Lost in a Good Book

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (#5) by C. S Lewis

13 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Classic, Junior Fiction, Narnia Chronicles Tags: c.s. lewis, chronicles of narnia, classic, fantasy, five stars, junior fiction

Published: March 5th 2002 (originally 15 September 1952)
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Pages: 272
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction/ Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

A voyage to the very ends of the world.

Narnia… where a dragon awakens… where stars walk the earth… where anything can happen. A king and some unexpected companions embark on a voyage that will take them beyond all known lands. As they sail father and farther from charted waters, they discover that their quest is more than they imagined and that the world’s end is only the beginning.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the third published but chronological fifth book in the Narnia series and yet another I rather liked. The way Lewis has created this world and these stories is so elegant and magical that you do forget his shortcomings if you find them and get carried off in the narrative.

Following the events of the previous story we are introduced to cousin Eustace and his horrid and bratty ways. This is the first book without Peter or Susan, Peter is studying and Susan is travelling in America. The story begins with Lucy and Edmund arriving at their cousin’s house to stay for the holidays. Given that Lucy and Edmund have been king and queen of an ancient land they really do put up with a lot from their cousin. Lewis manages to capture his personality
well and you do get a sense of his intolerance and spoilt nature. When the inevitable call from Narnia comes the three travellers find themselves onboard the ships of Caspian, now the king of Narnia. Three years has passed in the Narnian world and Caspian and his crew are sailing the seas and distant Narnian lands looking for the seven lost Lords; a quest for his coronation. Despite being in the land, Eustace still refuses to accept the stories his cousins told him are true and makes the entire journey tedious for all involved.

This book follows Caspian as he searches the lands for the missing Lords and in doing so the visiting trio get swept up in the adventures. Lucy and Edmund are older now so they also act and carry themselves as more grown up, added their royal position and the effect Narnia has on them only makes them more likeable in this book. There are a lot of new faces; I especially like Reepicheep, simply because despite him being a mouse he is a tough fighter and doesn’t take any of Eustace’s nonsense. Though I will say Eustace does not remain as intolerable for long and he redeems himself. Aside from the characters, the lands the ship visits, and the adventures and situations the crew find themselves in are quite wonderful; they are beautifully dangerous, magical, mysterious, and enchanting all at once. There is magic, dragons, slavery, mysterious mist, sand footprints, all you could ever want in an adventure!

I did like the dragon inclusion in this novel. When I was younger I used to think dragons were real; I thought they were like dinosaurs in that they existed a long time ago and were now extinct. I was quite happy to believe this until I realised the truth; and I’m a little sorry to say it was a real disappointment, one of those ‘feel it in your chest’ disappointments. And so I must now get my dragon delights through literature.

I do not want to ruin the story by giving anything away but there were some issues I found, nothing to affect my overall opinion just a few small details that caught my eye. I will admit I did not understand the ending completely until the film came out, but I understood enough. It was the third time I had the sense Lewis was trying to push religion on his readers through the story. This was blatantly obvious in the film, but I was glad the book had some restraint about it. As per usual Aslan does make an appearance, though not for long, instead he is more of an ideal at first, similar to that in Prince Caspian or A Horse and His Boy.

Having come so far changes are inevitable, especially since we are now privy to these Narnian rules, however unexplained they may be. I think by reading the other non-Pevensie focused books you do not miss the absent Pevensie’s as much, nor mind new characters being brought in because you have been exposed to others and different stories. I think if we had nothing but the four siblings then having them gradually be removed would be strange, almost like recasting to keep a series going. As the series is coming to an end you really have to keep going till the end, and now with new faces being introduced there is a chance of different styles of adventures.

Prince Caspian (#4) by C. S Lewis

12 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Classic, Junior Fiction, Narnia Chronicles Tags: c.s. lewis, chronicles of narnia, classic, fantasy, five stars, junior fiction

Published: March 5th 2002 (originally 15 October 1951)
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Pages: 240
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction/ Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

A prince fights for his crown
Narnia…where animals talk…where trees walk…where a battle is about to begin.
A prince denied his rightful throne gathers an army in a desperate attempt to rid his land of a false king. But in the end, it is a battle of honor between two men alone that will decide the fate of an entire world.

Do you know why this is one of my favourite in the series? Because they finally acknowledge what happens when the four beloved kings and queen of Narnia, that have been sought after for one hundred years and who saved Narnia from eternal winter, when they disappear people took notice! For years before I actually read this book it annoyed me to no end that nobody seemed to mention they had vanished from Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe, and the children themselves seemed to brush it off. They ruled for years and people would miss them! Thank you for finally mentioning it Prince Caspian even if it was only briefly.

