The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

By C. S. Lewis

In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, four English children are sent to their uncle's house in the country during World War 2. The youngest, Lucy, discovers a wardrobe that is a portal to a magical world, known as Narnia, filled with talking animals, fauns, nymphs, dwarves, and an evil queen who keeps the world always winter but never Christmas. When the rest of her brothers and sisters join her in Narnia, they meet the great Lion Aslan, and quickly become embroiled in a battle between good and evil that will determine the fate of Narnia itself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media
• Release date: Apr 10, 2018
• ISBN: 9781974908332

C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics in The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures.

Book preview

CHAPTER I

LUCY LOOKS INTO A WARDROBE

Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. This story is about something that happened to them when they were sent away from London during the war because of the air-raids. They were sent to the house of an old Professor who lived in the heart of the country, ten miles from the nearest railway station and two miles from the nearest post office. He had no wife and he lived in a very large house with a housekeeper called Mrs. Macready and three servants. (Their names were Ivy, Margaret and Betty, but they do not come into the story much.) He himself was a very old man with shaggy white hair, which grew over most of his face as well as on his head, and they liked him almost at once; but on the first evening when he came out to meet them at the front door he was so odd-looking that Lucy (who was the youngest) was a little afraid of him, and Edmund (who was the next youngest) wanted to laugh and had to keep on pretending he was blowing his nose to hide it.

As soon as they had said good night to the Professor and gone upstairs on the first night, the boys came into the girls’ room and they all talked it over.

We’ve fallen on our feet and no mistake, said Peter. This is going to be perfectly splendid. That old chap will let us do anything we like.

I think he’s an old dear, said Susan.

Oh, come off it! said Edmund, who was tired and pretending not to be tired, which always made him bad-tempered. Don’t go on talking like that.

Like what? said Susan; and anyway, it’s time you were in bed.

Trying to talk like Mother, said Edmund. And who are you to say when I’m to go to bed? Go to bed yourself.

Hadn’t we all better go to bed? said Lucy. There’s sure to be a row if we’re heard talking here.

No there won’t, said Peter. I tell you this is the sort of house where no one’s going to mind what we do. Anyway, they won’t hear us. It’s about ten minutes’ walk from here down to that dining-room, and any amount of stairs and passages in between.

What’s that noise? said Lucy suddenly. It was a far larger house than she had ever been in before and the thought of all those long passages and rows of doors leading into empty rooms was beginning to make her feel a little creepy.

It’s only a bird, silly, said Edmund.

It’s an owl, said Peter. This is going to be a wonderful place for birds. I shall go to bed now. I say, let’s go and explore tomorrow. You might find anything in a place like this. Did you see those mountains as we came along? And the woods? There might be eagles. There might be stags. There’ll be hawks.

Badgers! said Lucy.

Snakes! said Edmund.

Foxes! said Susan.

But when next morning came, there was a steady rain falling, so thick that when you looked out of the window you could see neither the mountains nor the woods nor even the stream in the garden.

"Of course it would be raining!" said Edmund. They had just finished their breakfast with the Professor and were upstairs in the room he had set apart for them—a long, low room with two windows looking out in one direction and two in another.

Do stop grumbling, Ed, said Susan. Ten to one it’ll clear up in an hour or so. And in the meantime we’re pretty well off. There’s a wireless and lots of books.

Not for me, said Peter, I’m going to explore in the house.

Everyone agreed to this and that was how the adventures began. It was the sort of house that you never seem to come to the end of, and it was full of unexpected places. The first few doors they tried led only into spare bedrooms, as everyone had expected that they would; but soon they came to a very long room full of pictures and there they found a suit of armour; and after that was a room all hung with green, with a harp in one corner; and then came three steps down and five steps up, and then a kind of little upstairs hall and a door that led out onto a balcony, and then a whole series of rooms that led into each other and were lined with books—most of them very old books and some bigger than a Bible in a church. And shortly after that they looked into a room that was quite empty except for one big wardrobe; the sort that has a looking-glass in the door. There was nothing else in the room at all except a dead blue-bottle on the window-sill.

Nothing there! said Peter, and they all trooped out again—all except Lucy. She stayed behind because she thought it would be worthwhile trying the door of the wardrobe, even though she felt almost sure that it would be locked. To her surprise it opened quite easily, and two moth-balls dropped out.

