I’ve always been puzzled when people tell me that they have read a book more than once.
“It’s that good!” they might say, “I’ve read it five times! You should read it…”
There are a lot of great books in the world, I always think to myself, and we can only read so many of them. So, why would I take the time to read the same book twice?
But recently, I made the decision to read The Chronicles of Narnia out loud to my family, starting with The Magician’s Nephew. The story enthralled me all over again…taking me on a journey from Uncle Andrew’s creepy attic to the Ruins of Charn to a land called Narnia that was just beginning.
A thrill went through me when Aslan sings stars into the sky. A laugh burbled in my throat when the first joke of Narnia is made. Longing coursed through my veins when the great Lion makes a simple London cabby into a king. A cry almost escaped my lips when a certain witch tries to convince Digory to eat the apple of youth against Aslan’s orders. And when Digory grows up and has a wardrobe made from the wood of a Narnian tree, I want to step into all of the wardrobes in my house, hoping that perhaps this is the one that will whisk me away. That is to say, The Chronicles of Narnia is better the second time.
The Chronicles of Narnia has so many nuances that I never understood before. It carries so many truths that resonate even more with my heart now that I am a bit older. Its pages pack in so many quotes with which I need to paper my bedroom wall.
If you could read only one story multiple times in your life, Lewis’s timeless Narnia is the story you should choose for three reasons:
First, Lewis’s books are not only for children. As Lewis writes in the dedication of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe to his goddaughter, Lucy:
“I wrote this story for you, but when I began it I had not realized that girls grow quicker than books. As a result you are already too old for fairy tales, and by the time it is printed and bound you will be older still. But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. You can then take it down from some upper shelf, dust it, and tell me what you think of it.”
“Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairytales again.” What beautiful situational irony!
Many people, as they get older, tend to fall out of love with fiction, especially fantastical fiction. It’s just not real, we may tell ourselves. Or perhaps, we do love fantasy, but our lives are so crazy and full of stress that we never get a chance to sit down and read it…or maybe when we do get a chance, we beat ourselves up for not reading a “more mature” self-help or theology book. What if a simple children’s fantasy series like The Chronicles of Narnia could gift us deep truths through a powerful story that not only entertains us, but can also strengthen our faith?
Second, Lewis’s books contain powerful allegory. Perhaps you’ve read cheesy allegorical fantasy books, where the authors meant well but the content makes you cringe. Not so with The Chronicles of Narnia! It elucidates the sin found in every human heart. It points to the Messiah who came to die for those sins. It hints at the power of that Holy One, killed by the personification of evil yet rising again to conquer all evil in the final battle.
It is obvious that this story is modeled after the story of the Bible. Not only does the allegory work and speak to every Christian’s heart, but it is also told in such a way that forces us to laugh, to cry, to sing, and to delight. It doesn’t only cause us to to delight in The Chronicles of Narnia however, but the story that it reflects as well. This is the Greatest Story Ever Told, the story of the Bible.
Finally, Lewis’s books portray deep truths in simple terms. This series does not contain graphic or gory illustrations, but it still manages to accurately portray evil. It depicts good and evil without “mixing” them up. It portrays realistic human relationships (with fun dialogue!) that don’t get weird or mushy.
One of my favorite things, however, is that there are many quotations with several layers of true meaning that stick with you. For example, there is a part in Prince Caspian where Lucy asks, “You mean that it would have turned out all right–somehow? But how? Please! Am I not to know?”
“To know what would have happened, child?” Aslan responds, “No. Nobody is ever told that…But anyone can find out what will happen.”
To this day, when I’m concerned about something or worried that I made the wrong decision, I remember the lion’s (and Lewis’s) wise advice: We can never know what would have happened. But we can find out what will happen. In just those couple lines of dialogue, we find that this children’s series is a rich treasure trove of, not just literary wisdom, but practical wisdom too.
So, my friend, if you have read The Chronicles of Narnia, no matter what age you are, I hope that you will consider diving into this powerful series again. C.S. Lewis once wrote in a letter to Arthur Greeves, “I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.”
When it comes to The Chronicles of Narnia, I agree! Sure, The Chronicles of Narnia is only another set of “children’s” books. It is only a series of harmless-but-dangerous, fantastical fairytales. And maybe someday you will be old enough to read these “fairytales” again.
- Why You Should Read the Chronicles Of Narnia Again - July 3, 2024
Thanks for the post, Karis!! I should reread them! (but I\\\’m probably safe—having read them 3 or so times in my younger years )