We meet again these four children who are waiting at a train station. They are planning to go back to school when a distant horn attracts their attention. The four then feel themselves being dragged against their will and they are magically transported to a mystery beach near an old ruined castle. It is not long before the four realise they are back in Narnia, however their return to Narnia demonstrates to readers that time passes differently in Narnia and that one year on Earth has actually been hundreds of years in Narnia.

As they begin to explore and find the reason for why they were summoned they find a dwarf who tells them what has happened since their disappearance. Narnia has been invaded and divided by Telmarines while the rightful king is oppressed. The Pevensies children are soon embroiled in the issues of the new Narnia and try and help Prince Caspian gain back his thrown and restore the Narnia they once knew.

Aslan makes his usual appearance in cryptic and unclear ways, and old foes threaten to appear to fight in the coming war. The conflict and efforts to get Narnia back to the glory says is a great read really. Though there is nothing more than the fight to get Caspian onto the thrown, the politics and sneakiness of those involved does make an interesting read as always. Lewis manages to make these battles and political brawls engaging to readers in non technical and not overly descriptive and violent ways.

The story is suited for all readers, children do and have enjoyed this book, and adults love it as well. There is certainly a lot more being able to be read into these books the older you get and I think this is a great reason for a reread. As much as it is an enjoyable, lovely, familiar story, there are greater discoveries and meanings to be found. There doesn’t have to be a meaning in everything of course, and I certainly don’t want there to be hidden meaning in everything because it can ruin simple stories. However knowing Lewis’ style he likes to add meaning and hide things in layers through his story that are revealed each time you read and that can be discovered the older you get.

The ending offers a surprise that was initially unexpected, and rather not explained, simply yet another thing we must accept from Lewis. There is also no cliff hanger or anything that gives you incentive to continue unless you wish to see what other adventures there are. This is not a bad thing, it is a series with different adventures that connect and revolve around the same group of people. You just keep going through the series and see what happens. There is a chronology (let’s not get into the issues again but there is), so you do have a desire to see what happens next in the plot, and now we know time goes differently and that there are apparently rules you are curious to see the changes that might happen in the next book. I think if you are starting a series you do have to read the complete set because you really cannot gain a full understanding of the story if you don’t.

Just a note to say…

12 Feb 2013 4 Comments

by Amy in Rambles Tags: john green

Yes, I know I am being unconventional, ‘why is she uploading a non book review related post right in the middle of her series post? It will ruin the flow she so desperately wanted and irk her minor controlling nature of perfection she tries to hide.’ The reason dear readers is number one, this is not totally unbook related, and second because I feel the need to make a proclamation. I stumbled across a brilliant vlog on YouTube. And for those who do not know what a vlog is good news! neither did I. But I have slowly started to find these little gems of joy and happiness and need to share. A vlog is pretty much what yours truly here is doing but with pretty pictures and editing techniques that we in the world of typey typey cannot do. Though if you wish I could come back and edit in random pictures and add lyrics to give the illusion of fancy editing. But I digress.

This proclamation is about how I have just spent the better part of the past three hours during this frankly not overly beautiful or going outside welcome kind of day watching video after video of this vlog I found. I will tell you what it is but before I do I do want to point out that this is a very popular vlog and one that has been going for so many years it is rather embarrassing how long it has taken me to find it so please don’t hate me for being one of those people who suddenly discovers something and thinks it’s all well and wonderful when people have been thinking it is all well and wonderful for the past six years, which is how long this thing has been going. Any who! The vlog I found was the vlogbrothers channel and I have to say after a few videos I was fairly certain I was I love with one of the brothers and I am not entirely ashamed to say it was Hank.

Now to the important and relevant part that started these rambles of happiness off. After watching a series of these videos for the better part of the three hours on my overcast and otherwise uneventful Tuesday, I came across the newer posts and found out that the other brother (the one who I was only starting to love but just as intensely) was a writer. Oh isn’t that wonderful and cool, a writer on a vlog I like, I like writing, he has some great insights I love his thoughts on life and general nature of being a person. All the typical emotions one experiences when one is very excited and swept up in the fast paced action these two brothers emit and use in their allures to charm people like me to their crazy, adorable (though I apologise for calling grown men adorable but they are so deal with it), witty life and insights into the world around us (slight flashback to the great nature show that used to be on Channel Seven, shout out to old Australian TV shows.)

