Publication Info
The Silver Chair is a high fantasy children's novel written by C.S. Lewis. It was originally published in 1953 by Geoffrey Bles. This book is the fourth book published in the series, however in more recent editions, it has been moved to sixth in the series.
Brief Summary
Less than a year after the events of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the reader is introduced once again to Eustace Scrubb, the cousin of the Pevensie children. However, he is not alone, the reader is also introduced to Jill Pole. These two children attend the Experimental House where they are miserable. We open to Jill being tormented by bullies. Because of this, Eustace tries to comfort her by telling her of his journey in Narnia. This then leads to him telling her they should ask Aslan for help to escape their current situation. As they are being chased by the bullies, the two children run through a gate where they are immediately transported into Aslan's country staring off a tall cliff.
Aslan appears to Jill and charges her to help Eustace in his journey to reunite King Caspian and his son Prince Rilian. To help in their journey, Aslan gives Jill four signs to signal that they are on the right path and guide them in finding Rilian. Once again, while only a short time has passed in the real world, 75 years has passed in Narnia. This is hard to hear for the reader because we soon find out that Caspian is an old man nearing his end.
This story follows Jill and Eustace as they seek to find Prince Rilian and reunite him with his dying father.
Review
The Silver Chair is a wonderful story that once again transports the reader into the magical world of Narnia. By this point in the story the reader is used to the main characters rotating and changing. We have moved on from the Pevensie children to now focusing on Eustace. While the reader may be accustomed to these changes it doesn't make it any easier.
This book, while a great addition to the Narnia story, is not my favorite in the series. There are many great moments and characters in this book, but there have been many other great moments and characters throughout the series to this point. I sound like I am being harsh on this book, but this is not my intention. I love and enjoy all of the books in the Narnia series. This book just fails to capture me in the same way that other books in this series have up to this point.
Recommendation
Even though it may appear that I have been harsh on this book, I believe that everyone should read and enjoy this book. And it should be done sixth in the series.
Rating - 5/5 (Narnia rating 4/5)
Currently Reading:
Harry Potter: and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
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