Looking into the inside, she saw several coats hanging up—mostly long fur coats. There was nothing Lucy liked so much as the smell and feel of fur. She immediately stepped into the wardrobe and got in among the coats and rubbed her face against them, leaving the door open, of course, because she knew that it is very foolish to shut oneself into any wardrobe. Soon she went further in and found that there was a second row of coats hanging up behind the first one. It was almost quite dark in there and she kept her arms stretched out in front of her so as not to bump her face into the back of the wardrobe. She took a step further in—then two or three steps—always expecting to feel woodwork against the tips of her fingers. But she could not feel it.

This must be a simply enormous wardrobe! thought Lucy, going still further in and pushing the soft folds of the coats aside to make room for her. Then she noticed that there was something crunching under her feet. I wonder is that more mothballs? she thought, stooping down to feel it with her hand. But instead of feeling the hard, smooth wood of the floor of the wardrobe, she felt something soft and powdery and extremely cold. This is very queer, she said, and went on a step or two further.

Next moment she found that what was rubbing against her face and hands was no longer soft fur but something hard and rough and even prickly. Why, it is just like branches of trees! exclaimed Lucy. And then she saw that there was a light ahead of her; not a few inches away where the back of the wardrobe ought to have been, but a long way off. Something cold and soft was falling on her. A moment later she found that she was standing in the middle of a wood at night-time with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air.

Lucy felt a little frightened, but she felt very inquisitive and excited as well. She looked back over her shoulder and there, between the dark tree-trunks, she could still see the open doorway of the wardrobe and even catch a glimpse of the empty room from which she had set out. (She had, of course, left the door open, for she knew that it is a very silly thing to shut oneself into a wardrobe.) It seemed to be still daylight there. I can always get back if anything goes wrong, thought Lucy. She began to walk forward, crunch-crunch, over the snow and through the wood towards the other light.

In about ten minutes she reached it and found that it was a lamp-post. As she stood looking at it, wondering why there was a lamp-post in the middle of a wood and wondering what to do next, she heard a pitter patter of feet coming towards her. And soon after that a very strange person stepped out from among the trees into the light of the lamp-post.

He was only a little taller than Lucy herself and he carried over his head an umbrella, white with snow. From the waist upwards he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat’s (the hair on them was glossy black) and instead of feet he had goat’s hoofs. He also had a tail, but Lucy did not notice this at first because it was neatly caught up over the arm that held the umbrella so as to keep it from trailing in the snow. He had a red woollen muffler round his neck and his skin was rather reddish too. He had a strange, but pleasant little face with a short pointed beard and curly hair, and out of the hair there stuck two horns, one on each side of his forehead. One of his hands, as I have said, held the umbrella: in the other arm he carried several brown paper parcels. What with the parcels and the snow it looked just as if he had been doing his Christmas shopping. He was a Faun. And when he saw Lucy he gave such a start of surprise that he dropped all his parcels.

Goodness gracious me! exclaimed the Faun.

CHAPTER II

WHAT LUCY FOUND THERE

Good evening, said Lucy. But the Faun was so busy picking up his parcels that at first he did not reply. When he had finished he made her a little bow.

Good evening, good evening, said the Faun. Excuse me—I don’t want to be inquisitive—but should I be right in thinking that you are a Daughter of Eve?

My name’s Lucy, said she, not quite understanding him.

But you are—forgive me—you are what they call a girl? asked the Faun.

Of course I’m a girl, said Lucy.

You are in fact Human?

Of course I’m human, said Lucy, still a little puzzled.

To be sure, to be sure, said the Faun. How stupid of me! But I’ve never seen a Son of Adam or a Daughter of Eve before. I am delighted. That is to say— and then he stopped as if he had been going to say something he had not intended but had remembered in time. Delighted, delighted, he went on. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tumnus.

I am very pleased to meet you, Mr. Tumnus, said Lucy.

And may I ask, O Lucy, Daughter of Eve, said Mr. Tumnus, how you have come into Narnia?

Narnia? What’s that? said Lucy.

This is the land of Narnia, said the Faun, where we are now; all that lies between the lamp-post and the great castle of Cair Paravel on the eastern sea. And you—you have come from the wild woods of the west?

I—I got in through the wardrobe in the spare room, said Lucy.

