The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

A childhood favourite.

wonderfully entertaining book that was closely followed in the movie...I plan to read the entire Narnia set so am off to book 2. I found the book to be very inspirational as well.

Nostalgic. I loved this so much, even though some physical traits are off from the movie, I couldn't get it off my mind reading this.
The scenes were well done now that I've read this.
Beautiful story, I cried for the last couple of chapters.
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The way that C.S. Lewis talks to us throughout the book is very unique, loved the writing style.
"Once a King or Queen in Narnia, always a King or Queen, bear it well Sons of Adam, bear it well Daughters of Eve." - Aslan

I sincerely dislike this book. It was assigned reading in my 5th or 6th grade class and I think with the exception of "Hatchet" (which was too gory, apparently, for me to get beyond the first third), it was my least favorite book of elementary school. Neither has it improved with age. If anything, it has sunk lower in my esteem. I maybe should mention that my mom had just finished reading me "The Hobbit" the year before, and I found Lewis' work to be simple-minded and shallow. His story seemed trivial. I could care less if Aslan saved everyone or if Mr. Tumnus was a conflicted faun (hardly). To read it was pure torture. It could be that I was blinded by the awesomeness of Tolkein. I had trouble getting into Harry Potter because for a few years I blithely believed Rowling had ripped off Tlkein hand over foot. Then I actually bothered to read it. However, I've gone back and reread many things I originally disliked. This book does not improve upon me. Rather, it more and more resembles a trip to the dentist's office. The proverbial pain of getting cavities filled is illustrated by Lewis' lack of plot, tension, or dynamic characters. I would recommend to most people that they don't even bother with this one.

Sometimes you just want a comfort read and that is how I felt yesterday - :) This is one of my favorite childhood books. I adore its imaginative escapism, loveable characters and themes of bravery, loyalty and justice. It also feels like a cosy read - as the enchanted wintery landscape features tucked away cave-like cottages and homely dam dwellings - much-welcomed spots of refuge and respite against the blistery cold endured by the child protagonists, and delightfully complemented with moreish descriptions of tea and dinner scenes. What I really find clever however, are the metaphysical nods and insights (palatable of course for a children's audience) and the spiritual metaphors enmeshed within the book's "deep magic" that I find soothing and uplifting. I enjoyed re-reading this classic and looking forward to indulging in it for years to come!