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The Chronicles of Narnia
The Chronicles of Narnia Review: Wonder, Faith and Sermon (C.S. Lewis)
C.S. Lewis's seven Narnia novels send children through a wardrobe into a land of talking animals ruled, in turn, by a White Witch and the lion Aslan. Bloggers prize the sincerity and comfort; one finds the sermons and dated attitudes harder to ignore.
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Parents introducing a child to fantasy with something gentler and shorter than Tolkien or Rowling, and adults curious whether it still holds up.
Worth it if
Worth reading if you want a sincere, short-chaptered story where real danger sits alongside comfort and hope, and you can take the Christian symbolism as part of the narrative rather than a distraction.
Skip if
Skip it if you dislike allegory or doctrine that sometimes outruns the story, or if you want Middle-earth-style invented languages and deep backstory; parents reading aloud should expect to pause over the Calormene portrayal in The Horse and His Boy and some gender stereotyping.
What readers & critics say
Reception leans warmly positive but splits on the faith content. The Guardian's archive notes early reviews were positive but not gushing, and that Philip Pullman later attacked the series while defenders pushed back. Book bloggers at Greenish Bookshelf, Rite of Fancy and Books of Brilliance recommend it for sincerity and imagination, while We Need To Talk About Books has reservations about the series.
Sources: The Guardian, We Need To Talk About Books, Greenish Bookshelf, Books of BrillianceAsk LuvemBooks
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- Is it worth reading?
- Reviewers split on how well the earnestness lands. A Rite of Fancy argues the books understand the emotional landscape of childhood better than most modern fantasy, calling Aslan the emotional center, while imlovingbooks.com finds the sermons and the moments when Lewis grips the lesson harder than the story can bear hard to ignore on an adult reread. Even so, the imlovingbooks.com blogger calls it a comfort read of a very high order, so it is worth it if you can take the allegory as part of the story.
- Similar books
- Of the related titles, The Screwtape Letters is Lewis's own and shows his Christian thinking in a very different form, while The Fellowship of the Ring offers the complexity that Narnia lacks. Howl's Moving Castle is a playful, character-led fantasy for readers who want something lighter on doctrine. The imlovingbooks.com blogger also points Narnia readers towards A Wizard of Earthsea and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, written pointedly as an anti-Narnia.
- Who should read this?
- It suits anyone interested in the roots of fantasy worlds. imlovingbooks.com describes the prose as plain, warm and occasionally sentimental. It points away from readers who reject Lewis's allegorical approach and from anyone wanting Middle-earth-style depth.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 7 and up, the reading age given on the Amazon listing, taken from customers. The books are short-chaptered and suit reading aloud to younger children. Parents should expect a few moments that may require discussion.
- Does reading order matter?
- Opinion is divided between two numbering schemes. Greenish Bookshelf and imlovingbooks.com both recommend publication order, starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
- Can I enjoy it without the Christian allegory?
- The Greenish Bookshelf blogger notes it can be read either as a simple adventure or as Christian allegory. Readers who relish the faith, courage and sacrifice, as Greenish Bookshelf does, get more from it. Those who reject allegorical approaches are advised to skip it or read warily.
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Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
en.wikipedia.org
- 3
screenrant.com
- Further reading
- 4
en.wikipedia.org
- 5
- 6
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greenishbookshelf.com
- 8
The Guardian
- 9
We Need To Talk About Books
- 10
Books of Brilliance
Age & Reading Level
Our age band
Ages 8–12
Reading level
Middle grade
Amazon listing
Ages 7+ (set by customers)
Our age band groups books for browsing; it isn't an age a review gave.
5 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
Best for: Ages 7+ — short chapters and plain prose suit reading aloud; parents may pause over dated attitudes
Skip if you dislike allegory or doctrine that sometimes outruns the story, or want Middle-earth-style invented languages and deep backstory
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