LETTERS TO POLLY (Part 1) 28 October 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew, 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, By Terb, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.7 comments
How did Professor Kirke feel when he first heard that Lucy has been to Narnia? Here’s a glimpse through his letter to his old friend. (By the way, this is my first attempt at fan fiction of any kind, so any suggestions will be most welcome.)
My dear friend Polly,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health. I must smile a bit while writing your name because indeed, Polly is a funny name. I know you are thinking that it is not half so funny as Digory, and if you were here, we could go on about it, like we did as children.
I’m writing to share with you some news that will surprise you for sure. A month ago, I received a telegram from Mrs. Helen Pevensie of Finchley – I do not know if you remember her, she was a distant relation of my Aunt Letty. It is the usual story – the father is fighting in the war, the air raids are going on about London, and the mother knows their house in the middle of the city is not safe, especially for her children. Mrs. Pevensie cannot leave the house for fear that the dreaded telegram from the War Office should come one day and not find her there, but she implored me to take in her four children since she knew the country is much safer than the city. I remember how you adamantly told me once that London is not a beastly hole, but indeed it is, especially during these trying times.
I had no qualms in agreeing to her request, since it can get lonely out here with only my trusty housekeeper, Mrs. Macready, and the handful of servants to keep me company. You know that even I am a bit afraid of Mrs. Macready, so I thought it would be interesting to suddenly have four bustling children running around the country house.
More than a week ago, the four Pevensie children arrived, and such well-behaved children they were, except for one who is a bit of a rascal. The oldest boy is named Peter, and you’d think he was older than he really was. I reckon it’s because he is the oldest among the four, and so is taking on the role of the absent father for his siblings. The next one is named Susan, quite a lovely young lady and very mature for her age. She reminds me a lot of her mother, Mrs. Pevensie. The third is the rascal I mentioned earlier, who is named Edmund. I will admit something to you and trust that you will not repeat this to anyone else, but this boy Edmund reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. The youngest is a dear little girl named Lucy, who is a favorite among the servants for her sweet smile and coaxing manners.
I noticed that they made sure never to disturb me – probably one of the rules of Mrs. Macready that I do not know about – except one morning when Peter and Susan knocked timidly at my study door. I hastened to find chairs for them and told them that I was at their disposal, and they begun to share such wonderful news. The youngest child, Lucy, has entered Narnia through the magical wardrobe in my country house! I’m sure you remember that the wardrobe was made from the apple tree I planted years ago, from the apple that Aslan himself handed to me for my sick mother.
While they were telling their story, I could not move out of surprise and a sudden flooding of memories – the Wood between the Worlds, the creation of Narnia, the cabby and the horse Strawberry whom we accidentally brought along – or should we call them King Frank and Fledge now?
Here comes the sad news however. Narnia is under a spell by a powerful enchantress whom Narnians refer to as the White Witch. She is styling herself as the Queen of Narnia, and I wonder whatever happened to King Frank and Queen Helen (remember how she first appeared in Narnia with soapsuds up to her elbows?). We have no idea how Narnian time has passed since we’ve been there last, so this White Witch could be anybody. But I have a sinking feeling that it could be none other than Jadis, the Queen of Charn, whom I woke up from her magical slumber. It is an act I have since regretted much – even though both you and Aslan have graciously forgiven me – but never more so than now.
The older children are afraid that their sister is going mad, because they found nothing special or magical about the wardrobe when they went to investigate. I was surprised that they never even considered the possibility that Lucy is telling the truth, even though it is the most logical explanation. What do they teach at schools these days?
I will write to you again when I have more news. I have a feeling that this is not the end of the children’s adventures in Narnia.
Ever your friend,
Digory Kirke
Quotes from THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW (Part 1) 23 October 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew.2 comments
Here are my favorite quotes from chapters 1-5 of The Magician’s Nephew.
Quotes from CHAPTER 1 - THE WRONG DOOR
“It’s all rot to say a house would be empty all those years unless there was some mystery.”
“Daddy thought it must be the drains,” said Polly.
“Pooh! Grown-ups are always thinking of uninteresting explanations,” said Digory.
“It’s not every day that I see a little girl in my dingy old study; especially, if I may say so, such a very attractive young lady as yourself.”
Polly began to think he might not really be mad after all.
Quotes from CHAPTER 2 – DIGORY AND HIS UNCLE
“None of that!” he hissed in Digory’s ear. “If you start making a noise your Mother’ll hear it. And you know what a fright might do to her.”
As Digory said afterwards, the horrible meanness of getting at a chap in that way, almost made him sick. But of course he didn’t scream again.
