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Voyage of the Dawn Treader seems to be in nearly every fan's top 3 in the series.

I thought it'd be interesting to just do a very general thread about why we like this book so much.

... And, that's pretty much it. What do you like about the VDT book? What sets it apart from the other books? What are your favorite characters, quotes, or scenes?

I like VDT because for once there's no impending doom and the Pevensie's get to enjoy themselves (and us with them) I like that the focus is on Aslan towards the end - sailing to Aslan's country and that he explains why the Pevensies were brought into Narnia in the first place. Also there's lots of adventure and some funny scenes to keep it moving (the dufflepuds, Eustace) I also love the scene with Lucy and the magician's book and Aslan. By the way VDT is in my top three with HHB and LB

I love this book because it is filled with so many different adventures at every chapter. The transformation of Eustace into a dragon is probably the most strong story line for me and Lucy in the Magicians house. The dufflepuds were funny and Eustace and repicheep was absolutely hilarious!

There are several reasons I like this book. The ones that come to the top of my mind are:
The adventure. I like adventure stories and VDT is adventure after adventure on each island sailing into the unknown. So, number one, I like the plot.
The imagination. Some of the most image-filled scenes in the entire series for me are in this book. Places like the Dark Island, Ramandu's Island, and the edge of the world fill my head with pictures. So, number two, imagery.
Aslan's country and Reep. I really like this part. Reepicheep has longed all his life for Aslan's country. He's sort of like Jewel in LB, only he knows Aslan's country is what he's been searching for. And then he gets there. I especially like it when he throws his sword away. Reep has spent nearly his entire life fighting battles, but when he reaches Aslan's country, he knows he won't have to fight anymore. So, number three, I like this particular element.
Other aspects I like are Eustace's redemption, Caspian and RD's romance, and of course, the Dufflepuds.

It's my favorite for basically the same reasons that have already been said. It's a long adventure at sea made up of mini adventures along the way. So it kinda has a novel-feel to it. It's cool how and where they find all the lords, and the final destination really stimulates the imagination.

VDT was actually fourth on my list, but it is ranked the highest on NW right now. I like VDT because:

• It has Reepicheep in it and Reep is funny.
• I like the scene where Caspian confronts Gumpus.
• The Dufflepuds are funny.
• I like how Reepicheep pushes the others to take adventures and the part where he says something about being glad he isn’t a man.
• I like the scene when Aslan is an albatross because it shows that it is important to call on God when one is in trouble and trust him to get one out of it. I like how he talks to Lucy too.
• Eustace is funny.

Initially I liked it for the fact that they discovered new lands and the mystery of what they would discover next. Now that I have gone through it a dozen times over and am fully aware of what they will discover next, I have to say that it is the colorful characters and how they grow and/or achieve i.e. Eustace, when he becomes a dragon and is afterward un-dragoned or when Reepicheep finds Aslan's country.

I think the reason so many people like it is because there is so much more going on in this book than in any of the others (except maybe LB). There is a lot of action, sea serpents, dragons, magical islands, and even a little romance for Caspian, there's something for everyone. This is also when most fans learn to love Reepicheep, although he is first introduced in PC, it is not until VDT that he takes on more of a leading role and his character is better developed. I also like it because this is where Eustace, one of my favorite characters, is introduced. (I know it sounds strange to say that someone like Eustace Scrubb is one of my favorite characters, but I explain it more in my post on the "Favorite Narnian Male" thread)

I like the newness of it, if that makes any sense. In the other books, things seem sort of normal, even if they aren't in our world. In VDT, there is exploration and discovery. They rediscover lands, meet new people, come across different terrors, and find out more about their human nature and that the only cure for it is Aslan. Its such a bittersweet story because you have to say goodbye to so many characters in the end, but it leaves you with such a hope knowing that Aslan is here in our world as well...

Another thing that I love about this book is the things Lewis wrote that don't get described much but need to be said. The feeling Lucy got when reading that story and then never quite remembering, the Deathwater incident, and Caspain running into his own pride and selfish ambition. Those things that make the characters memorably human and the way that Aslan helps them overcome it are so important to me. The magic and wonder of the end of the world and the unimaginable, I just love it!

VotDT is not in my top three. I think i would rank it sixth. It isn't that i dislike it, but it just seems all over the place at times.

The things i like about it are the scene on deathwater island between Edmund and Caspian, the retaking of the lone islands by the Narnians, and, of course, Eustace being undragoned by Aslan which is a direct correlation to salvation.