So as I am enjoying this second brother John who seems just as amazing and insightful and very charming like his other brother counterpart Hank, what do I discover? As the next video automatically starts in that sometimes helpful, sometimes not helpful way YouTube does, I see dear brother John talking about how he had finally finished signing the final sheet for his new book. Now I had seen a couple where I knew he had a book so I was rather pleased for him, nice that he had written a book, sounds all wonderful considering I had no real idea who they were or what was really going on. And then the marvellous moment happened: John shows us the copy of his book, and I have the greatest moment of my life (slight exaggeration for the purpose of the topic) as I realise that all this time I had inadvertently been watching and falling in love with the vlog of the guy who wrote The Fault in Our Stars. I have to say I was ecstatic (no exaggeration for blog purposes). I had been sitting here listening about how this guy had other books and all these other things thinking I quite liked him and might find out what these books actually were and then this happens. Now, I will admit that dear poor John may have been second best to other brother Hank who stole my heart initially with his chaotic and marvellous ways, but John did manage to get himself into almost equal place before my realisation so I will have no claims of liking for the sake of liking. I have since concluded that I love them equally for different things as they offer different things.

I do realise that this has very little to do with anything, trust me, but I would also like to take this moment to say that I will now intentionally hunting down this book (not hard, it is everywhere) and reviewing it at the first possible chance. I would also like to mention that I did actually have every intention of reading this book because it was raved about but now I have seen John in action and seen how quirky and amazing he and his brother are I want to read it for other purposes. I know having a book praised and talked about in every possible instance can make people think you are only reading it because it is said to be wonderful and I will say in part that is true, but also because I had a very close friend (her blog is here and her goodreads review is here) also praised this book, and I would like to say I trust her judgement about these things more than a few thousand/million people who praise a book (see Twilight phenomenon).

As I was saying I have heard brilliant upon brilliant things about John‘s book The Fault in the Stars and if possible I am finding the others as well because I know this is his sixth book it seems and I think a back catalogue is required as well. I can’t be liking someone for one book and one book alone. If only I’d know I could have been enjoying him (in the through the book and internet sense) all these years. I would like to blame the fact they were in America, and I would like to blame the fact the other books may slightly not have made as big of a fuss as The Fault in our Stars did over here, and also in part I probably was not paying that much attention if they had, but also because until a few years ago I didn’t even know what a blog was, let alone a vlog and so I wasn’t even looking for these kinds of things on the Internet. YouTube was pretty foreign to me for its first few years and I have no real shame in admitting that it kind of still is aside from my few subscribed thing. I have no interest in cats and watching children say weird and stupid things so unless I stumble across something through a video I was actually looking for or subscribe to, then YouTube is 99% uncharted territory in my world.

There may be people out there who loved The Fault in Our Stars who didn’t know there was a vlog, or there may be others who have loved the vlog for years. If you know not of the book or the blog then you must find out about both and get investigating. As soon as I have finished The Fault in Our Stars you will know about it and I hope you check out Hank and John’s vlog because it does actually have a lot about The Fault in Our Stars, but it has oh so much more about life, nerd things, funny things, obscure things, writing things and just strange ‘why am I watching this’ things. And! And! There is a Narnia connection because Hank darling has a map of the realm of Narnia on his wall in one of the early videos. May you fall in love like I have.

The Horse and His Boy (#3) by C. S. Lewis

11 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Junior Fiction, Narnia Chronicles Tags: c.s. lewis, chronicles of narnia, classic, fantasy, five stars, junior fiction

Published: March 5th 2002 (originally 6 September 1954)
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Pages: 241
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction/ Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

A wild gallop for freedom.
Narnia…where horses talk…where treachery is brewing…where destiny awaits. On a desperate journey, two runaways meet and join forces. Though they are only looking to escape their harsh and narrow lives, they soon find themselves at the center of a terrible battle. It is a battle that will decide their fate and the fate of Narnia itself.

This is the other book that has contention over the order. Even though it’s only been a couple days I was already confusing myself when I thought I had started reviewing them out of order and had to go and check. The fact that different publishers have different orders makes it worse, we need a universal agreement on what it should be. Personally I like this order better, but it was because this is the order I first read them in so I don’t know whether that makes me lean towards this set other than the fact it’s the way I know. It really should not be an issue and I am a little annoyed these stories can be interchangeable. There is actually a reason why I like this book being in the third place instead of fifth is because the content of this story is referred to in the fourth book The Silver Chair and it was good to understand the reference. If you have an entire book explaining events and circumstances that refer to a minor mention in a previous book it looks odd. This way we are given the story and we see how the legend has lived on later on. To add to this confusion, there is actually a chronological order that keeps it in a timeline of the events rather than the published order; I think I liked it better before I knew any of these issues to be honest, it does your head it.

