Poll - Reading the books: First impressions…

[GlimGlum]

Recently I had a memory flash that brought to mind a thought I had when first reading The Chronicles of Narnia books. It struck me that there really was something special about these books; more so than most other books. I knew they were popular and enduringly so and it was if I could now see or sense the reason why.

What about the rest of you?

And thanks for your votes and comments.

[ForeverFan]

I can't 100% recall what my first impressions were upon reading the book, but it was probably most like the first option, hence, I voted for that one. There just was something different about Narnia compared to all the other books I had read at that time, or have read yet, I guess.

[Lion's Emblem]

I agree with ForeverFan. I can't say exactly how I felt the first time I read the Chronicles. I would have to go with feeling something "special and magical". The more times I re-read the books, I would have to say the same. Each time I find something new or deeper than the time before which says something magical in of itself. When you have a book (or series of books for that matter) that are read for years and years, that were written before some of the readers were even born, and are adored by both children and adults, there is certainly something very special and wonderful about that.

[greenbird37]

The Chronicles are books that take you away to another world for just a little while and it keeps you turning the pages to feel like you are there. Every line, every story, every character you can relate to and there is a beautiful love that you can only get from these books. The magic, the fantasy and the mystical sense of calm. Dont know if that made any sense, but they are just amazing books!

[TheGeneral]

To be honest, I didn't think they were anything too special the first time I read them, I was about 9 years old and had very little patience for 'long' books. But as I got older they kept getting better and better. The most recent time I read them I really enjoyed them, probably the most I've ever enjoyed them.

[LucyTheValiant]

I started reading them when I was 8, and I am 10, and I am just now finishing the Last Battle.

There is something about Narnia that is just so magical. That's why I'm kind of worried about the movie. The Movies that Disney captured were awesome. No doubt about that! But what if Fox and Walden DON'T make the movie magical?? This is something that has been on my mind since...... since this morning. I thought of it just now.

[Alyosha]

Ah man, I wish I remembered. I was eight or nine, not sure. I remember reading LOTR for the first time, before watching the movies, and it was very different seeing everything for the first time now than it is now when I know them backwards and forwards.

The main thing I remember is LOVING the beginning of PC, with the mysterious island and everything, and then getting bored very quickly once they started walking around in the woods. It was so disillusioning.

[Pattertwigs Pal]

That's a hard one. I voted that there was something special about them. There must have been otherwise I wouldn't have kept on reading them over and over. I can't remember my first impression it was too long ago. Near as I can figure, my parents read them to be when I was in kindergarten (4-6 years old). However, I remember from very early on loving the Chronicles, especially LWW. I think I figured out the connection between Aslan's dying on the stone table and Christ's dying on the cross right away and that is part of what made the Chronicles special to me. I credit the Chronicles as being the reason I became interested in making up and writing stories.

[Narnia Girl]

I voted, There was a sense of something special and magical about them. Because that's totally true. When I was 8 or 9, I checked out LWW from our church library. I fell in love with it, and after that I read PC. I never read anymore, though (to be honest, I don't know why. Probably because I was nuts over Nancy Drew then). But I did know that there was something special about the Narnia books.

So, in April 2008, a month before PC came out, I saw a commercial for PC. I remembered the Narnia books, so I checked out LWW from our library and reread it. I fell in love with Narnia for a second time, and then I read the rest of the series, saw PC, and officially became a Narnia freak. (Seriously. My parents call me a Narnia freak!)

The Chronicles of Narnia really are special books. I'm so glad I ended up reading them.

[GlimGlum]

To be honest, I didn't think they were anything too special the first time I read them, I was about 9 years old and had very little patience for 'long' books. But as I got older they kept getting better and better. The most recent time I read them I really enjoyed them, probably the most I've ever enjoyed them.

That sometimes happens, things take time and grow on you as you grow up. I know that has happened to me with other things, just can't think of one at the moment.

Anyway, thanks for those who voted and posted so far...

[wordarrow]

I was thinking about this the other day.. When I was younger I couldn't figure out why my older sister and brother would read. I mean all you did was stare at a book! And then one day I just got tired of trying to figure it out and almost died of curiosity when I saw my brother reading this one book. He said it was one of the best series he had ever read. I remember thinking the cover very odd on it was a girl holding hands with a boy falling out of a puddle with a evil looking lady holding the girl by her hair! ( old cover of the magician's nephew) Of course i just had to know what it was about. He tried to explain them to me and said i should just read them myself. So when my mom took us on our weekly library trip i got a big book that was called the lion the witch and the wardrobe. i climbed on top of my bunk bed and tried to read it. I was only in firstgrade at the time and was extremely fusturated that i couldn't read all of it. I got to the part where the bird whispers to susan and I just couldn't believe that was actually happening and thought i had misread it and was just very upset that i couldn't make sense out of it when my mom came in and read the book to me. I was utterly fascinated. It was like a whole world had opened up in out living room on the couch that had been hiding from me the whole time. I begged my mom to read more and at dinner i listened to the story of how my father had read LWW in one night while he was in medical school and absolutely loved it. Then as a family every winter since then we have read one of the books. So the narnia books were really the first books that i ever read. They really opened up the world of reading to me and i just loved listening to my brother talk about how some things in the narnian books meant other things. I was just fascinated that someone could write such a great book and it mean two different things. I loved best hearing about the part where Digory took home the apple seeds and planted them in his yard and later cut down the tree which became the wardrobe. The narnia books have always held an utter fascination for me. It was favorite game to pretend i was in narnia when i was little. Definetly my favorite series and were always magical for me.

[narnian_at_heart]

My first thoughts were wondering if I could get there somehow.

[PELS]

I was thinking how mysterious they were. And with my mind when I read, I invision everything. Sometimes that's not the best thing to have. But anyway, I really felt mysterious and I ended up going to my closet... just to see.

[narnia fan 7]

When I first The chronicles of narnia I codnt stop Reading thar my Favorite Books but when I first Reaed The Last Battle I didn't like it at all but now I like it the reson I didn't like it before whis be it was it was the last book and imagineing Tash creeper me out.

[Liberty Hoffman]

the first Narnia book I read was LWW and I read it when I was 5 years old! it was the first chapter book I every read! so I grew up with Narnia. when I read it, the discrpition of Tumnus with his packages in the snowy forest was the most awesome image I have ever read! when I read it, I was blown away! and then I read all the the other Narnia books right after that and I loved and love them! it was truly the best thing for me to start my love of reading with.....truly magical!

[stargazer]

*tries to remember* - Hey, it was a long time ago!

I voted "nice stories." My first exposure was to LWW; a friend at university recommended the stories to me but in the next breath 'decoded' all the spiritual-type elements in the book, along with a plot summary, so any real magic from reading the book the first time was spoiled for me. (I've come to appreciate it more since then).

I read them in original publication order, so I enjoyed the adventures of VDT and SC. But it was probably upon reading HHB that I finally caught a sense of the magic again - it was not only a fun adventure, but here was a story with some very cool allegorical-like spiritual elements that I really enjoyed. "The Unwelcome Fellow Traveller" remains one of my favorite chapters from all the books.