Chronicles of Narnia Book Order

[gracefulhome]

I recently purchased a nice set of hardcover Chronicles of Narnia books at our local used curriculum sale. I have an old boxed set of paperbacks (from the early 1990's), but the hardcovers were a great price, so I bought them.

 

When I compared the two sets this afternoon, I realized that the two sets have the books numbered in two completely different sequences. The older set starts with book 1 as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The newer set has The Magician's Nephew and Book 1 on the spine. The rest of the books are arranged differently as well.

 

Anyone know why are they different? :confused: Does it matter which order we read them in? I'm planning to read at least the first couple aloud to my kids and then let the older two read the rest on their own.

 

TIA,

Mary in CO

Mama to 4 blessings: DS 12, DD 10, DS almost 8, and DS 6

[Slartibartfast]

One is chronological order and the other is the order in which they were written.

 

There is apparently some debate on what order they should be in. :)

 

The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was written first but The Magician's Nephew takes place before it.

 

from a letter written by Lewis

 

I think I agree with your [chronological] order for reading the books more than with your mother's. The series was not planned beforehand as she thinks. When I wrote The Lion I did not know I was going to write any more. Then I wrote P. Caspian as a sequel and still didn't think there would be any more, and when I had done The Voyage I felt quite sure it would be the last, but I found I was wrong. So perhaps it does not matter very much in which order anyone read them. I’m not even sure that all the others were written in the same order in which they were published.

 

But I strongly feel that The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe should be read FIRST.

Edited March 26, 2010 by Sis

[SproutMamaK]

The first set is the order in which they were written. CS Lewis wrote The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe first, and if I'm not mistaken The Horse and His Boy and The Magician's Nephew were two of last he wrote, despite fitting into the storyline at an earlier point. More recent editions usually sell them in the order in which they're intended to be read, which it sounds like your new set is. The order is which they're read should be

 

1. The Magician's Nephew

2. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe

3. The Horse and His Boy

4. Prince Caspian

5. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

6. The Silver Chair

7. The Last Battle

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

I have a very strong opinion about this one. Absolutely read them in the order they were written (the original sequence). Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is fun to read afterwards....lots of 'aha!' moments (but definitely not my favorite of the series). It doesn't particularly matter when you read MN (the story of the beginning of Narnia) or The Horse and His Boy (actually occurs *during* LWW), as long as you read them *after* The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

FWIW, IM(notso)HO, YMMV, etc. :)

[Mrs Mungo]

There are four ways.

 

Publication order:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2. Prince Caspian

3. Voyage of the Dawn Treader

4. The Silver Chair

5. The Horse and His Boy

6. The Magician's Nephew

7. The Last Battle

 

Chronological order (my *personal* preference because I'm OCD about reading things in order):

6, 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 7

 

Written order:

1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 6, 7

 

Final completion order:

1, 2, 3, 5, 4, 7, 6

[Lakeside]

I recently purchased a nice set of hardcover Chronicles of Narnia books at our local used curriculum sale. I have an old boxed set of paperbacks (from the early 1990's), but the hardcovers were a great price, so I bought them.

 

When I compared the two sets this afternoon, I realized that the two sets have the books numbered in two completely different sequences. The older set starts with book 1 as The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The newer set has The Magician's Nephew and Book 1 on the spine. The rest of the books are arranged differently as well.

 

Anyone know why are they different? :confused: Does it matter which order we read them in? I'm planning to read at least the first couple aloud to my kids and then let the older two read the rest on their own.

 

TIA,

Mary in CO

Mama to 4 blessings: DS 12, DD 10, DS almost 8, and DS 6

 

I had never read them until a few years ago when I read them to my son. So, I'll give you the same advice a friend—and great Narnia fan—gave me: If you've never read them before, read them in the order in which they were written, starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I think it preserves some of the magic of the story.

 

Then you can read them through chronologically! :D

[Sasharowan]

I have a very strong opinion about this one. Absolutely read them in the order they were written (the original sequence). Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is fun to read afterwards....lots of 'aha!' moments (but definitely not my favorite of the series). It doesn't particularly matter when you read MN (the story of the beginning of Narnia) or The Horse and His Boy (actually occurs *during* LWW), as long as you read them *after* The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

FWIW, IM(notso)HO, YMMV, etc. :)

:iagree:

[Slartibartfast]

I have a very strong opinion about this one. Absolutely read them in the order they were written (the original sequence). Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is fun to read afterwards....lots of 'aha!' moments (but definitely not my favorite of the series). It doesn't particularly matter when you read MN (the story of the beginning of Narnia) or The Horse and His Boy (actually occurs *during* LWW), as long as you read them *after* The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

FWIW, IM(notso)HO, YMMV, etc. :)

 

I agree, Magician's Nephew is more fun AFTER the LWW

[Lolly]

No question. Current publishers should be drawn and quartered for publishing them the way they do now. The should be read in the original order. LWW must be FIRST. It should be written into a law. There is NO other way. Otherwise, how can you SHARE the magic of entering Narnia for the first time with Lucy?

