Posters for theatrical productions of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe usually adhere to traditional imagery for the book: trees, snow, lamppost, wardrobe, faun, in wintry colors like pale blue, black, and gray. But this one, for a London production, goes bold with rainbow hues for Aslan and his mane.
by Marina Fontaine
Conservatarian Press, 2022
[ #23 After the fall: A post-apocalyptic or dystopic book. ]
This book kept popping up in my Kindle feed, so I chose it for the “Dystopia” category of this year’s challenge.
It occurred to me when writing this review that “Russian Dystopia” is perhaps a subset, one I have sampled before when I read Boris and Arkady Strugatsky’s Roadside Picnic for the 2022 challenge. The country in this short novel is never named, yet it’s clear it is a stand-in for the Soviet Union during its drabbest time… post-WWII when everything had been modernized but was utilitarian and gray for the common folk and under constant threat of surveillance. As such, I consider it an alt.universe science fiction fable, an allegory. As a dystopia it was softer than the English and American varieties, with more humanity. It was a short work, novella-sized, but had all the impact to me of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
(The author was born in Russia before the fall of the Berlin Wall, so she has firsthand experience.)
The story is about Kevin, a young dealer of “The Product” (you find out what that is later, and it’s essential for citizens not to give up hope and keep their sense of empathy) who is captured by the secret police and horribly abused. This takes up, I’d say, the first half of the book. It’s a lot like fanfic in its length and detail, and I couldn’t help feeling some of it was gratuitous; yet, it served the story with upping the stakes for the characters later in the book. Miraculously, he escapes with aid from his fellow dealers, who form a secret underground society of sorts. He returns to his girlfriend, Lily, and struggles to set up a new identity and a new life. There’s a surprise twist at the end. I won’t reveal it here. But the story didn’t end horribly like I expected, or was conditioned to expect, from books like Orwell’s 1984.
The author has her own voice. She broke a lot of writing rules I’ve seen posted on the Authors Water Cooler boards and elsewhere, but it was mesmerizing and kept me on the edge of my seat up to the end. In that she was similar to another of my favorite authors, Storm Constantine, also a breaker of rules, but also mesmerizing.
The story alternated between Kevin’s and Lily’s POVs, which often changed mid-chapter, and at times, went off into omniscient or into a side character’s. The emotional detail was very fine and I felt I knew everyone inside and out, even if broadly (in the case of a sadistic policeman who takes delight in torturing the dealer.) At times the characters did things I didn’t expect, which was a delight, such as forgoing sex until an official wedding ceremony is performed by a pastor masquerading as an appliance installer, no less. I grew up on SF of the 1970s where it was the in thing for the characters to have sex on the drop of a dime, so that touch was sweet. (Though that’s all I’ll give away of the plot.)
In the end, recommended. Readers who devour YA dystopias should take a look at this; it’s way more mature and nuanced, and even romantic.
In looking up foreign editions of the Chronicles I came across some unique editions that were published in Russia and Ukraine. You can consider this post a companion to The Return of the White Witch: Russian Edition.
The three books above, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, and The Magician’s Nephew, came from a themed set. What’s interesting to me is that the cover artist clearly cribbed from Pauline Baynes’ pen-and-ink work, but added his or her own touches. Aslan in LWW looks like he has a white beard and goatee while the White Witch is as slinky as Baynes’ version, with her tall spiky crown. In the center pic, Bree is black and not the grayish dappled horse indicated in the text. And in the last, Strawberry, or Fledge rather, was a chestnut colored horse and not white — Baynes, who was very familiar with the text, colorized him so for special edition illustrations.
The common border the books share may be cribbed as well, though I’ve yet to find the original source. It incorporates a lion and unicorn at the top, nicely alluding to Narnia’s birth (through Aslan) and destruction (indicated by Jewel rearing in the flames) as well as the English nursery rhyme. The rest of the border includes Talking Mice, Telmarine soldiers, Eustace as a dragon, a faun, Cair Paravel, and a magic ring.
I am not 100% sure these covers were unique to Ukraine; as an artist and SEO detective, I have the nagging feeling I’ve seen them on some other editions. So much of the artwork is similar, if not incorporating Baynes’ original drawings it’s re-interpretations of them. But for the moment, I’ll say that they are.
