Synopsis to 'The Lion'
WARNING! The synopsis contains spoiler information. If you haven't yet read 'The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe' but you want to be surprised, stop reading now.
Background
By the late 1940's C.S.Lewis cut an unusually high public figure for an author. The 'Pilgrim's Regress', 'Screwtape Letters', 'Out of the Silent Planet' and the 'Problem of Pain' had established him as a prolific author of Christian literature. But it was the war that catapulted Lewis into the limelight. The BBC had asked him to deliver a series of broadcast talks concerning Christianity, and they were an instant success. He also toured RAF bases talking to the servicemen about the Christian faith. These radio talks later formed the basis of his book 'Mere Christianity'.What made him consider writing a children's book is unclear, however there is evidence he attempted it on more than one occasion. On the back of a manuscript dated in 1939 was found the following opening sentences:
"This book is about four children whose names were Ann, Martin, Rose and Peter. But it is mostly about Peter who was the youngest. They all had to go away from London suddenly because of the Air Raids, and because Father, who was in the Army, had gone off to the War and Mother was doing some kind of war work. They were sent to stay with a relation of Mother's who was a very old Professor who lived by himself in the country..."
Although noticably different to 'The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe' the basic elements of the story where there: four children evacuated from London because of the Blitz to live with an old Professor.
As far as we know Lewis never returned to finish or extend this story. However in 1948 Lewis confided in a friend that he was considering writing a children's story. This was a reference to the as yet unpublished 'Lion'.
When he had finished Lewis showed the manuscript to J.R.R.Tolkein, the man who wrote 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings'. Tolkein's reaction was discouraging. He disliked the manuscript because of his general distaste for allegory. There have been suggestions that he was also jealous of the speed in which Lewis had written "Lion". Tolkein was still penning 'The Lord of the Rings' after many years hard grind.
C.S.Lewis put the manuscript aside for a while before returning and rewriting the first chapters. He then read the first two chapters to his friend Roger Lancelyn Green. Later Roger Lancelyn Green recalled.
"As he read there had crept over me a feeling of awe and excitment: not only that it was better than most children's books which were appearing at the time - but the conviction that I was listening to the first reading of a great classic."
C.S.Lewis finished 'The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe' in March 1949 and the book was published in 1950.
Synopsis
"Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy..." So begins the first book in a series which were to become timeless children's classics.
'The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe' chronicles the adventures of four London evacuees who flee London, escaping the horrors of the Blitz, to the house of an old Professor in the country. The old house and the English countryside surrounding it are exciting places to play and the four children make the most of exploring. However, the English weather intervenes. Stuck in doors they decide to explore the old house and this is how the adventures in Narnia begin.
As they wander through the house they come upon an empty room with nothing in it except a wardrobe and a dead bluebottle on the windowsill. Peter, Susan and Edmund leave the room but Lucy stays to investigate the wardrobe. She steps inside it, past the fur coats searching for the back. Lucy does not find the back of the wardrobe; instead she finds herself in the middle of a wood in winter.
Far off she sees a light and walking towards it she realises the light is a lampost apparently planted in the middle of a wood. As she stand there a faun enters the clearing carrying his shopping. When he sees Lucy he drops his parcels in astonishment. Lucy introduces herself and we find out the faun's name is Mr Tumnus. She also discovers that she is in the land of Narnia. He invites Lucy back to his cave for tea and Lucy, after a little persuading, agrees.
Back in Mr Tumnus' cave Lucy finds herself having a marvellous tea and is then lulled in to an enchanted sleep by the faun playing his flute. When Lucy wakes up she finds Mr Tumnus crying. Mr Tumnus admits he has been in the pay of the White Witch who ensures that it is winter in Narnia but never Christmas. He also confesses that he's been lulling her to sleep in order to turn her over to the White Witch.
Mr Tumnus resolves not to betray Lucy and they sneak through the wood (which is full of the White Witch's spies) back to the Lamppost. At the Lamppost Lucy gives Mr Tumnus her handkerchief and finds her way back to the wardrobe. However when she tells her brothers and sister about Narnia they don't believe her. Even worse Edmund begins to cruelly make fun of Lucy.
Weeks later the four children are playing hide and seek; Lucy decides to go back to the wardrobe to find out whether or not she had dreamt the adventure. Edmund follows Lucy and jumps into the wardrobe after her. But rather than finding the back of the wardrobe he finds himself in Narnia.
Edmund is unable to find Lucy, however he runs into Jadis, the White Witch, patrolling her dominion in her sledge. She seduces Edmund with Turkish Delight and persuades him that next time he comes to Narnia he will visit her house with his three siblings.
Edmund finds his way back to the Lamppost and meets Lucy who was having tea with her friend Mr Tumnus. Lucy is excited that Edmund has entered Narnia because now he can back up her story, but Edmund resolves to betray his sister and deny all knowledge of Narnia.
Back in this world Lucy and Edmund meet up with Peter and Susan. Lucy claims Edmund has been into Narnia, but he denies it. Unable to understand Lucy's behaviour, Peter and Susan visit the Professor believing their sister mad. Unbeknownst to them, the Professor is Digory Kirke who visited Narnia when it was first created. He persuades Peter and Susan that Lucy is not mad and gently points out Narnia may exist.
It is some time later when all four children are back in the wardrobe room. With the fussy housekeeper, Mrs Macready, showing visitors round the house the Pevensie children need a place to hide. As a last resort they hide in the wardrobe and find themselves in Narnia once more.
Peter hands over leadership of the group to Lucy, and immediately she decides to take them to see Mr Tumnus. But Edmund disagrees with Lucy's directions and so gives himself away. Peter sees Edmund was the liar and not Lucy, causing Peter to fall out with his brother.
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