WHAT IS CLASSIC REMARKS?
Classic Remarks is a meme hosted here at Pages Unbound that poses questions each Friday about classic literature and asks participants to engage in ongoing discussions surrounding not only themes in the novels but also questions about canon formation, the “timelessness” of literature, and modes of interpretation.
HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE?
Leave your link to your post on your own blog in the comments below. And feel free to comment with your thoughts even if you are not officially participating with a full post!
You can find more information and the list of weekly prompts here.
(Readers who like past prompts but missed them have also answered them on their blog later and linked back to us at Pages Unbound, so feel free to do that, too!)
THIS WEEK’S PROMPT:
Which Narnia book is your favorite and why?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has always been my favorite Narnia book. Part of that is undoubtedly because it focuses on Lucy, my favorite protagonist throughout the series. However, more importantly, I have always loved the sense of adventure the book imparts. Going beyond the known boundaries of Narnia is incredibly exciting! Readers never know what the voyagers will encounter next–scholars, dragons, maybe even a star! The joy of discovery is on every page.
However, Dawn Treader also possesses its more somber moments, which give the book the weight I think it needs to be something I truly want to return to again and again. Though Caspian and his crew are thrilled to be sailing where few have sailed before, not all their discoveries are wonderful. Lucy falls to temptation and experiences heartbreak. Eustace succumbs to greed and faces the possibility of never being able to return again. Reepicheep must decide if the quest is worth his life. The questions they each face, about what is most important to them and why, are the questions readers must confront in their own lives. And that makes the book resonate with me each time I pick it up.
The entire Narnia series is one that I love returning to year after year. But Dawn Treader has always held a special place in my heart. It seems to encompass so much! And in such a small volume. The best books are the ones that reveal something new to me each time I return. And Dawn Treader continues to do that.
I love it! 🙌😍
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This is also my favourite Narnia book, largely because of Reepicheep!
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Yes! Reepicheep is one of my favorite characters!
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Yes, I love Reepicheep too! He taught me a thing or two about forgiving your enemies and being kind to them when he stayed up to keep Eustace company when he was so miserable during his enchantment. I also loved the method of arrival in and departure from Narnia in this book.
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Yes! That’s so beautiful! I also love Reepicheep’s character arc. I’m getting a little teary-eyed just thinking about it.
And, oh, yes! The picture frame is such a wonderful transition into Narnia!
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It has been a long time since I read the books.
However- watched the movies. I loved this story.
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The movies are good, too! Maybe we’ll get another remake soon? That would be fun!
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Wish the entire series was adapted into a movie- why did they go with the first three
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I forget why they stopped making the films. Maybe they weren’t making money or there was an argument about the rights? But I thought Netflix or another streaming service was talking about doing the whole series.
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That is why I hope to reread the series- I need to get caught up in the stories that were never adapted into screen
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Voyage of the dawn trader is definitely in my top 3 ! I quite enjoyed the movie too – I know a lot of people were disappointed by it, but I didn’t find it that bad 😊
Here’s the link to my post : https://psychedaboutbooks.wordpress.com/2020/11/27/the-horse-and-his-boy-my-favorite-narnia-novel/
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The movie is different from the book, sure, but I enjoyed it, as well!
Thanks for participating!
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Ohhh I haven’t read this in years but its such a beautiful series, and Voyage of the Dawn Treader is wonderful!
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I’m starting to think I should do a reread!
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I really wanted to participate in this post, but alas, I’ve never read any Narnia books beyond The Lion, the Witch, and the Waredrobe. I didn’t read these until I was an adult and I just… struggled. I like Lewis’s adult writing much more than his children’s writing, sadly. But it sounds like I need to read The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at least! Perhaps my kids will like these and engage me with them?
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I think Narnia is one of those series it’s easier to get immersed in as a child. Then the nostalgia works in your favor when you go back as an adult.
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Nostalgia is an incredible thing for reading. I am in a Kids Lit book club and whenever people recommend childhood favorites the conversations are always bit… awkward. They don’t all survive the test of time. XD
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Yes! Sometimes you just remember the good parts of a book and then when you go back, you realize…it wasn’t actually that good. Oops.
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Voyage of the Dawn Treader has one of the best endings in the series, I think (it’s been a long time since I read it, but it’s the end of Reepicheep’s storyline I particularly like). Personally, I like The Horse and His Boy – I understand why readers in recent years have taken issue with the different language used to describe the Calormenes and Narnians (which can be read as racist or promoting whiteness), and it doesn’t feature any Pevensie children prominently, but I love the adventure as the characters ride across the land. It’s nice to see the story’s world in a different way, too. Similarly, I also really like The Magician’s Nephew – I’m particularly drawn to the woodland with all the pools of water leading to different worlds (the C20th kids’ fantasy version of the doors in Monster’s Inc, I always thought)!
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I agree that The Horse and His Boy hasn’t aged as well as some of the other titles in the series. Still, I think it’s interesting to have a story set outside of Narnia AND to have a book where the Pevensies aren’t the main focus. It’s a tantalizing glimpse of what their time as kings and queens was like.
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If I remember the books right, this is where I cried at Reepicheep’s storyline! I really need to reread all the Narnia books!
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Yes, I always cry, too!!
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I was surprised by how much I enjoyed dawn treader, considering I watched the movie first and didn’t take to it. But the book is so much better. And I also liked that it focused on Lucy- her story arc in this one was really interesting.
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I think the movies are quite different from the books! I’d love to see another set of movie remakes that captures the spirit of the books a little better.
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