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Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

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Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Larry W. » January 28th, 2006, 4:33 pm

I know this has been discussed here before, but I'm not clear on all of the details. Why did Tolkien not have a very high appraisal of Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia? I remember reading that one of the reasons was that he disliked Lewis' combining elements of many mythologies in the stories, e.g. Greek, Roman, King Arthur, Norse, and others. The story ofThe Lord of the Rings seem more as if it came from one single mythology that Tolkien created, whereas Lewis used other sources in creating characters, settings, etc. But I don't think there's anything wrong with the ingredients of the Narnia series-- especially since Lewis was an effective storyteller. Does anyone have a different opinion?

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re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby A#minor » January 28th, 2006, 6:50 pm

I remember reading that Tolkien thought CON was a mish-mash of mythological characters that didn't belong together. (Dwarves and Satyrs and Father Christmas all together?)

I think he was also slightly jealous that Lewis wrote the books so quickly and easily, and sent them off for publication with very little revision. If I remember correctly, one of the CON books was written in only a few weeks.
Whereas Tolkien spent years writing and revising his manuscripts like the perfectionist he was.

I personally love the mixture of mythological characters in CON, but Tolkien was a purist when it came to that sort of thing.
"My brain and this world don't fit each other, and there's an end of it!" - G.K. Chesterton
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Re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Finarphin » January 28th, 2006, 8:01 pm

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re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby jo » January 28th, 2006, 8:42 pm

"I saw it begin,” said the Lord Digory. “I did not think I would live to see it die"

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Re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby A#minor » January 28th, 2006, 10:10 pm

"My brain and this world don't fit each other, and there's an end of it!" - G.K. Chesterton
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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Larry W. » January 28th, 2006, 10:55 pm

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Re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Finarphin » January 28th, 2006, 11:23 pm

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re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Theo » January 28th, 2006, 11:25 pm

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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Monica » January 30th, 2006, 5:20 pm

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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Stanley Anderson » January 30th, 2006, 5:26 pm

…on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a fair green country under a swift sunrise.
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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Leslie » January 30th, 2006, 9:59 pm

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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Lirenel » January 31st, 2006, 12:34 am

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Larry W. » January 31st, 2006, 1:52 am

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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Stanley Anderson » January 31st, 2006, 4:33 am

…on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a fair green country under a swift sunrise.
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Re: re: Tolkien's Criticism of The Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Larry W. » January 31st, 2006, 10:27 am

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