets is 5 minutes? And it's spent terrorizing school children? I'd have some strong words with Aslan after that. At least let the man try a pizza or see a movie or something. I was mad for him.
Lewis's own narrative was also pretty obnoxious. He switches between empowering and belittling women with confounding irregularity. There's some fatphobia and his constant shade throwing on modern schooling is very boomer mentality. "How could they not be teaching the bible or showing the girls how to curtsy grumble grumble."
The feast with the gentle giants was the first interesting thing that happened in the book, and while I can enjoy dark twists, it felt too far for a children's book.
Puddle-Glum and the villian kind of save the story. They are a joy and well written.
But my final gripe with this book is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Cannibalism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Bullying
clevermird's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Chronicles of Narnia are wrapping up!
The Silver Chair is, depending on if you go by publication or in-universe chronological order, either the fourth or the sixth book in C.S. Lewis' children's fantasy series. This book was my second favorite of the Chronicles as a child, but while it's still a fun, engaging read, I don't think it holds up quite as well as some of the others.
Our perspective character is Jill Pole, an acquaintance of Eustace Clarence Scrubb (from Voyage of the Dawn Treader). While running from bullies at their dysfunctional school, they stumble their way through a back door and into Narnia, where Eustace promptly falls off a cliff and Jill is given a list of directions that will guide them to the missing heir to the Narnian throne.
Jill is an interesting contrast to the Pevensie sisters, as she reacts more like I think the average child would be when thrown into another world - confused, uncomfortable, homesick, but still also able to be sucked into the excitement at times.
I think the biggest downside for this one, the one that's kept it from being quite as much of a "love" as it was when I was a kid, is how simplistic the plot is. Not that there's nothing below the surface. The Christian messages aren't quite as blatant compared to some of the other books, but the story is still an allegory for faith and obedience despite a lack of clear understanding, and as an adult I now recognize the references to Plato's Allegory of the Cave in the climax as well. But much of the story is simply following Aslan's directions and going from point A to point B, and it doesn't have quite the wonder of some of the other books.
Overall, a solid children's adventure story with a bit to chew on for adults as well, but not quite the masterpiece that some of the other books in the series are.
The Silver Chair is, depending on if you go by publication or in-universe chronological order, either the fourth or the sixth book in C.S. Lewis' children's fantasy series. This book was my second favorite of the Chronicles as a child, but while it's still a fun, engaging read, I don't think it holds up quite as well as some of the others.
Our perspective character is Jill Pole, an acquaintance of Eustace Clarence Scrubb (from Voyage of the Dawn Treader). While running from bullies at their dysfunctional school, they stumble their way through a back door and into Narnia, where Eustace promptly falls off a cliff and Jill is given a list of directions that will guide them to the missing heir to the Narnian throne.
Jill is an interesting contrast to the Pevensie sisters, as she reacts more like I think the average child would be when thrown into another world - confused, uncomfortable, homesick, but still also able to be sucked into the excitement at times.
I think the biggest downside for this one, the one that's kept it from being quite as much of a "love" as it was when I was a kid, is how simplistic the plot is. Not that there's nothing below the surface. The Christian messages aren't quite as blatant compared to some of the other books, but the story is still an allegory for faith and obedience despite a lack of clear understanding, and as an adult I now recognize the references to Plato's Allegory of the Cave in the climax as well. But much of the story is simply following Aslan's directions and going from point A to point B, and it doesn't have quite the wonder of some of the other books.
Overall, a solid children's adventure story with a bit to chew on for adults as well, but not quite the masterpiece that some of the other books in the series are.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Minor: Slavery, Violence, Cannibalism, and Death of parent