Narnia in Text

I am rereading Narnia. Its been over a decade since I read them through, and I have found that I had forgotten their charm. I am presently in the middle of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, reading them in chronological order (not as they were originally written).

The thing I have found interesting this time, as I read them, is how deeply the interactions with Aslan affect me. I was always a fan, but now I am most excited when Aslan is present in the book. The moment that quite literally brought tears to my eyes was when Alsan finally becomes visible to all four of the children after their return to Narnia in Prince Caspian, and he comes to speak to Edmund and merely says, "Well done." As any lover of fantasy could tell you, when you read a good fantasy you cannot help but imagine yourself as one of the heroes you are reading about. Peter, or Caspian were the heroes I dreamed about when I read Narnia before. But today I feel more and more of a connection to the character of Edmund. I have lost any annoyance I might have once had for Lucy and find her admirable and beautiful in her joy and simple faith. I used to be disturbed by Susan's lack of faith in the end, but now I read it and I think I can see it creeping in all along the way--I see more clearly now the seeds that she allowed herself to sow that would keep her from answering Aslan's call in the end. I know that I am no Peter, nor am I a Caspian (Lewis' equivalent, I think of David in the Bible)...and I don't think I have ever been an Eustance. But Edmund I feel a kind of connection too.

I am glad that Lewis wrote fantasies that have allowed me to grow and enjoy them more.