It was not at all a nice face, Digory thought, though of course with those early photographs one could never really tell.
“That promise I did not keep.”
“Well, then, it was jolly rotten of you,” said Digory
“You mean that little boys ought to keep their promises. Very true: most right and proper, I’m sure, and I’m very glad you have been taught to do it. But of course you must understand that rules of that sort, however excellent they may be for little boys – and servants – and women – and even people in general, can’t possibly be expected to apply to profound students and great thinkers and sages. No, Digory. Men like me, who possess hidden wisdom, are freed from common rules just as we are cut off from common pleasures. Ours, my boy, is a high and lonely destiny.”
As he said this he sighed and looked so grave and noble and mysterious that for a second Digory really thought he was saying something rather fine. But then he remembered the ugly look he had seen on his Uncle’s face the moment before Polly had vanished: and all at once he saw through Uncle Andrew’s grand words. “All it means,” he said to himself, “Is that he thinks he can do anything he likes to get anything he wants.”
“Well why didn’t you go yourself then?”
Digory had hardly ever seen anyone so surprised and offended as his Uncle did at this simple question. “Me? Me?” he exclaimed. “The boy must be mad! A man at my time of life, and in my state of health, to risk the shock and the dangers of being flung suddenly into a different universe? I never heard anything so preposterous in my life! Do you realize what you’re saying? Think what Another World means – you might meet anything anything.”
“And I suppose you’ve sent Polly into it then,” said Digory. His cheeks were flaming with anger now. “And all I can say,” he added, “even if you are my Uncle – is that you’ve behaved like a coward, sending a girl to a place you’re afraid to go to yourself.”
“Silence, sir!” said Uncle Andrew, bringing his hand down on the table. “I will not be talked to like that by a little, dirty, schoolboy. You don’t understand.”
“Very well. I’ll go. But there’s one thing I jolly well mean to say first. I didn’t believe in Magic till today. I see now it’s real. Well if it is, I suppose all the old fairy tales are more or less true. And you’re simply a wicked, cruel magician like the ones in the stories. Well, I’ve never read a story in which people of that sort weren’t paid out in the end, and I bet you will be. And serve you right.”
“Oh very well then. Just as you please. Go down and have your dinner. Leave the little girl to be eaten by wild animals or drowned or starved in Otherworld or lost there for good, if that’s what you prefer. It’s all one to me. Perhaps before tea time you’d better drop in on Mrs. Plummer and explain that she’ll never see her daughter again; because you were afraid to put on a ring.”
“By gum,” said Digory, “don’t I just wish I was big enough to punch your head!”
Then he buttoned up his coat, took a deep breath, and picked up the ring. And he thought then, as he always thought afterwards too, that he could not decently have done anything else.
Quotes from CHAPTER 3 – THE WOOD BETWEEN THE WORLDS
“It was a rich place: as rich as plumcake.”
“It’s a good thing one of us has some sense,” said Polly.
“Well don’t keep on gassing about it,” said Digory.
Quotes from CHAPTER 4 – THE BELL AND THE HAMMER
“There’s not much point in finding a magic ring that lets you into other worlds if you’re afraid to look at them when you’ve got there.”
These were very solemn faces. You felt you would have to mind your P’s and Q’s, if you ever met living people who looked like that.
Years afterwards when he was an old man, Digory said he had never in all his life known a woman so beautiful. It is only fair to add that Polly always said she couldn’t see anything specially beautiful about her.
Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.
“I expect anyone who’s come as far as this is bound to go on wondering till it sends him dotty. That’s the Magic of it, you see. I can feel it beginning to work on me already.”
“Well I don’t,” said Polly crossly. “And I don’t believe you do either. You’re just putting it on.”
“That’s all you know,” said Digory. “It’s because you’re a girl. Girls never want to know anything but gossip and rot about people getting engaged.”
“You looked exactly like your Uncle when you said that,” said Polly.
“Why can’t you keep to the point?” said Digory. “What we’re talking about is -”
“How exactly like a man!” said Polly in a very grownup voice; but she added hastily, in her real voice, “And don’t say I’m just like a woman, or you’ll be a beastly copy-cat.”
“I should never dream of calling a kid like you a woman,” said Digory loftily.
“Oh, I’m a kid, am I?” said Polly who was now in a real rage. “Well you needn’t be bothered by having a kid with you any longer then. I’m off. I’ve had enough of this place. And I’ve had enough of you too – you beastly, stuck-up, obstinate pig!”
