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CoN Reading Order

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CoN Reading Order

Postby Tedd » March 6th, 2008, 7:27 am

I would love to hear other fans weigh in on an issue I've always been a stickler about... what order to read The Narnian Chronicles. I have a lot of respect for Doug Gresham, but I still think the original published order is far preferable to chronological.

Allow me to explain. In LWW, Lucy comes upon a lamp post in the middle of the forest, which is odd. The children are all individually affected when they hear the name Aslan for the first time, and Lewis writes, "Now of course they didn't know who Aslan was, any more than you or I" (that's from memory so it may not be exact). Aslan, of course, we are introduced to later on in the book. But what of that silly lamp post in the forest?

Only five books later, in published order, do you read how that lamp post got there, and it's a delightful "A-HA!!" moment. But if you read The Magician's Nephew first, you are utterly robbed of that moment... it spoils LWW. You already know how that lamp post got there. And you already know who Aslan is, long before hearing His name when Beaver tells the children about Him.

The rest of the books? I don't think it matters as much. But I agree completely with our kind and dedicated host: above all, LWW should be read first. Even if Mr. Gresham felt otherwise, I am exceedingly grateful that the movies were released in the original order.

Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?
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Postby rusmeister » March 6th, 2008, 9:39 am

Oddly enough, in the years since this order came out, other people have also objected to the new order which overturned a 40-year tradition.

See this thread and post comments on this topic there:

http://cslewis.drzeus.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2391
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Postby A#minor » March 8th, 2008, 12:44 am

Sounds like you should join the 2456317 Club, Tedd! Membership is free!
I remember making some signature pics for the Club..... now where did I put those?
And we have an official club hat and Tshirt somewhere in the club thread as well.
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Unpublished Publishing

Postby Reep » March 8th, 2008, 1:27 am

Further up and further in! -- The Last Battle
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Postby Pete » March 8th, 2008, 4:50 am

Member of The 2456317 Club

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Postby carol » March 8th, 2008, 8:19 pm

Reep, we often say "The original published order", meaning the order in which the books were published.

Perhaps this doesn't seem to be perfect English grammar (I am trained to teach English) but it is a normal expression, probably because we are looking back into the past - so it is what has already happened - "published".

If you are thinking about how it was when it was still happening, "publishing" is fine too, (a past continuous tense?)
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Postby A#minor » March 8th, 2008, 9:56 pm

Yeah, what Carol said. :thinking: :pleased:
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Postby Larry W. » March 8th, 2008, 11:00 pm

I don't think the publisher will ever offer us an edition in the order that the books were originally published so if it really bothers you put them on the shelf in the 2456317 order. Or if you don't mind the expense, have the books rebound and write the correct volume numbers on the spines. :smile:
Still, it would be nice if there would be at least one set in the original publishing order. I remember that years ago I saw a set owned by a college student which had all seven stories in one volume and they were in the published order. Today you can find one volume editions, but the stories are in the chronological sequence recommended by Douglas Gresham, much to the dismay of some Narnia fans.

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Postby rusmeister » March 9th, 2008, 9:29 am

"Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one."
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Postby Larry W. » March 9th, 2008, 3:00 pm

We have both editions here (the one volume and the seven separate books). The price of the one volume isn't too bad at only around 20 dollars, but of course the stories in are chronological order. The old Macmillan paperbacks of the seventies are long out of print, but although they were printed in the original order, the paper was of poor quality and the illustrations were cropped. Old hardcover editions with the stories all in one book in that order would be very rare and hard to find-- even here. I think the newer Harper-Collins editions are better quality books, although I wish the volumes were in the published order.

Rusmeister, I remember that a Russian student attending college here told me that The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was available was available in a translation in her own language as well as in English. Maybe the other six books have also been translated into Russian.

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Postby rusmeister » March 9th, 2008, 3:58 pm

Thanks, Larry, but I'm an American and prefer to read stuff in the original. ESPECIALLY to my kids. :smile:

The Russian editions have adopted the same 'new' order and the poor Russian folk don't know any better.
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Postby glumPuddle » March 10th, 2008, 1:46 am

I have a 10-minute video covering this subject. View it here:



Someday, I intend to start a petition to change the order back to publication. I think that since the movies are (so far) being made in publication order, Harper will be more likely to listen.
<---Click
Chronological Order: 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956
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Postby Larry W. » March 10th, 2008, 9:52 am

The 1990's paperbacks that you show on the video look almost the same as ones from the seventies that I used for years. The order was correct but the quality of the paper is rather poor (in mine the pages turned yellow in less than ten years). Pauline Baynes illustrations are cropped-- something I think is worse than having the books in the wrong order. I gave those paperbacks away for that reason and bought the Harper-Collins in hardcover for a set of books that would last longer. But I certainly agree with you on the correct order and numbering. In fact, if you look at old Narnia sets from the 1960's (some libraries may still have them) the books are not numbered at all, which may have been Lewis' preference. Many people have told me they like the published order better, at least they feel it is essential--especially for a first time reading.

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the best edition of the Chronicles of Narnia

Postby Paul F. Ford » March 11th, 2008, 12:30 am

Paul Ford—self-appointed president of the "245-3617 Club" and proud member of the "245-6317 Club"; author of the Companion to Narnia and the Pocket Companion to Narnia.
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Re: the best edition of the Chronicles of Narnia

Postby rusmeister » March 11th, 2008, 2:31 am

"Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there's never more than one."
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