Hey, NarniaFans! Below is a brief excerpt from an interview with Herbie Brennan on his new book Through the Wardrobe from the Teen Libris web site. Special thanks to Leah Wilson for allowing us to post these excerpts. Click the source link if you wish to view more of the interview.
Q: How old were you when you first read the Chronicles of Narnia?
A: Getting on a bit, actually—late teens or early twenties, as I recall. The thing was I read Lewis’s science fiction first: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength. Absolutely adored them and went hunting for more. When there weren’t any more, I turned to Narnia in desperation. With a title like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I thought I might be buying something for tiny tots, but instead I found a new Lewis love.
Q: Is there a character in Narnia that you particularly take to?
A: Oooh yes—I really fancy Jadis, the White Witch. I’ve always liked bossy women (you don’t have to think when you’re with them) and villains are far more interesting than heroes. Besides, she’s tall, which is very attractive in a girl, and I heard somewhere that she was descended from Lilith, Adam’s first wife. Rabbinical lore has it that Lilith was a hairy demoness. With an ancestry like that, how could I not be fascinated?
Q: There are countless stories of good vs. evil in our culture. What makes the Chronicles of Narnia special?
A: We’re back to your second question here. The story of Good versus Evil is one of those great archetypal themes I was talking about that reach directly into the human soul. It’s not that Narnia is especially special—it really makes no sense to compare, say, Lewis with Tolkien, who dealt with the same theme. If you can write anyway well (and Lewis certainly could) then the choice of theme automatically makes your work special.