#magicians nephew

The Magician’s NephewbyC.S. Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

• This was the first C.S Lewis book that I finished. And I feel as though I have been introduced to the most marvellous man. His writing style suited me perfectly, I loved the vivid imagery, and how wonderfully smooth his storytelling is. That is to say, his writing does not sound like writing at all, despite the heavy use of symbolism and details. It felt most like someone telling me an exciting story in person(remember Neil Gaiman talking about C.S Lewis’s masterful use of parentheses to this end?). It has been a while since I found myself reading most of the book aloud just so that I could feel the dialogues roll off my tongue :)

• And being completely honest, I cried reading this book. And being even more honest, it was probably because of where I stand in terms of my Christian faith right now (which also means it might have, probably would have been a 4/5 if I had read it on another day).

“But please, please - won’t you - can’t you give me something that will cure Mother?”

Up till then he had been looking at the Lion’s great feet and the huge claws on them; now, in his despair, he looked up at its face. What he saw surprised him as much as anything in his whole life. For the tawny face was bent down near his own and (wonder of wonders) great shining tears stood in the Lion’s eyes. They were such big, bright tears compared with Digory’s own that for a moment he felt as if the Lion must really be sorrier about his Mother than he was himself.

“My son, my son,” said Aslan. “I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another. […] ”

This is the part that broke me. And the imagery is great. Jesus Christ who feels our pain even more deeply than we do, he who cries bigger, brighter tears for our troubles than we could ever, the saviour who calls us daughter & son and understands that grief is great - even better than we do.

• How beautifully written.

• For me, it has become one of the novels that have become fiercely convincing that indeed, words are so very powerful and influential. Experiencing how deeply and closely these stories can come to my heart… the devices have the potential to truly alter a life.

• 5/5 - an intensely powerful book in my “Read” shelf… Must read other books by C.S Lewis in the near future.


View all my reviews