 

 

 

 

No, I don't feel strongly about this....

[Mrs Mungo]

No question. Current publishers should be drawn and quartered for publishing them the way they do now. The should be read in the original order. LWW must be FIRST. It should be written into a law. There is NO other way. Otherwise, how can you SHARE the magic of entering Narnia for the first time with Lucy?

 

 

Oh, I should add that when my kids read them the first time I used the publication order. When *I* re-read them now I read them in chronological order. Because I am OCD about that.

 

I also read all (ALL of them) the Pern books in chronological order, as much as I could (some of them overlap).

[Lolly]

Oh, I should add that when my kids read them the first time I used the publication order. When *I* re-read them now I read them in chronological order. Because I am OCD about that.

 

I also read all (ALL of them) the Pern books in chronological order, as much as I could (some of them overlap).

 

Well, for re-reads you may use whatever order you like. It is just that first time...:D

[Slartibartfast]

Ok FINE! I will accept The Great Re-Read Compromise

 

*sigh*

 

 

:lol:

[Mrs Mungo]

Ok FINE! I will accept The Great Re-Read Compromise

 

*sigh*

 

 

:lol:

 

I almost spit soda all over my screen!

[BikeBookBread]

I'm a staunch publication order advocate. LWW FIRST! Yes, there are some very strong opinions on this matter. I think I advocate this mostly because that was the way I read them back in the early 70's...I still have my old 70's style boxed set with the psychedelic covers. Look how tattered and well-loved it is!

 

And check out Edmund's hair...For some reason, this picture reminded me of The Beatles when I was little. :lol: Polly's hair is a nice shade of lime green on the cover of Magician's Nephew, too.

Edited March 26, 2010 by BikeBookBread

[Slartibartfast]

 

And check out Edmund's hair...For some reason, this picture reminded me of The Beatles when I was little. :lol:

 

That cover always reminded me of the Yellow Submarine

 

http://www.hvw8.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/the-beatles-in-yellow-submarine.jpg

 

:lol:

[BikeBookBread]

That cover always reminded me of the Yellow Submarine

 

http://www.hvw8.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/the-beatles-in-yellow-submarine.jpg

 

:lol:

 

YES!!!! It must've been in my subconscious as a kid.

[Mrs Mungo]

I'm a staunch publication order advocate. LWW FIRST! Yes, there are some very strong opinions on this matter. I think I advocate this mostly because that was the way I read them back in the early 70's...I still have my old 70's style boxed set with the psychedelic covers. Look how tattered and well-loved it is!

 

My parents had those! But they won't give them up. :glare:

[Slartibartfast]

The psychedelic covers are my favorite. I wonder if anyone on amazon has them. :lol:

[Ellie]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

To read them in a different order is just...just...heresy!:svengo:

 

I like the way you said that: every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. May I quote you?:D

[ereks mom]

I have a very strong opinion about this one. Absolutely read them in the order they were written (the original sequence). Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is fun to read afterwards....lots of 'aha!' moments (but definitely not my favorite of the series). It doesn't particularly matter when you read MN (the story of the beginning of Narnia) or The Horse and His Boy (actually occurs *during* LWW), as long as you read them *after* The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

FWIW, IM(notso)HO, YMMV, etc. :)

 

:iagree:

 

As a fellow Narnia fan observed: While I see the logic of "The Magician's Nephew" being first, I feel it robs kids of several "aha" moments... such as "So THAT's why the Professor didn't think Lucy was lying", and "So THAT's why the Wardrobe was magic" and "So THAT's why there was randomly a lamppost in the middle of the woods".

Edited March 26, 2010 by ereks mom

[Heidi @ Mt Hope]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

To read them in a different order is just...just...heresy!:svengo:

 

I like the way you said that: every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. May I quote you?:D

 

 

Sure, you're welcome to quote me, but I think I'm quoting someone else. :001_smile: Abbeyej, maybe? (I'd hate to put words in her mouth if I'm wrong...)

