The Chronicles of Narnia (Series) | Study Guide

The Chronicles of Narnia weaves together tales from the magical land of Narnia, where animals talk, trees dance, and mythical creatures abound—from centaurs, giants, and dwarfs to ogres, witches, and gnomes. Narnia is sung into existence by Aslan, a mystical lion who guides all good creatures to live rightly and oppose evil. Many other worlds intersect with Narnia, from the poisoned land of Charn to Aslan's heavenly country beyond the eastern sea. Visitors from these lands influence the course of Narnian history.

Several children from England travel magically through time and space to visit Narnia, where they help to right wrongs or avert crises through acts of bravery, cooperation, and integrity. Evil witches, magicians, and foreign despots try to conquer Narnia, but with Aslan's help, the children defend this wondrous land and rule over it for many ages. Throughout it all, the characters face challenges that expose their personal weaknesses and force them to grow and change to overcome obstacles and accomplish great feats.

The Narnia series has fueled the imagination of young readers for decades and has sold more than 100 million copies in dozens of languages. It has been adapted for television, stage, radio, and film, with three studio movies grossing more than $1.6 billion worldwide. One reason for the series' enduring popularity is the relatability of its main characters. The children of Narnia are realistic, flawed, dynamic, and inspiring. They are forced to make tough choices, to empower themselves, and to draw on internal reserves of strength to work through trying situations. Moreover, even though the children exist in a fantasy world, they must contend with real-life issues faced by all of humanity, such as violence, greed, morality, and personal fulfillment. There are no easy answers in Narnia, and the characters suffer loss, fear, and anger as people in real life do. Beyond its entertainment value and personal impact on readers, though, The Chronicles of Narnia has had a wider cultural impact, particularly among Christian audiences, who often view Aslan as a symbolic Christ figure. Many of the books' themes can be seen as Christian in nature, as well, including forgiveness, self-sacrifice, faith, and courage.

Notes on Publication Order

The books of The Chronicles of Narnia happen in a different chronological order than their order of publication, with The Magician's Nephew (1955) relating the first events that happen in Narnia, rather than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), which is usually read first in the series. In addition, there are two timelines to account for in the stories: the timeline of England and that of Narnia. While there are no dates given in the books, according the author's notes, Narnia's year 1 occurs at the land's birth in The Magician's Nephew, which is the year 1900 to Digory Kirke and Polly Plummer in England.