Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

The Magician's Nephew
  • Rated 0 stars
Read The Magician's Nephew
The Chronicles of Narnia: Book 1

The Magician's Nephew (1955) (edit title/settings)

by C. S. Lewis (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

You are about to enter one of the most wonderful places in all of literature: C.S. Lewis's land of Narnia. This is the book that C.S. Lewis intended to be the first in his landmark series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Here we are introduced to Polly and Digory, who are tricked by Digory's Uncle... read more

Summary edit see section history

In the Magician’s Nephew, while playing outside Digory, makes friend’s with a girl named Polly. They them begin to explore Polly’s attic, where they find a secret tunnel, that connects both their houses. When exploring the tunnel, that find a secret room, in which Digory’s Uncle (Andrew)... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

In the Magician’s Nephew, while playing outside Digory, makes friend’s with a girl named Polly. They them begin to explore Polly’s attic, where they find a secret tunnel, that connects both their houses. When exploring the tunnel, that find a secret room, in which Digory’s Uncle (Andrew) conducts experiments, using green, and yellow rings.
When tricking Polly into trying on one of the rings, Uncle Andrew begins to explain how he was *gifted* with magic. He then explains the power of the yellow, and green rings. In order to get Polly back, Digory slips on one of the rings, and discovers that is called “The Other Worlds”, which seems to be a peaceful place, between worlds, filled with ponds. Each pond, holds a different world. One of the worlds holds an evil witch, by the name of Jadis, who is awakened by the ringing of a bell, on Digory’s insistence, and curiosity. Jadis tells the story of how, by her powers her world was destroyed. Using her cunningness, in a attempt to loose her, and escape back to their own world, Jadis ends back up in the “In Between Place”, and eventually Polly and Digory’s home. The only one charmed by the witch’s presence is Uncle Andrew, as she does not endear herself to the house residents, nor the town’s occupants, when she causes all kinds of chaos. Digory manages to get close enough to her, to transport her to one of the other worlds, which upon first glance seems to be pretty empty, except for a lion. Then the Lion starts to sing, and Narnia is formed. The creatures of Narnia now have voices, and the cabby and his wife are now made king, and queen. The witch runs off scared, and Uncle Andrew is so frightened by the talking animals that he convinces himself that they can not talk, and mostly spends his time in Narnia in a comatose state. Aslan, has a special request for Digory, which is to travel to the special tree with the silver apples, and pick one, and bring one back. In the garden Jadis tries to trick him, by suggesting he take one for his mother who is severely ill. He is tempted, but does not fall for the witch’s trick, and returns to Aslam, who rewards him by planting a tree and giving him one of the apples to take home. Back home Digory’s mother is healed. Years past and the children grow up. A rich relative gives them estate, and from where the core of the apple was buried there is now a grand tree. Some of the wood from the tree, was used to build a wardrobe, which is found inside the house

Characters edit see section history

  • Polly Plummer: A beautiful young girl who loves her mom and dad. She lives in London and is neighbors with Digory, also her friend. One of the main protagonists. She goes on adventures with Digory.
  • Digory Kirke: A young boy sent to live in London with his uncle and aunt while his mother is ill. Becomes friends with Polly. He later becomes the professor who built the wardrobe for "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe."
  • Andrew Ketterley: Digory's strange old uncle. He has a mean attitude towards Digory. Has a study where Digory isn't allowed in.
  • Letitia Ketterly: Andrew's sister, who lives with him in London and Digory's aunt. Doesn't agree with Andrew that much.
  • Mrs. Lefay: Andrew's godmother.
  • Jadis: Last Queen of Charn.
  • Strawberry: A cab horse owned by Frank, the Cabby. He likes sugar
  • Aslan: The great Lion and creator of Narnia.
  • Helen: Frank's wife. Also called Nellie.
  • Fledge: The first flying horse of Narnia.
  • Frank: A London cab driver, also known as "Cabby". He was more of a country man.
Show all 11 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Quotes edit see section history