Ah! said Mr. Tumnus in

Reviews for The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

[cuviper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say -- this is a classic. The obvious Aslan == Jesus connection is not that interesting, but this is a solid fantasy novel regardless. I'm currently reading through the whole series in chronological order (vs. the original published order), and some things are better understood this way, like the origin of the light post. However, I still think LWW makes a stronger start for the series than The Magician's Nephew.

[kwigginspost · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good, exciting and adventurous.

[beccaelizabeth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book. I have almost the whole set as book club books, hardback with nice colorful covers. Unfortunately 'The Last Battle' is a different kind, because one went missing I think.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's many years since I read this. I know the story well, having read it several times as a child, teenager and young adult, and more recently seen both the BBC production (at least three times) and the film version. So, as I was well aware, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy discover Narnia... there are good vs evil battles, and Christian allusions galore.

Despite knowing that, I found the book wonderfully refreshing. CS Lewis wrote so well, and this book for children is simple yet profound. I'd forgotten just how quickly the excitement begins - it's the end of the first chapter when Lucy meets Mr Tumnus.

Fast-paced, exciting, and eminently re-readable. Highly recommended, although I doubt if there's anyone who hasn't read this at least once.

[cyrenaz-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my all-time favorite books as a child and i've reread it, as well as the rest of the chronicles, several times as an adult.

[kassilem · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I never realized how short these books were until I started listening to them on this road trip. When you're younger they seemed so much longer. They also seemed much more richer in detail. Now, they seem fairly simple. But charming. I can see why they are still a classic. I was never one of those children who read the series young and fell in love with the story and wanted to find my own Narnia, but I can see why, in it's time era, it might have had that effect on children. On to the next book in the series, the one - if my memory is true- that is my favorite of the whole series.

[avhacker · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I on't know i found this book hard to read eve with everyone saying it was amazing. it really wasn't.

[John eduard Camaclang · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why have I not read this as a kid? I'm jealous of those who've read this in their childhood, it's beautifully magical!

[Dexieh Cantonao · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing, I love it more than the movie! CS Lewis is great.

[Yana Oreshchenko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this book! It's amazing how a book for children gives such a deep understanding of gospel; and the adventures, something we all need.

[Sherily Mae Castillo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm an adult and I can still say that for me, this is the best story ever!

[Andrew Jensen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

what a powerful and moving tale. Aslan is Jesus, and Narnia is heaven!

[rachelsnowden-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An all-time favorite of mine!

[verixsilvercrow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lion Jesus Saves

This book is fun, but only skin-deep. The children have no actual effect on what happens in Narnia, aside from the prophecy, which has been inserted as a cheap Doylist excuse to have them enter the realm and get their much-needed personal development. It's not a bad book, by any means, but it's only a *great* book if you look at it through the eyes of an eight-year-old, whether at age eight or with the lens of nostalgia behind your own adult eyes.

If you want to read your kid a bedtime story, give them The Hobbit or Watership Down; don't give them this Christian faff.

Three and a half stars. Rounding down.

[jacsun · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So you think this is a "story for children?" Think again. It can awaken your spirits as you read about the adventures of four children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, as they go into a wardrobe only to find the new world, Narnia. They are staying with an older professor outside of London during WWII.

The story is a big part of Patti Callahan's book, "Once Upon A Wardrobe" where an 8 year old boy, George, wants to know where Narnia came from. He has just read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" and asks his older sister, Megs, to inquire from the famous professor and author at Oxford, CS Lewis, to get the scoop. He figures she can do this for him as that's where she attends college. The young brother has cancer and she agrees as she loves him dearly. Both books are highly recommended but it helps to read "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" first. It's a super easy read and may also be enjoyed by the young ones.

Enjoy the ride.

[jordanf150 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From the dedication page in the front cover of the book, this entire writing is a vivid, heart-swelling picture of the gospel to God's children. It is an inspiration to be like Lewis's childlike professor, old enough again to read fairy tales and to ascend into the spiritual whenever and wherever called.

[therebelprince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

You'd have to be pretty hard-hearted not to enjoy "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", at least as a nostalgia hit. There's no surprise that it has become such a prominent part of so many childhoods, with its fascinating idea of a world reached through someone's wardrobe, where bored children on summer holiday can find white witches and talking lions. It's an ideal escapist story for kids (very much in the 'Harry Potter' vein) and - unlike a lot of today's rather bland children's literature - has a real sense of being a story that can be shared. Lewis' narrative voice is wonderful, somewhere between "kindly adult" and "co-conspirator".

