Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

"Inside Narnia" ia a chapter-by-chapter description and literary analysis of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." That description makes the book sound stuffy but it didn't feel that way reading it. Like any good scholar, Devin Brown begins his work by addressing why the work is even needed. "The strongest reason for any new work must be that it (1) takes an approach not taken before. Prof. Brown's focus is on providing a literary analysis of TLWW. Since he is an English professor at Asbury College in Kentucky, my guess is that his personal motivation for writing this book was for use in one of his classes and that some of his classroom notes may have made their way into the original outline for "Inside Narnia". In my opinion, use of a developing non-fiction manuscript in a classroom is great--college students will be only too glad to point out inconsistencies and ask about passages they find bewildering. Prof. Brown states that the other reason for a new work in non-fiction involves (2) (covering) ground which has not been covered. He explains, "I offer a wide selection of comments and opinions from other scholars, here for the first time collected in a single work." To that, I would add that the reader also benefits from Prof. Brown's own comments and opinions. I suspect that some material quoted directly from C. S. Lewis's writings may also be making its first appearance in a scholarly work. However... Not long after I started "Inside Narnia", I found myself skimming past the (exhaustive) citations without thinking about them. He might not like hearing this but Prof. Brown's clear prose allowed me to ignore all of his meticulous bibliographic work, and just enjoy. His literary analysis is fascinating. I've read Lewis's entire "Chronicles of Narnia" so many times I've lost count but the author surprised me repeatedly with pointers to Lewis's literary techniques and new perspectives on plot and description I never noticed before. He also surprised me with the whole Maugrim = Fenris Ulf discussion! Maugrim? Who's that? I have an old copy of TLWW and have never bought another so the wolf villain has always been Fenris Ulf to me. Brown reveals the structure of individual scenes in such evocative detail that you'll likely close his book either feeling like you just finished rereading Lewis's TLWW or else with the overwhelming desire to do so. When I reached the end of Prof. Brown's study, I wanted to reread "Prince Caspian" but then I'm weird. (If you haven't read TLWW yet, well first, you should! Second, buy this book at the same time as TLWW but read it afterwards. It'll make a lot more sense.) CSL's Use of Language (literary technique) Prof. Brown discusses and analyzes C S Lewis's use of a variety of literary techniques and language in TLWW, as each example appears in the chapters. I was fascinated by his analysis of Lewis's techniques because, frankly, I have been enjoying their "effects" on me as a reader without b

The Inside Narnia Guide was given as a Christmas gift last year to our fourteen year old granddaughter to further enhance the reading of The Chronicles of Narnia Box Set. This guide was an excellent selection, and our granddaughter has told us several times how much she enjoyed reading it. The fact that her first name is the same as the author's was an added bonus! Based on her appraisal, I recommend this as a great addition to the Chronicles of Narnia Set. ~ Mrs. B.

Since The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was printed in 1950, almost four-dozen books have been published on the Narnian Chronicles, and most of these in the past few years. The danger in writing a book on Narnia today is that so much has already been said. Devin Brown sets the standard in the Preface to Inside Narnia in describing how his book is different: "The strongest reason for any new work must be that is (1) takes an approach not taken before or (2) covers ground which has not been covered. I would offer both these reasons for Inside Narnia." (7) Many books on Narnia focus mostly on the devotional or spiritual elements of Lewis's books; however, Devin Brown sees value in a literary approach. "By devoting an entire work to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I hope to provide the kind of close literary analysis it warrants and also supply a good deal of supplemental information from Lewis's life and other writings. In addition, I offer a wide selection of comments and opinions from other scholars, here for the first time collected in a single work." (7) As Brown notes, Inside Narnia is very much like a running commentary on the first of the Narnian Chronicles. Throughout the book, Brown highlights many of the debates and insights that have generated in the past 55 years. Though he draws from a wide range of authors and scholars, he relies heavily on the work of Colin Manlove, Peter Schakel, Donald Glover, and Peter Ford. This sort of scholarly commentary makes for a book that feels very academic, though the tone and language is far more accessible than most academic works. The insight Devin Brown provides can only come from lengthy research in the field, research that Brown skillfully employs. The result is another unique book on Narnia that should not be missed. Inside Narnia is a valuable introduction to the literary world created by C.S. Lewis with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

If "The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy" is written for philosophy buffs, "Inside Narnia" is written for literature lovers. Here is the book that English literature professors at colleges everywhere have been praying for - a preface to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" in the tradition of C. S. Lewis's "Preface to Paradise Lost." This is a smart, critical guide through Narnia, with Devin Brown dropping glorious bits of "behind the scenes" information and careful analysis. Like any good critic, Brown's book enchants his subject, sending us back to it with renewed interest. Like any good tour guide, Brown speaks in a clear and accessible style, navigating Lewis's literary and biographical sources with ease - pointing out the similarities to (among others) J. R. R. Tolkien, who was both a literary and real-life influence on Lewis. A delightful read, for those who identify with Peter, all the way up to those of us a bit more like the Professor. *****Phil Tallon - St Andrews, Scotland*****

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) is remembered for two things - his great works of Christian theology (Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, and many more) and his Chronicles of Narnia books. Now, many books have been published on the theology of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (TLWW), but this book looks at TLWW as a work of literature. Going through TLWW chapter by chapter, and indeed section by section, Dr. Devin G. Brown (professor of English at Asbury College, Wilmore, Kentucky), gives the reader a fascinating commentary on what is happening and what it means. I must say that this is a surprisingly fascinating book! The author begins with the dedication at the beginning of TLWW, and goes through the entirety of the book, explaining and clarifying just about everything. Now, don't get the idea that this book is a dry academic work. In fact, the author does an excellent job of hold the reader's interest. If you are a fan of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, then this is the book for you. It provides the reader with a deep understanding of this seemingly simple Christian classic, telling you things you never would have guessed. I highly recommend this book.