The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of seven fantasy novels by British author C.S. Lewis, written between 1950 and 1956. The series is set in the fictional realm of Narnia, a magical land filled with talking animals, mythical creatures, and epic battles between good and evil. The books have become classics of children’s literature, selling over 100 million copies in 47 languages.
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- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- Prince Caspian
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- The Silver Chair
- The Horse and His Boy
- The Magician’s Nephew
- The Last Battle
Books in the Series
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950)
• Four siblings, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, are evacuated to the countryside during World War II. They discover a magical wardrobe that leads to Narnia, where they join the lion Aslan to free the land from the White Witch’s eternal winter. - Prince Caspian (1951)
• The Pevensie siblings return to Narnia to help Prince Caspian reclaim his throne from his corrupt uncle, King Miraz. They find Narnia vastly changed, with the magical creatures in hiding and humans dominating the land. - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (1952)
• Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their cousin Eustace Scrubb, are drawn back into Narnia. They join King Caspian on a sea voyage aboard the Dawn Treader, encountering various islands, creatures, and challenges in search of seven lost lords. - The Silver Chair (1953)
• Eustace Scrubb and his schoolmate Jill Pole are summoned to Narnia by Aslan. They embark on a quest to find Prince Rilian, the missing heir to the Narnian throne, venturing into underground realms and facing formidable dangers. - The Horse and His Boy (1954)
• Set during the reign of the Pevensies in Narnia, this story follows a young boy named Shasta and a talking horse named Bree as they escape from the oppressive land of Calormen. Their journey reveals their true identities and intertwines with Narnia’s destiny. - The Magician’s Nephew (1955)
• Serving as a prequel to the series, this book explores the creation of Narnia. Young Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer stumble into different worlds, inadvertently bringing the evil Queen Jadis to Narnia during its inception by Aslan. - The Last Battle (1956)
• In the final installment, Narnia faces its greatest challenge as a false Aslan deceives many of its inhabitants. The story culminates in a climactic battle between good and evil, leading to profound revelations about the true nature of Narnia and its connection to our world.
Reading Order
One of the most debated topics among Narnia fans is the best order in which to read the books. There are two main approaches:
- Publication Order – The order in which C.S. Lewis originally wrote and published the books (beginning with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1950).
- Chronological Order – The internal timeline of events in Narnia, which starts with The Magician’s Nephew and ends with The Last Battle.
C.S. Lewis’s Thoughts on Reading Order
This debate dates back to 1957, when an American boy wrote to C.S. Lewis asking for his opinion. The boy’s mother believed the books should be read in publication order, but the boy thought chronological order made more sense, beginning with the creation of Narnia in The Magician’s Nephew.
C.S. Lewis responded, saying:
“I think I agree with your order for reading the books more than with your mother’s.”
Soon after, publishers began numbering the books in chronological order. However, Lewis also admitted that the books were not necessarily written in the order they were published, adding:
“I’m not even sure that all the [books] were written in the same order in which they were published.”
Why We Recommend the Original Order
You may have noticed that we have the books listed in an order that is neither alphabetical nor chronological. The reason for the order is this:
Narnia is best experienced the way readers first discovered it—through the wonder, mystery, and adventure of the publication order.
If you have not read The Chronicles of Narnia yet, we encourage you to first read them in the original publication order. We promise—it’s not confusing. You’ll be engrossed in the story as it unfolds, just as readers first experienced it in the 1950s. After that, go ahead and read them in any order you like!
Comparison of Narnia Reading Orders
Publication Order | Chronological Order |
---|---|
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | The Magician’s Nephew |
Prince Caspian | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe |
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | The Horse and His Boy |
The Silver Chair | Prince Caspian |
The Horse and His Boy | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader |
The Magician’s Nephew | The Silver Chair |
The Last Battle | The Last Battle |
C.S. Lewis quotes from FactMonster
Why Start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? (Spoilers)
While some readers prefer to begin with The Magician’s Nephew for its chronological clarity, starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe creates a stronger emotional and narrative experience—allowing Narnia’s magic to unfold as intended.
Reading The Magician’s Nephew first can lead to confusion and diminished impact when moving to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for several reasons:
- Loss of Mystery and Discovery
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is written as if the reader is discovering Narnia for the first time, just like Lucy Pevensie.
• If you’ve already read The Magician’s Nephew, you know exactly what Narnia is, how it was created, and who Aslan is—removing much of the wonder and sense of discovery that Lewis originally intended. - Jadis (The White Witch) Feels Disconnected
• In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch is introduced as a mysterious and terrifying villain.
• If you’ve read The Magician’s Nephew first, you already know her origin as Queen Jadis of Charn, which can make her sudden rise to power feel abrupt, as her takeover of Narnia is never explained on-page. - The Wardrobe’s Significance is Less Magical
• When Lucy first steps into the wardrobe, it feels like a mystical, unknown portal to another world.
• If you’ve read The Magician’s Nephew first, you already know exactly where the wood came from, making its magic feel more expected than mysterious. - Aslan’s Introduction Lacks Impact
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe builds a sense of anticipation around Aslan, gradually revealing his nature.
• If you start with The Magician’s Nephew, Aslan’s entrance doesn’t feel as powerful, because you already know him as the creator of Narnia. - Less Emotional Connection to Professor Kirke
• In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Professor Kirke (Digory) seems to know more about Narnia than he lets on, making him an intriguing character.
• If you’ve already read The Magician’s Nephew, his backstory is fully known, removing the mystery surrounding his wisdom. - The Themes Flow Better in Publication Order
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe introduces key themes of redemption, sacrifice, and faith, which lay the foundation for the rest of the series.
• The Magician’s Nephew is best read after you’ve become emotionally invested in Narnia, as it enriches the world’s backstory rather than serving as a natural starting point. - The Narrative Experience is Weaker in Chronological Order
• Lewis originally published The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first because it was designed to be the gateway into Narnia.
• Reading The Magician’s Nephew first makes Narnia feel familiar from the start, instead of an exciting new world waiting to be discovered.
Final Thought: Which Order is Best?
Just as “there’s no wrong way to eat a Reece’s,” there’s no “wrong” way to experience Narnia, but if you haven’t read the series yet, we strongly recommend starting with the publication order. It allows the story to unfold as readers first experienced it—with all the mystery, wonder, and adventure intact.
Would you rather step into the wardrobe with Lucy, or know the history of Narnia before you arrive? That’s the real choice!
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