The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe Review for Christian Parents

Name: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
Author: C. S. Lewis

Concern LevelMedium-Low

Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

The sibling’s behavior is not always ideal, but this is consistently shown in a negative light when it should be. This includes Peter telling his brother to “shut up” and celebrating believing they can do whatever they want when they see the professor they will be staying with is older. Similarly, Edmond is often ill-tempered, dishonest, unkind to his siblings, etc. Fortunately, each of the characters grows tremendously, especially Edmond. At one point when the great showdown is approaching the white witch calls for all who serve her. All types of Narnia creatures are mentioned, including ghouls, specters, hags, werewolves and others. There is hardly any focus on them besides being mentioned and they are clearly shown as evil, but good to know it is there. This part is also an uptick in the intensity of the book, but the author is cautious, knowing his readers. There are a few other random things to know about. One of the good animal characters pulls a mug of beer from a huge barrel. There is also an instance of smoking a pipe. The description of “fat” is used once and at one point Edmond says that something is “just like a girl”. One last thought. There is certainly a difference between your child reading this book and seeing the movie. A child who is ready for the written story may not quite be ready for the wickedness of the white witch on the big screen. We suggest you prayerfully think through this and potentially even pre-watch at least some of the movie before allowing a young or sensitive child to see the movie version.

VerdictHIGHLY Recommended

Our Thoughts

This may be the best-known example of Christian allegory ever created. The Lion Aslan, son of the Emperor-Beyond-the-Seas, representing Jesus, whose very name brings reverence, even to those who had never heard it before. A witch that represents the evil one. A beautiful world, now under her control and spoiled. The seriousness and impossible situation sin creates. The unexpected cost, sacrifice and payment required are all on full display. The surprising role that sons of Adam and daughters of Eve are allowed to play in the grand drama. There is so much good here that ties back to the truth of our faith. There are a few really neat details where C.S. Lewis’ wisdom comes through, such as when Aslan is described as good, but not necessarily “safe” and when the white witch is shown as dangerous, but always vastly below and even subservient to Aslan. There is also a neat tie-in to Christmas here and this is one to add to your Christmas rotation as a better alternative. The focus is on the coming King! Until then we see the brokenness of the world as always winter, but never Christmas. “Father Christmas” appears, but the book is not santa focused and in fact he shows a reverence to Aslan, at one point proclaiming “long live the True King!”. For those interested, there are plenty of resources out there where people have explored and dug deeper into The Chronicles of Narnia and its ties to our Christian faith. We say this a lot, but this is a great one to consider reading to your kids or alongside them. One neat idea for your child, challenge them to read the full series and see if they can figure out why some versions of this book list it as the first in the series and others list it as the second. : )

Plot SummaryNote: This information is typically from the publisher.

Narnia… the land beyond the wardrobe door, a secret place frozen in eternal winter, a magical country waiting to be set free. Lucy is the first to find the secret of the wardrobe in the professor's mysterious old house. At first her brothers and sister don't believe her when she tells of her visit to the land of Narnia. But soon Edmund, then Peter and Susan step through the wardrobe themselves. In Narnia they find a country buried under the evil enchantment of the White Witch. When they meet the Lion Aslan, they realize they've been called to a great adventure and bravely join the battle to free Narnia from the Witch's sinister spell.

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