Which narnia book should i read first

He speaks vaguely about the mysteries of his house, but on the very last page the professor drops hints that he might have been playing with them a bit: that he might know more about Narnia than he let on, though he had his reasons for being tight-lipped. The professor has been to Narnia; in fact, he saw its founding. He had the wardrobe made from a tree that grew in London from the core of a Narnian apple he had planted along with magic rings that transported the wearer between worlds.

The witch Jadis is an evil creature from another world, and Aslan is the creator of the Narnian world. The lamp post, like the various accouterments of English culture, were introduced from our world at the beginning. Reversing the order of these two books gives us the answers first and the questions second. So forget the numbering on the new editions. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe 2. Prince Caspian 3.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Here is what we think…. Do you prefer in publication or chronological order? Listen to our podcast discussion on the issue. Narnia: 70th Anniversary Video. Why were the books re-numbered chronologically? Initially, HarperCollins included this explanation in the books: The HarperCollins editions of The Chronicles of Narnia have been re-numbered in compliance with the original wishes of the author, C.

What did C. Good point about the flow. The story actually progress better with some things temporally out of order! I've always considered that to be one major appeal to the series : — Errant.

SQB That's fair. I liked reading THAHB later because it was kind of a nice surprise to have a second perspective on that time period. Gryphoenix Gryphoenix. In light of the other answers which I agree with I think you will need to defend your answer with more than a one liner.

What do you find confusing about reading in publication order? What details or groundwork are missing form that order? This is such a subjective question it's hard to justify an answer, but I agree with this one.

As a kid, I read this series at least half a dozen times, in both orders, and I preferred the chronological order by a wide margin. My sister felt the same. Makes more sense when you know how this all came to pass. John John 29 1 1 bronze badge. Jeremy Jeremy.

I actually disagree that it makes the most sense this way, therefore, your word "obviously" doesn't fit for me at all. If you start with the Magician's Nephew, you don't get the nice surprise about the owner of the manor and wardrobe later. Many stories are told with flashbacks and LWW was published first and makes perfect sense without The Magician's Nephew. In this case, the flashback just happens to be an entire book.

Chronological Order C. Lewis, as quoted in C. Lewis' Letters to Children. My preferred order is this: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was written first and introduces things. The narrator expects the reader to know nothing about Narnia. Reading anything else first would make some parts of it feel wrong.

The Magician's Nephew. Readers still remember who Digory, and are wondering how the situation in the first book came about. This is a direct answer, and completes the first book. Prince Caspian. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The Silver Chair. The Last Battle. The series was not planned beforehand as she thinks. So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them.

How could someone promote a publication-order reading in light of this quote? The most obvious answer is that Lewis himself never requested a renumbering of the books. As we learned from NarniaWeb, Lewis is answering a question about reading Narnia for the second time.

As Lewis fan and film critic Steven D. Greydanus writes ,. As much as fans of Star Wars appreciate what George Lucas created, many of them reject his notion that first-comers should watch the movies in chronological order.

A similar situation exists in regards to the fantastical universe Lewis created. Some might cringe at the comparison of Lewis and Lucas. Sure, their names may sound similar, but so do grapes and grapefruit. The two are vastly different. Nevertheless, a serial story is generally best enjoyed in the order in which it was released, because everything that comes after the first installment is building on it and assuming a knowledge of it. Consequently, when picking up The Chronicles of Narnia for the first time, the reading order you choose is not inconsequential.

And if there is a more advantageous way to explore this beloved fantasy series, why not take it? Why not travel through Narnia on the path first blazed by Lewis himself?