  • “Creatures, I give you yourselves. I give to you for ever the land of Narnia. I give you the woods, the fruits, the rivers. I give you the stars and I give you myself. The Dumb Beasts whom I have not chosen are yours also. Treat them gently and cherish them but do not go back to their ways lest you cease to be Talking Beasts. For out of them you were taken and into them you can return. Do not so.”
    Aslan
  • “Laugh and fear not, creatures. Now that you are no longer dumb and witless you need not always be grave. For jokes as well as justice come in with speech.”
    Aslan
  • “Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.”
  • “My son, my son. I know. Grief is great. Only you and I in this land know that yet. Let us be good to one another.”
    Aslan
  • “Oh, Adam's sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!”
    Aslan
  • “All get what they want; they do not always like it.”
    Aslan
  • “Sometimes we just need to follow a trail and see where it goes.”
  • “But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice.”
    Aslan
  • “That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after.”
    Aslan
  • “I say, what a funny name!”
    Polly
  • “I'd ha been a better man all my life if I'd known there were things like this.”
    Cabbie
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • Now the trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.
    Highlighted by 181 Kindle customers
  • For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.
    Highlighted by 158 Kindle customers
  • But I cannot tell that to this old sinner, and I cannot comfort him either; he has made himself unable to hear my voice. If I spoke to him, he would hear only growlings and roarings. Oh Adam’s sons, how cleverly you defend yourselves against all that might do you good!
    Highlighted by 136 Kindle customers
  • “Wouldn’t he know without being asked?” said Polly. “I’ve no doubt he would,” said the Horse (still with his mouth full). “But I’ve a sort of idea he likes to be asked.”
    Highlighted by 113 Kindle customers
  • When things go wrong, you’ll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better.
    Highlighted by 110 Kindle customers
  • But length of days with an evil heart is only length of misery and already she begins to know it. All get what they want; they do not always like it.”
    Highlighted by 108 Kindle customers
  • That is what happens to those who pluck and eat fruits at the wrong time and in the wrong way. The fruit is good, but they loathe it ever after.”
    Highlighted by 104 Kindle customers
  • “But do not be cast down,” said Aslan, still speaking to the Beasts. “Evil will come of that evil, but it is still a long way off, and I will see to it that the worst falls upon myself.
    Highlighted by 101 Kindle customers
  • “Narnia, Narnia, Narnia, awake. Love. Think. Speak. Be walking trees. Be talking beasts. Be divine waters.”
    Highlighted by 84 Kindle customers
  • Children have one kind of silliness, as you know, and grown-ups have another kind.
    Highlighted by 71 Kindle customers
Show all 21 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • London, England: The home of Digory and Polly.
  • The Wood between the Worlds: A quiet and sleepy wood that exists not in any world, but acts as a portal to every world in existence.
  • Charn: The old and dying world of Jadis, where all life has been blotted out.
  • Narnia: Aslan created this new world, peopled by Talking Beasts, Dwarfs, Dryads, Naiads, and other mythical creatures.
  • The Western Wild: The far western lands beyond Narnia, where the gated garden grows.

First Sentence edit see section history

This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child.

Table of Contents edit see section history

1. The Wrong Door
2. Digory and His Uncle
3. The Wood Between the Worlds
4. The Bell and the Hammer
5. The Deplorable Word
6. The Beginning of Uncle Andrew's Troubles
7. What Happened at the Front Door
8. The Fight at the Lamp-Post
9. The Founding of Narnia
10. The First Joke and Other Matters
11. Digory and His Uncle are both in Trouble
12. Strawberry's Adventure
13. An Unexpected Meeting
14. The Planting of the Tree
15. The End of This Story and the Beginning of All the Others

Glossary edit see section history

  • sal volatile: (Latin) Smelling salts.
  • bunk: (British slang) To run away.
  • adept: An expert in occult sciences.
  • hansom: A two-wheeled covered carriage drawn by one horse.
  • faun: A mythological creature with the body of a man and the horns, pointed ears, tail, and hind legs of a goat.
  • satyr: A kind of faun usually associated with riotous merriment.
  • naiad: A water nymph.
  • curvet: A horse's leap in which the hind legs are raise just before the forelegs touch the ground.

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

  • The Medieval Planets: (Venus) The story of Narnia's creation reflects the Venereal themes and motifs of love, fertility, beauty, birth, sweetness, motherhood, luxury and growth. Narnia, as well as the Wood between the World, are described as lush places bursting with life. Newly created Narnia is so fertile that grass, trees, its animals and other magical inhabitants all burst full-formed from the earth and from the fecundity of Aslan's mind. Even nonliving things such as metals and candies grow. The fate of Digory's ill mother is a major subplot.
  • Creation: The creation of Narnia is symbolic of the Christian creation of Earth, including Eve eating the forbidden apple.

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 7 in The Chronicles of Narnia. (standard series)

Followed by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

This is book 186 of 194 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2010). (authoritative list)
This is book 199 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2010). (authoritative list)
This is book 176 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (December 2011). (authoritative list)
This is book 180 of 195 in Shelfari Most Popular (June 2011). (authoritative list)
This book is in Best Fantasy Books. (community list)
This is book 22 of 216 in Whitcoulls Kids' Top 50 (2011). (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. C. S. Lewis (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: The Bodley Head
Country: United Kingdom
Publication Date: 1955
ISBN: 0-06-023497-0
Page Count: 202

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Recommended for children + 10 and also for Young Adults

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

We’re hiding the errata, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close