Happy Friday!
This post is a little bit different, as well as shorter, than my past ones, but I think it will be fun. I’ll jump right into it!
Yesterday, I was prompted to participate in S. J. Barnard’s Narnia Blog Tag, and although these things are not usually my cup of tea, The Chronicles of Narnia has long been one of my favorite book series.
I figured this would be a fun chance to share some of my thoughts on the classic stories, as well as offer an opportunity to connect with you – and hear YOUR thoughts!
The rules for this prompt were as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you
2. Describe the rate of your Narnia fanatic (Nostalgic, Serious, Maniacal)
3. Answer the questions below
4. Tag 5+ bloggers
5. Have fun!
So firstly, thank you, JadeSky, for inviting me to participate in this! This is the same blogger who featured Cabin Girl last month 1, and you should definitely go read her thoughtful and helpful book reviews. You can find her blog here.
Secondly, here is S. J. Barnard’s “Narnia Fanatic Rating System”:
Nostalgic Fanatic—You read the book and/or watched the movies as a child and the word Narnia gives you a warm feeling.
Serious Fanatic—You rediscovered the wonder of Narnia after you were older and have read the books and watched the movies.
Maniacal Fanatic—You have lived Narnia from childhood, hid in closets on more accounts than is healthy, have read and watched all the movies including the BBC version.
Based off those definitions, I would consider myself a Serious Fanatic. I read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe several times growing up, and watched all three of the mainstream Narnia movies, as well. Once I got older, I discovered the rest of the book series (they get better as they go on!), and grew to appreciate Lewis’ writing even more. His stories, characters, and touching integrations of themes have greatly influenced my own stories through the years.
That being said, I have yet to see the BBC version (does wanting to count?), and am not so much a Narnia super-fan as some people I know. There are still plenty of times I forget the names of certain characters or have to pause to recall what happens in which books. So I’m not maniacal in THIS aspect of my life.
Third, my answers to the questions:
Who is your favorite Pevensie sibling?
My favorite Pevensie sibling is Edmund. Although he’s not the most likeable character right away, I’ve always related to him a lot (I wonder what that says about me, haha). His redemption and personal growth touches and inspires me.
What is the most underrated book in Narnia?
This is a hard one to answer, as its been a couple of years since I last read through the entire series. Personally though, I think any of the books after Voyage of the Dawn Treader are underrated. One of my favorites is The Magician’s Nephew (seeing the origin of Narnia is fascinating) and I don’t hear it talked about much.
Who is your favorite Narnian king?
I’d have to say King Caspian. I always enjoy the books he’s in, and I think he ruled well and followed Aslan’s example.
Who is your favorite Narnian queen?
For some reason, the only ones I can think of are Susan and Lucy. Between the two of them, I’d say Lucy (The Last Battle has made me too sad to think of Susan often any more). Lucy’s innocence, honesty, and love for Aslan are some of my favorite qualities of hers.
Which non-human Narnian do you like best?
Aslan. Easiest question ever. I get chills whenever he comes onto the page/screen. That being said, I really like Reepicheep and Puddleglum as well.
Which book deserves a movie?
All of them. If I just had to pick one though, I think The Silver Chair would be neat. I would really love to see Eustace and Caspian again, and Puddleglum too. The story would translate well as a movie.
What is one thing you did as a Narnia fanatic you do not regret?
My siblings and I used to hide in our wardrobe when we were younger, pretending (and secretly hoping!) to find a door to Narnia there. All those clothes and things are supposed to be heaped on the floor anyway, right?
Fourth, I’d like to tag sjwunderlin, Julia Witmer, Lauryn Trimmer, Brooke Johnson, and Kate, in case they’d like to participate on their blogs!
And lastly, I did have fun thinking back on these books! I think it’s about time to read through them again…
How would YOU answer these questions? Would you consider yourself Nostalgic, Serious, or Maniacal when it comes to The Chronicles of Narnia? Or have you not read the stories yet (in which case, consider this your recommendation!)?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Have a wonderful weekend, and happy wardrobe-exploring!
“But courage, child:
we are all between the paws of the true Aslan.”
(C. S. Lewis, The Last Battle)
1 You can read JadeSky’s post featuring Cabin Girl here.
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This was such a great post! I loved all of the answers to the questions. Thanks for participating!
Of course! It was a lot of fun. Thank you for inviting me to participate!