C.S. Lewis & Narnia For Dummies
by Richard J. Wagner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Richard J. WagnerBrand: Spring Arbor/Ingram
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2005-07-14
ISBN: 0764583816
Number of pages: 384
Publisher: For Dummies
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Book Reviews of C.S. Lewis & Narnia For Dummies
Book Review: Note which comes first in the title.
Summary: 3 Stars
"C. S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies" was timed to capitalize on the first Narnia film. It assumes, though, that the reader is seeking solely spiritual guidance and not critical insight and is more interested in the author than his best-known work. That limits its usefulness.
Wagner covers the characters and how they embody Christian values and human frailties in great detail, examining point-by-point how readers can identify with their great deeds and mistakes and apply the lessons they learn to one's own everyday life. (A discussion of how the dwarves of "The Last Battle" represent modern cynicism is particularly good.) The author's knowledge of Lewis's personal life lends insight (Jill Pole's rough experiences in her "experimental school" were based on Lewis's own in a similar institution; Digory's quest to save his ill mom was wish-fulfillment for Lewis, whose own mother was not so lucky). And hey - there's even a recipe for Turkish Delight!
The author's a bit weak, though, when it comes to the plots - each individual Narnia book receives the briefest of outlines (less than a page). At times, this leaves his analysis of Narnia's spiritiual lessons a bit facile; he would have been wise to cut some of the pages belaboring how, yes, Aslan is meant as an analog to Jesus in favor of exploring specific meaningful moments, like Puddleglum's "I will live like a Narnian even if there is no Narnia" speech. Also unexamined are Lewis's views on Islam as depicted through the Calormenes (no "Tash is Aslan; Aslan is Tash" here) and the Problem of Susan debacle. Both are significant, frequent fodder for challenges to the books, yet Davis elides them; judging from his tone and focus, I'd conclude that's he's perhaps loathe to present theories to which he does not subscribe or which present Lewis in a less-than-ideal light, even if only to defend him. Readers can wish to explore Lewis's allegory without fully agreeing with its perspective, and I wish this author hadn't chosen to limit his viewpoint.
Also, the book is called "C. S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies" for a reason, as it's more dedicated to the former. The first couple chapters are an introductory paean to what a swell guy Lewis was personally, and the second half deals with Lewis's other works - Screwtape, his books on his conversion to Christianity, and so forth. (Only about 100 of the book's 350 pages deal with Narnia.) Wagner's work is, again, thorough and slightly evangelical. It's questionable, though, how much of this will be of interest to a ...for Dummies reader; these works are of a different nature, written for a different audience, and reading through Narnia is a task in itself. The level of detail - down to an exhaustive enumeration of Lewis's famous friends and his own favorite authors - is overwhelming; this is more for those already obsessed than those seeking an introduction to Lewis and Narnia.
Perhaps, then, this book shouldn't have been published under the Dummies label; it's not for a general audience lured in by a mass-market movie. If your church is planning a Narnia read-along, this book'll provide plenty of discussion ideas, but it's too vague for book-by-book discussion. If you want (much) more info on C. S. Lewis and his other writings, have at it. Those looking for a little light shone on the message of Narnia specifically, though, might look elsewhere.
Summary of C.S. Lewis & Narnia For Dummies
Explore C.S. Lewis's life, works, and the world of Narnia the fun and easy way.Curious about C.S. Lewis and The Chronicles of Narnia? This plain-English guide provides a friendly introduction to the master storyteller and Christian apologist, revealing the meanings behind The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters as well as his other works. You'll also discover why Lewis went from being a confirmed atheist to a committed Christian and how he addressed his beliefs in his writings.
Discover
* How his life influenced his writings
* His friendship with Tolkien and the Inklings
* The parallels between Narnia and Christianity
* His use of allegory and symbolism
* Resources for further exploration
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