Of course, there is the religious element, which isn't so prominent here as in the later books, but which can leave an uncomfortable taste. Not that I think we should begrudge all items from other eras because of their cultural biases, but if I ever have children, I'd want to be able to explain to them why they should take the whole resurrection business with a grain of salt! Still, it doesn't take away from the childhood magic of this book, even if Philip Pullman is probably a worthy successor-cum-replacement!

[thebooksofwrath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the story that got my imagination spinning from a young age. I found the idea of the magic wardrobe into another world a fascinating concept and wished I could make something of my own out of that. Narnia was the perfect home away from home where I could enact my own escapism from the drudgery of modern life, away from the lonely world where nobody understands you and nobody gets along with each other to the place where children are harmonious in spirit and reign as princesses and kings.

[joligula · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this story as a child. It was not until many years later that I realized that it was a part of something MUCH larger. Lots of personality and charm.

[bobbybslax · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A friendly read, but slapdash in its worldbuilding and thin on character. It’s a fairy tale so superficiality in some way is to be expected. More rewarding prose or plot would've been appreciated, however. There isn’t much to the story’s characters or plot beyond annoying younger brother Edmund who learns a bit of humility through suffering. New concepts enter seemingly at random and it wasn't mistaken for imagination. I don't find talking animals or vague feudal motifs novel, at least here in the 21st century. It’s hard for me not to be reminded of Lewis’ friend Tolkien whose own fantasy work(s) are much richer in character and world, and well-conceived in both from the get-go. If I understand the history of their writings correctly, neither expected their first stories to become part of a series, but The Hobbit provided me a considerably greater imagination to invest in. We know of brothers and sisters and Adam and Eve and winter and spring. There is nothing new to learn of those things in this book. They merely suggest quick reference points for young children (its main target audience) to understand. Perhaps this is the page-turner it is because the syntax is simple and the ideas are familiar. I probably wouldn't finish The Hobbit as fast as I have here, either, but I keep re-reading that one and its follow-ups. I liked this book/film as a child but returning to it as an adult hasn't provided me much new enthusiasm. I'll try the next one out of curiosity for the potentially non-linear(?) timeline of the wider series and its main character shake-ups (Peter and Susan go away?), but as a stand-alone tale I'm not sure I appreciate the long-lasting popularity.

[jntjesussaves · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Writing: 5.0; Theme: 5.0; Content: 5.0; Language: 5.0; Overall: 5.0

This the second book in this wonderful fantasy series from C.S. Lewis. We are introduced to four children- Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy- who are sent away to a professor's house during the war. They discover a fantastical wardrobe that enters into the land of Narnia. Lucy discovers the land of Narnia first which follows with Edmund sharing in this mysterious land. The older two share in the wonderment and excitement as they meet the King of Narnia- Aslan- and are made kings and queens in Narnia and must ready themselves to battle the evil White Witch. Highly recommend.

***January 7, 2024***

[shanaqui_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book so much and I always have. It's a good start to the world of Narnia, and I suggest it rather than The Magician's Nephew, which people tend to think of as the first book. It is, chronologically, but it's not the best place to start. The writing is wonderful -- warm and like a storyteller, and it always makes me feel as if I'm curled up in front of a fire being told a story (even if I'm freezing cold on a train in a really uncomfortable seat). This is one of the most magical books in the series for me, and probably would be my favourite, if I wasn't so awfully fond of Caspian. He was one of my absolute favourite characters when I was younger. But, since he doesn't come into this book, I shall save my raptures about him for the future.

The Biblical aspect of this book is utterly obvious, but I don't think that detracts at all from the beauty, strength and magic of the story. The theme of self-sacrifice is common in literature: it's more obvious here, and yet I still think it can be read just as a story, if you want to ignore the allegory. In fact, I never had any problem doing so. I didn't feel betrayed when I realised Aslan was Jesus, like some other children; I don't think it's there to trick you, only to tell a beautiful story. The story of Jesus is, without any religious conviction necessary, a beautiful one.

The characters -- mainly the four children -- aren't too good to be true, which is nice. Peter can be an ass, Susan isn't the most sympathetic person in the world, Edmund is... Edmund -- even Lucy has her moments of not doing what she should (think about the battle, where she crossly tells Aslan to give her a minute).

The dedication is also a lovely thing about this book. Though I've never grown out of fairy tales, and I hope I never will.

