Review: The Magician’s Book by Laura Miller
Title: The Magician’s Book: A Sceptic’s Adventures in Narnia
Author: Miller, Laura
Length: 312 pages
Genre: Non-Fiction, Literature
Publisher / Year: Back Bay Books / 2008
Source: BookDepository
Rating: 4/5
Why I Read It: I absolutely loved the Narnia books as a child.
Date Read: 17/04/12
What could be better than a book exploring issues you’ve had yourself regarding some of your favourite childhood books? In this book Miller examines the Narnia books and her experiences with them, explaining what they meant to her as a child, her disillusion with them upon learning their religious symbolism, and then her eventual return to them. In addition to discussing the history of the books, C.S. Lewis and his life, and her experiences reading the books, she includes as well comments from other readers and their experiences.
The relationship between book and reader is intimate, at best a kind of love affair, and first loves are famously tenacious. [...] First love is a momentous step in our emotional education, and in many ways, it shapes us forever. (page 11)
Why should we expect our first loves in literature, Miller argues, to have any less of an effect on us. And just because we see more in books as we age, that doesn’t take the magic away from them. In fact, good literature, she says later on “invites a plurality of interpretation” (page 113), and our first loves, in literature, can often do that for us as well. As we age we may see different things – with Narnia, for example, we may see the religious messages Lewis wanted to pass along to readers – but that doesn’t necessarily negate the magic that first caught us as young readers.
Miller through the book talks about Lewis and Tolkein’s friendship and how they had such an effect on each other’s works. She talks about the ways in which they both looked at fantasy and at important works. She discusses religion, prejudice, racism, and more, and talks about the ways in which Lewis especially showed these in the Chronicles. In spite of all of this, however, the books still contain much that is good and interesting, and Miller spends just as much time on this and on discussing why, despite the many issues, she still feels such a pull towards the books.
In the end, I was left with a much larger respect for C.S. Lewis and the Chronicles of Narnia that I began with – and I’ve always been a fan of the Narnia books. Although not perfect, they have so much in them to make them worthy of reading and re-reading. Anyone who liked those books, or who likes books about books or about the experience of reading, or who would like to know more about C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkein would enjoy this one.
I absolutely loved this book, and I felt the same way about developing a greater appreciation for Narnia – and I say this as someone who came to the books pretty late and never quite managed to get into them.
Oh that is really neat that the book made you appreciate it more despite your not really getting into them Ana. I wondered if it would really relate to anyone who didn’t love the series growing up.
I’m not sure this book would do much for me. I don’t love the Narnia series but it had nothing to do with religion. I tend to like C. S. Lewis’ religious thoughts, although I’m not very good at spotting imagery.
Interesting Nancy, do you know what it is that you didn’t really like about the Narnia books?
I think . . . it’s been a while but the White Witch may have been just a bit too creepy for me. Plus, I just didn’t find myself getting sucked into the new world quite the way I expected. I probably ought to give them a second go. My youngest son absolutely loved them.
That makes sense Nancy. No book will ever be loved by everyone
I love the idea of this book. Too often, I’ve heard the book dismissed because of the religious imagery. I am not religious at all, and I find it very easy to still enjoy the books.
Same here Trish! It’s not like any book really has only one thing going for it either, so seems silly to dismiss Narnia for one thing!
I’ve got this on my shelves and only have been slow to read it because I’m afraid that it’ll end up with Laura Miller not loving CS Lewis enough. It’s a silly thing to worry about, because I know the whole point of the book is she DOES love CS Lewis enough, but every time I go to pick up the book, this worry returns and plagues me.
Understandable I think, Jenny. I had the book for a year before reading it myself, in part because of that. I think that in the end my love for Narnia hasn’t changed, but my appreciation for it has grown in many ways – if that makes sense?
I keep meaning to find this book because as much as I love the series as a whole, the way it finished was disappointing and in a way upsetting. I like the sound of Miller being a fan but still talking about the negatives well. That you were left with more respect for Lewis makes me all the more interested.
Oh Charlie I completely agree about the end being disappointing! Miller and others she talks to all agree that it should just be ignored and left off too
She talks about how it breaks so completely with much of the series prior to it. And yes, so much respect!
I didn’t read the Narnia books as a child and knew about the religious symbolism before trying them. The magic didn’t really happen after that, but I’m still interested in reading Miller’s book. Sounds like she explores all angles
I’ve always thought that perhaps being a child is the only reason I could truly love them as much as I did Bina. Miller does discuss that too!