The Silver Chair

The Silver Chair (Chronicles of Narnia, #6) by CS Lewis 

243pgs 

Fiction - Children's Literature 

This book felt like a grand adventure after the last Narnia book that never really connected with me. Appropriate for children of all ages. Originally published in 1953.

Eustace is back at school less than a year (in England's time) after his last adventure. His school is a "modern school" where bullying is rampant, religion is never mentioned and popular psychology is combined with non-discipline. Eustace's personality change during his last adventure has made him unpopular with school officials and bullies who hold these "modern" values. He and a classmate, Jill, magically tumble into Narnia while fleeing school bullies.

The children initially appear on a magically cliff top, where Jill refuses to trust Eustace and shows off by playing too close to the edge. Jill starts to slip over the edge, but Eustace saves her and ends up falling over himself. Jill is shaken because she thinks Eustace is dead. Aslan then appears and Jill is ashamed of her actions - the first of many mistakes/blunders.

Aslan tells Jill the children's mission: 70 years have passed in Narnian time. Caspian has ruled well, but is an old man without an heir to his throne. His son, Prince Rilian, was lost 10 years prior. The children must find the lost prince and bring him back to Narnia. Aslan entrusts Jill with several signs to guide their journey that she must carefully memorize and recite to herself daily. He then magically blows her into Cair Paravel (Narnia's castle), as he had done for Eustace.

The children begin their adventure which is marked by general silliness and lots of blunders. It reminded me a bit of Alice in Wonderland. There are several "duh" moments for adult readers - i.e. of course the giants are going to try to eat the children, and of course the mystery knight is the lost prince. But children may find it exciting to guess ahead and figure things out before the book states them. This book is well suited to young children. I initially tried to read one chapter at a time but kept forgetting the previous details. It was a much better experience to read large sections at one time.

Notably in this book, the children are told they will get to return to Aslan's country (an allegory for heaven?) and stay there with Aslan one day after their deaths. They also witness Caspian there at the end of the book. During the course of the adventure, the witch tries to enchant them and make them believe that Narnia, Aslan and other things are not real. They defeat the enchantment and the witch by recalling and believing in these things.

By the end of the book, Eustace, Jill and their fellow adventurer (a Marsh-wiggle named Puddleglum) succeed in rescuing Rilian, killing the witch/serpent and returning to Cair Paravel. Caspian sees his son for a few moments before passing away, presumably from old age. Aslan then takes the children to a place (heaven?) where they see Caspian and are told he will remain there happily with Aslan forever. The children are then magically transported back to their school, accompanied briefly by Caspian and Aslan. They fight the bullies with Caspian's help, then Caspian and Aslan disappear together. There are no hints about whether the children can return to Narnia during their lives or what what would happen in the next book.

This book builds on the previous two books (Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Trader), but the other Narnia books are largely irrelevant.

Recommended For: Children of all ages, especially younger ones who will appreciate the silly story and get a gentle introduction to the idea of heaven. Adults who want a fun and easy mental escape.