Left, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; right, Prince Caspian
I found these Chinese translations on Amazon.com during my search for Narnia images. All have artwork I’ve not seen duplicated anywhere else, and I’m guessing it was localized. I think it’s worth examining.
First, the cover design of this edition of The Chronicles (I’m assuming it was for the whole series not just the four books I’ve found) seems more like that for a manga than for a book. I haven’t seen the insides, so I’m not sure that is the case. But it would definitely attract a young reader. The background design of tree branches remains the same throughout, only changing color. The four mini portraits at each corner are unusual, and I’m guessing (going clockwise from top left) they’re Edmund, White Witch, Peter, and Lucy. But what happened to Susan? Why has she been excluded? (Has the translation edited her out?)
Looking at the individual artwork the LWW cover nicely shows the conflict between Aslan and Witch, summer day dawning vs. snowy winter night. It’s effective, IMO.
On the other hand Caspian looks older than he was in the book, common for a lot of PC illustrations. Reepicheep mugs as usual. I’ll say it’s effective as well.
Left, The Silver Chair; right, The Magician’s Nephew
The SC cover art is an odder choice. Eustace and Jill are depicted hanging out with the owls which was only a small part of the overall story. (It may have been due to riding the Harry Potter gravy train.) The grim, determined glares on the kids are also unusual. Jill with her striped shirt and jacket might be emulating a Japanese schoolgirl’s uniform, but what the heck is Eustace wearing? It looks a little like a Nehru shirt with a pocket protector.
As for MN, Fledge should be chestnut, not white. And he’s certainly larger than he is in the illustration where he’s more the size of a carousel pony the two kids are riding, who resemble neither Digory or Polly from the book.
There’s many more fascinating editions from China that I will get to.
For a long time (ever since I read the book at 11 or 12 in fact) I’ve wondered if C. S. Lewis, a native of Ireland, ever visited The Giant’s Causeway and received inspiration from it to create the titanic stone bridge over the River Shribble. As you remember, Puddleglum, Jill, and Eustace crossed it to reach the Northern Moors. In all my research I’ve never heard it said that he did, though fans speculate. The two formations, bridge and causeway, later became mixed up in my own mind so that in between Chronicle readings I wasn’t sure if the bridge was an arched one or a low-lying tidal one.
The Giant’s Causeway in Ireland is formed of lava squeezed out from the earth like toothpaste from a tube, forming distinct hexagonal columns that cooled and solidified. (Why hexagons? I don’t know.) Similar extrusions formed The Devil’s Tower in Wyoming and the valley walls of Glacier Basin in Mt. Rainier National Park, which, in certain light conditions, I’ve found look very similar to a ruined city.
However, it turns out the Irish formations are not so epic after all, judging by this pic.
I would still like to visit though.
Left: Trufflehunter’s Cave has stuffed toys and chocolates for sale.
Right: Glasswater Collectibles. (AI art)
Most theme parks have tons of merchandise associated with them. Such merchandise screams “Hey! I’ve been to the Magic Kingdom!” or “I could afford to visit Harry Potter’s Magical World of Wizarding for three whole days!” It doesn’t matter if you’re way too old to be wearing a purple Stitch backpack or a chibi Hermione pin. Hell, if you’re old, you’re likely wearing it out of duty anyway, having spent $60+ dollars on the thing.
OK, I confess, I’m not immune either. For many years I proudly wore a “Saturn 5” t-shirt I bought at Cape Kennedy Space Center, which in addition to being a working spaceport and historical attraction, has many elements of a theme park… and the gift shops to match, which were sumptuously themed around aviation and space.
Since theming is everything, what sort of shopping would Narniaworld offer? I came up with these ideas.
