A review by elizabethlo
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.5

My first exposure to this story was in the form of the 1979 film. I was just a little kid and it was the only thing resembling a kids movie that my grandparents had at their house. We put it on and thus began the nightmares. It was scary! The crude drawings, the extremely adult themes of murder, slavery, abuse. I never read the book after that first experience.

Now I'm an adult with my own small kids and I decided to give this story another chance. At the start I enjoyed this book. The pacing was good and the premise was magical and exciting. My first jolt came early on when Lucy follows Mr. Tumnus into the woods (stranger danger alarm bells). This incident alone shows the age of this book. But the further along I got the less there was to like. As a child I didn't pick up on how extremely preachy and religious this story is. It's no wonder my grandparents had this movie in their home - a place where the Catholic guilt is palpable. I also couldn't sidestep the sexist and racist remarks. I picture having to explain some of the lines of text to my kids and cringe at the idea. 

I understand this book is from a different time, but if it's going to continue to be told today it needs to be viewed and criticised under today's lens. Just because something was acclaimed at the time doesn't mean we should hold it in esteem forever.
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