I actually also don't accept that most people think it is one of their favorites. People say it is their favorite and so others agree. I also don't think that Narniaweb is an average slice of the population.

VDT is my favorite of The Chronicles of Narnia stories. I enjoy the adventure of it and the almost perfect balance of light and darkness throughout the story.

I also like the variety of the adventures the Dawn Treader encounters including an actual magician/wizard and a retired star and his daughter. There is as well the seriousness of the slave trade and the funny parts with the Dufflepuds. Having Eustace turn into a dragon and back again is quite unique also.

Finally, the arrival at Aslan's Country and the spiritual aspects of the ending there add a special dimension to this story.

decarus wrote:I actually also don't accept that most people think it is one of their favorites. People say it is their favorite and so others agree. I also don't think that Narniaweb is an average slice of the population.

I disagree with this. Here is a list from the Favorite Book thread on the old forum, rearranged in descending order: link

Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
The Horse and His Boy---------------------250 [21.51%]
Voyage of the Dawn Treader---------------244 [21.00%]
The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe-------203 [17.47%]
The Last Battle----------------------------185 [15.92%]
The Magician’s Nephew----------------------99 [8.52%]
The Silver Chair-----------------------------95 [8.18%]
Prince Caspian----------------------------- 86 [7.40%]

As you can see, VDT finshed a close second to HHB. There were 1162 votes cast by fans who obviously care about the books and not the average public that probably could care less about things Narnia. So at least there is some real evidence from NarniaWeb of VDT's popularity and with 1162 votes, I'd say that the results would be close on other Narnia sites if a similar poll were taken.

The reason i don't think that Narniaweb is the average slice of the population is because it seems like a lot of people on this site are homeschooled. Most kids aren't homeschooled, so this site doesn't represent what most people like. I also think a lot of the people on this site are really young which is also not an average slice of the population.

I legitimately do not think that if someone read all the books and was told to pick their favorite that the study would be the same. I won't deny that the reason i think it is a bad study is because i completely disagree with the rankings of the books in it and have to think that the poll would be more equal if it was done blind.

There are always problems with polling. I really like all of the Chronicles of Narnia and hope that the Voyage of the Dawn Treader does well so that they can continue to make the films. I just get tired of people saying that Prince Caspian is a bad book and that Edmund is the best character and that Susan is the worst.

It may be that i simply don't see things that way. I either like a book or not. I like a character or not. There is no ranking. I like all of the books.

There was a poll on a 'Rings site and VDT came out second on it. It was a small poll,but still,it wasn't a Narnian site. ...

I like VDT...because it's fun! If I could fall into any of the books,it either would be LWW(Because of the Golden age!) or VDT. I love it because it excites my imagination,it pulls me onto the islands,it makes me want to go out onto a ship!

I love it because of the characters. I love the journey that Eustace makes. I show that there is indeed hope for my brother( ) I think out of all of the CoN,the redemption of Eustace has the best Christian image for me. "I must undress you" *shivers*. Just the image of Aslan taking off the old dragon's body and giving him a fresh new start...it's beautiful.

Hmmm... Why do I like VDT? Because it is such a sunny book; cheerful. No major catastrophes, battles to the death, witches, etc. It almost feels like a vacation, albeit a whole lot more adventurous then vacations in our humdrum world ever are. The characters are awesome. Ramandu's Daughter feels aloof, like a star out of reach, but is good and kind. Coriakin is grandfatherly and thoughtful, conjuring up an English lunch for his English visitor. And the details are so wonderful. C.S. Lewis describes the Last Sea so well, you feel as if you were there. Every island on the voyage is fascinating; a small new world opening up. Eustace's journal is hilarious. And "His sufficiency." That's perfect!

decarus wrote:The reason i don't think that Narniaweb is the average slice of the population

I legitimately do not think that if someone read all the books and was told to pick their favorite that the study would be the same.

There are always problems with polling.

That is true. The amount of problems with polling is almost endless (the order of the options, the sample size, etc). If you wanted to find out which book is the most favored, you would have to have a very large sample size picked randomly of people who have read all the books (so yeah, Narniaweb not good to be the only source). I agree it's extremely unlikely that the results would be the same if a larger poll like that were conducted. It's really all about sample size and how random the people were picked to take the poll. It would be convenient to have the whole population (e.i. everyone who's read all of them) take the poll but that's almost impossible.
Sorry that's kinda off-topic.
Back on topic, I am actually quite surprised at how many poeple on this site really like VDT, I thought I was a loner