The Chronicles of Narnia

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis is excellent and I would recommend it to anyone. This hardcover, single volume edition however is not very good. The first thing you may notice when picking up this volume is how incredibly light it is, there is no weight behind it. This is due to the incredibly low-quality paper used, similar to the paper in a cheap paperback, and I have no doubt it will yellow with age. Secondly, the pages are held together with a glue binding connected to the spine of the book, rather than using a sewn method of binding. This means that the pages do not lay as flat as a book with sewn binding and the glue suggests that the binding may not hold up well over time. Compare this book to a book of similar caliber like the single volume edition of The Lord of the Rings and it becomes clear that this book is of far inferior quality. The publisher should be ashamed for publishing a work of this caliber so shabbily. One final note, readers may be surprised to see that the novels are printed "chronologically" rather than in publication order. This is wildly foolish and makes reading the books in publication order unnecessarily bothersome.

This is one of those "must reads" that I never got around to so I got this volume which has all seven books of the Narnia Chronicled in one package. I think it was an excellent decision as the books are presented in the order in which Lewis wanted them read - not the order in which they were written. I know this is a work of children's fiction but it captivated me from the get go (this "child" is in his 6th decade). If you've never read any or all of the series then this is the way to get them, unless of course you can afford the set of hardback editions. If you are a fan of fantasy you will not be disappointed. So settle in your favorite chair, with your favorite beverage, sit back and enjoy.

This book is a C.S. Lewis tour de force. When you start reading the book, it begins like a children’s novel. However, as a Christian, Lewis guides the reader into a profound understanding of Christ and his personality through the behavior of Aslan the lion. Unconditional love but with the same strength by Aslan to guide the growth of the children into a profound level of maturity by example. This book is highly recommended to those raising children and wanting to do the best they can in teaching principles of life and unconditional love.

The information on what form this would come in was always a little muddy. I heard the hardcover was One Volume, and the paperback was a Boxed Set, so I bought the paperback and it came as one volume. Whatever though, it doesn’t really bother me since I’m not a collector and I just wanted a copy to read. Only I would’ve bought the hardcover had I known what I was truly going to get, because the hardcover had illustrations apparently. Either way, it’s a classic and I’m looking foreward to reading the whole thing! Only I can’t bring it anywhere because it’s probab the heaviest book I own. Maybe if you’re going on a long flight or car ride than take it with you to read, otherwise it’s kind of a daunting task.

This review isn't for The Chronicles of Narnia itself. The books are lovely. After my paperback omnibus fell apart many years ago, I decided to get the hardcover version, thinking it would last longer. I took the book out of the box, opened it . . . and this happened. (See photo.) After examining the binding closely, I saw that it was glued--just the same as a paperback would be. For comparison I looked at the binding of one of the hardcover Harry Potter books (of comparable length), which has held up since 2003 or so (and being dragged everywhere) . . . and that binding was actually sewn: You could see the holes and threads. Hence its durability. For a book this thick, at least a hardcover, you simply *must* sew the binding. You can't expect glue alone to do the trick. There's also the inclusion of an essay in the hardcover edition--Lewis' musings on writing for children--which wasn't in the paperback. To be perfectly honest, I found it interesting but out of place, especially considering the Narnia books, while beloved by adults, are still geared towards children. It would be like J.K. Rowling putting an essay on writing at the end of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's a tonal miscue. On the upshot, the paper is a step up in quality from what was used in the paperback version I used to have, so that's cool. But otherwise? As much as it pains me, I honestly can't recommend getting this hardcover omnibus.