Personally, I always liked the Narnia series. CS Lewis had a couple of good metaphors in his writings. In the Last Battle was a scene that totally framed my spirituality, and in Mere Christianity was a passage that gave comfort to me in a bleak time.
Yes it's heavy-handed in the symbolism, but I don't think it subtracts from its own mythology.
The first two or three times I read the series, I had no idea what his mythos was. I still don't particularly care one way or the other-- it doesn't matter to my own religion, so why would I condemn his? Heavy-handed? Maybe. But it's still a great work.
I just love seeing the distant parallels to Lord of the Rings-- just knowing they were both being written in the same period, by friends.
I read the review you posted. All I'm thinking is how any person can take *anything* & get something bad out of it, or good, whichever. It's all the same --- Christians can take something that the world likes & say it's bad --- as this person can take a kids movie, touted as Christian, & see the bad in it, from their point of view.
Let each person interpret the movie for themselves.
I've never read the books, and I don't plan to. I probably won't see the movie either.
Oh, you should do both. You'd LOVE the books-- they're utterly magical. And WETA did the movie, so I'm guessing you'd like that, too. I plan to see it ASAP. I ADORE the Narnia series, Christian overtones notwithstanding. It certainly doesn't bother me-- I think the whole series is just...awe-inspiring. I can't wait!
You know, I loved the books as a kid, and despite the heavy religious upbringing, never noticed the symbolism until it was pointed out during a high school English class... Still love the books, anyway. It's just like the Wizard of Oz books; if you take them at face value and ignore the adult subtext, they rock.
I cared less before I read that review. I think it's the whole brain-washing small children thing. I read a couple of the books when I was in 6th grade (the apex of my christian upbringing) and I remember my mother questioning the English teacher (at Manna Christian School) about the books. I remember the look on her face, nose and upper lip scrunched up in disgust, while asking, "I mean,... a WITCH?" (taken from the title) and my teacher patiently setting my mother's mind at ease with the whole 'Aslan is really Jesus' thing. I was like, "Yeah, yeah, Mom, Aslan is really Jesus! Can I go read my book now?" Heh, heh - thanks, Teach.
Little did I know, she was right. But, whatever. I do find it amusing that many of the people who LOVE the Narnia books are the ones who are forwarding emails to each other about the evilness of Harry Potter. Magic is ok as long as someone else has told you that the good people in that book are really playing for Jesus' team.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2005-12-05 01:29 pm (UTC)Personally, I always liked the Narnia series. CS Lewis had a couple of good metaphors in his writings. In the Last Battle was a scene that totally framed my spirituality, and in Mere Christianity was a passage that gave comfort to me in a bleak time.
Yes it's heavy-handed in the symbolism, but I don't think it subtracts from its own mythology.
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Date: 2005-12-05 04:24 pm (UTC)I just love seeing the distant parallels to Lord of the Rings-- just knowing they were both being written in the same period, by friends.
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Date: 2005-12-05 04:07 pm (UTC)Let each person interpret the movie for themselves.
I've never read the books, and I don't plan to. I probably won't see the movie either.
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Date: 2005-12-05 04:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-05 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-06 12:01 am (UTC)Still love the books, anyway. It's just like the Wizard of Oz books; if you take them at face value and ignore the adult subtext, they rock.
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Date: 2005-12-09 05:18 am (UTC)Little did I know, she was right. But, whatever. I do find it amusing that many of the people who LOVE the Narnia books are the ones who are forwarding emails to each other about the evilness of Harry Potter. Magic is ok as long as someone else has told you that the good people in that book are really playing for Jesus' team.