The Magicians Nephew by CS Lewis

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Summary An enchanting back-story to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
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The Magicians Nephew is the first book in C.S. Lewis's Narnia Chronicles and was first published in the U.K. in 1955.

When Digory and Polly discover Uncle Andrew's secret workshop, they are tricked into touching the magic rings which transport them to the Other Place. But even Uncle Andrew doesn't realise the wonders that await them, for here is the gateway to the Land of Narnia and the beginning of many wonderful adventures there.

This is a very important story in the context of understanding how Narnia was formed. It is in essence a back-story and written after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to allow CS Lewis to explain the beginnings of Narnia.

It is a mostly light-hearted affair though there are moments of darkness, in particular the illness of Digory’s mother and the evil sorceress Jadis could upset some children. There is also the introduction of magical rings to the Chronicles, which explains how Narnia was first found.

The Magician’s Nephew is an entertaining story that sits well at the beginning of the Narnia Chronicles, Aslan is always a wonderful character and the children are amusing.

A must read for all Narnia enthusiasts.

"This is a very important story," explains the author right at the beginning, "because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia began. In one of the wettest and coldest summers for years, Polly and Digory decide to explore the attic of the old, tall house. Carefully the step over the rafters and creep along the dark corridor that joins their two houses to the empty house beyond. What will they find? Will it be haunted? Perhaps they might even discover a gang of criminals! At any rate, there must be some mystery involved! It seems something of a let-down when what they stumble upon is the secret workroom f Digory's Uncle Andrew. But when in a wild experiment he makes Polly vanish right out of the world, it is obvious that the dull summer is changing into a strange and totally thrilling adventure.

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia) (Amazon.co.uk)

Author: C.S. Lewis
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 192
Publication date: 1998-11-27
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

RRP: £6.99
Lowest new price: £1.43
Lowest used price: £0.01

In The Magician's Nephew, the first of the seven Chronicles of Narnia, nothing is quite as it seems. Digory and Polly find themselves magically transported to a Wood between the Worlds, where several small ponds act as gateways to different worlds. They discover the dead world of Charn and together with Aslan the lion the pair fight against the evil Queen Jadis, restoring the land to its natural state and triumphing over the darkness that reigned before their arrival.

Rich in imagery and emotion, The Magician's Nephew has been relished by hoards of young readers since it was first published in the 1950s. This impressive new edition, published in celebration of the centenary of CS Lewis and featuring delicately crafted, hand-coloured, original illustrations by Pauline Baynes, will capture the hearts of a whole new generation, working its magic on young minds as they wallow in the sheer joy of the Chronicles of Narnia. --Susan Harrison
Amazon.co.uk Review

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia) (Amazon.com)

Author: C.S. Lewis
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 192
Publication date: 1998-11-27
Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

RRP: $14.45
Lowest new price: $4.41
Lowest used price: $0.01

The Narnia Chronicles, first published in 1950, have been and remain some of the most enduringly popular ever published. The best known, the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, has been translated into 29 languages! The illustrations in this book have been coloured by the original artist, Pauline Baynes. Digory let out a scream. "What's happened to Polly?" "Congratulate me, my dear boy," said Uncle Andrew, rubbing his hands. "My experiment has succeeded. The little girl's gone -- vanished -- right out of this world." When Digory and Polly discover Uncle Andrew's secret workshop, they are tricked into touching the magic rings which transport them to the Other Place. But even Uncle Andrew doesn't realise the wonders that await them -- for here is the gateway to the Land of Narnia and the beginning of many wonderful adventures there!
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