# Narnia - Which order should they be read? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 11, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135 "2004-11-11T03:02:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/21 "2004-11-11T16:06:32Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > Instead of “Oh wow, what’s all _this_ about?” you’re thinking, “Eh, she’s going to Narnia.” Yes! For many kids, Narnia is kind of the first example of non-linear storytelling, written well enough to make sense. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![paperbackwriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@paperbackwriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/paperbackwriter)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/22 "2004-11-11T18:43:44Z")
Exactly. If _in media res_ worked for Homer, it can certainly work for Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/23 "2004-11-11T19:04:58Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > The first time I read them in the original order. I’ve tended to switch it up on rereads. What \*\*Tengu \*\* said. Read it once in the order given, then read it in chronological order so you understand it better. Magician’s Nephew can be kind of boring. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/24 "2004-11-11T22:11:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Original published order, missing out Horse and His Boy as it’s utter utter drivel. Have you ever read it as an adult? As a boy, I didn’t think much of it, but on re-reading it a few years ago, I caught a lot more of the depth of it. Including one of the better passages in literature: > [@](#): > > “Who are you?” > “Myself.” “Myself.” “Myself.” As for Lewis’ preferences, if he had wanted them read in some other order, he would have published them in that order. Always read (or watch, or listen to, as per the art form) any series in the order originally presented. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/25 "2004-11-11T23:18:45Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > The Magicians Nephew > The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe > The Horse and His Boy > Prince Caspian > The Voyage of the Dawn Treader > The Silver Chair > The Last Battle No, let’s get _really_ chtronological: The Magician’s Nephew The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe UNTIL you get to the point where the Kings and Queens have forgotten that they were ever four child refugees from the Battle of Britain, then read The Horse and His Boy Then finish reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Prince Caspian The Voyage of the Dawn Treader The Silver Chair The Last Battle Seriously, the published order is best. You want to be mystified the first time Lucy enters the wardrobe, and the first time she sees the lamppost. Reading _The Magician’s Nephew_ first makes that impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/26 "2004-11-11T23:24:43Z")
> [@Arch Trout](#): > > Original published order, missing out Horse and His Boy as it’s utter utter drivel. Wow, do I disagree. I think _The Horse and His Boy_ is really excellent, and works very well as a stand-alone also. As for the OP, definitely the originally published order. I find it horrifying that boxed sets are now being published in the chronological order. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/27 "2004-11-11T23:37:13Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > The Magician’s Nephew > The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe UNTIL you get to the point where the Kings and Queens have forgotten that they were ever four child refugees from the Battle of Britain, then read > The Horse and His Boy > Then finish reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. > Prince Caspian > The Voyage of the Dawn Treader > The Silver Chair > The Last Battle Excellent suggestion for a re-read. As luck would have it (NNWW) I just decided this very day to read the CoN again, after a conversation with an applicant. I sit down to my computer at home, and lo and behold, this thread! I think I’ll do it your way, **kaylasdad**. ---
**Author:** ![easy\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb8c5e/32.png) [@easy\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/easy_e)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/28 "2004-11-12T00:18:41Z")
Well, I read them in “chronologic” order. Maybe that’s why I really liked _The Magician’s Nephew_. I especially enjoyed reading the creation of Narnia. And I wasn’t confused about Jadis at all. I thought she was a big old bitch. Of course, when I read LWW, I knew she wasn’t to be trusted. And when Lucy et al. aren’t sure about their Uncle Diggory, I knew what kind of adventures he had already had. I liked _The Horse and His Boy_ but after that the series just seemed to go downhill. _The Magician’s Nephew_ and LWW are the only 2 I reread, though they’re also the only 2 I own (I reread my books a lot). Maybe I should reread the others. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/29 "2004-11-12T00:40:35Z")
_The Horse and His Boy_ is my favorite of the series. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/30 "2004-11-12T01:16:03Z")
> [@Harimad-sol](#): > > _The Horse and His Boy_ is my favorite of the series. Funny, one would think you’d be able to get the title right. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/31 "2004-11-12T01:53:14Z")
I am so confused. Not that that’s unusual. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/32 "2004-11-12T03:53:34Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Funny, one would think you’d be able to get the title right. > > 😛 What’s wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/33 "2004-11-12T04:16:29Z")
You \*have \* to start with The Magician’s Nephew. Any other way just doesn’t make sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/34 "2004-11-12T04:48:27Z")
> [@Keapon Laffin](#): > > You \*have \* to start with The Magician’s Nephew. Any other way just doesn’t make sense. That’s just crazy talk. If it doesn’t make sense, then how come Narnia became a classic with _The Lion, The Witch, and the Warddrobe_ published as the first book in the series for years and years and years? I think I need to reread the Narnia books. It has been _years_. ---
**Author:** ![Keapon\_Laffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Keapon\_Laffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keapon_Laffin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/35 "2004-11-12T05:15:26Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > That’s just crazy talk. If it doesn’t make sense, then how come Narnia became a classic with _The Lion, The Witch, and the Warddrobe_ published as the first book in the series for years and years and years? 😛 Ahhh… but where did the Wardrobe come from? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/36 "2004-11-12T05:18:18Z")
That’s part of the wonder and mystery and magic of the story, isn’t it? And besides, where the wardrobe came from doesn’t have any real bearing on the story. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/37 "2004-11-12T05:47:59Z")
(a) Publication order. Period. (b) Is it just me, or does _The Last Battle_ kind of suck? ---
**Author:** ![Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Linus\_Van\_Pelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linus_Van_Pelt)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/38 "2004-11-12T09:45:56Z")
I started a thread some months ago where I related the story of a friend and her young daughter (who read together at night) who had tried to start the series and failed twice. When I found that they were starting with _The Magician’s Nephew_ (not knowing any better), I suggested they give it one more try starting with _The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe_. When I spoke to them a couple days later, they were enjoing the heck out of it. Although there are exceptions, far more people ( **espcially** young children) will be drawn into the series by starting with _TLTWATW_. It’s simply the more engaging of the two going in cold (IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/39 "2004-11-12T14:15:42Z")
Satan wants you to read them in chronological order! :mad: I have given this set as a gift in the past. If I ever do so again, I’m going to make sure the books are properly renumbered before I do. Lion is first. ---
**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2004, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135/40 "2004-11-12T14:52:17Z")
> [@easy e](#): > > And I wasn’t confused about Jadis at all. I thought she was a big old bitch. Hey now!!! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/narnia-which-order-should-they-be-read/274135.md?page=3)