Either way, I rather liked this book. Because so much of this series refers to the sainted Pevensie children, any time they vary away from them it is a pleasure. They are still there in part of course, but they are not the major focus. This story is set during the reign of the four siblings that we brush over in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and explores the countries Calormen and Archenland which apparently are neighboring lands south of Narnia. What was great about this book was the fact we got to see a greater part of the world, and the fact it was just outside Narnia meant we were shown that it wasn’t the only land, nor was it the only one with Kings and political issues or war.

Initially we follow a young boy called Shasta who runs away with a horse, Bree, but soon they join another pair who are also journeying to Narnia. In the beginning we follow the travels of the group as they head through the land and through towns as they head north. There are developments in the story as Shasta is victim of mistaken identity , and it is through this we get to see the Narnian connection and the first references to the Pevensie Royals. Since the Wardrobe book brushed over their reign it is good that we actually get to read about some of the events that happened during those years. Considering they are talked about for years after the fact, and essentially becoming legends it was a bit unfair that we only got to see a few of their achievements. I don’t really want to talk more about the plot because I think it is better read than have it explained to you. Lewis pretty much explains the journey through these two lands and the adventures the group encounters as they try and reach their destination. There are battles, politics, and surprisingly a bit of mystery and confusion that make you guess where it could lead. It was a great little story that is rather sweet. If you think about it The Horse and His Boy really could not be in the series because aside from the reference later on there are no real events that impact directly on the future books, but I’m glad it is in the series, you get rather attached to Shasta as you go along.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (#2) by C. S Lewis

10 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Amy in 5 Stars, Classic, Junior Fiction, Narnia Chronicles Tags: c.s. lewis, chronicles of narnia, classic, fantasy, five stars, junior fiction, movie

Published: March 5th 2002 (originally 16 October 1950)
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Pages: 206
Format: Book
Genre: Junior Fiction/ Fantasy
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ – 5 Stars

Narnia…a land frozen in eternal winter..a country waiting to be set free.

Four adventurers step through a wardrobe door and into the land of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change…and a great sacrifice.

Note: There is a spoiler at the end of this review. I apologise but I needed to have a rant.

I am hoping I am not the only person in the world who never noticed the heavy, over the top and obvious Christian themes in this book. It wasn’t until I studied it at Uni that I noticed the religion in this book. I knew the story as a kid and I loved it but I guess not being religious I didn’t see the signs, I dunno. Either way I loved this book. I always wanted to know Aslan because I loved lions and I liked that he was never tame and had that wild part of him.

It is a very British book, everyone is so proper and behaves properly despite walking into a magic wardrobe and finding a snow filled world and talking animals. The eldest takes charge, the youngest is dismissed as being young and foolish, all very believable. I do like how the children soon learn their lesson and realise it isn’t about age and share the duty and think logically.

The characters are very sweet and well developed. There is an entire world of Narnia that I was unaware of as this was the first book I had read of the series originally. Reading it again you realise how much was being led into this book and how everything came to be, who the Witch was and what her role in Narnia is. I think you should read them in order, and it is a shame most people think this is the first book, but it does very well establishing itself and Narnia despite being the second book. Mr Tumnus and the Beavers, all the creatures welcome strangers into their world working under this prophecy and greater power. I was glad that it was Edmund who initially messed everything up, he was also such a brat and if it was a girl the cries of Eve and the apple would be too great. Even though this book was not necessarily about that, there was enough Samson and Delilah, crucifixes and good vs evil for one little book.

Like I said I did not know this was a religious themed text. When I was researching I was amazed at how Lewis had managed to disguise everything and create new situations that worked whether you knew the content or not. Aslan and the White Witch, the stone table, all of that worked on its own level without being confusing as a symbol of something else. What was also great was the fact that there were good dwarves and bad dwarves, good giants and bad. There was not bad animals and good animals, just animals who chose a side. You see the impact of being in Narnia has on the children, they grow stronger and are less childlike, I guess this helps in the accepting and motivation to fight. Tied in with general curiosity I guess it can take you a long way.

I was being very good and not ruining the ending but I think/hope people know the story because I need a rant. What always, always has annoyed me about this book is how accepting the children are at the end when they return to the real world. After spending what seems like forty years or so in Narnia, completely having forgotten the real world, they stumble across that blasted lamp post and just walk into the wardrobe. They are flung into the old house once more and seem perfectly calm and content having left the Narnian world behind, no explanation of where they went and no way to return. So quickly they forget that Narnia carries on without them and could people perhaps wonder where they have gone, apparently not a concern. But yep, just something that always bothered me, and just quietly, it is referenced later on about how they just vanished one day. I’m sure deep in Narnia there was mass panic, threats of war and suspicion over where their murdered bodies were buried. Or perhaps the Narnians accepted they were gone and didn’t need them anymore. Who knows.