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A review by clevermird
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
The third book of the seven Chronicles of Narnia if you go by publication order, and the fifth if you go by in-universe chronology, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is probably one of the more popular of the non-Lion books in the series.
While staying with relatives, Edmond and Lucy Pevensie find themselves pulled through a painting back into Narnia for a third adventure - along with their obnoxious cousin Eustace. They join the now-established King Caspian on a seafaring adventure to discover what happened to his father's exiled allies, seek out new lands and maybe Aslan's country in the east, and boldly go where no Narnian has gone before! (okay, but it fits!)
For whatever reason, I didn't care much for Voyage when I read the series as a kid. I didn't hate it, but it just felt kind of "meh" to me. Reading it as an adult, that's changed completely. After a bit of a slump with Prince Caspian, Lewis is back on form with an adventure loosely inspired by The Odyssey, with each island becoming a mostly self-contained adventure.
Although Edmond doesn't have a lot to do in this book, Lucy has several moments that really shine. She's always been an important character in the story, but most often using her pure heartedness and faith in Aslan as a foil to her older siblings' doubts and weaknesses. In this book, she stands on her own and while her core remains, we get to see a bit of the growing up that she has to do as well.
The other standout character here is Eustace Clarence Scrub. With the book's phenomenal opening line, we're introduced to a stuck-up know-it-all who thinks that being different from others automatically makes him smarter and more worthy than they are. It would spoil the story to explain his character development from there, but for now, just know that his hilariously un-self-aware journal entries alone are worth the price of admission.
The episodic nature of the story allows Lewis to exercise his full whimsy and honestly, this book is just a fun adventure. If I had to offer critiques, it would be these two things that keep the book from getting 5 stars.
The first is that, as alluded two before, Edmond is rather underutilized as a character.
The second is really two things combined. Due to the length of the story and also its nature as a children's book, several of the island adventures feel a bit cut short and "easy". Deathwater Island in particular seems to only have been just getting started when Aslan swoops appears to save everyone and that is that. Obviously there's some spiritual metaphor in this, but as a storytelling device, it can occasionally feel a bit unsatisfying.
Overall, though, a magical adventure with great character development and a very satisfying conclusion.
While staying with relatives, Edmond and Lucy Pevensie find themselves pulled through a painting back into Narnia for a third adventure - along with their obnoxious cousin Eustace. They join the now-established King Caspian on a seafaring adventure to discover what happened to his father's exiled allies, seek out new lands and maybe Aslan's country in the east, and boldly go where no Narnian has gone before! (okay, but it fits!)
For whatever reason, I didn't care much for Voyage when I read the series as a kid. I didn't hate it, but it just felt kind of "meh" to me. Reading it as an adult, that's changed completely. After a bit of a slump with Prince Caspian, Lewis is back on form with an adventure loosely inspired by The Odyssey, with each island becoming a mostly self-contained adventure.
Although Edmond doesn't have a lot to do in this book, Lucy has several moments that really shine. She's always been an important character in the story, but most often using her pure heartedness and faith in Aslan as a foil to her older siblings' doubts and weaknesses. In this book, she stands on her own and while her core remains, we get to see a bit of the growing up that she has to do as well.
The other standout character here is Eustace Clarence Scrub. With the book's phenomenal opening line, we're introduced to a stuck-up know-it-all who thinks that being different from others automatically makes him smarter and more worthy than they are. It would spoil the story to explain his character development from there, but for now, just know that his hilariously un-self-aware journal entries alone are worth the price of admission.
The episodic nature of the story allows Lewis to exercise his full whimsy and honestly, this book is just a fun adventure. If I had to offer critiques, it would be these two things that keep the book from getting 5 stars.
The first is that, as alluded two before, Edmond is rather underutilized as a character.
The second is really two things combined. Due to the length of the story and also its nature as a children's book, several of the island adventures feel a bit cut short and "easy". Deathwater Island in particular seems to only have been just getting started when Aslan swoops appears to save everyone and that is that. Obviously there's some spiritual metaphor in this, but as a storytelling device, it can occasionally feel a bit unsatisfying.
Overall, though, a magical adventure with great character development and a very satisfying conclusion.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery and Violence
Minor: Death