Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

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Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Ajnos » Sun Jul 23, 2017 7:37 pm

Here is the place to post your reflections each day. Remember to follow all general forum guidelines and posting rules. Alternatively you can post on the Facebook event page.

Here is a breakdown of which chapters we are reading each day:
1. Mon 24 July: Chapters 1 & 2
2. Tue 25 July: Chapters 3 & 4
3. Wed 26 July : Chapters 5 & 6
4. Thur 27 July: Chapters 7 & 8
5. Fri 28 July: Chapters 9 & 10
6. Sat 29 July: Chapters 11 & 12
7. Sun 30 July: Rest/Catch-up
8. Mon 31 July: Chapters 13 & 14
9. Tue 1 Aug: Chapters 15 & 16
10. Wed 2 Aug: Chapters 17 & Conclusion
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Thank you for the set Happy!!

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Lucy Looks into a Wardrobe

Post by Swanwhite » Mon Jul 24, 2017 4:49 pm

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ch 1. Lucy Looks into a Wardrobe.
It's an interesting experience re-reading a story so familiar and looking back at where these characters begin. Lucy is the focus of this chapter and I like how we gradually learn more about her. She is the youngest. She is a little afraid of the professor and of the big house. She is excited about the woods and badgers. She is curious. She is brave. The other thing I chiefly noted was the strongly tangible sense of mystery and wonder. Exploring a big old house already has this flavour because it feels like you might find anything, and then she really does find the most amazing thing one can think of. It feels both very real and very extraordinary at the same time. I'm going to follow up on the second chapter later. Looking forward to reading along with you guys and seeing your reflections also!
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by hobbit_of_narnia » Mon Jul 24, 2017 5:05 pm

I read the chapters for today (realizing how much I've missed reading Narnia!!), but I haven't had a chance to do my drawing yet. Hopefully I'll be able to do that tomorrow...
(@Swanwhite: Hooray for golden-haired Lucy!)
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Ajnos » Mon Jul 24, 2017 6:37 pm

Day 1: Chapters 1&2

Descriptive Lewis

One of the things I enjoy about the Summer Challenges is that you are forced to read the books more slowly than you normally would. By having to stop every two chapters and think about them, you notice little things you would miss if you read the book right through. And one of the things that struck me starting out with LWW is how much detail Lewis goes into, sometimes about seemingly trivial things. They aren't essential parts of the story but they add to its beauty. One small example of this is that he tells us the names the servants (Ivy, Margaret and Betty) which gives them a special recognition and personality, even though "they don’t come into the story much". There were two passages in particular that I especially enjoyed.

The first descriptive passage that stood out to me is the description of the Professor's house. I always think of the room with the Wardrobe, but actually there are so many other exciting parts to the house. And, in fact, the room with the Wardrobe is seemingly the least interesting. Other rooms have a suit of armour and a harp, and then there's the fascinating library consisting of "a whole series of rooms that led into each other and were lined with books - most of them very old books and some bigger than a Bible in a church." The Wardrobe room, by contrast, is very boring (nothing in it except the wardrobe and a dead fly), which is why all the children but Lucy dismiss it so quickly. It also seems to be one of the most isolated rooms, considering all the staircases and passages and other rooms they passed before they reached it. I suppose the Professor intentionally put the wardrobe where only the most inquisitive and adventurous person would find it. And I suppose there's a lesson that sometimes the most important and meaningful things in life are discussed in the simplest, least interesting manner. The other thing that the description of the house had me thinking about was that after the children return from Narnia, it must take them a long time to adjust back to life in our world. But considering all the interesting things they discover in the house, especially the library, imagine they find much to excite their imagination and keep them busy after their return. And all those books to read!!

The second descriptive passage that I really enjoyed is the passage where Mr Tumnus tells Lucy "wonderful tales of life in the forest". We don't know very much about Narnia's first Golden Age (the time between the planting of the tree at the creation of Narnia to keep Jadis away and the tree's destruction leading to her return and overthrow of the land). The timing is a bit confusing here, because at least part of Tumnus' tales took place in summer. (Thich suggests that Mr Tumnus is over 100 years old - which is possible, as mythical creatures may be very long-lived, but there is no other indication in the books that Mr Tumnus is so very old, so Lewis may have slipped-up with his timing a little here). Regardless, it is lovely to hear tales of Narnia from before the Witch's reign. I referred to this passage during last year's Prince Caspian summer challenge because I think it is very important for understanding the sudden appearance of Bacchus and the maenads in Prince Caspian. I already addressed it there, but it is an interesting reminder of the way Lewis was deeply moved by "pagan" mythology and often saw it as being a corruption of something more pure and true. Here, as in Prince Caspian, Lewis seems to be trying to sanctify the mythology surrounding Bacchus, Silenus and fauns and transpose them into an expression of innocent wildness, celebration and joy. At the same time, Mr Tumnus is telling Lucy these stories as part of his plan to lull her into a false sense of security (and ultimately to make her fall asleep) so perhaps there is a sense in which the account points towards how these stories have been corrupted and can be used for less safe and pure motives (I'm probably reading too much into it at this point). But in all it is a rather beautiful account very beautifully painted.

