NARNIA CODE THE PB

Ward reveals that the key to understanding the 'Chronicles of Narnia' is the way that C.S. Lewis organises his stories around the seven medieval planets that suggest the nature of God and aspects of the Christian life.

The Narnia books are mysterious - What is it that holds them all together?

In attempting to answer this puzzle, Michael Ward shows that the answer is found in C.S. Lewis' fascination with medieval astronomy. Lewis wrote: 'The characters of the planets seem to me to have a permanent value as spiritual symbols.'

Ward outlines what these characters are (Jupiter is kingly, the Moon is lunatic, Mars is warlike, etc). Then, chapter by chapter, he takes the reader through the seven Chronicles of Narnia, showing how each story is constructed so as to embody and express the character of one of the seven medieval planets.

The planetary imagery accounts for the plotline of each book; for numerous little ornamental details; and for the various ways in which Aslan, the Christ-like character, is depicted. Aslan takes on the characteristics of each planet in turn: king, commander, light, servant, word, life, mystery.

Pages: 244