thoughts on the Chornicles of Narnia
So for the past couple of weeks I've been reading through the Chronicles of Narnia (having never had a set at my disposal before). Now I truly enjoyed reading them until I got to the final instalment - The Last Battle.
Through the whole series I found the only parts that I found predictable were those that were in the movies and/or the random snippets that you come across in general - that is until the very last book. From the first mention of the train journey involving all(?) the main characters I had a feeling that something bad would happen to the train and those on-board.
I put those thoughts to one side through the book until finally everyone stepped through the door of the stable to find the old Kings and Queens of Narnia. At that point it was back to the idea of "oh dear they're all now dead and this is heaven...".
The final delivery of all the main characters being dead was by far the most disappointing part of the heptology. To be told that all that is on the otherside is "only the good of your own world" has also got to be the worst part of the story for me.
I did enjoy the rest of the series and I know that the end had to happen in someway to show that the series was completely finite (unlike the Potters). Although the Christian vs. Islam/British Empire vs. Arab States subplot - ok, its not subplot if its in the plot! - did make the reading feel dated.
So yes, enjoyable, but I'm not sure about it being a bedtime story anymore (too many winks and nods to not treating other people (people rather than beasts) dishonestly or that other nations were for fighting with and that desert people are brutes). Very much a story from the time before or of our - that is the British Empire's - handing over of India.
Through the whole series I found the only parts that I found predictable were those that were in the movies and/or the random snippets that you come across in general - that is until the very last book. From the first mention of the train journey involving all(?) the main characters I had a feeling that something bad would happen to the train and those on-board.
I put those thoughts to one side through the book until finally everyone stepped through the door of the stable to find the old Kings and Queens of Narnia. At that point it was back to the idea of "oh dear they're all now dead and this is heaven...".
The final delivery of all the main characters being dead was by far the most disappointing part of the heptology. To be told that all that is on the otherside is "only the good of your own world" has also got to be the worst part of the story for me.
I did enjoy the rest of the series and I know that the end had to happen in someway to show that the series was completely finite (unlike the Potters). Although the Christian vs. Islam/British Empire vs. Arab States subplot - ok, its not subplot if its in the plot! - did make the reading feel dated.
So yes, enjoyable, but I'm not sure about it being a bedtime story anymore (too many winks and nods to not treating other people (people rather than beasts) dishonestly or that other nations were for fighting with and that desert people are brutes). Very much a story from the time before or of our - that is the British Empire's - handing over of India.