Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell's Reviews > The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #1)
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My mom used to read me THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE when I was a little kid. I had always assumed that that was where the story began and it wasn't until fairly recently that I'd learned there was a different order to the books apart from publication order, where you could read them chronologically, in the order that the events within happen in the Narnia universe.
THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW was the second to last book published but is the first in the chronological order to the series, and by sheer luck, I managed to pick up the entire series as reprinted by HarperCollins and for some reason they decided to number the books chronologically, so this book is #1. Confused, yet? Don't worry, I am, too. I actually think that THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW is a really cool place to start if you don't mind a few minor spoilers because it's in this book that you learn about the origin of not just the Witch but also Narnia herself.
This book stars two Victorian-era children named Polly and Digory, who despite their different sets of circumstances, go from being neighbors to being friends and exploring, as children like to do. Digory's uncle is a Grade-A creeper, though, and forces the children to become unwilling participants in his magical experiments, which ends up taking them to several different worlds. The use of "dust" and the idea of the multi-verse being accessible through magic gave me strong His Dark Materials vibes, and I thought fondly back to my first pleasurable reading of Phillip Pullman's GOLDEN COMPASS. I'm almost certain that he was inspired by this book in particular, and I was surprised by how chilling Charn was, and how haunting the last page of this book was, when everything is brought full circle, leading quite neatly into THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE (or, if you're reading in publication order, providing a nice callback to the events of the actual "first" book).
Really, I think it says something about how these books were fleshed out that the reading order is so flexible and still makes sense, despite being read in various orders. Now that I've finished THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW, I think I prefer starting the books in chronological order because the back story this one provides is so rich and good. Polly was a great character and Digory is one of those selfish characters redeemed, rather like Edmund or Eustace from some of the earlier Narnia books. You also get to learn the Witch's name, and it's funny; she sounds like a Sailor Moon villain.
I'm really glad I picked up these books and finally got around to reading them. They're YA and sound like YA, but once you can get over the way the narrative sometimes talks down to you, the story-telling is very good and will make you so nostalgic for the times when you were a kid and still believed the veil between fantasy and reality was so much thinner than it was. I won't tell you how many times I hopefully, and sadly, worked my way into the back of my own closet and pressed against the wall, wishing it would transport me into a world of endless winter filled with centaurs and talking animals and magic. Alas.
3.5 to 4 stars
by
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Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell's review
bookshelves: magic-and-sparkles-and-shit, ya-ya-land
Jul 07, 2018
bookshelves: magic-and-sparkles-and-shit, ya-ya-land
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1459070464i/18565492.jpg)
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest
My mom used to read me THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE when I was a little kid. I had always assumed that that was where the story began and it wasn't until fairly recently that I'd learned there was a different order to the books apart from publication order, where you could read them chronologically, in the order that the events within happen in the Narnia universe.
THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW was the second to last book published but is the first in the chronological order to the series, and by sheer luck, I managed to pick up the entire series as reprinted by HarperCollins and for some reason they decided to number the books chronologically, so this book is #1. Confused, yet? Don't worry, I am, too. I actually think that THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW is a really cool place to start if you don't mind a few minor spoilers because it's in this book that you learn about the origin of not just the Witch but also Narnia herself.
This book stars two Victorian-era children named Polly and Digory, who despite their different sets of circumstances, go from being neighbors to being friends and exploring, as children like to do. Digory's uncle is a Grade-A creeper, though, and forces the children to become unwilling participants in his magical experiments, which ends up taking them to several different worlds. The use of "dust" and the idea of the multi-verse being accessible through magic gave me strong His Dark Materials vibes, and I thought fondly back to my first pleasurable reading of Phillip Pullman's GOLDEN COMPASS. I'm almost certain that he was inspired by this book in particular, and I was surprised by how chilling Charn was, and how haunting the last page of this book was, when everything is brought full circle, leading quite neatly into THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE (or, if you're reading in publication order, providing a nice callback to the events of the actual "first" book).
Really, I think it says something about how these books were fleshed out that the reading order is so flexible and still makes sense, despite being read in various orders. Now that I've finished THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW, I think I prefer starting the books in chronological order because the back story this one provides is so rich and good. Polly was a great character and Digory is one of those selfish characters redeemed, rather like Edmund or Eustace from some of the earlier Narnia books. You also get to learn the Witch's name, and it's funny; she sounds like a Sailor Moon villain.
