The Horse and His Boy,
by C. S. Lewis
Shasta was dreadfully frightened. But it suddenly came into his head, “If you funk this, you’ll funk every battle all your life. Now or never.”
This was pretty much the same thought I had had, on one fine day during the Spring of ’14. Now or never.
Onward and Upward! To Narnia, and the North!
And thereafter, as I galloped along this beautiful but lonesome path, I never gave myself a chance to look back and wonder. But now, having slowed down into a comfortable trot, I can allow myself to reminisce…
The Chronicles of Narnia, amongst many other such series, is one that I did not read in the correct order, but this case is particularly odd considering that there already are two correct orders.
And, considering the impact the series had on me, it seems only fair that I pause to thank the two old classmates of mine, who introduced me to the series on the pretext of an Inter-school competition.
The fairly unique and highly original setting of the story truly captured my heart at a very young age, and the plot itself was just intriguing enough to keep one glued. And, as often happens in this genre, the story is driven entirely by a single, omniscient narrator.
The themes of freedom, true calling and destiny used heavily throughout the book are ones especially resonant with any lost teen minds…
Well, that is what an initial impression of a child would be. Subsequent rereads reveal certain hidden messages that are really not hidden very well…
Many critics of the series, including J. R. R. Tolkien himself, have complained about the heavy use of obvious Christian references throughout the series, but I believe that is fine. If Tolkien can use Germanic literature, why can Lewis not use Christian literature?
I, however, take offence to the blatant racism and sexism visible in the series, most of which is limited to this book and the last.
It is probably a great example of how children seem to see the best in the world, while the adults keep looking for, finding, and revolting against the evil…
So, in hindsight, I think this is another book that I happened to first read at the perfect age…
Now, to whom would I recommend this book? Well, despite its flaws, which are few and fairly infrequent, this book can be thoroughly enjoyed by most young souls, still searching for their place in the world.
You can find the book here:
Well, that is all for tonight…
Thank you.
The Writer Guy 