Welcome to Tumnus’s Book Shelf where we review any and all books related to Narnia and CS Lewis! For this weeks review, we will be looking at Devin Brown’s Inside Narnia
Book Title: Inside Narnia
Author: Devin Brown
Publisher: Baker Books (September 1, 2005)
ISBN-10: 0801065992
ISBN-13: 978-0801065996
Summary of the book:
From the dedication page to the last sentence of CS Lewis’s classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, the adventures of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie have enchanted people for generations. In the first book in the Inside Narnia series, Devin Brown examines in a careful, chapter by chapter commentary Lewis’s beloved work. From the biographical, to the religious, to the mythical, and the fantastical elements Inside Narnia allows the reader to love Narnia more. Readers come away with the same feeling for things in the natural world that they gained in reading Lewis’s Narnian Chronicles. They don’t despise the stories because those aspects are in there, they appreciate them more because of them.
Review:
By this point, there are countless books that examine Lewis’s Narnian Chronicles. Because of the imagery in the series, the vast majority of books look at the allegorical and biblical aspects of the series. However after a time, that can become redundant. There are not many ways of saying, “ Aslan=Jesus” before it becomes a cliché.
In the introduction to his book, Devin Brown admits this, and ponders why write another one. His reasons are simple. To say something that hasn’t been said and say it in away that hasn’t been used. Mr. Brown attempts to look at the series not strictly from the devotional and allegorical stand point, but from the literary and mythical stand point.
While many books may do this, they cover each of the Chronicles in seven short chapters. In doing so the depth of Narnia ends up getting left out. Brown seeks to avoid this by devoting one book in the Inside Narnia series to one corresponding title. Instead of one brief paragraph on everything, Brown looks at the whole book chapter by chapter.
Think of Inside Narnia as an audio commentary with a movie on a DVD. Much like with a commentary on a film, it is best to read Lewis’s book first before reading the commentary. Brown expects that the readers have not only read all of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but the other seven Narnian Chronicles. He gives spoilers for everything from the end of the book to the end of the series. If you don’t know what happens in all seven books before going into it, he makes no apologies.
This book is not like a SparkNotes or CliffNotes version of Narnia where you don’t even have to read the real book in order to understand. It’s purpose is to take what you know, or think you know and enhance it. Readers discover that Narnia is not just a fine “allegory” but a “fine fantasy” , a “work of literature” and “ a mythology.”
His scholarship is insightful and goes past the biographies of Lewis. Such prominent Lewis scholars as Paul F. Ford, Walter Hooper, Clyde Kilby, and others lend more then their weight to his arguments. He even refers to Joseph Campbell, notable scholar of mythology and mentor of George Lucas, to show how well Narnia fits as a mythical heroes journey. As JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis were great friends and influenced each other profoundly, Brown also looks at the parallels between Narnia and Lord of the Rings.
Unlike most devotional works which will look glowingly at Narnia. Because of this they will ignore the opposing views of the series, such as charges of sexism or racism. Brown’s work doesn’t do that. He not only allows these views their voice, but with his careful scholarship,he eloquently argues why they are invalid by carefully looking at the text, the scholarly sources and Lewis himself.
Particular surprising to most readers in this book will be the assertion that Aslan is not Jesus and that Lewis did not write the books with an evangelical bend in mind. Most quick readings will leave people saying this, and such things have been inflated more due to the comments such people as Phillip Pullman and JK Rowling. However, Brown shares that Aslan is “Christ-Like” and not “Jesus.” This allows Aslan to take his place along such “Christ-Like” figures as Gandalf the Grey in Lord of the Rings, John Coffey in Stephen King’s The Green Mile, Neo in The Matrix, ET, and Superman and not beside Jim Caviezel in Passion of the Christ.
Most readers may worry that this book is like a boring college literature class they slept through Freshman year. Non-literature majors won’t have to worry about this. While intelligent and insightful enough for an English Major, the book is simple, straight forward and cleverly written enough for everyone.
For long time fans of the series looking to enhance their future journeys to Narnia, this is one travel companion that’s indispensable. For new fans this will be an eye opening experience into a world they have only just discovered. From the wardrobe in the spare room, to the halls of Cair Paravel, readers will have a greater understanding of all the other aspects that we’ve missed Inside Narnia.
Five out of Five Shields