Abducted by The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Continuing our journey through Narnia with...



The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Okay, before I say anything else I must make one thing about this book perfectly clear.

Out of all of the novels that make up the Chronicles of Narnia...

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has absolutely without a doubt the BEST first sentence out of any of them!

"There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."

I love that! I have re-read The Silver Chair more times then I can count, so I feel like I have gotten to know Eustace pretty well. But I always forget that is how the Voyage of the Dawn Treader begins and whenever I hear it again I can't help but smile and laugh. I mean it really is just so perfect! It sums up his character in like 13 words. I love it!

moving on...

I have found, that when it comes to people who have read the entire series of the Chronicles of Narnia, this is one of their favorite books. Of course, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe is the most popular world wide and in all kinds of circles, but the Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a very close second for people who have read the series. Not, mine personally, but for a lot of people.


And I can understand why. This book is one big giant adventure. Almost every chapter is a new location with new creatures and new stories and new possibilities of ways for things to go horribly wrong. You have your main characters dealing with being sold into slavery, captured by invisible creatures, turned into dragons, fighting sea serpents, and falling in love with Stars, and much much more. It is all very exciting!

My favorite is when they get to the island of the Dufflepuds. They are such funny little things and so agreeable. I think they are adorable and I like the relationship they have with the Magician.

I like the part when Eustace gets turned into a dragon but for some reason I've never been a fan of how that plot line ends, with Eustace getting changed back when no one is around and he just shows up looking like himself again. Something about it just doesn't read right with me. I apprieciate the symbolism in how he turns back into a human, but I just didn't like the way it was told to us. There is just something about it...I don't know maybe it is just me.

Eustace is a bit of a brat though, we can all agree on that. But I don't think he could help it. He was an only child who was spoiled, he didn't have any friends, and he was swept away to another world where his two cousins fit in seamlessly and yet he was still an outsider. He acted out the only way he knew how. It wasn't nearly as bad as how Edmund behaved in The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, so I think he deserves a little slack.

In conclusion, one of my other favorite moments in this book is when they sail to the end of the world, to Aslan's country. And I like that it is behind the sun.

C.S. Lewis has another book that I love that is not a part of the Chronicles of Narnia series called Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer. It is a great book that explores all the different aspects of prayer, the obstacles we face, the methods we use, our reasons behind what and how we ask for things. It is basically a theology book but it is written as if he, Lewis, was discussing these issues through letters written to his friend Malcolm.

I have MANY favorite quotes from this book. In fact every time I read it I have to buy a new copy because every page ends up with some writing and underlining on it and I don't want my ideas at one time in my life to influence my perception now. But anyways, one of my many favorite quotes from this book is when Lewis is talking about the elements of God's glory and he says...
"And the glory is - well, the glory; the 'beauty so old and new,' the 'light from behind the sun."

I love that line. And to me that scene in Voyage of the Dawn Treader when they find Aslan's country behind the sun, it is just a vivid description of that idea.

Alright, I've already finished The Silver Chair but I'm going to wait until sometime next week to post about it. Then on to the Last Battle and then we are done. So sad!

Tonight, I'm going to drive by Red Box or Hastings and see if they have The Voyage of the Dawn Treader available to rent yet because I still haven't seen it! I know...shame shame!

Have a good weekend and Happy Easter.