The Keys to the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia

The Keys to the Chronicles: Unlocking the Symbols of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia
Marvin D. Hinten
Broadman & Holman Publishers
ISBN: 0-8054-4028-3
Non-Fiction, Reference, Narnia
Reviewed by Mayra Calvani

Are you a fan of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy stories? Have you ever wondered about the hidden meanings in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe? What does “Aslan” mean and represent? In what way are the Narnia chronicles complex and religious in nature? This little book, written in a reader-friendly manner anybody can understand and enjoy, “unlocks” the riddles within the world of Narnia.
The Chronicles of Narnia are children fantasy stories, yet they’re so filled with allegories, symbolism and allusions that many scholarly books have been written on the subject. According to Hinten, these stories, as many other great children’s stories like Alice and Wonderland and Huckleberry Finn, operate on two levels—one deceivingly simple for children, the other complex and sophisticated for adults, permeated with references to literature, Christianity, linguistics, mythology, and history.
The book includes interesting quotes from Lewis about the creation of the Chronicles, especially about The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. At the end of the book there’s a brief background about Lewis’s life.
This book is particularly helpful because, as Hinten, states, Lewis was one of the most allusive writers of the 20th century, but he was also very subtle, so his allusions are seldom overt and can go unnoticed by the average reader.
Perfect for Lewis’s fans and a must-buy for students, teachers and book clubs, The Keys to the Chronicles is a useful reference work that won’t disappoint readers, and one that should be on the shelves of literature enthusiasts.