| Christmas Market | Many tents and booths line Narniaworld’s main thoroughfare from late November to the New Year in homage to the popular European Christmas markets that sell ornaments, toys, Christmas décor, and gifts. Father Christmas has his tent here and food wagons sell hot cocoa, cider, kettle corn, Queen Susan’s butterhorns, and roast chestnuts. Narniaworld carolers gather hourly to sing Medieval Christmas songs. (Most rides and attractions remain open at this time.) |
| Glasswater Collectibles | Items made of artisanal and hand-blown glass. |
| The Great Souk of Tashbaan |
Due to open next year, this open air marketplace will feature stalls and small shops selling beads, Middle Eastern jewelry, textiles, and Turkish Delight to take home. |
| King Caspian’s Confectionery | Large shop selling candies of all kinds with seasonal offerings and displays. |
| Lasaraleen’s Trinkets and Treasures | Currently located near Archenland in the park, but will be moved into The Great Souk of Tashbaan next year. Women’s accessories including jewelry, sunglasses, shopping bags, backpacks, purses, and hats; but lately more popular for its line of organic makeup, soaps, and perfumes. |
| Lucy’s Diamond Cordial | A small shop offering drugstore type items like sunscreen and aspirin for use within the park. |
| Puddleglum’s Place | Store selling fishing poles, lures, bait and other outdoor gear (binoculars, etc.) to be used at one of the two nearby lakes or fishing piers outside the park. Located in the lobby of the Beaversdam hotel. |
| Royal Raiment | Clothing store that sells souvenir-oriented items like t-shirts and hoodies as well as dress-up costumes for children. |
| The Night Owl | Themed after Glimfeather, this shop sells astronomy-related items like star charts and telescopes; also sleep masks, alarm clocks, flashlights, and anything to get around in and/or enjoy the dark. Very popular with the campers. |
| The Wood Between the Worlds | General Narnia merchandise store just inside the main entrance. The interior of the store has columns in the shape of giant trees and different “ponds” indicate each section. There are interactive kiosks inside to supply information about the park and make reservations. Narniaworld’s largest and busiest store. |
| Trufflehunter’s Cave | Sells — what else? — chocolate truffles of every sort. Boxed varieties are available to take home. |
Some of these stores and the products they sell were suggested by name — like Glasswater Collectibles — while others fulfilled a need, and were then named, like Lucy’s Diamond Cordial. Others I thought up out of necessity; a campground likely would offer fishing and hiking, and thus a need for fishing poles and binoculors. Who’s the Narnian fishing expert? Puddleglum.
The shop I’m most proud of is The Night Owl. Now that’s a good concept!
My Summers of Narnia seem to be settling around a certain theme. Last year it was The Silver Chair; this year, it’s the book that started it all, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. And with that theme, some more White Witches I found, not explicitly marked as The White Witch of course, but they would make some very good ones. All are from Russian or are Russian-inspired.
Let’s talk about these stately Slavic Snow Queens. Their expressions are mostly stern or neutral. They may smile occasionally, but it’s a quiet smile. They don’t give the cheesecake poses and come-hither looks like American Snow Queens do. They’re not out to sell sex. Neither are they full of holiday cheer like the British panto ice maidens and Winter Matrons. They’re goddesses, forces of nature, an archetype deeply embedded in Eastern European mythology. They don’t cavort or leap around. They stare upon mere mortals, frowning, and occasionally kidnap small children.
Jill and the Lion, by Art Childs
It’s time for another group review of Narnia fanfics!
Featured artwork: Jill and the Lion. This is the scene from the first chapter of The Silver Chair where Jill, abandoned by Eustace on Aslan’s Mountain, has to decide whether or not to drink from a stream guarded by a dangerous lion who talks to her. Of course, she’s okay. I like how the artist captured her trepidation and gave her a 1970s look with her headband.
All these stories are from Archive of Our Own.
Never Forget Your Pencil and Paper (or How Eustace Got His Dragon Back), by ojisandavid
The author said of this work: “Many works of fiction would be much shorter if the characters exhibited any common sense at all. It would also help if their creators didn’t stack the deck against them like a playground bully who trips someone and then blames them for lying on the ground. If we apply this observation to The Silver Chair, we can guess that the book would consist of seven short chapters if Aslan hadn’t decided it was fun to watch Eustace fall off an insanely high cliff instead of maybe, I don’t know, warning the kids away from the cliff beforehand. Or if he’d just opened a magical door for them directly to Cair Paravel instead of blowing them there on the slow train. Or – and this is a big one – if the kids had written down the damn signs.”
And that’s it, in a nutshell. This is the common sense version of the story, all apologies to Mr. Lewis.
I read it last summer and have to say it influenced my own fanfic which is a high honor indeed. In addition to writing down the signs, the kids get help from King Caspian and rescue a Talking Stag that was about to become Harfang’s dinner, painting Aslan in a bad light in the process. This is NOT a pro-Aslan story. It doesn’t mean the author is anti-Aslan, it’s just a different way of exploring what could have happened. That’s what I like about Narnia fanfic. The playfulness and inventiveness of it. There’s an obnoxious, fanatical Chaplain called Cliveson (get it?) and a Calormene soldier in the party as well to diversify and give pointed commentary.