I cannot be critical about this book.

[barnesbookshelf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I remember reading this series as a child and not understanding some things, so im rereading it now that I know more.

This is probably the story out of all of the books that I remember the best, partially because I also watched the movie a few times. I'm surprised at how close the movie was in my recollection.

I definitely understand more now, especially with the deep magic and Aslan's sacrifice. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and understanding even more.

[linyarai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great classic.

[jrthebutler · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A group of kids find a passage to another world hidden in the back of an old wardrobe.

[drardavis · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book lost its magic for me. You can’t return to Narnia through the wardrobe.

[faith_murri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this.

The Writing and Worldbuilding

I absolutely loved the writing style! It was very similar to J.M. Barrie, with fun asides and little comments throughout. Though definitely targeted at children, it is readable and enjoyable by all.

I loved the themes, the pacing, the world, and the characters. It was phenomenal.

The Characters

Peter, Susan, and Lucy: They were all so fun and I enjoyed following them and experiencing Narnia through them.

Edmund: Freaking Edmund. He was such a good character. His arc was awesome and quite deep, actually. Definitely my favorite character.

the White Witch: I was surprised at just how scary she actually was. Really, she was legitimately frightening!

Aslan: I was worried that he would be preachy, but honestly he was sincerely powerful and strong and just pretty darn great.

Conclusion

I am so happy that I read this. It was really great. Such a funny, emotional, and powerful story. Freaking fantastic!

[catherine_gv · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one was good too. I loved the winter-temperature :D...

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The one that started it all. Sure, it's Lewis so it has heavy Christian overtones...but as a kid, they flew right over my head and as an adult, although I know they're there...it doesn't make a difference one way or the other. It's a good fantastical tale and a story that challenges kids but also is manageable for younger ones. My 8-year-old enjoyed it, my 6-year-old enjoyed it more. They're looking forward to the next Narnia installment and I still have them all after 30+ years.

[karnoefel · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Clive Staples Lewis, Jack voor zijn vrienden, werd geboren in 1898 in Belfast. Als kleine jongen was hij dol op sprookjes, fantasieverhalen, mythen en legendes. Daarom besloot hij ze als volwassene zelf te gaan schrijven. Op zijn 16e creëerde hij al een faun die zich met een paraplu en een pakketje onder zijn arm verplaatste in een met sneeuw overdekt bos. C.S. Lewis studeerde klassieke talen, Engels, literatuur en filosofie. In de periode dat hij doceerde aan de universiteit aan Oxford, maakten hij en zijn goede vriend J.R.R. Tolkien, de schrijver van de In de ban van de ring trilogie, deel uit van de Inklings. Een informele schrijversgroep, waarvan de leden elkaar ontmoetten in een plaatselijke pub om ideeën voor verhalen te bespreken. De fascinatie van Lewis voor sprookjes, mythen en oude legenden, samen met inspiratie die hij kreeg uit zijn kindertijd, bracht hem tot het schrijven. De faun kreeg gezelschap van een witte heks en overweldigende leeuw. Hun verhaal werd Het betoverde land achter de kleerkast (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe). Het boek kwam in 1950 uit en groeide later uit tot een van de meest geliefde boeken aller tijden. De Kronieken van Narnia waren Lewis' eerste poging tot het schrijven van kinderboeken, iets wat hem in eerste instantie afgeraden werd door zijn vrienden en uitgever. Men dacht dat het zijn reputatie als serieuze schrijver zou schaden wanneer hij zich aan dat genre zou wagen. Het betoverde land achter de kleerkast, werd ook maar matigjes ontvangen en moest het vooral hebben van mond-tot-mond reclame. Toch volgden er nog zes boeken, waardoor de ongelooflijke populaire Kronieken van Narnia ontstonden. Het laatste deel uit de serie, Het laatste gevecht, werd geëerd met de Carnegie Medal, een van de hoogste onderscheidingen in Engeland voor kinderboeken. De Kronieken van Narnia waren de enige kinderboeken van C.S. Lewis, daarna verschenen echter nog vele boeken voor volwassenen, waaronder fantasy verhalen en verzamelde brieven. Hiermee verwierf Lewis grote faam in Groot-Brittannië en daarbuiten. Op bol.com vind je alle boeken van C.S. Lewis, waaronder het nieuwste boek van C.S. Lewis.