Rudi bought me this book nearly 20 years ago. It was around the time when I started reading fantasy novels and was obsessing with The Lord Of The Rings. He procured it for me so I can continue to indulge in some classics. Much to his disappointment, I never read it.

During my recent self-directed mental health exile I found much solace in reading- The more I read, the better I felt. When I needed another book to read I thought what better place to escape the clutches of anxiety than the magical world of Narnia?

This edition contains the entire chronicle in the reading order advised by the author.

I began with “The Magician’s Nephew” and it immediately struck me as writing of a whole different class. I instantly fell in love with Aslan and it was a privilege to witness him make the world.

“The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe” is easily Lewis’ most famous work. Still, I did not know the story in full so it was lovely to have finally schooled myself in this much-loved classic.

“The Horse And The Boy” was my favourite. I love stories with a strong female protagonist being bold and defiant. It was a wild ride being chased by lions, crossing an unforgiving desert with an usurping army in pursuit alongside another equally brave and daring companion and two talking horses!

“Prince Caspian” was a classic tale of secrets, betrayal, unity, and fighting for the good. The surprised reunion at the end made me cry happy tears.

“The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader”, the fifth adventure of seven, was an unexpected low point for me. Perhaps it was reader’s fatigue, perhaps I wasn’t cut out to be a sailor, but I found it a little exhausting journeying through all the islands despite their quirks and was glad to return to dry land at the end.

After my little slump I was a little weary heading into “The Silver Chair”, the penultimate adventure, but I was determined to see the series through. I dragged my feet through the Wild Wastelands of the North as much as our characters did and welcomed the change of pace towards the end. I did think it was a little convenient how they found their way home but it was a fairytale after all so I shall leave it at that.

Then I made it to “The Last Battle” and what a way to finish this epic series! There is something about fighting against evil with the odds stacked heavily against you that kindles that inner fire in all of us. The grand finale was simply marvellous, the energy of it was exhilarating. There was yet another unexpected twist and the magnificence of the end once again brought happy tears. I’m still pondering the meaning of “Further up and further in” and I believe I’ll be doing so for quite some time.

I loved the way the author addressed me directly from the pages. This style of writing seems to have lost its popularity amongst contemporary authors but is what I imagined being read stories by a loving grandfather is like. That is not something I was lucky enough to have experienced so I was glad to be treated to an imitation of it.

Narnia was a rich, stunning world with an abundance of curiosities and interesting characters. The world building was outstanding but what truly shone was the writing. It is rare to see such glorious mastery of the art of writing. It was simply beautifully written and effortlessly eloquent, resplendent proses leapt out page after page to sweep you gloriously into a dream world. It was pure magic, the kind of magic that should continue to be learning material in schools the world over so our next generations can appreciate what brilliant writing is.

Grab your copy of The Chronicle Of Narnia here*.