I got today's reading done but was behind in my lecture prep so haven't written the reflection yet. I have bible study tomorrow night so may not catch up till the weekend.

In the meantime, my responses to your reflections so far (back to day 1)

Cleander: It's really great to have you joining us. Most of us have been doing this for years so its really nice to have someone new. I really like your points about how people (and we are not immune) have a tendency to see themselves above the law for one reason or another. It's very prevalent among politicians in my country and I believe in many others too. But it is part of the human condition (in a fallen world) and I like how Lewis shows the danger of it, the hypocrisy it is to those looking from the outside and how it can happen to anyone (Digory as much as Andrew and Jadis).

Ariel: I like your thoughts on curiosity and especially how it can have both good and bad consequences. I think the answer to whether Digory would have been driven mad by not ringing the bell is "no". It certainly might have plagued him from time to time and sometimes it might have been worse than others. But it seems to me that he exaggerates to himself the power of what not knowing would have done to him. As you said, we all experience "what ifs" and sometimes they plague us more than other times, but generally we can move on and continue with life with just the odd time of wondering now and again. I think the promise in the Bible that we won't be tempted more than we can bear includes that we will be given peace when we resist temptation.

Kristi: I love your Haikus as usual. As someone who (as you can see) struggles to keep her thoughts short and concise I really marvel the way you can capture the essence of a chapter in so few words.

Chapter 5.

In Charn she could turn people into dust.
In Narnia she turned them to stone.
I wonder what she would have turned people into on earth if she’d stayed long enough to figure something out?

I'm also struck by how much of her characteristics and ideology she has in common with Uncle Andrew. Her backstory monologue has some similarities to his a few chapters back. These similarities make her a fitting punishment for Andrew in the next chapter.

Chapter 6.

The Beginning of Uncle Andrew’s troubles

Handy brandy,
dandy Andy,
some smug humbug
till she comes.

Broke and choking
So provoking!
“Regrettable violence-”
mum and numb.

Knave, slave,
fool, tool,
turfless serf
beneath her thumb.

I was trying, in keeping with the prevailing artistic spirit of this thread, to think of a bit of poetry for these chapters, but I find it difficult to do so because I haven't had a shower yet. (Really good creative thoughts apparently only come when I'm hot and wet.) But I shall have a go at it:

The land of Charn was great and strong,
The year before its dire fall.
Its heart was cruel, its arm was long,
Its pillars firm, its towers tall.

But Taranvar the emperor died,
And gasped his last upon a stair.
A hireling's dagger in his side,
Sent to him by his own heir.

His death began a civil war,
The like of which was never seen.
For both his daughters battled for
The throne and scepter of the Queen.

Before the sword of war was drawn,
The vows of battle both they took,
Beside the Altars of the Dawn,
Their magic powers both forsook.

Three hundred thousand warrior-souls,
The sisters threw into the fight.
The bells in every tower tolled,
Appealing to the gods by night.

The younger sister scorned her oaths,
With spells she gained the upper hand.
She led to her force to Acranoath,
Where her rival took her stand.

She reached the shrine of Gathrasteen,
Where on the steps her sister stood,
"My vict'ry can be clearly seen!
Your reign is over now- for good!"

So the victor hailed her foe,
But she in all her glowing pride,
Did not her sister's secret know:
Of power from the darker side.

Then Jadis, elder of the two,
Replied in calm and icy voice:
"The vict'ry's won, you've spoken true!
But it is I who shall rejoice!"

And as her sister's soldiers rushed,
She uttered but a single word;
At once the world of Charn was hushed,
And not another sound was heard.

At last the world was at her feet,
For all beneath her feet were dead:
In ancient halls she took her seat,
Where living foot would never tread.

But in these halls she wove a spell,
That she in darkness long would sleep,
Until some hand will strike the bell
Which hangs inside her mighty keep.

"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..."

Ok, that took a while. Anyway this is my idea what might be written on other portions of the bell-stand in the hall; other verses leading up to the limerick Digory and Polly read. Which is why I had to make up some names and stuff. Though I'm not sure who could have written this besides Jadis herself.
And I seemed to be drained of any deep observations on these chapters right now, so I'm gonna leave it at that.

I love the poem Cleander! It's a great expansion on the story!

@Swan: Loved your poems for chapters 4 and 6! (Though I think you mean "serf", not "surf"?) *snickers* Dandy Andy.... Oh, yeah, and the fish! We finally have fanfiction about the fish!

@Ajjie: Ah, yes. "Plagued" but not "mad". That's a necessary distinction.

@Kristi: Do tell Perch that his representation of Charn was cool!