Of course, being as the characters use common sense, the story ends early, when the party meets the Green Witch and Prince Rilian after the Giant’s Bridge, and there’s some great dialogue where the witch takes it on the chin for her annoying trilling and lisping. And as it turns out Eustace, once back in Narnia, retains the power to transform into a dragon, and roasts the witch into unagi. There’s also wonderful dialogue at the end between Jill and Aslan where she rips him a new one.
Enthusiastically recommended!
The Silver Chair, Humor
To Want Wrong Things, by Angelike
When I read fanfic I don’t care about ships or shipping. There, I said it. I have absolutely no interest in who is bonking who. No dogs in that fight. If it’s handled well for the purposes of the story, then I get interested.
This story was written by the author as a riff off the Walden Prince Caspian movie, supposing that Caspian and Peter had a (well-hidden) gay relationship that ended after Peter and his siblings returned to England. Caspian was left bereft, but proceeded to have a different life with Liliandil (the Star’s Daughter) and his son Rilian, tragic as it later was by the events of The Silver Chair. At the end of that book, together with Jill and Eustace on the mountain of Aslan’s Country, and freshly restored to health and youth, Caspian asks Aslan for a glimpse of Earth… and Aslan intuits why. To see Peter again of course.
What follows is a sensitive, wonderfully nuanced discussion of the repercussions of homosexuality in Narnia and in late 1940s England, and the destiny Caspian had to restore Narnia, not give in to his desires. It’s quite good. When Aslan, who acts like a wise and loving father, gives Caspian a choice at the end, who knows what the heartsick former king will do? Recommended.
Prince Caspian, book and movie
they used to shout my name, now they whisper it, by hauntedthief
There are many, many fanfics about the Problem of Susan that crops up towards the conclusion of The Last Battle, most reacting with outrage or sympathy for Susan’s apostasy, not the scorn that Jill and Eustace give her. This short fic discusses that even though Susan turned her back on Narnia, she lived a full life as a human being whereas the other children, for all their fantastic adventures, did not. Thoughtful and compelling is this writer’s take.
The Last Battle
all that is hidden, by nasimwrites
Where did The Lady of the Green Kirtle come from? There’s not a lot of fics about that. This writer posits she was a disgruntled evil spirit that took human form only after many centuries, her actions driven by defiance and her scorn for Aslan. It’s an OK theory, but not one I subscribe to; she seems too human for that. A different take I’ll say but YMMV.
The Silver Chair
Heaven is unconcerned with the lost – so C. S. Lewis said, by Carliro
Oh, I forgot about the shocker of the ending of this story, even though I had read it last year. Susan is sent to an orphanage and tries to go on living after the DEATH OF HER ENTIRE FAMILY and can’t deal. A rebuttal to the casual cruelty of the events of the final book. Fics like this are why I follow this fandom, because of the issues raised and the many different points of view the writers tale.
Post The Last Battle, (The Problem of Susan)
A Traveler’s Guide to Ettinsmoor, by Ermingarden
Planning to visit the Land of the Giants? Here are a few things the savvy traveler should know.
Written by Chirripeep, a Talking Mouse, for the benefit of other Talking Beasts, this story takes the form of a tourist guide, but it’s also a rumination by the author on why intelligent animals are born and dwell in Narnia but also may travel elsewhere. Note that Lewis never went into depth on this subject. Obviously, the animals can travel, as the author of this story mentions Reepicheep, Bree, and Hwin; there are also the examples of Sallowpad the Raven who went to Calormen with the Pevensies and the Talking Stag who was eaten by the giants of Harfang. But there were never any hard and fast rules by C. S. Lewis on this topic.
(My headcanon is that at Narnia’s dawn Talking Beasts wandered all over, creating pockets of settlement yet to be discovered.)
The story is less of a complete article filled in with imagination and more of a caution against traveling to Harfang and dealing with its Giants. I would have wanted more of a pastiche but apparently what is there was very appealing to most readers of it.
The Silver Chair
Christmas High Tea is a popular event during the holiday season at Narniaworld.
