Fiction_L Archives order of Chronicles of Narnia (fwd) Dates: 12/20/99,11:20 AM  through  12/20/99,5:23 PM  (8 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2008-current     2006-2007     1996-2005    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to December 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Fiction_L" <fictionl@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 11:20 AM

My husband just bought a set of The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis for
our niece, and noticed that the order of the volumes has changed from
his set, copyright 1974. The order of his 1974 set is:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle
The order of the new set is
The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle.
The new set is shrink wrapped, so I can't investigate it further. We're
about to go on vacation and I won't have time to research this, but as
it is late at night and my mind is wandering, my curiousity got the best
of me. Does anyone of this list know why the order would have changed? I
read the Chronicles 25 years ago, and can't remember enough to make
sense of this.
Thanks
Laura James

FROM: <APL_AMANDAB@hlc.actx.edu>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 11:55 AM

Laura,
It seems as if the publisher is packaging the new set according to the
chronological order of events in Narnia. "The Magician's Nephew" explores the
creation of Narnia, so even though Lewis may have published it next to last in
the series, chronologically speaking, this book is first. The same principle
applies to the changed order of "The Horse and His Boy," which takes place
while Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are ruling Narnia.
HTH!
Amanda Barrera
Amarillo Public Library
Amarillo, TX

FROM: "Beth Postema" <BEPostema@ci.fargo.nd.us>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 12:13 PM

The original order (the 74 set) is the order in which they were published, I
believe. If you look at the series chronilogically, the second order
applies. I remember as an 11-year old reading the set through once as
published, then rereading it as it happened in Narnia-time. The Lion,
Witch, and the Wardrobe is probably the best intro for a reader new to the
series; the Magician's Nephew is an interesting prequel dealing with the
creation of Narnia (if I remember correctly).
Beth E. Postema
Public Services Coordinator
Fargo Public Library

My husband just bought a set of The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis for
our niece, and noticed that the order of the volumes has changed from
his set, copyright 1974. The order of his 1974 set is:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle
The order of the new set is
The Magician's Nephew
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Horse and His Boy
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Last Battle.
The new set is shrink wrapped, so I can't investigate it further. We're
about to go on vacation and I won't have time to research this, but as
it is late at night and my mind is wandering, my curiousity got the best
of me. Does anyone of this list know why the order would have changed? I
read the Chronicles 25 years ago, and can't remember enough to make
sense of this.
Thanks
Laura James

FROM: "Fiction_L" <fictionl@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 12:36 PM

I noticed the change in the order of the Narnia books when I went to
replace some copies. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was written first,
and then Magician's Nephew was a prequel. In my opinion, the reader should
read The Lion, etc. first so that they learn of Narnia and then learn of
its origins . . . I think the publisher blew it on this one.

Cynthia Grady
Children's Librarian

Fiction_L wrote:

> My husband just bought a set of The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis for
> our niece, and noticed that the order of the volumes has changed from
> his set, copyright 1974. The order of his 1974 set is:
> The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
> Prince Caspian
> The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
> The Silver Chair
> The Horse and His Boy
> The Magician's Nephew
> The Last Battle
> The order of the new set is
> The Magician's Nephew
> The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
> The Horse and His Boy
> Prince Caspian
> The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
> The Silver Chair
> The Last Battle.
> The new set is shrink wrapped, so I can't investigate it further. We're
> about to go on vacation and I won't have time to research this, but as
> it is late at night and my mind is wandering, my curiousity got the best
> of me. Does anyone of this list know why the order would have changed? I
> read the Chronicles 25 years ago, and can't remember enough to make
> sense of this.
> Thanks
> Laura James

FROM: "Dennis K. Lien" <Dennis.K.Lien-1@tc.umn.edu>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 1:02 PM

