Crash course on Narnia: Narnia 101
Yes, I've finished reading the last sentence of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and I'm ready to watch the Disney movie version on Wednesday! For those who do not know, Narnia the movie started screening in the Philippines only yesterday since there is a law which supposedly mandates that only movies participating in the Metro Manila Film Festival may be shown in the country during its duration, which in this case was from December 25 to January 7, 2005. I think it was last year when Spiderman 2 was shown and there was some brouhaha over the fact that some cinemas continued screening Spiderman 2 even during the filmfest. This year though, King Kong's reign was cut short by the filmfest so it had to return to the cinemas alongside Narnia. (Whew, good thing the Harry Potter movies are almost always shown in November.)
I must admit it was the first time I've read any of the Chronicles of Narnia. Well, actually, I think I've read The Horse and his Boy in 2002 but for some reasons, it didn't have much impact on me and I didn't find it particularly enjoyable. This time though, having the time and with less stress - I am more able to appreciate a book written for children, as Chronicles of Narnia was. My lack of interest in Narnia was probably due to the fact that I serendipitiously discovered Harry Potter first in 2000 before I ever got interested in reading children's literature and adventure. (I was a later bloomer when it comes to interest in books as I got hooked on reading only in 4th year high school with Les Miserables and other classics - I totally skipped all those Nancy Drew, Mills and Boon, Danielle Steele, and snubbed Grisham as well. Geesh, I suddenly remembered how scared I was of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, Misery and Needful Things...)
I found The Magician's Nephew thankfully short and very enjoyable. I am glad I decided to heed my friend's advice to read the books in the chronological order of Narnian history as I initially contemplated on reading based on the order of publication for the simple reason that I couldn't get hold of the books versions (before it was made into a movie) of The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Horse and its Boy, which version has colored illustrations printed on glossy white paper. I couldn't even find a complete compilation of the books which apparently have been sold out. (Good thing my friend lent me his copy.)
Pardon me for digressing but going back to The Magician's Nephew, I've already listed it among the books which I'd want my own children to read. The best thing I liked about it is how the core of the apple grew unto a tree which later on became part of the wardrobe which led to Narnia. Moving on to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I find it reeking with parallelisms with the Christian dogma of Christ's crucifixion to die for our sins and eventual resurrection. As a child, all the questions that adult wisdom spurs did not even occur to me how and why Jesus had to die or our sins but I embraced the idea nonetheless - a child's faith, that is. As an adult, and acquiring adult wisdom, knowing too much allowed too many questions to creep-in. I am not dismissing these questions as *bad*, in fact, I find this as a necessary phase to go through. I appreciate that there are literature such as Narnia which potentially aids people, children and adults alike to appreciate the mystery of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection.
Fifty years after C.S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, I am thankful that his voice, or rather his pen, resonates to illustrates the penumbra between the good and the evil. Some may say that there is really a very blurred, very wide line between good and evil where the exercise of judgment which way to go depends largely on a case to case basis. Partly true, yes. Only that this reasoning has been overused and made a convenient excuse to doing what's *bad* over what's *good*. I hope we get to awaken in our hearts the judgment and wisdom of a child to guide us in our daily lives. Afterall, it is in a child's heart that God's whispers is loudly heard.
I must admit it was the first time I've read any of the Chronicles of Narnia. Well, actually, I think I've read The Horse and his Boy in 2002 but for some reasons, it didn't have much impact on me and I didn't find it particularly enjoyable. This time though, having the time and with less stress - I am more able to appreciate a book written for children, as Chronicles of Narnia was. My lack of interest in Narnia was probably due to the fact that I serendipitiously discovered Harry Potter first in 2000 before I ever got interested in reading children's literature and adventure. (I was a later bloomer when it comes to interest in books as I got hooked on reading only in 4th year high school with Les Miserables and other classics - I totally skipped all those Nancy Drew, Mills and Boon, Danielle Steele, and snubbed Grisham as well. Geesh, I suddenly remembered how scared I was of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, Misery and Needful Things...)
I found The Magician's Nephew thankfully short and very enjoyable. I am glad I decided to heed my friend's advice to read the books in the chronological order of Narnian history as I initially contemplated on reading based on the order of publication for the simple reason that I couldn't get hold of the books versions (before it was made into a movie) of The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Horse and its Boy, which version has colored illustrations printed on glossy white paper. I couldn't even find a complete compilation of the books which apparently have been sold out. (Good thing my friend lent me his copy.)
Pardon me for digressing but going back to The Magician's Nephew, I've already listed it among the books which I'd want my own children to read. The best thing I liked about it is how the core of the apple grew unto a tree which later on became part of the wardrobe which led to Narnia. Moving on to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I find it reeking with parallelisms with the Christian dogma of Christ's crucifixion to die for our sins and eventual resurrection. As a child, all the questions that adult wisdom spurs did not even occur to me how and why Jesus had to die or our sins but I embraced the idea nonetheless - a child's faith, that is. As an adult, and acquiring adult wisdom, knowing too much allowed too many questions to creep-in. I am not dismissing these questions as *bad*, in fact, I find this as a necessary phase to go through. I appreciate that there are literature such as Narnia which potentially aids people, children and adults alike to appreciate the mystery of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection.
Fifty years after C.S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, I am thankful that his voice, or rather his pen, resonates to illustrates the penumbra between the good and the evil. Some may say that there is really a very blurred, very wide line between good and evil where the exercise of judgment which way to go depends largely on a case to case basis. Partly true, yes. Only that this reasoning has been overused and made a convenient excuse to doing what's *bad* over what's *good*. I hope we get to awaken in our hearts the judgment and wisdom of a child to guide us in our daily lives. Afterall, it is in a child's heart that God's whispers is loudly heard.
posted by wernicke at 3:09 PM
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