Theme parks need more than just rides, food, and crowd control. Shows, special events, seasonal attractions, and wandering performers keep customers coming back.
In this Narniaworld has a leg up on its competitors. While creating this post I realized the books contain all sorts of seasonal themes that could be adapted as entertainment… especially Christmas, given the original book. I expect Narniaworld to be the most popular attraction in the world because of this. But there are also aspects that could be adapted for Halloween frights, spring celebrations, and summer frolics, such as the River Gods’ Romp. (I picture this as a Cirque de Soleil performance, but with water.)
And of course there would be all sorts of shows — daily and seasonal — as well as wandering performers. Narniaworld could take on aspects of a Ren Fair in the summer months, which would only add to its popularity.
ChatGPT suggested the ice show and Coronation as attractions, but all the rest here are by me.
| Christmas Tea with Tumnus | A special holiday-themed British High Tea (5 – 7pm) taking place from the last week in November through the first week of the New Year with special Christmas treats like roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, gingerbread, mince pies, and Eccles cakes, with party hats to wear and Christmas crackers to break open. Reservations encouraged. |
| Coronation of the Kings and Queens | Happens every day at noon on the terrace of Cair Paravel. A parade featuring trumpeters, musicians, and Narnian creatures begins at the far end of the park, followed by an animatronic Aslan in his carriage and Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy in theirs. The four thrones are brought out and there is a brief ceremony followed by dancing in which the audience can join in with the actors giving lessons. |
| Dark Island | Narniaworld’s Halloween 2024 attraction. Guests walking the park after dark are confronted by their worst fears like giant pairs of scissors, faceless clawed monsters, and hags, witches and ghouls from the White Witch’s castle before they enter the shadow island themed area. (Previous Halloween attractions were The Dead World of Charn and Miraz’s Haunted Dungeon.) |
| Father Christmas | He listens to wishes from children every day during the holiday season before Christmas, accompanied by his sleigh, two live reindeer, and sometimes a camel. Photos are available. |
| King Lune’s Minstrels | A trio of Tudor musicians who play English folk songs. I picture them wandering the park and entertaining wherever there’s a long line or people gathered. |
| The Lady of the Green Kirtle | She wanders the park singing Medieval ballads and playing her mandolin. |
| Narnia on Ice | A seasonal show held over the winter holidays in a tented area where professional ice skaters recreate pivotal scenes from The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe with laser effects, smoke, and pyrotechnics. |
| River God’s Romp | This water extravaganza takes place daily in summer on the shores of the great river. Acrobatics, feats of diving, and water sport stunts are presented by performers dressed as naiads and other water spirits. |
| Waking of the Trees |
This event takes place when the park opens up for spring. There is a dryad parade with flower-decorated floats and park is blooming with spring bulbs. At the end, Pomona herself comes to bless the orchard at Cair Paravel. Vendor carts along the way sell flower garlands and fresh-cut tree branches for guests to wave. |
This looks like a painting, but I think it’s a still from a theatrical production.I’ve never seen it before and wanted to highlight it for the children’s early 1940s clothing and the tchochtkes to the side as set decoration.
 |
She immediately stepped into the wardrobe and got in among the coats and rubbed her face against them, leaving the door open, of course, because she knew that it is very foolish to shut oneself into any wardrobe. |  |
|
She did not shut it properly because she knew that it is very silly to shut oneself into a wardrobe, even if it is not a magic one. | |
|
“She thinks I’m Susan come to catch her,” said Edmund to himself, “and so she’s keeping very quiet at the back.” He jumped in and shut the door, forgetting what a very foolish thing this is to do. | |
|
Peter held the door closed but did not shut it; for, of course, he remembered, as every sensible person does, that you should never, never shut yourself up in a wardrobe.Peter held the door closed but did not shut it; for, of course, he remembered, as every sensible person does, that you should never, never shut yourself up in a wardrobe. | |
Why so many warning about this in the early chapters of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?
When Lewis sent a draft of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to friend and fellow Inkling Owen Barfield, Barfield’s wife Maud was concerned that children reading the story would accidentally lock themselves in a wardrobe. So Lewis added these warnings, framing the first two in Lucy’s thoughts because Lucy Barlowe, the real-life inspiration for Lucy, was Barfield’s daughter.
So, there’s the answer in case any of you ever wondered the same thing.