The Chronicles of Narnia August 13, 2008

If you’ve been paying attention, you will know that I have been working my way through The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. I finally read the last chapter while floating in the Kinard pool on Saturday. I used to keep a book journal where I would write a response to every book I read. I never intended for anyone but me to read it, so when I try to write a book review post, it’s a little bit difficult. You know what, I’m just going to write it just like I would in my book journal. Maybe it will give you some insight as to why I’m just a little bit off.

I like these books. They’re like yoga for the imagination. They are very descriptive, but the settings and actions are so unusual. It’s easy to imagine things that are totally not of our world. And of course I love the many comparisons that can be made between Jesus and Aslan. I think what really stuck out to me this time was that we aren’t always going to understand why God does things the way that He does them. There were so many times when the characters questioned Aslan’s decisions, but they never doubted that he knew what was best. They kept saying, “Well, he’s not a tame lion.” I think this is important to remember that God is not some sweet, nice, marshmallowy, wishy-washy god that only does nice things. He has to do things that seem mean at the moment in order to accomplish the greater good, or to make us stronger. This was the second time I read through this series, but it was the first time I read them in the order of the story, rather than the order in which they were published. It definitely made a lot more sense to me to read them in the order of the story. I should definitely read these books again.

The good thing is that I can’t remember books or movies. (See this post.) So in a few years, I’ll be able to enjoy the re-release of The Chronicles of Narnia.

Book Review: “The Horse and His Boy” by C. S. Lewis February 28, 2008

I’m in the process of rereading the Chronicles of Narnia.  It’s really like I’m reading them for the first time because I read them in elementary school and don’t really remember anything about them.  The only thing I remember is that I liked them, and that is still true.  I love reading anything that allows me to use my imagination.  I could say that I continue to read children’s books because I’m a children’s pastor and I want to stay on their level, but that wouldn’t be entirely true.  I read children’s books because I like them.  The thing that I found most interesting about “The Horse and his Boy” this time was the meanings behind the appearances of Aslan the Lion.  It is well-known that Aslan is the Christ-like character in these stories, and this gives great insight into the character of Christ.  In the story Aslan was a protector, guider, strengthener, and even a punisher.  Every time that Aslan interceded, there was a good reason for it.  Sometimes it was to personally aid a character in the story, sometimes it was to push all the action toward the ultimate goal, and sometimes it was to explain something that the characters did not understand.  But he did not always explain everything or even reveal himself right away.  Sometimes the other characters had to figure things out for themselves, or just trust that Aslan was doing the right thing.  What an amazing illustration for us.  If you have never read the Chronicles of Narnia, you should.  But don’t start with this one – I’m reading them in the chronological order of the story.  If you have read this book, tell me what you think.