Which order do you think the books should be read in?

I am a 5th grade teacher and I read ALL 7 books to my class. I read them IN THE ORDER OF PUBLICATION!!!
I can't imagine reading them any other way. The Magician's Nephew is magical and wonderous because we know what is going to happen. I get chills reading about the creation of the lampost. If you haven't read LWW, that scene would be meaningless.

The only reason STAR WARS Episode 1 & 2 are any good is because we know who Anakin is going to become. IT'S KINDA THE SAME THING HERE.

Any thoughts?

I beg to differ. After reading Magician's Nephew, reading Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe would be that much more of an "Oh! Wow! This is awesome!" experience--you'd know where everybody had come from: that the witch is Jadis, and how horrible of a person she is. It's character build-up. Have you ever read The Iliad or The Odyssey? They both have extreme amounts of character definition in them; that's why people still read them today--the characters are so well-described!
The scene with the creation of the lamp-post would not be meanignless--it would show you how young the world is; that's why Aslan explains it all to them.
I can barely stand episode 1 & 2, diehard STAR WARS fan that I be--the plot is nonexistant. But that's another can o' worms.
Now that I'm done raving, welcome to the site!

I think that either way you read 'em, MN and LWW are full of things to be surprised about. I read MN first by mistake, and then went in chronological order, and I still enjoyed the books every bit as much. Anybody want to dig up old Lewis and ask his opinion on all this? just kidding

I have to say that I think the original order is the best way to read them. TLWW in my opinion is the best introduction to Narnia, and I think starting with TMN takes away from some of the mystery of the later books.

But really it's just a matter of personal preference. However, when I start reading TCoN to my children, I'll start w/ TLWW and read them in the CORRECT order.

Didn't lewis himself say that they should be read in chronological order?

lewis tended to agree that they should be read in Chronological order, but he didn't say it was necessary

He did say that reading them in chronological order was good in one of his letters to children.
And as much as I love C.S. - I still think that SO MUCH of the magic is lost when we read TMN before LWW.

For example - The first time we hear Aslan's name in LWW is when Mr. Beaver says, "They say Aslan is on the move! Perhaps has already landed." We then read about the effect that the name of Aslan has on each of the children (exciting to terrifying).

In MN the first time we hear Aslan's name is after he gives the animals speech, and they respond with, "Hail, Aslan! We think. We feel We love..." (I don't have the book in front of me There's really not much to it. They seem to already know his name - (This is okay because WE already know his name, too - IF we've already read LWW. If NOT we MUST simply think to ourselves, "Oh, I guess Aslan is the Lion's name." - No magic, no mystery, just his name.

One more thing...If we should read MN first, WHY aren't they making THAT movie right now instead of LWW???

This is fun!

I think most people read LWW before MN just because it's more popular...I mean, more people have heard of LWW i believe. At least, in my experience, i hear more ppl commenting on LWW than MN. I personally like reading LWW before MN because it makes MN that much better and wonderful and surprising and "oh NOW i get it" and it makes u want to read the other books again if you haven't already.

EXACTLY!!!!

The right order

I have read all of the narnia books before, but I am wanting to get the full effect of them...Please help me..what order should I read them to get the full effect out of my reading experience.

Personally, I prefer reading them in the chronological order. I know that the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was written first. But I think it helps the story line alot if you start from the beginning and read the Magician's Nephew first. But that's just my opinion!

If you already read them, it doesn't matter.

If you were starting fresh, I would say read LWW first, because then you are introduced Aslan at the same time, and in the same way, as the Pevensie kids -- you hear his name, you hear he's a lion, but you have no ideas about him, and then there he is, rushing toward you ...

If you read MN first, you already know all about Aslan, and a lot of the happy mystery is gone from LWW.

YOU should read them in the original published order and then read them in chronological order, if you like. And you should do this often! It is good for you!

I have rant about this on another forum that I will transpose here!

I love the original order, LWW, PC, DT, SC, HAHB, MN, LB. Im still getting use to the new version of the order

I guess I'm in the minority on this one. I read the LWW first originally, several years ago. Then I picked up the MN a few years ago and started the whole series over again. I felt like it would've been better to read them in chronological order first.

Oh well, I guess that's just my choice.

After reading back the books (i read them LWW, then MN, PC, VDT ect.) i felt that you have to read them in written order first to understand everything in the books, what with all the side references

proper reading order, A RANT, by Inked

Well, I am going to go all over nerdy here about the recent publications of the CoN because I came across them numbered IN PROPER CHRONOLOGICAL SEQUENCE PER NARNIAN TIME! The only proper sequence to read them in for the first time is publication order in my inestimable and not at all humble nor modest opinion! It's, it's blasphemy, that's what it is, to number them for unsuspecting gift giving adults to buy for children!!! Some poor soul will now encounter them as though they were historically accurate renditions of Narnia instead of the wonderfully kaleidescoped published sequence. Ahh, the lack of romance and adventure to encounter Aslan as in TMN rather than LWW!!!!

I hear there are persons who consider this chronological series read to be proper and the only correct way to read TCON BUT that is WRONG, WRONG, WRONG (did I mention I regard that view as erroneous?)! I adduce the very proper stage and television and BBC productions of the series as further evidence of my thesis! And the ERTV/Kraft foods animated movie, as well!
And the intended current productions!!!!!!!!! Everyone knows they should be produced as published! Egads! Has the world gone enumeration delusional?

*breathes*

Oh, the horror of it! Is it the baleful influence of the enumerated HP series casting a bewitchment of arithmancy over the whole publishing industry? DO those chaps/chappettes in the booking world think that works of fiction need be cast all in the modes of artificial history a la Tolkein? Will they next number all the extant Tolkeiniana in the same fashion from Silmarillion to HoME whatever we are at? (And a good long lifetime to 'em if they try that!)
Shall we have Charles Williams novels subjected to the iniquities of this ilk?

*breathes...again*

I dare say sequentially narrative Lord Peter Wimsey novels are published as such for they were produced as such! But this irritatingly anachronistical ephemeral fad of producing numbered TCON is simply WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! To enter Narnia unaccompanied by Mr. Tumnus on the first visit????
It is sacrilege! Do not succumb to this mania for enumeration!
Go to Narnia as published and read for nearly 6 decades, not some moddish pseudo-historicism route, I beg of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*breathes*
...and tomorrow I'll say how I REALLY FEEL about this atrocity of enumerated publication by historicists!!!!!

Okie Dokie Inked....you have made your point well!

OK Well, It really doesn't matter if you The Magiceans Nephew at all! It was made to explain how narnia got started how the wardrobe got there and all, that's it really! You should start though with either the magiceans nephew or of LWW.

legolas said:

You should start though with either the magiceans nephew or of LWW.

Click to expand...

I don't know ... See Inked's Brilliant Post on previous page and always start with LWW! MN fills you in on the background, but LWW gives you the fresh, exciting, wonders of Narnia!