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My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:06 pm
by Spock
I know this has been discussed several times-but I finally put the Narnia series at the top of my list.

Here is my reading order

1) The Lion. Witch, Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) Dawn Treader

I chose to read these 3 first because I have seen the movies-these 3 are now read

Next
4) Magician's Nephew-in progress
5) Horse and his Boy
6) Silver Chair
7) Last Battle

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 10:10 pm
by ghostjmf
Its great that "Out of the Silent Planet" & its sequel are not on your list. They were all my local library had when I was a kid. Avoid them unless you are having trouble sleeping. I think I finally got "Wardrobe" years ago; someday I'll get to the other classics.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 7:53 am
by ghostjmf
Apparently there were 3, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra & That Hideous Strength. Don't recall ever reading Strength. Maybe library didn't have it.


Since not being a kid I have realized you don't have to finish a book if you don't like it, nor read the next in a series if you didn't like the 1st.


As I remember from Silent Planet, creatures of Mars like to have long (boring) philosophy lectures.


Hey! I remember that about Heinlein too. Maybe I wouldn't have read him as an adult, either.


Lewis's are about religion, not might-makes-right, anyway.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:00 am
by Bob Juch
ghostjmf wrote:Apparently there were 3, Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra & That Hideous Strength. Don't recall ever reading Strength. Maybe library didn't have it.


Since not being a kid I have realized you don't have to finish a book if you don't like it, nor read the next in a series if you didn't like the 1st.


As I remember from Silent Planet, creatures of Mars like to have long (boring) philosophy lectures.


Hey! I remember that about Heinlein too. Maybe I wouldn't have read him as an adult, either.


Lewis's are about religion, not might-makes-right, anyway.
I read all three when I was a young teen.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:52 am
by earendel
Spock wrote:I know this has been discussed several times-but I finally put the Narnia series at the top of my list.

Here is my reading order

1) The Lion. Witch, Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) Dawn Treader

I chose to read these 3 first because I have seen the movies-these 3 are now read

Next
4) Magician's Nephew-in progress
5) Horse and his Boy
6) Silver Chair
7) Last Battle
As I understand it, Lewis's publishers put the books in one order, but Lewis himself suggested that they be read "chronologically", starting with "The Magician's Nephew", followed by "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "A Horse and his Boy", "Prince Caspian", "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", "The Silver Chair" and "The Last Battle". The reason for the placement of "Horse" is that it takes place while Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are kings and queens in Narnia.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:39 am
by Spock
earendel wrote:
Spock wrote:I know this has been discussed several times-but I finally put the Narnia series at the top of my list.

Here is my reading order

1) The Lion. Witch, Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) Dawn Treader

I chose to read these 3 first because I have seen the movies-these 3 are now read

Next
4) Magician's Nephew-in progress
5) Horse and his Boy
6) Silver Chair
7) Last Battle
As I understand it, Lewis's publishers put the books in one order, but Lewis himself suggested that they be read "chronologically", starting with "The Magician's Nephew", followed by "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "A Horse and his Boy", "Prince Caspian", "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", "The Silver Chair" and "The Last Battle". The reason for the placement of "Horse" is that it takes place while Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are kings and queens in Narnia.
Right-I did some googling about the order and recall the discussions here. If I were approaching it blind-I would have followed chronological order-but chose to read the movies first.

It is kind of fun as the Spocklette is reading them just ahead of me-so we have that going for us.

I have usually steered clear of fantasy stuff-but I really enjoy Card's stuff and I want to try his fantasy series based on Joseph Smith-as I have enjoyed his other writings-but I wanted to read Narnia first.

I also got sucked into the "Chronicles of the Nephilim" series based on the "Giants" in the bible. Found it through clicking through from some review on the "Noah" movie- I won't recommend it-but I am caught up with the series now and decided to fit Narnia in here.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:25 pm
by mrkelley23
Spock wrote:
earendel wrote:
Spock wrote:I know this has been discussed several times-but I finally put the Narnia series at the top of my list.

Here is my reading order

1) The Lion. Witch, Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) Dawn Treader

I chose to read these 3 first because I have seen the movies-these 3 are now read

Next
4) Magician's Nephew-in progress
5) Horse and his Boy
6) Silver Chair
7) Last Battle
As I understand it, Lewis's publishers put the books in one order, but Lewis himself suggested that they be read "chronologically", starting with "The Magician's Nephew", followed by "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "A Horse and his Boy", "Prince Caspian", "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader", "The Silver Chair" and "The Last Battle". The reason for the placement of "Horse" is that it takes place while Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are kings and queens in Narnia.
Right-I did some googling about the order and recall the discussions here. If I were approaching it blind-I would have followed chronological order-but chose to read the movies first.

It is kind of fun as the Spocklette is reading them just ahead of me-so we have that going for us.

I have usually steered clear of fantasy stuff-but I really enjoy Card's stuff and I want to try his fantasy series based on Joseph Smith-as I have enjoyed his other writings-but I wanted to read Narnia first.

I also got sucked into the "Chronicles of the Nephilim" series based on the "Giants" in the bible. Found it through clicking through from some review on the "Noah" movie- I won't recommend it-but I am caught up with the series now and decided to fit Narnia in here.
If you like Card, you might also like his "Women of Genesis" trilogy. He takes the Biblical characters and fills in the biological blanks. They are entertaining. As far as the Alvin Maker series, I loved the first couple, then I thought they rapidly ran out of steam. The central plot idea is fascinating, though.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 9:14 am
by Spock
The Spocklette is being a little shit about these books.

She was ahead of me for the 1st 4. The 3 movie books and Magician's Nephew. She is now reading "Horse/Boy." I finished Nephew and started Silver Chair. Then the little shit hid Last Battle on me.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:30 pm
by SportsFan68
Spock wrote:The Spocklette is being a little shit about these books.

She was ahead of me for the 1st 4. The 3 movie books and Magician's Nephew. She is now reading "Horse/Boy." I finished Nephew and started Silver Chair. Then the little shit hid Last Battle on me.
The fastest way to lose friends is to tell other people how to raise their kids. So I'm not telling you that. Just please, please, Spock, please don't refer to your child as a piece of excrement, even in a joking manner, and even though she'll never see the reference, where I might read it. And I read, or at least skim, most of the posts here. Thank you.

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Fri Jul 31, 2015 9:50 pm
by Spock
SportsFan68 wrote:
Spock wrote:The Spocklette is being a little shit about these books.

She was ahead of me for the 1st 4. The 3 movie books and Magician's Nephew. She is now reading "Horse/Boy." I finished Nephew and started Silver Chair. Then the little shit hid Last Battle on me.
The fastest way to lose friends is to tell other people how to raise their kids. So I'm not telling you that. Just please, please, Spock, please don't refer to your child as a piece of excrement, even in a joking manner, and even though she'll never see the reference, where I might read it. And I read, or at least skim, most of the posts here. Thank you.
OK-sorry.
We were joking about a new sport in our house called "Competitive Reading"

I loved "Horse ad his boy"

Re: My Narnia Reading Order

Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 1:35 pm
by TheCalvinator24
I prefer publication order, but the only thing I'm somewhat adamant (yes, I know that's a contradiction), is that Wardrobe should be read first, before Magician's Nephew. Reading in chronological order spoils some of the reveals in Wardrobe.

I also loved the Space Trilogy. All three books are vastly different in tone and purpose.