by VixenMage » July 21st, 2009, 3:45 am
I haven't read THS in a very, very long time, but it still seems to me that, even just after reading it, if someone had told me that C. S. Lewis wrote a "crime story," I would have stared blankly at them for some time and needed further explanation. There are aspects of the book which explore laws, and the breaking thereof, first by a corrupt, demon-led cabal in an effort to usurp, and then by the eldil-blessed cabal in an effort to thwart the demons... but... a crime story? I think that claiming the focus of the novel to be criminal, or detective, or somesuch, is a tight stretch, at best. It's like... like claiming that the focus of OotSP was the dangers of overly greedy mining, or overvalue of gold, or something. Yes, you could certainly read that message into the book, and not entirely falsely, but to claim that all other elements of the book were superfluous, and detracted? Clearly you've missed something.
I have the greatest respect for George Orwell's political theories, and he made excellent points with his dystopias. But I think he was wrong here, very wrong indeed. (I am also reminded of a more recent author, Neil Gaiman, when asked how much he was elated or devastated by reviews, to the first two reviews of his book American Gods, in which two reviewers expressed mild disappointment with-- literally-- the complete opposite view. He answered by saying that you can't pay too much attention to reviewers, because that way lies madness. Some people just don't get it.)
"The only thing I know for certain is that I know nothing for certain."