I'm really glad I picked up these books and finally got around to reading them. They're YA and sound like YA, but once you can get over the way the narrative sometimes talks down to you, the story-telling is very good and will make you so nostalgic for the times when you were a kid and still believed the veil between fantasy and reality was so much thinner than it was. I won't tell you how many times I hopefully, and sadly, worked my way into the back of my own closet and pressed against the wall, wishing it would transport me into a world of endless winter filled with centaurs and talking animals and magic. Alas.
3.5 to 4 stars
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Reading Progress
July 6, 2018
–
Started Reading
July 6, 2018
– Shelved
July 6, 2018
– Shelved as:
magic-and-sparkles-and-shit
July 6, 2018
– Shelved as:
ya-ya-land
July 6, 2018
–
8.91%
"When stranger danger adverts were created, they were done with Digory's uncle in mind."
page
18
July 6, 2018
–
10.4%
"My God, is this the first documentation of mansplaining in a children's book?"
page
21
July 6, 2018
–
28.71%
"Wow, Digory, you're quite the little shit. You're almost as bad as Eustace."
page
58
July 6, 2018
–
32.67%
""It had long been known to the great kings of our race that there was a word which, if spoken with the proper ceremonies, would destroy all living things except the one who spoke it."
Interestingly, this book was written in the middle of the cold war, and I can't help but wonder if this dead world, and the reason for it, were inspired by a fear of the atomic bomb."
page
66
Interestingly, this book was written in the middle of the cold war, and I can't help but wonder if this dead world, and the reason for it, were inspired by a fear of the atomic bomb."
July 7, 2018
–
77.72%
"Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed."
page
157
July 7, 2018
–
96.04%
""And soon, very soon, before you are an old man and an old woman, great nations in your world will be ruled by tyrants who care no more for joy and justice and mercy than the Empress Jadis."
"
page
194
![](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1530982866i/25938483.png)
July 7, 2018
–
98.51%
"When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better."
page
199
July 7, 2018
–
100.0%
"OMG that ending gave me chills. It really brings the series full circle."
page
202
July 7, 2018
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-14 of 14 (14 new)
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message 1:
by
Audrey
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Jul 07, 2018 10:34PM
![Audrey](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1572483937p1/5630113.jpg)
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![Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1656046803p1/2190064.jpg)
TOO LATE. I'm already halfway done reading the series in chronological order LOL
![Audrey](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1572483937p1/5630113.jpg)
![Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1656046803p1/2190064.jpg)
![Bhavik (Semi Hiatus)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1483906617p1/31153167.jpg)
What are your views on this?
![Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1656046803p1/2190064.jpg)
I am not a christian, so I don't get that meaning/enjoyment out of it that those who are christian do. I honestly don't mind reading christian fiction but some of it is preachy and sanctimonious and I don't like that- particularly when it portrays those without faith (or of different faiths) as villains. Narnia kind of toes that line a bit, because all of the people who don't embrace Aslan = bad people. It can come across as heavy-handed but I think the story-telling is good enough that I don't mind it.
![Shainlock](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1654609283p1/49002481.jpg)
I haven’t read either series yet though I mean to. Though I have read LWW when I was younger.
![Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1656046803p1/2190064.jpg)
I haven’t read either series yet though I mean to. Though I have read LWW..."
Haha I didn't even think about that ironic juxtaposition but that's a good point. On the other hand, if you want to write in a genre, you have to read the greats, and I can't imagine a fantasy author writing with a young audience in mind not checking out the Narnia books.
![Bhavik (Semi Hiatus)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1483906617p1/31153167.jpg)
My thoughts exactly! Well put...I am fine with anything as long as nothing is misleading .
![Shainlock](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1654609283p1/49002481.jpg)
Yeah it would make an awesome comparison. Bc you saw similarities. I read that and thought, oh wow. Dust ? Hmm.
I’m wondering if you had said “competition.” Either way I just thought that was an interesting thing. :) good insight.
![Nenia ✨ I yeet my books back and forth ✨ Campbell](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1656046803p1/2190064.jpg)
Yeah it would make an awesome comparison. Bc you saw similarities. I read that and thought, oh wow. Dust ? Hmm. ..."
That's weird! I wrote "checking out the Narnia books" haha.
Yeah there are these rings in the story made from tree dust. :D
![Crystal Starr Light](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1705617148p1/3990525.jpg)
I had the chance to listen to the audiobooks, and I felt this one stood up the best to re-listens as an adult who isn't a fundamentalist Evangelical Christian anymore.
![Crystal Starr Light](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1705617148p1/3990525.jpg)