>Date: Mon, 20 Dec 1999 11:23:36 -0600
>From: "Fiction_L" <fictionl@nslsilus.ORG>
>Subject: order of Chronicles of Narnia (fwd)
>
>My husband just bought a set of The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis for
>our niece, and noticed that the order of the volumes has changed from
>his set, copyright 1974. The order of his 1974 set is:
> The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
> Prince Caspian
> The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
> The Silver Chair
> The Horse and His Boy
> The Magician's Nephew
> The Last Battle
>The order of the new set is
> The Magician's Nephew
> The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
> The Horse and His Boy
> Prince Caspian
> The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
> The Silver Chair
> The Last Battle.
>The new set is shrink wrapped, so I can't investigate it further. We're
>about to go on vacation and I won't have time to research this, but as
>it is late at night and my mind is wandering, my curiousity got the best
>of me. Does anyone of this list know why the order would have changed? I
>read the Chronicles 25 years ago, and can't remember enough to make
>sense of this.
>Thanks
>Laura James

I believe the first set is in order of initial publication and the
second in order of internal plot chronology.

Dennis Lien / U of Minnesota Libraries // d-lien@tc.umn.edu

FROM: "Fiction_L" <fictionl@nslsilus.ORG>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 2:04 PM

The list as first presented is the chronological order of publication. The
second list is in order of character development & plot lines. CS Lewis
wrote the Magician's Nephew fairly late, but it actually explains the
Professor & why he has a magic wardrobe in his house, hence the
re-arrangement in the 2nd list.

I've read it both ways (publication order & 'real' chronological order) and
it really didn't make any difference to me. But it does to some people, so
forewarned is forearmed.

Kim Laird, Acquisitions, Documents, Serials Team Leader
Library of Michigan, PO Box 30007, 717 West Allegan Street,
Lansing, MI 48909. 517-373-9438 (Fax) 517-373-5866 (TDD only)
klaird@libofmich.lib.mi.us HOURS: 7:30a.m. - 4 p.m.

FROM: "Ruby Hunter Jaby" <rjaby@web.aacpl.lib.md.us>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 3:15 PM

Hello everyone,
According to the HarperCollins editions that we own, the chronicles
"have been renumbered in compliance with the original wishes of the author,
C. S. Lewis." HarperCollins says that this is the first time that the
series has appeared in this order in the United States. Hope that helps.
Ruby Jaby
Branch Manager
Crofton Branch
Anne Arundel County Public Library
1657 Crofton Centre
Crofton, MD 21114

FROM: "Viccy Kemp" <VKemp@ci.carrollton.tx.us>
REC'D: 12/20/99, 5:23 PM

"The Magician's Nephew" gives the origin of Narnia. The only reason to read
it first is to get that background. I believe your set from 1974 reflects
the chronological order in which Lewis wrote The Chronicles. That is the
order I read them in back in the early sixties and I remember thinking how I
wish I had been able to read "The Magician's Nephew" first in order to have
that history of Narnia.

HTH.
Viccy Kemp
The opinions are my own; the library wouldn't want 'em!

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Fiction_L [SMTP:fictionl@nslsilus.ORG]
> Sent: Monday, December 20, 1999 11:24 AM
> To: fiction_l@maillist.nslsilus.org
> Subject: order of Chronicles of Narnia (fwd)
>
> My husband just bought a set of The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis for
> our niece, and noticed that the order of the volumes has changed from
> his set, copyright 1974. The order of his 1974 set is:
> The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
> Prince Caspian
> The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
> The Silver Chair
> The Horse and His Boy
> The Magician's Nephew
> The Last Battle
> The order of the new set is
> The Magician's Nephew
> The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
> The Horse and His Boy
> Prince Caspian
> The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
> The Silver Chair
> The Last Battle.
> The new set is shrink wrapped, so I can't investigate it further. We're
> about to go on vacation and I won't have time to research this, but as
> it is late at night and my mind is wandering, my curiousity got the best
> of me. Does anyone of this list know why the order would have changed? I
> read the Chronicles 25 years ago, and can't remember enough to make
> sense of this.
> Thanks
> Laura James
>
>
>
>

Return to December 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

The Webrary® and Fiction_L are services of the Morton Grove Public Library "Webrary" is a registered trademark of the Morton Grove Public Library. All rights reserved. Copyright of Fiction_L postings belongs to their respective authors; postings may only be reused with the author's permission. Compiled lists (compilations of titles or authors from earlier postings on a particular topic) may not be reused for commercial purposes. To use a compiled list for non-commercial purposes, please credit "Subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list." All other content is ©2009 Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove, IL 60053-2989, (847) 965-4220.