Quotes from CHAPTER 5 – THE DEPLORABLE WORD
Low down and near the horizon hung a great, red sun, far bigger than our sun. Digory felt at once that it was also older than ours: a sun near the end of its life, weary of looking down upon that world.
“I had forgotten that you are only a common boy. How should you understand reasons of State? You must learn, child, that what would be wrong for you or for any of the common people is not wrong in a great Queen such as I. The weight of the world is on our shoulders. We must be freed from all rules. Ours is a high and lonely destiny.”
Digory suddenly remembered that Uncle Andrew had used exactly the same words. But they sounded much grander when Queen Jadis said them; perhaps because Uncle Andrew was not seven feet tall and dazzlingly beautiful.
“You are lying,” said the Queen. “Does not Magic always go with the royal blood? Who ever heard of common people being Magicians? I can see the truth whether you speak it or not. Your Uncle is the great King and the great Enchanter of your world. And by his art he has seen the shadow of my face, in some magic mirror or some enchanted pool; and for the love of my beauty he has made a potent spell which shook your world to its foundations and sent you across the vast gulf between world and world to ask my favour and to bring me to him. Answer me: is that not how it was?”
“Well, not exactly,” said Digory.
“Not exactly,” shouted Polly. “Why, it’s absolute bosh from beginning to end.”
PRACTICAL PEOPLE IN NARNIA 21 August 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew, 3 The Horse and His Boy, 4 Prince Caspian, 5 The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve, Talking Beasts.2 comments
In The Chronicles of Narnia, a total of seven people were described as being practical, and three of them were called practical in a rather negative way.
JADIS
The children were now afraid that Jadis would have something to say to them about what had happened in the wood. As it turned out, however, she never mentioned it either then or afterwards. I think (and Digory thinks too) that her mind was of a sort which cannot remember that quiet place at all, and however often you took her there and however long you left her there, she would still know nothing about it. Now that she was left alone with the children, she took no notice of either of them. And that was like her too. In Charn she had taken no notice of Polly (till the very end) because Digory was the one she wanted to make use of. Now that she had Uncle Andrew, she took no notice of Digory. I expect most witches are like that. They are not interested in things or people unless they can use them; they are terribly practical. So there was silence in the room for a minute or two. But you could tell by the way Jadis tapped her foot on the floor that she was growing impatient. – from Chapter 6, “The Beginning of Uncle Andrew’s Troubles,” The Magician’s Nephew
From this quote about Jadis, being practical means only paying attention to someone if you wanted to use the person in one way or another. Jadis didn’t pay attention to Polly because she was using Digory. Later on, she didn’t pay attention to Digory either because she was using Uncle Andrew. She didn’t waste her time in noticing or paying attention to people who didn’t suit her purposes.
UNCLE ANDREW
We must now go back a bit and explain what the whole scene had looked like from Uncle Andrew’s point of view. It had not made at all the same impression on him as on the Cabby and the children. For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.
Ever since the animals had first appeared, Uncle Andrew had been shrinking further and further back into the thicket. He watched them very hard of course; but he wasn’t really interested in seeing what they were doing, only in seeing whether they were going to make a rush at him. Like the Witch, he was dreadfully practical. He simply didn’t notice that Aslan was choosing one pair out of every kind of beasts. All he saw, or thought he saw, was a lot of dangerous wild animals walking vaguely about. And he kept on wondering why the other animals didn’t run away from the big Lion. – from Chapter 9, “The Founding of Narnia,” The Magician’s Nephew
From this quote about Uncle Andrew, being practical means only paying attention to something that involves yourself and nothing more. Uncle Andrew missed the point of the entire creation (or “founding”) of Narnia simply because he was only concerned that that the animals wouldn’t attack him. He didn’t waste his time in noticing or paying attention to things that didn’t concern him directly.
ARSHEESH
Sometimes if Arsheesh was there Shasta would say, “O my Father, what is there beyond that hill?” And then if the fisherman was in a bad temper he would box Shasta’s ears and tell him to attend to his work. Or if he was in a peaceable mood he would say, “O my son, do not allow your mind to be distracted by idle questions. For one of the poets has said, `Application to business is the root of prosperity, but those who ask questions that do not concern them are steering the ship of folly towards the rock of indigence’.”
Shasta thought that beyond the hill there must be some delightful secret which his father wished to hide from him. In reality, however, the fisherman talked like this because he didn’t know what lay to the North. Neither did he care. He had a very practical mind. – from Chapter 1, “How Shasta Set Out on His Travels,” The Horse and His Boy
From this quote about Arsheesh, being practical means only paying attention to something that you already know about. He never concerned himself with the lands beyond, like the free North. He didn’t waste his time in noticing or paying attention to things that he wasn’t familar with.
