The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

I read this book in elementary school to much delight. Who doesn't like going to another world filled with fauns, centaurs, and talking beavers? I decided to reread this classic (a top 100 novel on Time's 100 list) in order to get a better understanding of its rich allegory to Christianity. And as simple as the metaphors are in the novel, they are still very beautiful and its nice to recognize the parallels between this story and the gospels.

After reading Lewis' other confounding apologetics, I felt relieved to take this breather. The story is about 4 English children who stumble upon a wardrobe that transports them to Narnia which is ruled by the White Witch. All characters of imagination live in this world and are astonished to see sons of Adam and daughters of Eve in their presence because the children are heirs to the throne in Narnia.

As the story progresses it is easy to see how each character and plot line falls into the story of Jesus. However, I also read that when Tolkien, a good friend of Lewis and also a Believer, read the manuscript he disapproved of the direct allegory Lewis was employing. He felt that the ideological messages constrained the fiction itself. And the story does have a preachiness feel to them. In fact, it could easily be seen as children propaganda.

I really liked the story though. Whether I would say this if I was an atheist and just viewed the fiction itself, I'm unsure. I plan to interject the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia in between heavier reads until I finish them. If you're looking for a light read with a fascinating children's story, this is a good one to pick up.