Is anyone an expert on The Chronicles of Narnia?

Oh, I wanted to be Aravis as well! DD1 is currently on Harry Potter, but I've earmarked these for her next. And the Susan Cooper Dark Is Rising series - they were my favourites for years and years.

I recently read these to my son - had never read them before. Found them laboured and dated. Not a fan.

It might be time for a reread of these! DS1 is only 3 so might read them for myself!

It doesn't really matter.

I really like The Horse and his Boy, it's a good adventure with a nice twist.
The Magician's Nephew is good too - in fact they're all good. Voyage of the Dawntreader is a great adventure.
I'm not keen on The Last Battle though. The Christian undertones come really to the fore, and I don't like what happens to Susan.

In fact, having the whole Christian aspect of the books pointed out to me did spoil them a bit - I just thought they were really good books then, but now I can't get away from the preachiness.
Having said that, The Last Battle is the only one I don't think I'd re read.

Might get the others out tonight though!!

Oh another films are shit. Especially Voyage.
But some were serialised years ago for tv - they're quite good, especially The Silver Chair.

We went back to the Magicians Nephew after TLTWATW and DD really enjoyed spotting references in the story that come up later. It gave her some real context so she really engaged with it. It so happened that they covered some of the Narnia story in class and she was so happy to be able to explain the origin of the lamppost and how the wardrobe was a gateway to Narnia.

Have seen here that the Horse and his Boy was written later as well. Have never been able to get into that one tbh

Not an expert but I loved these books when I was a kid!

Absolutely fine to carry on without dipping back to The Magician's Nephew. It's only put first in the series because it tells the first chronologically (things like how the lamp-post ended up in a Narnian forest). It was actually one of the last books written in the series, I think. And IMHO not as good as many as the others.

In fact, same with the Horse and His Boy, which was one of the later ones too, it just tells a story from early on in Narnian history. Although it was my favourite book as a child, I sooo wanted to be Aravis.

The magicians nephew was written after the lion, the witch and the wardrobe in a prequel way. I don't think it particularly matters when you read it although you should do before the last battle definitely.

It is the first in the series. The Magician's Nephew was written as a prequel so can be read on it's own.

Not an expert either but I think you can pretty much read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe plus Magicians Nephew and the Horse and his Boy in isolation from each other. I did as a child and they all make sense as stand alone stories iyswim. There are references between them but nothing that would spoil your enjoyment imho. Those are the three best ones I think - after that they lost me a bit.

I didn't read either till after I'd finished as I hadnt known they existed, and I don't recall it making any difference at all tbh.

It is the first book of the series in writing order: The Magician's Nephew was written later as a prequel.

I'm not a purist but I'd say after The Lion, skip to Prince Caspian which is the next time the Pevensey kids are involved. I haven't read them recently but found book 3, The Horse and his Boy, hard-going as a child.

Or, ask whether he'd like to find out how Narnia began and where the witch came from, which is the story of The Magician's Nephew.