Abigail McKenna's Reviews > The Magician's Nephew

...and the deepest, wildest voice they had ever heard was saying: "Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters."

Here's what I think: there are favorite books, and then there are books that are part of your soul. So ingrained into your heart that they have become part of your very person. Narnia is one of those soul books for me. It's been years since I've read them, and I didn't even realize how much I missed them until I started re-reading this for a children's classics reading challenge on Instagram (hosted by @trissinalovesbooks. it's pretty cool.).

I looove this book. It's just beautiful. Digory and Polly's friendship? Frank the cab-driver-turned-king? The creation scene?? Ahh it's just beautiful.

quotables:
- "it is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began."
- "it was the quietest wood you could possibly imagine. there were no birds, no insects, no animals, and no wind. you could almost feel the trees growing."
- "and though there was no reason why they should still go on holding hands after their jump, they didn't let go."
- "make your choice, adventurous stranger; strike the bell and bide the danger, or wonder, till it drives you mad, what would have followed if you had."
- "evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself."
- "well, sir," said the cabby very slowly, "a chap don't exactly know till he's been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft 'un. never did no fighting except with my fists. i'd try - that is, I 'ope i'd try - to do my bit." "then," said aslan, "you will have done all that a king should do."
- "are you ready to undo the wrong that you have done to my sweet country of Narnia on the very day of its birth?" "I don't see what I could do." "I asked, are you ready?"
- "what you see depends a great deal on where you're standing and what sort of person you are."
- "polly and digory were always great friends and she came nearly every holiday to stay with them at their beautiful house in the country."
- "and though he himself did not discover the magic of the wardrobe, someone else did."

all in all, I loved it, and I can't wait to re-read the rest of the series very soon because I can't just leave Narnia that soon. *happy sigh*

5 stars, obviously.

Re-read November 2019:
I don't know when this became my favorite Narnia book, but here we are. This was good for my soul.

Re-read December 2019:
"both the children were looking up into the Lion's face as he spoke these words. and all at once (they never knew exactly how it happened) the face seemed to be a sea of tossing gold in which they were floating, and such a sweetness and power rolled about them and over them and entered them that they felt they had never really been happy or wise or good, or even alive and awake, before. and the memory of that moment stayed with them always, so that as long as they both lived, if they were ever sad or afraid or angry, the thought of all that golden goodness, and the feeling that it was still there, quite close, just round some corner or just behind some door, would come back and make them sure, deep down inside, that all was well."

((this very well may be a competitor for my favorite book of all time. just thought you should know.))


re-read 2021:
For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion's eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory's own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.
"My son, my son," said Aslan. "I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another."

This is my favorite book of all time. Why? I can't figure that out. But when I open it, it feels like coming home after a long trip and getting a big hug from the person you love most.
Still kinda baffles me and makes me think "why this book?" but since I don't know the answer, I'll just go on loving it.


re-read 2023:
here we are again. no regrets.