| "Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy..." (from the first line) "This is the land of Narnia," said the Faun, "where we are now; all that lies between the lamp-post and the great castle of Ciar Paravel on the eastern sea. And you -- you have come from the wild woods of the west?" "I -- I got in through the wardrobe in the spare room," said Lucy. What begins as a simple game of hide-and-seek quickly turns into the adventure of a lifetime when Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy walk through the wardrobe and into the land of Narnia. There they find a cold, snow-covered land frozen into eternal winter by the evil White Witch. All who challenge her rule are turned into stone. Narnia, once filled with all manner of talking Beasts, Dwarfs, Giants, and Fauns is now a dark, joyless wasteland. The children can only hope that Aslan, the Great Lion, will return to Narnia and restore beauty and peace to the land. But will the power of Aslan be enough to conquer the dark magic of the White Witch?
Annotation:
One of the most highly respected fantasy novels ever written, THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE can be seen as both an exciting children's adventure story and an allegory about faith. The story begins when the Pevensie siblings (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) escape the dangers of World War II-era London by relocating to the country home of family friend Professor Kirke. One day, while playing hide-and-seek, Lucy hides in an old wardrobe and finds herself transported to the world of Narnia, a magical land frozen in eternal winter by the evil White Witch. With the help of her siblings, Lucy sets forth to free Narnia from the White Witch's reign by bringing about the return of Narnia's guardian, Aslan the lion, a quest impeded by a shocking betrayal. Although THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE was the first of the Chronicles of Narnia to be published, many readers prefer to begin the series with THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW (the sixth book published), because it describes the history of Narnia and sets the stage for the adventures of the Pevensie siblings. THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE has been adapted for the screen several times, including two live-action British TV productions (1967 and 1988), a British/American animated TV movie, and a big Hollywood film in 2005.
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