What Attracts You to Narnia?

[Lily of Archenland]

Tenethia - Lewis's relatable language is quite fun, isn't it!

[hansgeorg]

"I loved it when the narrator talked as if to the reader"

It attracts you to the story-teller, but would probably have attracted you to him if CSL had given a similarly told account of ... a walk in Wales or sth ... among the published works. Even sth which has nothing to do with Narnia.

I agree, but that attracts me to CSL, not specifically to Narnia. Example you gave:

"The worst thing about sleeping out of doors is that you wake up so dreadfully early."

Well, same goes for some places you can sleep indoors, especially if eating a bit too much before going to sleep.

Btw, I sometimes try to match this when writing my fan fic.

However, it might be courteous to other members of this forum if we could continue that particular discussion in a theological discussion thread, or a thread about spiritual meanings in Narnia;

Anyone wishing to pursue the point further is very welcome to do so in ways suggested by dame/damsel Lily, I made the point shortly.

[Lil]

*Sticks Head in*
*Puts Staffie Hat*

I have heard some complaints regarding this thread.

I will say this. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, to think how they want. That's great! It can be very exciting for one to discover for oneself thoughts and ways that Narnia that makes Narnia come alive to us, whether spiritually through our faith or not. (I do not expect Narnia draws people to it for the same reason, that would be foolish.)

And while others maybe be intrigued or find their mind opened by a new way of looking at things, everyone is expected to behave with politeness and courtesy as befits a Narnian. You are NOT allowed to try to make other think that their way is wrong or your way is right. If I hear complaints again about this, I WILL confer with my fellow staff, as well as alerting Our Chief Administrator, Kristi. You are allowed to discuss, you are not allowed to make any one feel that their thoughts/feelings are wrong or in anyway make this an unsafe place (either for personal safety or for sharing of thought.)

If anyone is unsure about about the proper conduct, please refer to our site guidelines here viewtopic.php?f=47&t=25 or speak to staff.

*Staffie out*

[Lucy Took]

Talking animals.

Sure there's life lessons and great characters and good storytelling.

But I just have to face it. I listened to "The Magician's Nephew" and just loved...

The Talking Animals.

Animals. THAT TALK.

It's awesome.

[Lil]

I knew Narnia, before I knew that it was Narnia. I can't remember exactly what drew me to it, because I saw it first as an animated movie. (which I loved despite any flaws it might now be seen to have.) I know I loved Lucy (being a younger sibling.) and I loved Aslan. When I got the Horse and His boy on Audio Drama by focus on the family, it was the art on the box. (Mostly because it had horses. ) What was the story? Why was the boy scared? Why was a Lion chasing Him? (because I felt half scared for the boy, and half intrigued. I mean there was a certain excitement to it. ) Where was he going? It certainly beckoned a story to tell.

Now that I'm older I love it more for the truths I've found. Like Lewis wrote in Letters to Children, Aslan makes me feel closer to Jesus than church, and reminds me that Jesus is all the things Aslan is and more.

What has always attracted me to Narnia was Lewis's style. I loved it when the narrator talked as if to the reader ("The worst thing about sleeping out of doors is that you wake up so dreadfully early.") I also loved how his character's problems could be related to.

Yeah! That's a good point as well, Tenny!

[sochi602]

*Sticks Head in*
*Puts Staffie Hat*

I have heard some complaints regarding this thread.

I will say this. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, to think how they want. That's great! It can be very exciting for one to discover for oneself thoughts and ways that Narnia that makes Narnia come alive to us, whether spiritually through our faith or not. (I do not expect Narnia draws people to it for the same reason, that would be foolish.)

And while others maybe be intrigued or find their mind opened by a new way of looking at things, everyone is expected to behave with politeness and courtesy as befits a Narnian. You are NOT allowed to try to make other think that their way is wrong or your way is right. If I hear complaints again about this, I WILL confer with my fellow staff, as well as alerting Our Chief Administrator, Kristi. You are allowed to discuss, you are not allowed to make any one feel that their thoughts/feelings are wrong or in anyway make this an unsafe place (either for personal safety or for sharing of thought.)

If anyone is unsure about about the proper conduct, please refer to our site guidelines here viewtopic.php?f=47&t=25 or speak to staff.

*Staffie out*

Thanks for addressing this!

[marmota-b]

I think for me, it was a lot of what others have already mentioned. (Except the allegory thing. I'm not that much into them, just like Tolkien, and I actually like Narnia more for not being a full-blown one.) Buuut... I think ultimately, when all is said and done, the thing that keeps bringing me back is a bit hard to define simply, but it's that quality of Narnia and Lewis' writing in the books that makes it easy to relate what you know from Narnia to what you know from your own life. Which can be seeing types of behaviour around you, for example, but for me, it is also seeing Narnian landscape in Czech landscape, and Talking Beasts in the animals I chance upon, and, well... there was once a long, long winter, a couple of years ago, and then there was spring, and I can't get Narnia off my mind since then, okay?
Recalling this now makes me wonder how people from other climates perceive Narnia. For me, though, it hits upon some very fundamental experiences.
(Me and my sister visited my Real World River Rush yesterday, and I asked her whether she also imagined the river in the book as this river we know, and she replied: "What else?" That's how it works. Maybe it's just the fact these were the books we grew up reading. It doesn't ultimately matter, though; we would not have kept returning to them were there not something in them.)

[HermitoftheNorthernMarch]

Well, when I was eight, when I first read the books, I would've told you it was because of talking animals, and castles, friendship, and adventure.

When I was a teenager, and the movies came out, I would've told you it was because the books were a supposal of what would have happened if Christ had come to a fantasy world. I would've told you, also, that the books had good morals. I would've also said that I was glad there was a series where not every character was required to be in a romantic relationship.

Now, I look back and I realize that both statements are not what really attracts me to the Narnia series - after all, other series can have these things too - I think the reasons I kept enjoying Narnia so long are more complex. I think I read Narnia because it reminds me of something I am looking for that I haven't found yet (which is something Lewis talked about in another book) and I think it influenced me a lot because I, like Lewis, also lost a parent to cancer when I was a child. I think Narnia meant more because I feel Lewis understood this, that, for example, Digory's mum wasn't ill just as a plot point, but that Lewis was trying to answer bigger questions. And really, all of the Narnia series has more relevance that what is just on the surface because Lewis is re-telling the truth, but showing it in examples we can enjoy and understand.

[daughterofeve3]

For me, it was the characters, especially Lucy. the first time I was exposed to Narnia was watching LWW in theatres with my dad and sister, I remember having the same expression on my face, that Lucy had when she discovered Narnia. I remember watching her meet Tumnus and how friendly I thought he was and I too wanted to have tea with him (I still do.) Then when Lucy went back and told her siblings, it remind may of all the game I would play where I would pretend to be in another world and one my older siblings would ether make fun of me or look at me like I was insane. So when I saw Peter, Susan, and Edmund reaction to Lucy were the same as my siblings, I was convested the story was about my life (will not exactly like my life, I never found another world )

[Ariel.of.Narnia]

That’s quite a connection! I don’t think I’ve heard one like it before!