People often debate about the reading order of CS Lewis’ Narnia series, some arguing that we should read them in the order they were published, while modern publishers issue them according to the stories internal chronology (loosely speaking).
Really, Brenton Dickieson gives us the only real way to read the Narnia series; that is, to re-read them, in various orders, learning something different each time, with one caveat: the very first time you pick up the series, start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardobe, and I would add, end with The Last Battle. Everything in between is up for debate, but those two are proper bookends.
When my son and I sat down to go through Narnia together, perhaps when he was 7 and 8, I had no doubt that we would read them as C.S. Lewis wrote them–the Published Order. That means starting with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe—even though The Magician’s Nephew is a prequel. Now Nicolas is beginning to go through the Focus on the Family Radio dramatization of the series as he does his drawing. Because they are reading The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe at school, he wanted to read them in a different order. Without blinking, I suggested he go through the CDs in the order of Internal Chronology, staring with The Magician’s Nephew.
This decision-making process made me realize that it’s time for me to come out of the wardrobe on what I think is the real reading order for Narnia.
And to warn…
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