@Cleander: Okay, whoa, that poem was good stuff! The names you made up feel like they fit too.

@Hobbit: 😮 😯 ... Again, I'm flabbergasted by your talent. Especially with the one of Uncle Andrew and Digory. Their expressions! Andrew's wild hair and eyes! Andrew's dynamic pose! Digory's palpable cringe! Even the shading on Andrew's hand!

My reflection today is shorter 'cause curiosity is out the window and there's not much in the way of comparing Digory to Uncle Andrew. Nah, we've left curiosity far behind (even Digory is officially done with Charn and maybe wishing he didn't know as much as he did). We've taken a hard left into the territory of pride.

As mentioned already (sorry, don't remember who said it), Jadis' story bears some resemblance to Uncle Andrew's... just so much bigger. She's made sacrifices to get to where she is now. She doesn't care about who or what is affected, so long as she meets her own objectives. And, as was made explicitly obvious, they both believe they're above the rules for "common people" and that theirs is a "high and lonely destiny". They are both just so full of themselves. Ick.
Speaking of being full of themselves, they both think they're reached the apex of their respective societies and should be revered as such (though Jadis also has the advantage of being royalty), they both think they're mighty good-looking (in Jadis' defence, she really is).... (By the way, I find Uncle Andrew's dressing up amusing.)

I've wondered before, but I'm still wondering now: Just how reliable is Jadis' account of events? Hmmmmm....

Thanks to Cleander's comment about the perfection of the Wood Between the Worlds and my subsequent thought about it being sinless, I wonder if that's what eats at Jadis whenever she's there. She just withers in the Wood. Maybe because she is evil personified (as far as the Chronicles go), she is rendered completely helpless in a perfect and otherwise sinless environment.

I don't think I've really thought about this before, but I think each world has its own rules for magic. Jadis is obviously proficient in her own world, but can't do anything magical in ours (or rather, doesn't have the chance to learn our-world magic and adapt), and then in Narnia, she requires a wand.

So far I've still not caught up with everyone in the book (at least not with the drawings part), though I have caught up on reading the thoughts and poems and stuff in here. Again, not much too add, though as usual it's really cool to see others' perspectives on a story that's so familiar to me. (Also all the poetry..... )
As far as my own thoughts go, it's really aggravating to me at how often Polly and Digory fight. I mean, of course they're young and can't entirely be expected to have good communication, but when you compare their relationship to, say, Eustace and Jill's...! Imagine how much better it would have been for everyone if they hadn't been arguing about something or other every couple of pages during these first chapters.

@Swanwhite's and Ariel's comments on the drawings: Awww, thank you!! 😀 (Also the pose in the second one....I knew exactly what I wanted but when it came to Uncle Andrew's right shoulder I kept messing up over and over and finally just went and checked what it should look like in the mirror. 😆 )

For chapters 3 and 4:


I feel like these are super ginormous...maybe I should make the next ones smaller so that they don't take up so much of the page.

(Dear Netflix, may I recommend my friend Hobbit for your concept art team? ‘Cause she did this one sketch of the winged-monster fountain in MN and it’s pretty rad.)

(That sort of thing is like.....one of my dream jobs. 😆 )

@ hobbit: Thanks, now I know what that statue really looked like! (AWESOME art overall btw)
Well, I'm off work today so I was able to get today's reading done a little early.
@ Ariel: I agree with you about the reason behind the effects of the Wood Between the Worlds on Jadis and Andrew. It is in a way a manifestation of the peace and perfection of God; Jadis and Andrew have both set themselves against that power, and it chills and horrifies them both. On the other hand, I find it interesting that the kids, the Cabby, the guinea pig, the horse, (and yes, perhaps even that fish that was swimming around here a while ago) actually feel better for being there. I suspect it has something to do with the fact that they are all simpler, humbler creatures more open to an experience with God. The animals seem to understand it best.
My brother remarked once, upon reading the book, that he suspected the Cabby was a Christian. (Aslan even says later on that he knows him.) I share his suspicions. 🙂

As I said yesterday, I had bible study tonight so I did the reading but haven’t had time for anything else. I’ve got nothing happening tomorrow evening so I’ll get back to Andrew’s journal (he’s had some quite extraoridnary experiences by now).

I loved reading the intial creation scene at the end of chapter 8. It gave me the chills as it always does, even in another language. It will never be as good as the original, but it’s kinda cool how a translator is able to replicate Lewis’ thoughts if not the language.

