Title: The Magicians Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Illustrator: Pauline Baynes
Installment in series: Narratively the first, Chronologically the sixth
Published: 2/May/1995
Genre: Children’s Fantasy, Christian Literature
Rating:
I started this book with zero expectations. I’d read it many times as a kid; however, in the years since, a lot of the details of this book (and the subsequent ones) have faded from my memory.
I had very particular snapshots saved somewhere in the back of my mind: places like the forest with the myriad pools leading to other worlds, the kids being in front of a stone fountain surrounded by stone architecture, the garden with the apple that Digory has to fetch for Aslan, and Digory bringing back an apple from Narnia to our world that would eventually become Lucy’s gateway to Narnia. Beyond that, I remembered virtually nothing more.
With fond memories of childhood days spent curled up reading these books, and the curiosity of how well I actually remembered them, I decided a re-read was long overdue. Now, I must be completely honest here; I’ve only ever read the first four books in the series. I’ve always wanted to finish them all and give my childhood self a sense of closure. Finally, I think I’m ready to do just that.
Now this is, of course, a children’s book. Meaning the story isn’t overly complex, and neither are the characters or their motivations. That, however, does not make it a bad read at all. I rather enjoyed my time spent with Polly and Digory as they explored the passage connecting their houses, stumbled upon Uncle Andrew’s study, and went on their fantastical adventure.
Digory is a young boy. He recently moved in with his Uncle Andrew and Aunt Letty because of his mother’s illness. This illness is never explicitly named, although one can make educated guesses as to what it might be. He is a gentle boy with a good heart and proper values. He is very curious and willing to put his fear aside for the sake of curiosity or those he cares about.
Polly, on the other hand, is the kid with the most sense. She is the one who realizes that if they don’t identify the pool that leads back to their home, they might never be able to find it again. She is also the one who doesn’t want to explore Charn much or ring the bell that awakens Jadis. She is a clever, more no-nonsense than Digory, and willing to see their adventure through even when she wasn’t the one responsible for the damage done.
Both protagonists have a strong sense of self, believable personalities, and react in very natural ways to the situations they are thrust into. It was easy for me to think back to when I was their age, and place myself in either of their shoes as they made the choices that they did.
While briefer than I remembered, this story sets a very solid foundation for the events that will happen further on in the other stories. Of course, it helps that by the time this book was published, it was the sixth installment in the series. As such, it works fantastically well as a prequel. While it’s understandably easier to write a prequel to a pre-existing fantastical world, not everyone can write one that aligns perfectly well with what has already been published, and doesn’t retcon already established facts or plot points.
I’ve always been under the impression that the reason the wardrobe, made from the wood of a Narnian apple tree, transports the children to Narnia is because the wood is inextricably tied to its land of origin. This is evidenced at the end, when the narrator tells us that sometimes the tree seems to shake with a wind not of our world. However, knowing that the children buried the magic rings around the base of the tree, is it possible that the power also stems from the roots of the tree having “absorbed” them? Since the rings were originally forged from dust belonging to the Woods Between the Worlds, and the dust maintains its properties after being given a new shape, it stands to reason that a magical tree, possessing residuals of Creation, might have then been able to merge with the rings and absorb their power.
Overall, this re-read felt like a breath of fresh air. It was nice to take a break and read something lighthearted, memorable, and quick. My copy, at 201 pages long, was a breeze to work through. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and to finally having that closure I’ve always wanted.
Fave Quotes:
“Pooh! Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations” – Chapter 1, The Wrong Door
“Well,” said Uncle Andrew with a chuckle, “it depends what you call wrong. People are so narrow-minded. She certainly got very queer in later life. Did very unwise things. That was why they shut her up.”
“In an asylum, do you mean?”
“Oh no, no, no,” said Uncle Andrew in a shocked voice. “Nothing of that sort. Only in prison.” – Chapter 2, Digory and His Uncle
“Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.” – Chapter 10, The First Joke and Other Matters