Being practical isn’t all that bad though. In fact, there were four others who were mentioned as being practical, but not in the way that Jadis, Uncle Andrew and Arsheesh were.
DUFFLE AND THE STAG
Presently, however, two more practical people arrived in the little wood. One was a Red Dwarf whose name appeared to be Duffle. The other was a stag, a beautiful lordly creature with wide liquid eyes, dappled flanks and legs so thin and graceful that they looked as if you could break them with two fingers.
“Lion alive!” roared the Dwarf as soon as he had heard the news. “And if that’s so, why are we all standing still, chattering? Enemies at Anvard! News must be sent to Cair Paravel at once. The army must be called out. Narnia must go to the aid of King Lune.”
“Ah!” said the Hedgehog. “But you won’t find the High King at the Cair. He’s away to the North trouncing those giants. And talking of giants, neighbours, that puts me in mind -”
“Who’ll take our message?” interrupted the Dwarf. “Anyone here got more speed than me?”
“I’ve got speed,” said the Stag. “What’s my message? How many Calormenes?”
“Two hundred: under Prince Rabadash. And -” But the Stag was already away – all four legs off the ground at once, and in a moment its white stern had disappeared among the remoter trees. - from Chapter 12, “Shasta in Narnia,” The Horse and His Boy
From this quote, being practical means doing what must be done. Upon learning of the coming army of Prince Rabadash, the other creatures didn’t exactly jump into action, but dawdled around chatting about it. Only Duffle, who took control of the situation, and the stag, who rushed to inform the High King, did their part in averting the danger.
SUSAN
“That’s the trouble of it,” said Trumpkin, “when most of the beasts have gone enemy and gone dumb, but there are still some of the other kind left. You never know, and you daren’t wait to see.” …
Lucy shuddered and nodded. When they had sat down she said: “Such a horrible idea has come into my head, Su.”
“What’s that?”
“Wouldn’t it be dreadful if some day, in our own world, at home, men started going wild inside, like the animals here, and still looked like men, so that you’d never know which were which?”
”We’ve got enough to bother about here and now in Narnia,” said the practical Susan, “without imagining things like that.” – from Chapter 9, “What Lucy Saw,” Prince Caspian
From this quote, being practical means focusing on the problem on hand. Susan didn’t want to worry about ”imaginary” things – she only wanted to deal with those that are ”here and now.” Perhaps that became her problem later on – when she got back to England, she only wanted to deal with the “here and now” and convinced herself that Narnia was only imaginary.
EUSTACE
“Why is it called Aslan’s table?” asked Lucy presently.
“It is set here by his bidding,” said the girl, “for those who come so far. Some call this island the World’s End, for though you can sail further, this is the beginning of the end.”
“But how does the food keep?” asked the practical Eustace.
“It is eaten, and renewed every day,” said the girl. “This you will see.” – from Chapter 13, “The Three Sleepers,” The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
From this quote, being practical means asking questions about things that don’t seem to add up logically. Eustace never lost this trait until The Last Battle, which adds charm to his character.
There is a positive and a negative side to being practical. As long as we make sure we’re not like Jadis, Uncle Andrew or Arsheesh, then being practical should be okay.
LISTENING TO NARNIA (Part 1) 11 July 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew, 2 The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, 3 The Horse and His Boy, 4 Prince Caspian, HarperCollins.add a comment
I recently bought The Chronicles of Narnia Unabridged Boxed Audiobook Set of HarperCollins for my birthday through Amazon.com, along with a new hardbound Narnia book (which I mentioned in my profile). I got my package last 24 June (which was my 40th month with my boyfriend Sidney) and I’ve been listening to it whenever I’m driving alone (which isn’t actually that often).
This is my first time to listen to an audiobook and I wasn’t disappointed. At first, I thought there would be sound effects (like perhaps the sound of a river running or horses trotting) in the background, but it wasn’t like that at all. It was just one British voice reading the books out loud to you, changing the tone and accent of each character so that you’d distinctly know which was which.
I’ve already gone through the first four, and here are my comments:
The Magician’s Nephew (narrated by Kenneth Branagh)
This is my definitely my favorite audiobook so far. There were two particular character voices I loved. The first is that of the cabby (who later became King Frank). In the book, it says he had a cockney accent, but since I’ve never heard of a cockney accent before, I had no idea how that would sound like. The audiobook really brought it to life for me, especially the part how his speech changed while Aslan was talking to him. The second was the Bulldog who kept arguing with the Elephant by saying, “I object to that remark very strongly.” The way he said it was so funny, I literally burst out laughing.
