7: The Horse and his Boy: C. S. Lewis: ISBN 0-261-167048-4

[lnr]

Book three in the Narnia chronicles mostly takes place outside Narnia. Again it's rather a good one, with some nice world-building in terms of the vaguely Eastern land of Calormen. Though illustrating the darker Calormen as cruel and owning slaves seems a little racist in modern eyes. Long-lost twins is always a bit of a cliche as plots go, but never mind, they're both nice lads. And Aravis is nice too. I love her bit hiding behing the sofa listening to the plotting of Prince Radabash. And I'm mildly amused by the line near the very end: "Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling, and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently." What a sad view on marriage! Obviously Richard and I should never bother, since we still haven't seemed to get the hang of falling our very much ;-) Anyway another book read quickly and with nostalgia and enjoyment, and looking forward to the rest.

Comments

[lnr]

Oddly I'm finding them less irritating this time through than last, which is nice. Perhaps because the preaching is more expected :-)

[teleute.livejournal.com]

whereas I reread them in view of my taking a 4 year theology course and I *still* miss the preaching. Clearly I've heard so much now that I don't even notice it ;). Well, ok, some of the stuff Aslan says is a *bit* Christiany, but not much more than general stuff around here...