The Magician’s Nephew: The Chronicles of Narnia
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, Book 6 (Publication order), Book 1 (Author’s preferred order)
By: C.S. Lewis / Narrated By: Kenneth Branagh
Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
Kenneth Branagh makes this a real treat!
Who doesn’t love the Chronicles of Narnia?!? And I love starting with The Magician’s Nephew, the Irish-born Lewis’s preferred start to the series (over The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). As far as the series goes in audiobook form, each one has a different narrator, and though Michael York does a fine job with the latter, Kenneth Branagh really knocks the former outta the park!
The theater legend brings the hamminess and humor on without making things farcical—they’re just fun. And he really brings the characters to life, be they young children or evil witches or mad uncles. Diggory and Polly get caught up in Uncle Andrew’s insane scheme, visit a few worlds, accidentally (kinda sorta) drag a wicked queen back with them to England, then accidentally (kinda sorta) drag said wicked queen to a brave newly-born world. Then they have to perform a quest to hold her at bay for a time so that this new world has a chance to get off its feet and thrive.
I love a good origin story, and The Magician’s Nephew is as good as it gets. How did evil come to Narnia (and on the first day, too!)? How did the Lamppost come to be? Why are there Talking Beasts and just plain animals in Narnia? Who were the first King and Queen of Narnia, and how did humans come to be in Narnia and ruling of all things?
And there’s always, always, ALWAYS dear Aslan!
I read these books over and over when I was young, and read them over and over as an adult. And now I’m THRILLED TO DEATH to be listening to them over and over and over now! C.S. Lewis, as fine a writer as Ireland ever produced, put heart and soul and fine writing into these parables, and for heaven’s sake, you’ll NEVER be too old to listen to them.
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