Book Review: “The Horse and His Boy” by C. S. Lewis

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.

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