Charn

[Mavramorn]

The first time I read The Magician's Nephew, the part when they got into Charn was for me the most impressive and frightening (for a nine year-old kid!). Since then I have been fascinated by Charn and wondered if there were any more thoughts that Lewis had for it. Even in the short space it occupies in MN, it is drawn vividly; but I find it so tantalizing to be shown such a short glimpse of another world (for me it was utterly convincing at the time).

I would like to know what thoughts you have about what kind of society this city was, what kind of world it was, what happened in its history. Obviously its all speculative. Would it have been more like our world or more like Narnia's world? To me it seems similar to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time world. Any thoughts?

[Stanley Anderson]

[A#minor]

[Messenger_of_Eden]

[wingedllama]

[Erekose]

[jo]

It's a marvellous word .. it always reminds me of 'charnel'. As such, I have always had a negative mental image of Charn as someone vicious and perhaps even evil and frightening..

[loeee]

[Mavramorn]

Great pic Stanley! I've never seen that before. All that's lacking is the 'redness' of the city and the sun.

I think Pauline Bayne's illustrations are excellent on Charn also. Her strong point, I think, is conveying something mysterious, exotic or fantastic. She does so in such a way that it almost brings shivers down my spine, esp. with things like carvings with mysterious animals. Is she still alive BTW?

[Ticket2theMoon]

[Noontidal]

I would liken Charn abstractly to Douglas Adam's 'Universe' prior to the question and answer having been put into the same space, and the remnants of it after the deed had been done.

[Monica]

[Iris]

[Puddleglee]

The name 'Charn' always made me think of the word 'charm', as in something magical. It started out good and wholesome, but it was tarnished and corrupted over time. My early readings of MN have left me with a longing, a desire to seek out ancient cities, whether they come from the imaginations of other people, or my own, or are real places that have been dug up by archaeologists.

BTW - I used to imagine that Jadis' sister must be a good person, because she was fighting Jadis and she was clearly bad. But I've changed my mind, partly because Jadis describes her as evil. It is possible that they were as bad as each other, and were willing to destroy an entire world for their own greed.

[Erekose]