Inside Narnia
—OVERVIEW
--Back to Book Index
(Devin Brown, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005, 256 pages)
As if the scholarly and popular appetite for new books on C.S. Lewis and his works knows no bounds, Baker Books has brought out nothing less than a full-length literary analysis of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—just in time for Christmas and the upcoming movie.
While the book’s subtitle bills it as “A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,� if you substitute the word “guide� with “commentary,� you’ll have a much better idea of what Inside Narnia is all about. In true CSI fashion, author Devin Brown dusts for fingerprints and shines his ultraviolet light into every nook and cranny of Narnia seeking clues that will deepen our appreciation of Lewis’s best-loved book. Ever wonder who Lucy is and why Lewis dedicated this book to her? Look no further. Ever wonder why Lewis chose beavers as the first talking animals the children encounter in Narnia? Wonder no more. And if you’ve ever been puzzled by the appearance of Father Christmas in this story, don’t worry, Brown offers an opinion on this and dozens of other major and minor details as well.
To be honest, my first response to this book was “Enough already!� Agreed: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the greatest pieces of children’s literature ever written, but do we really need to subject it to this sort of comprehensive literary scrutiny? Surely a work of this nature will only be of interest to Lewis scholars and the most dedicated of fans. Then again, I suppose Brown has correctly identified a gap in the marketplace. As he notes in his preface, most of the scholarly and popular books on the Narnia stories take a devotional rather than a literary approach, and the few non-devotional works devote merely a single chapter to each of the Chronicles. Furthermore, even though The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe “can be simply read and enjoyed as a child,� the meaning and satisfaction we derive from this story will only be deepened by Brown’s painstaking effort to draw connections between different passages within the book, other works by Lewis, events in Lewis’s life, and the work of writers who influenced the writing of the Chronicles.
So perhaps this book is justified, if only to provide fodder for the ever-growing cottage industry of grad students and professors who scour Lewis’s works like they are the Scriptures themselves. I can only imagine that if this book is successful, Brown plans to follow it up with six more of the same, one on each of the other Chronicles. And if he does, more power to him. Just because I think it borders on overkill does not mean it contains nothing of value. In fact, if I were an undergrad student writing a paper on the Chronicles, I would be delighted to discover the existence of this tome. Inside Narnia reflects a tremendous amount of research, and I am certain that dedicated Lewis fans as well as those who have just entered the wardrobe will be forever grateful for the work Brown has done here.
—OVERVIEW
--Back to Book Index
--Back to Book Index
(Devin Brown, Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005, 256 pages)
As if the scholarly and popular appetite for new books on C.S. Lewis and his works knows no bounds, Baker Books has brought out nothing less than a full-length literary analysis of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe—just in time for Christmas and the upcoming movie.While the book’s subtitle bills it as “A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,� if you substitute the word “guide� with “commentary,� you’ll have a much better idea of what Inside Narnia is all about. In true CSI fashion, author Devin Brown dusts for fingerprints and shines his ultraviolet light into every nook and cranny of Narnia seeking clues that will deepen our appreciation of Lewis’s best-loved book. Ever wonder who Lucy is and why Lewis dedicated this book to her? Look no further. Ever wonder why Lewis chose beavers as the first talking animals the children encounter in Narnia? Wonder no more. And if you’ve ever been puzzled by the appearance of Father Christmas in this story, don’t worry, Brown offers an opinion on this and dozens of other major and minor details as well.
To be honest, my first response to this book was “Enough already!� Agreed: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is one of the greatest pieces of children’s literature ever written, but do we really need to subject it to this sort of comprehensive literary scrutiny? Surely a work of this nature will only be of interest to Lewis scholars and the most dedicated of fans. Then again, I suppose Brown has correctly identified a gap in the marketplace. As he notes in his preface, most of the scholarly and popular books on the Narnia stories take a devotional rather than a literary approach, and the few non-devotional works devote merely a single chapter to each of the Chronicles. Furthermore, even though The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe “can be simply read and enjoyed as a child,� the meaning and satisfaction we derive from this story will only be deepened by Brown’s painstaking effort to draw connections between different passages within the book, other works by Lewis, events in Lewis’s life, and the work of writers who influenced the writing of the Chronicles.
So perhaps this book is justified, if only to provide fodder for the ever-growing cottage industry of grad students and professors who scour Lewis’s works like they are the Scriptures themselves. I can only imagine that if this book is successful, Brown plans to follow it up with six more of the same, one on each of the other Chronicles. And if he does, more power to him. Just because I think it borders on overkill does not mean it contains nothing of value. In fact, if I were an undergrad student writing a paper on the Chronicles, I would be delighted to discover the existence of this tome. Inside Narnia reflects a tremendous amount of research, and I am certain that dedicated Lewis fans as well as those who have just entered the wardrobe will be forever grateful for the work Brown has done here.
—OVERVIEW
--Back to Book Index
2 Comments:
Well done, Kevin! You have a wonderful way with words. I thoroughly enjoyed your review.
Blessings to you!
I beg to differ, I found Devin Brown's book of enormous value, highlighting so many little details the casual reader may overlook. Yes, there are moments where he stretches out his theories in order to add coherence to his theories, but how fascinating these theories are!
Post a Comment
<< Home