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (narrated by Michael York)
I can’t actually remember much about this one. It was good, but not quite memorable. I liked the voice of Aslan, Peter and Jadis though.
The Horse and His Boy (narrated by Alex Jennings)
This is my second favorite so far, mainly because the narrator was able to invent a distinctly Calormene accent for Rabadash, the Tisroc etc. I love how Rabadash said, “Oh my father and oh the delight of my eyes” in a drawling voice which really sounded as if the Tisroc was not the delight of his eyes. I just have one issue: how come Shasta and Aravis didn’t have the same accent, even though they both grew up in Calormen? Oh well.
Prince Caspian (narrated by Lynn Redgrave)
I had apprehensions before listening to this one, because I didn’t know how all the predominantly male characters would be voiced in such a way as to distinguish one from another. You’d have to remember that nearly all the lead characters in Prince Caspian are male (e.g. Peter, Edmund, Caspian, Trumpkin, Dr. Cornelius, Miraz, Trufflehunter, etc). For all the other audiobooks, the narrators were male, and the female characters they had to do usually ranged from only one to three (e.g. Lucy, Susan, Polly, etc). But the narrator actually did a really good job, especially with Trumpkin. I just didn’t like her Aslan voice though.
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A KING 20 June 2008
Posted by Renette in 1 The Magician's Nephew, 3 The Horse and His Boy, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve.add a comment
Obviously, not everyone is of a royal line, but if you think about it, we can all act like kings (or queens). And I don’t mean that we should act like royal pains in the neck. What I mean is that we can always act with the nobility of character that is expected from royalty.
So what does it take to be a king? Here is an excerpt from chapter 11 of THE MAGICIAN’S NEPHEW, which is the first in the chronicles of Narnia series. Aslan is talking to a kind-hearted London cabby named frank, who will soon become the first king of Narnia. During this conversation, he will give a kind of checklist on the qualities that a king should have.
“My children,” said Aslan, fixing his eyes on both of them, “you are to be the first king and queen of Narnia.”
The cabby opened his mouth in astonishment, and his wife turned very red.
“You shall rule and name all these creatures, and do justice among them, and protect them from their enemies when enemies arise. And enemies will arise, for there is an evil witch in this world.”
The cabby swallowed hard two or three times and cleared his throat.
“Begging your pardon, sir,” he said, “and thanking you very much I’m sure (which my missus does the same) but I ain’t no sort of a chap for a job like that. I never ‘ad much eddycation, you see.”
“Well,” said Aslan, “Can you use a spade and a plough and raise food out of the earth?”
“Yes, sir, I could do a bit of that sort of work: being brought up to it, like.”
“Can you rule these creatures kindly and fairly, remembering that they are not slaves like the dumb beasts of the world you were born in, but talking beasts and free subjects?”
“I see that, sir,” replied the cabby. “I’d try to do the square thing by them all.”
“And would you bring up your children and grandchildren to do the same?”
“It’d be up to me to try, sir. I’d do my best: wouldn’t we, Nellie?”
“And you wouldn’t have favourites either among your own children or among the other creatures or let any hold another under or use it hardly?”
“I never could abide such goings on, sir, and that’s the truth. I’d give ‘em what for if I caught ‘em at it,” said the cabby. (All through this conversation his voice was growing slower and richer. more like the country voice he must have had as a boy and less like the sharp, quick voice of a cockney.)
“And if enemies came against the land (for enemies will arise) and there was war, would you be the first in the charge and the last in the retreat?”
“Well, sir,” said the cabby very slowly, “a chap don’t exactly know till he’s been tried. I dare say I might turn out ever such a soft ‘un. Never did no fighting except with my fists. I’d try – that is, I ‘ope I’d try – to do my bit.”
“Then,” said Aslan, “you will have done all that a king should do.”
I really love the idea that a king must be the “first in the charge and the last in the retreat.” a somewhat similar theme is discussed in chapter 15, THE HORSE AND HIS BOY, when Shasta, a boy who was kidnapped in his infancy and raised in the distant Calormen, found out that he was the son of the king and the rightful heir to the throne of Archenland, much to the delight of his flighty twin brother, who was younger than him.
“Hurrah! Hurrah!” said Corin. “I shan’t have to be king. I shan’t have to be king. I’ll always be a prince. It’s princes have all the fun.”
“And that’s truer than thy brother knows, Cor,” said King Lune. “For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there’s hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.”
I guess being a king is harder than everyone thought it would be.
