The Silver Chair

Image credit: Michelle Isenhoff

The penultimate book in the Chronicles of Narnia, The Silver Chair sees Lewis’ true character –rather than that of mystical omniscient narrator- come into the series. A few snide asides in and it becomes insufferable rather quickly making it easy to get sidetracked from the fantastic and dangerous adventure that our heroes are on…

The Silver Chair tells the story of Eustace Scrubb and Jill Pole who escape an imminent bout of bullying at their school when they are brought to the End of the World where Aslan himself charges them with a special mission to travel across Narnia and find the missing Prince Rillian. Many dangers await them and more than once they’ll wish they were home, but a hero in both will emerge as they battle Giants, Gnomes, and an evil Witch to rescue the Prince and save Narnia.

A thrilling adventure where excitement awaits at every fork in the road, for me this book was made slightly less enjoyable by Lewis’ personal commentaries on the state of the world. By now the underlying biblical messages are singing hallelujah so Lewis, being a devout and conservative Christian, turns his attention away from the Aslan-Christ metaphor and indulges in snide commentary on the rise of co-ed schools that don’t celebrate or follow religious conduct. Experimental House –Jill and Eustace’s progressive school- is casually torn to shreds with Lewis making comments on everything from its female Headmaster to its lack of physical discipline, painting it as a horrible setting from which one would seek an escape. Reading this book for the first time during the current societal attitudes towards gender equality proves a bit of a grating experience and had a disjointing effect that prevented from becoming immersed in the wonders of the adventures. 

Image credit: Patheos

But aside from that The Silver Chair is yet another exciting and enjoyable adventure –albeit rather predictable in various places. All of the characters are strong and well rounded, the imagery is vibrant and easy to picture, and there’s a good sense of danger and suspense, which was something –I felt- lacking in the previous two. It’s still very much a classic in the fantasy canon.

The Silver Chair is the penultimate book in C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia series and was first published in Britain 1953 by Geoffrey Bles.