Book Review: Into the Wardrobe by David C. Downing

September 18, 2005 Posted by Roger Overton

C.S Lewis is most widely
known today for his children’s
tales, The Chronicles of Narnia. However, David C.
Downing notes in Into
the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles that,
“some of his contemporaries
were shocked when the eminent C.S. Lewis started writing
children’s stories.”
(XIV) Lewis had written some fiction previously, a sci-fi trilogy,
The Great
Divorce, and some poetry, as well as some notable literary
work, but not
fiction for children. So when the Chronicles began
to be written, what
emerged was not merely fairy tales for children, but a magnificent
composition
of classical, medieval, and modern ideas filtered through the creative
theological imagination of C.S.
Lewis.

Into the Wardrobe explores
the background of Narnia in the
life and thought of C.S. Lewis. As should any book of this nature, Dr.
Downing
begins in Chapter 1 with a biography of Lewis. In Chapter 2 we are
introduced
to the writing of the Chronicles in the order they
were composed. Here
Dr. Downing offers a summary of each book and some explanations of
their
origins, including the lost Lefay fragment that was a potential
beginning of The
Magician’s Nephew.

The last five chapters
examine the content of the series
categorically. Chapter 3 takes on the “spiritual
vision” of the Chronicles.
The spirituality of the series is seen through the perspective of
Aslan, who is
envisioned as “a Numinous Being,”
“Supremely Good,” “Creator,”
“Co-Sufferer,”
“Redeemer,” “Comfort and Guide”
and “Judge.” Next, Dr. Downing examines is the
morality taught throughout the series through Edmund’s
failures, technology,
and the virtues of honesty, empathy, privacy, and
trust.

Chapter 5 looks into the
classical and medieval elements found
in the Chronicles including hierarchy, chivalry,
magic, and astrology.
For those who have wondered where Lewis might have gotten the names for
his
characters, this is described in detail in Chapter 6. The final chapter
deals
with the literary legacy of the series and grapples with a few of the
criticisms that have been made of them and Lewis
himself.

Into the Wardrobe was almost
consistently a stimulating
read. My favorite chapters were the one on the spiritual roles of Aslan
and the
one about classical and medieval elements. For the former, as with most
Narnia
fans I suspect, I can never get enough of informed Aslan discussion.
For the
latter, the scholarly work of Lewis in classical and medieval studies
is
usually only a footnote in what I’ve read. Dr. Downing shows
that this area of
Lewis’ life and study is just as important as the rest and
played an
influential role in the formation of the Chronicles. The only chapter
I
didn’t care much for was the one on Narnian names. Perhaps
due to the subject
at hand, at a couple instances I felt like I was reading a genealogy in
the
book of Numbers

David Downing offers us a thought-provoking
behind-the-scenes
look at what went into the writing of The Chronicles of
Narnia. His
knowledge of the subject matter and accessible writing style make this
book an
educational and enjoyable read at the same time.