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Narnia Question
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Do you prefer to read the series in publication order or chronological order? We are going to be reading them as a family this upcoming year and I cant decide which way I want to go 🙂
Hi. I used to be a stickler to read the series in publication order (the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe first), but then I heard from an introduction on the Audio Drama series (produced by Focus on the Family) that later Lewis suggested that Magician’s Nephew should be read first — and after reading them recently with my boys (just finished Last Battle), I’d suggest that too. It sets a deep foundation for the rest of the stories. Yet still in my heart I love the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as the first adventure in Narnia.
For what it’s worth, there’s my two cents.
JDefinitely publication order! While LLW is not my favorite of the Chronicles, it’s by far the best introduction to Narnia. It’s also a more enjoyable read than The Magician’s Nephew, which would be first in chronological order. I thought MN was more enjoyable having read it after some of the others than if we had read it first. It made the connections more fun that way.
TammiK
I was raised with my mom reading LWW first so I can’t get out of my head that that is how it should be :o)
How old are your kids? I do think that LLW is written on a simpler level then some of the others (although well written enough to be enjoyed by any age) so that can help make it a good intro. Some really do prefer to start with MN though……the solution is probably just to read the whole series multiple time over the 12 years :o)
Whatever order you follow enjoy! I have great childhood memories accociated with this series and my children have loved the first two so far….
My husband just read the first three (I think so far) to my 7 y/o…and we started with the one C.S. Lewis wanted first, the Magician’s Nephew…she got it all…and we loved the depth it added to all the others…it contains the actual creation of Narnia…and don’t we want to start with the creation of our world…when we study history…it lays the foundation for everything in between and the end.
I would hate to have read the Last Battle (I went ahead of them) w/o first reading the start of the whole thing…
I agree that MN adds so much to the story….and my daughter talks about polly and diggory all the time…
we also let her listen to the focus on the family audio ones AFTER we finished reading the entire book.
When she made a salt map, she made it of Narnia.
There are many parallels to scripture…from the very first to the very last. Obviously not a one to one relationship. No desire to debate this point. Just my opinion.
hth
jo
We are believers in reading them as CSL intended after he’d written them all–MN first. There is SO much you miss if you don’t start there. It’s like starting a book in the middle, then reading to the end, then going and reading the beginning! You understand a lot more about Narnia if you read MN first.
ROFL…it doesnt help my decision any when everybody’s opinion is split like this
Looks like its 6 one way; half a dozen the other. Lady~my kids are 10, 8, and 7. My daughter has read the ones we have, thou I dont believe in any specific order at all (She just reads them as we buy them at goodwill and whatnot)
We listened to the audio version and Magician’s Nephew was first. Does that help break the tie?? We loved all of them and was very sad to have it end. We may have to start over again in Jan.
We do them in the author’s preferred order (Magician’s Nephew first). Love the books and also have the audio books AND the radio drama version.
Looks like its 6 one way; half a dozen the other. 
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