Speking of translation, I’d forgotten that Strawberry’s name in the Afrikaans version is Rooiman, literally “Redman”. I’ve never undertood why they didn’t use the normal word for strawberry (aarbei), and it doesn’t seem to fit him so well. Oh, well, it’s gonna change soon anyway.

Hi everyone, I want to apologize in that I fail at reading only two Chapter a day and well... I'm now reading 'Horse and His Boy'. I couldn't help myself but read more, I love those book so much.

I do have something I'd like to share. I made a title screen for a 'Magician's Nephew' movie for one of my class (I wish it was a real movie) and I thought maybe I could show you guys.

Now I had to make a video because I couldn't get it to publish and the button on the bottom are suppose to be green when you roll over them and yellow when you press them, I don't the video shows that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsjwgr1sgNc
(Link approved by Ariel_of_Narnia)

Oh my word! That's so cool DoE!

Chapter 7. What Happened at the Front Door

Aunt Letty is my hero.

Chapter 8. The Fight at the Lamp Post

I found the Hymn on youtube that is generally considered to be the hymn the Cabbie sings.

Harvest Hymn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8wCwv4NPU

I made a mini-playlist of it and two other Magician's Nephew songs that I enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaNW1m-riD_LXqQ7Da9xYxjmNEEsDBZWw

No insights on stuff like curiosity and pride today. 🙂

Can I just say that I love how Lewis makes something of a big deal about Sarah’s day? It’s “exciting” and “wonderful”. Considering how he describes the house (particularly in the afternoon, but elsewhere too), I could well believe it. Mr Ketterley is dressed to the nines! A magnificent (if perhaps a bit unstable) woman in magnificent clothes is in the house! Miss Ketterley has just been tossed across the room! When it rains, it pours, right?

I’m not sure I’ve taken much note of it before, but almost as soon as Jadis shows up in our world, Uncle Andrew becomes something of a comic relief character. He preens in his room. His top hat is crumpled over his face. His jaw drops like a cartoon character who has to pick it up off the floor. Later, he’ll be planted and watered. Besides giving the reader something to chuckle at, Andrew’s status as an alarming figure with nefarious deeds to commit is dwarfed by the true terror Jadis instills.

Oh man. Aunt Letty is a force to be reckoned with! She’s totally unfazed by this strange woman in her house. Either she’s insanely brave or horrifically ignorant (I mean, technically, she is the latter, but still... I think she’s at least got a brand of bravery).

I think I’m also closer than before to loving Frank. He’s such a small character, but he’s got a big heart. He’s determined to do well by his horse, he risks his health in pursuit of calming it, he mentions that his cab is destroyed but he’s more interested in making sure the “Lidy” (who so obviously is the cause of the damage) gets home to rest, he’s polite even though Andrew and Jadis are probably not his favourite people, and even though he hasn’t a clue what just happened to him, he wants to lift everyone’s spirits in the midst of an apparently bleak situation. I mean, man! Is it any wonder Aslan installed him as king?

And aaaaaaahh! the creation of Narnia! This is my favourite part of MN. The darkness... the Voice... the sudden blaze of stars! (The stars in particular are my favourite creations.) I was reading this on my bus home and I know I was smiling the whole time. I don’t know if it’s just because Lewis paints the scene with words or because of the wonder of creation (both Narnia’s and ours) or what (probably a combination of everything). Every time I read this part, I think of Job 38:4-7 (specifically, “Where were you... when the morning stars sang for joy?”) I guess I just get this sense of awe at this fictional glimpse at creation.
(Btw, despite the fact that it has lyrics and a tune, I associate the song “Baba Yetu” to the creation of Narnia, especially the Peter Hollens cover. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=17svtURunUk (YouTube is not affiliated with TLC, click at your own risk.) I imagine the opening solo to be Aslan, the first and second choral additions to be the stars, and then the rest of the song carrying on to the sun, waters, plant life, and then the animals in the final rousing chorus. If I had the skills and ability to film or even animate the scene to the song, I totally would.)

@Cleander: Awww, thank you! I hadn't read your original comment about the statue when I drew the picture, and then I came in and saw it and was like, "Oh. Hmm."

@DaughterofEve: That title screen is so cool....nicely done!

@Swanwhite: I love that drawing of Aunt Letty. 😆 I'm trying to think if I've ever seen a fanart of her before...I don't think I have.

@Ariel: ......Baba Yetu is absolutely the song for the creation of Narnia, thank you forever for pointing that out. If I had any experience with animatics I'd make one now because wow. 😛

(My own drawings will be posted later today because I haven't had a chance to do the one for chapter 6 yet.)

@Hobbit: You’re welcome! Happy that you agree on both the fitness of the song and the wish to have the scene visualized to it!