[Jen in PA]

I have a very strong opinion about this one. Absolutely read them in the order they were written (the original sequence). Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is fun to read afterwards....lots of 'aha!' moments (but definitely not my favorite of the series). It doesn't particularly matter when you read MN (the story of the beginning of Narnia) or The Horse and His Boy (actually occurs *during* LWW), as long as you read them *after* The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

FWIW, IM(notso)HO, YMMV, etc. :)

 

:iagree: Although I think MN may be my favorite book in the series. I still like reading it after the others, though.

[AngieW in Texas]

I think the publication order is best.

 

You definitely should start with Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe. Magician's Nephew and Horse and His Boy can be read at any point after that, but I like them best as #6 and #5, respectively.

 

I like:

1 Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe

2 Prince Caspian

3 Voyage of the Dawn Treader

4 Silver Chair

5 Horse and His Boy

6 Magician's Nephew

7 Last Battle

[Spy Car]

When I wrote The Lion I did not know I was going to write any more.

 

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

[BikeBookBread]

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

 

GASP! :svengo:

[newlifemom]

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

 

And to think I liked you Bill. I can handle all the other things we may disagree about, politics, religion maybe even math, but this . . .:D]

 

 

 

 

To the OP: Publication order please.

 

 

[Leaving now before it gets too heated. :lol:

:auto:

[Jen in PA]

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

 

Heretic!

[Mrs Mungo]

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

 

Even dawn treader?! I like it the best.

[Slartibartfast]

:scared:

 

I am going back to the health care thread. At least it is free from this sort of mudslinging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

:lol:

[Ellie]

My parents had those! But they won't give them up. :glare:

I managed to find two complete sets of cloth, including dust covers, on e-bay for a song (before the movies were released), one for each dd. We try to buy books in cloth as I tend to read the covers off my favorite paperbacks (three complete sets of LOTR, for example!).

[Garga]

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

 

I've not engaged you when your politics scare me silly and your very vocal disdain of my religion leaves me reeling, but this time you've simply gone too far!

 

Oh wait, wait...is it because of the Christian undertones in the stories? You really don't seem to like Christianity at all.

[Kate in Arabia]

He should have left it at that.

 

Yes.

[newlifemom]

I've not engaged you when your politics scare me silly and your very vocal disdain of my religion leaves me reeling, but this time you've simply gone too far!

 

Oh wait, wait...is it because of the Christian undertones in the stories? You really don't seem to like Christianity at all.

 

Please tell me your joking. :confused:

[Spy Car]

I've not engaged you when your politics scare me silly and your very vocal disdain of my religion leaves me reeling, but this time you've simply gone too far!

 

Oh wait, wait...is it because of the Christian undertones in the stories? You really don't seem to like Christianity at all.

 

First, I don't distain your religion. I can't let that pass. I simply don't "share" your religion.

 

As for the obvious Christian allegory in the series, it think Narnia suffers for the ham-fistedness and lack of subtlety because it becomes very unoriginal. It's banal. Other than than I have no particular objection the the religious sub-themes in the plot.

 

My objection is the to writing itself, which I think is poor by literary standards, and lacks imagination. Narnia World is a mix-mash grab-bag of unrelated creatures and motifs lifted from an incongruous assortment of thefts. Talking Beavers, Centaurs, Fauns and Evil Witches.

 

Where was the Cyclops? What a mess.

 

What a dreary. Plodding. Bore,

 

Bill

Edited March 26, 2010 by Spy Car

[Spy Car]

Yes.

 

Wow! You are brave :D

 

You are aware we will pay for this? :D

 

Bill

[Garga]

Please tell me your joking. :confused:

 

Hmmm. Looks like I should have added some emoticons.

 

Yes, after the first sentence there should be a wry :D.

 

But after my second sentence there should be an emoticon that shows a genuinely curious face. Maybe this one: :bigear:. I really did wonder if he just didn't like the Christian overtures in the book. I wasn't trying to be snarky.

Edited March 26, 2010 by Garga

[gracefulhome]

Thanks for the explanation of the different book orders, as well as the interesting banter that accompanied this thread. :001_smile: I think I'm going to like these forums.

 

I will follow the order of publication, and leave the re-read option open for my kids if they so choose. ;)

 

What I find most annoying about the newer book is the actual labeling of them as "Book 1", "Book 2", etc. on the cover when it is not the actual publication order. It makes a rule-bound kid want to insist they be read that way. However, my 12 ds saw me posting this thread and when I told him the difference between the sets, he said "Let's read them in the order they were written." So . . . that is the final decision.

 

Thanks,

Mary

Mama to 4 blessings: ds 12, dd 10, ds almost 8 and ds 6

(Still working on a sig line that I like)

[Spy Car]

Hmmm. Looks like I should have added some emoticons.

 

Yes, after the first sentence there should be a wry :D.