One of the things I liked most when thinking about these descriptive passages is that we know Lewis had a wonderful way with words but I often think of him as being very good at using language in his apologetics to argue important points. But he is just as skilful in painting word pictures for purely artistic purpose. I guess that is why he is such a loved and enduring writer.
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Thank you for the set Happy!!

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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Swanwhite » Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:21 pm

Looking forward to it, Hobbit :)

So true Ajjie! I love the details about the house. The room all hung in green with the harp feels as if I've been there in my childhood. :)

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ch 2. What Lucy Found There

The myth is real.
Do you feel it too?
The mirth is alive in the jovial tune.
Christmas is coming,
and winter will end.
Silenus and summer are coming again.
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Niffum » Mon Jul 24, 2017 7:47 pm

YAY!! It's been a while since I've read the books, and since I've connected on here and on NarniaMuck. My passion for Narnia has been rekindled and I'm so excited for this journey.

Now for my reflections. To start, I am reading from my set of British edition books, with fun things like "torhes" and the like. Anyway, as those of you who have known me for a while might remember, my favourite character, or one of them at least, is Edmund. I guess it's partly because, apoart from Jesus, my favourite Bible character is Peter, and there are plenty of parallels between the two(which I might touch on in my reflections.) So, after reading the first two chapters, a few thoughts on Ed.

The first time he is mentioned is when the meet the Professor. After Lucy is described as being "a little afraid of him" Ed is described as wanting to laugh but he "had to keep on pretending to blow his nose to hide it" Though it doesn't seem like a huge thing, he's a young boy, sort of normal, but from what we know of him later, it sets the scene for who he is, or who he starts out to be. As I read I'm using some reference books, especially "The Companion to Narnia" by Paul Ford. It makes the point that we later learn that Ed went to "the wrong sort of school" this along with being the middle child, as well as being a young child displaced from his home by war make Ed a bit disagreeable to say the least, but, *spoilers* these things that now make him a bit of a brat and disagreeable will become the very things that make him our beloved King Edmund the Just. So, the rest of Ed's part in the chapters consists of him bristling at Susan's trying to "mother" him, telling Lucy she's "being silly" and grumbling about the rain. Oh and one other thing, though seemingly tiny, when the children were talking about the animals they were looking forward to seeing, Peter says hawks, very powerful and majestic, Lucy says badgers, very faithful, Susan says rabbits, but Ed, well he says foxes, sly foxes"? Hmmm...
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Swanwhite » Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:09 pm

*hugtackles Niff* I'm glad you're here :)

I do love that bit where Edmund is pretending not to laugh.

Another thing occurred to me from when Lucy and Tumnus meet. Tumnus says '"I've never seen a Daughter of Eve or a Son of Adam before. I am delighted. That is to say-" and then it stopped as if it had been going to say something it had not intended but had remembered in time"'
What do you think he had been going to say? I suppose this is to indicate that he's not necessarily to be trusted, but I've often wondered what it was.
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Niffum » Mon Jul 24, 2017 11:09 pm

Ajjie, I love the descriptions, noticed them more, probably because I read your post first. Hey, should I watch the BBC LWW now or after reading the book. Any opinions? I know they're cheesy, but I do love them. Especially Silver Chair(wish I had been around or involved when you guys read that one, it's my favorite of all the books, PC is my second. Give you three guesses first two don't count, and yes it has to do with a certain dwarf! :)
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by hobbit_of_narnia » Mon Jul 24, 2017 11:20 pm

@Niffum (about the animals): I read the American version for years before I found out that it wasn't the original. In that one it's Susan who says "Foxes!", while Ed says "Snakes!"

@Swanwhite: I always assumed he was going to say that the Witch would be delighted, but now that I think about that, that doesn't really make sense. The Witch would probably be horrified. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Summer Challenge Sharing Thread 2017

Post by Niffum » Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:05 am

Ohhh.. @hobbit, That's even more interesting now isn't it. I mean foxes, sly and all that, but snakes, very interesting.
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