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[_lady_narcissa_]

So there was this rather insulting article last week in slate about how if you are an adult you should be ashamed of yourself if you read children's books. Because we should aspire to be adults and read adult things. I won't link to the article if you aren't familiar with it because it doesn't deserve another click as it clearly was written to

Comments

[ildrinn]

After reading Ana Mardoll's Narnia deconstructions I'm now rather anti-Lewis, but I liked those quotes a lot.

[_lady_narcissa_]

I'm not familiar with her writing (although I've googled it and found it and can check it out now) so I can't comment on that. I have heard a lot of criticisms of the Narnia books as an adult and met many a person who is now against them. I guess despite what I've read and knowing some of them to be true, I can never forget how important to me they were as a child and how some of those places and images still resonate with me as an adult. The World Between Worlds, for example.

And I guess in the non fiction writings of Lewis's I've read such as his autobiography of his childhood and his letters to children he has just come across to me as someone I know and I find a lot of myself in his writings about himself. But there is a lot of his writings that I haven't read so I can't say if that is something I'd find consistently. But I do find that in this particular essay.

[lugajetboygirl]

Yeah, I had a lot of problems with them even as a child. But the absolute significance of the 'wardrobe to a winter landscape' to the growth of my imagination is unparalleled. I don't think any of us can forget Narnia. It's burned into our imaginations.

[_lady_narcissa_]

I think one of the more amazing experiences I ever had was visiting a Narnia exhibit after the first movie came out. They had a lot of the props and costumes on display. But you entered the exhibit by going into a room that was modeled on the room from the movie with the wardrobe in it. Then you opened the wardrobe door and you pushed through the fur coats and you stepped out into the exhibit room and it was snowing and you saw the lamppost. OMG I nearly died from happiness.

[_lady_narcissa_]

I still have yet to read his science fiction adult trilogy, I keep meaning to get to it.

As a child I pretty much read all genres. Of course I had no idea of the difference between science fiction and fantasy - they were just the fun books where cool stuff happened.

[lugajetboygirl]

You are the bomb. We posted the link on the YA page.

[lugajetboygirl]

Oh, and I plan on setting up the goodreads page later today. Just in time for Leigh's book to come out!

[_lady_narcissa_]

Great! Let me know when its set up and I'll add it.

[montmayne]

I loved the Narnia books as a child. So many of the books I read as a child and a teen fed my imagination and daydreams and so many of the characters felt like beloved friends. Or enemies. :) I revisit these books from time to time as an adult because they had such meaning for me as a child. And because sometimes as an adult, I want to recall how easy it was to imagine a land beyond the wardrobe or Pern or Damar.

Thank you for linking to the essay. I look forward to reading it.

[_lady_narcissa_]

I like to reread and revisit them as well. They always just take me back to that place I was in my life at that time. Nice way to have your own time turner.

Have you read Lev Grossman's The Magicians? I like how he plays with Narnia in his books.

[montmayne]

I have not read Lev Grossman. I'm adding it to my list of books to read. I'm quitting my job soon so I'll have some time to read before I start looking again.

[_lady_narcissa_]

Oh you are in luck then since the third and final book in the series comes out in August so you won't have long to wait if you like the series.

Quitting your job? I hope this is a good and voluntary thing?

[narcissa_malfoy]

This is so true for me. I suffered much more from my reading of "real" stories about children and their friendships and school than I ever did from my reading of fantasy.

This resonated with me. Beautiful post, and beautiful essay by C.S. Lewis.

[_lady_narcissa_]

I really love the essay, it is timeless.

And you have the perfect user icon for this post!

[narcissa_malfoy]

Haha, I do, don't I! *g*