Despite being modern classics beloved by children, laymen adults, and critics alike, the Chronicles of Narnia are admittedly somewhat of a literary hodge-podge. Or so most believed. Many have attempted to build a comprehensive interpretive framework for them, but none have received wide acceptance. Michael Ward, Oxford scholar and C.S. Lewis aficionado, presents his own framework, arguing that the classic Ptolemaic solar system (not the modern Copernican) holds the key to understanding the series. Ward’s research of the Chronicles and its author is impressively extensive. He shows how Lewis was steeped in the cosmological mythology of medieval literature, and he illustrates the heavy influence wielded by a particular planet throughout each book.
Another Best Books of 2012 List
I have one more Best Books of 2012 list that I forgot to share. EmilyReads is a great blog. All of her reviews (usually 3 a week) are in haiku. She used to work in the children’s book publishing world and so many of the reviewed books are children’s or young adult. But since she … Read more