 

But after my second sentence there should be an emoticon that shows a genuinely curious face. Maybe this one: :bigear:. I really did wonder if he just didn't like the Christian overtures in the book. I wasn't trying to be snarky.

 

I don't mind taking a few good-natured punches, just none below the belt ;)

 

As to the Christian overtures, Lewis didn't cross any lines with me in terms of proselytizing, I just think the thin allegory helped suck the life out of the material.

 

But when you look at how Christian themes can be explored in great literature such as Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (which, granted, is not kid-lit) it makes one realize how much more room there is for religious themes to be handled with depth.

 

Lewis bothers me because his writing is shallow (and plodding), not because he was a man of faith.

 

Bill

[Spy Car]

Thanks for the explanation of the different book orders, as well as the interesting banter that accompanied this thread. :001_smile: I think I'm going to like these forums.

 

I will follow the order of publication, and leave the re-read option open for my kids if they so choose. ;)

 

What I find most annoying about the newer book is the actual labeling of them as "Book 1", "Book 2", etc. on the cover when it is not the actual publication order. It makes a rule-bound kid want to insist they be read that way. However, my 12 ds saw me posting this thread and when I told him the difference between the sets, he said "Let's read them in the order they were written." So . . . that is the final decision.

 

Thanks,

Mary

Mama to 4 blessings: ds 12, dd 10, ds almost 8 and ds 6

(Still working on a sig line that I like)

 

In case I've been otherwise unhelpful, I'd concur with the idea of reading the Lion the Which and the Wardrobe first. And last.

 

This will give the proper sense of "discovery."

 

Bill

[Kate in Arabia]

Wow! You are brave

I'm sure there are people on here who already know how I feel about it, I know I've mentioned it before. I can't take the (to me) blatant anti-Arab/Muslim characterizations. I read the books as a child, still have my original boxed set. I re-read them as an adult and was surprised and offended.

[unsinkable]

I have a very strong opinion about this one. Absolutely read them in the order they were written (the original sequence). Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is fun to read afterwards....lots of 'aha!' moments (but definitely not my favorite of the series). It doesn't particularly matter when you read MN (the story of the beginning of Narnia) or The Horse and His Boy (actually occurs *during* LWW), as long as you read them *after* The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

 

FWIW, IM(notso)HO, YMMV, etc. :)

 

I am with you!

 

I always remember that line, "Every child should enter Narnia through the Wardrobe." It sums up my feelings perfectly.

[nmoira]

I re-read them as an adult and was surprised and offended.

I just can't bring myself to reread "The Horse and His Boy." There are references here and there in the other books that irk me, but these get dealt with on the fly.

 

What surprises me is the number of my adult friends who've claimed to read the series who look at me like I'm crazy when I mention the train crash at the end.

[KristenS]

No question. Current publishers should be drawn and quartered for publishing them the way they do now. The should be read in the original order. LWW must be FIRST. It should be written into a law. There is NO other way. Otherwise, how can you SHARE the magic of entering Narnia for the first time with Lucy?

 

 

 

 

No, I don't feel strongly about this....

 

 

Oh, I love this quote! :D That is EXACTLY how I feel!

 

And Last Battle comes last. Everything else ... as you please ... except the Caspian trilogy goes better in its proper order.

[gracefulhome]

I'm sure there are people on here who already know how I feel about it, I know I've mentioned it before. I can't take the (to me) blatant anti-Arab/Muslim characterizations. I read the books as a child, still have my original boxed set. I re-read them as an adult and was surprised and offended.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Maybe I'll try to take time to read them myself first.

 

Mary

[KidsHappen]

Hmmm. Looks like I should have added some emoticons.

 

Yes, after the first sentence there should be a wry :D.

 

But after my second sentence there should be an emoticon that shows a genuinely curious face. Maybe this one: :bigear:. I really did wonder if he just didn't like the Christian overtures in the book. I wasn't trying to be snarky.

 

I think that we can give Bill credit for appreciating good literature (or not ) regardless of it's religious overtures. :D

[KidsHappen]

OMG! I have never read the books but just hearing of all the confusion drives me nuts. :001_huh: I am seriously afraid that LOST will end that way and I will have to go back on watch all the episodes out of order in order to get a logical timeline. I feel it coming and I dread it. My mind has problems taking info and put it in a different order than I originally received it. Anything that requires a concordance really ticks me off. Stephen King is particularly irksome in this regard. :glare:

[Sputterduck]

He should have left it at that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was passable, but the series just becomes increasing banal and superflous as it drags on. Zzzzzzzzzzz.

 

Bill

 

 

Er... I... uh...

 

 

I'm going to pretend you never said that.