The Chronicles of Narnia

From Tolkien Gateway
The original Narnia books, with cover illustrations by Pauline Baynes

The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy novels for children by C.S. Lewis, published during the 1950s. The seven books in the series are The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), Prince Caspian (1951), The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952), The Silver Chair (1953), The Horse and His Boy (1954), The Magician's Nephew (1955), and The Last Battle (1956).

J.R.R. Tolkien on at least two occasions expressed his dislike of the Narnia books,[1][2] giving the reason that it depended on "merely a difference in taste".[3] George Sayer has remarked that Tolkien's dislike of the novels derived from "assembling figures from various mythologies" and that the books "were carelessly and superficially written."[4] On the other hand, his granddaughter Joanna Tolkien remembers that her grandfather directed her to reading his copies of The Chronicles of Narnia before The Lord of the Rings, suggesting that it was "perhaps an indication of his humility".[5][6]

Pauline Baynes, an artist Tolkien appreciated and frequently used[7], made the original cover and interior illustrations for the books in the The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Daniel Reeve, an artist who worked in the production of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, also worked for the Narnia movies.

The Magician's Nephew shows Aslan creating Narnia while singing, like Arda and . Lewis was perhaps inspired or influenced by the Ainulindalë.[8]

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