The Silver Chair

This is a great book to read in one sitting but not on an enchanted Silver Chair. If you like underground caves and gnomes this book is for you.

Studying the Word. Depending on God's Sovereign will. These are two theological concepts that are at the center of our relationship with out Lord, Savior, and *Treasure* (as John Piper urges us to think) Jesus Christ. These themes are explored, along with many others, in C. S. Lewis's *The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair*.As the story starts, two children are desperately fleeing from bullies who are picking on them at a boarding school in England. They are young Eustace Scrubb (who first went to Narnia with his cousins, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, in the previous book) and his schoolmate, Jill POle. In an attempt to cheer up his friend, Eustace tells her about Narnia. They get this idea to flee to Narnia, and do a pseudo-religious ceremony. Of course, it doesn't work, but then when they are trapped, and despair of escaping the mocking (and possbily beating), they find a doorway into Narnia.Stunned, they enter, and the adventure starts. This well-loved children's story is one that has taught so many young children, and their adult family members, the lessons of trust in, and faithfulness to, our Heavenly Father. When Jill is given the signs to find the lost Prince, missing son of King Caspian, and heir to the Narnian throne, she must memorize them. She is admonished by Aslan to always recite them to herself, and never forget them. At first, she complies, but as the quest becomes more and more difficult, she soon gives up on them.Many *may* be tempted to condemn Jill, but really she is a picture of all of us. We all forget to memorize and keep track of our own signs, God's Word. As the children soon discover, once we repent, God will be sure to set us on the right path. Not to say that there will not be discipline, but set us aright, He will.The children and their Narnian guide and companion, Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle, discover that even after they messed up, that Aslan's signs are still useful. Indeed, Aslan anticipated and prepared for the recalcitrance of the servants he chose out to send on the journey. He is in control. As the Great Lion Himself told young Jill Pole, they only called to Him, because He first called to them.That is one of the deepest truths of the Scriptures. Often we think that we are capable of calling to God, or desiring Him, when really it is *Him* calling to *us*. God constantly awakens our hearts and desires. He resurrects our souls to accept Him to salvation, and then continues to awaken our base, carnal desires. Indeed, every one of us has a pivotal part (even when sometimes it may seem small to us in our limited vantage point of our own, finite bodies and minds) to play in the King of the Universe's grand plan, in His grand drama. when we *think* that we chose Him, He really chose us. When we think that we called to Him to allow us to enter His presence and serve Him, He really called us to Himself for these purposes.The exciting part of all of this, as the children discover, is that He ensures that we only have what we can handle. Sometimes it may seem tedious or be truly painful, or our brothers and sisters in the faith may seem boring or unlikable, but they are what and who He gives to us to help us out. Just as the children discover this with their resources they bring to the table and with their Marsh-Wiggle friend, so we too discover this as well.Beyond this wonderful story and the lessons behind it, is the vivid descriptions of the world that Lewis created. One almost finds oneself transported to this area of lush, green grass; cold, wet snow; frightening giants; and wonderful, hearty food. Like almost no other author, Lewis could really describe these externals that most writers and readers don't even pay attention to. This is sad that more authors today do not try to learn to write about these facets of a good story, for they really add to the overall pleasure of reading.Finally, characters are my major focus when I read any work. I love good, well-rounded characters, and Scrubb, Pole, and Puddleglum are just that. These characters are, even more than the Pevensies in my opinion, truly accessible to the reader. You see yourself in their foibles. Your own doubts, fears, and issues with trusting God. Given some of Lewis's biographical information, as revealed in his intellectual autobiography *Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life*, this is likely due to Lewis's own experiences. He put into Scrubb and Pole the vulnerabilities that he himself had. We can be grateful that he did, for it gave us a rich and rewarding story, and great Biblical lessons.Highly Recommended.

I've mostly liked the Narnia series up to this point. The Magician's Nephew and the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe were 5 star efforts for sure. The 1 bump in the road was the Horse and His Boy which bored me so much I could never get very far into it. Prince Caspian was a worthy 4 star effort and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader another 5. star book. So how does the Silver Chair stack up? Well,the Silver Chair is a bit slow in the middle and is not one of the best Narnia books. However,it's still a very good story and is well worth reading. One of the strongest points of this story is the setup. In the 2nd chpter,we see Aslan give 1st time Narnian Jill Pole the 4 signs by which to guide her and her friend Eustace's quest. Jill struggles with the signs,but the 4th 1 proves crucial at a very key moment. And the events that unfold during and after the key task are accomplished are fascinating. This novel has a vey strong beginning and end. It does get a bit slow at times in the middle,espically at the start of Jill's and Eustace's journey before they reach the giants house. Overall though,the Silver Chair is an interesting and well told story that is ultimately a satisfying read. 4 out of 5 stars.

The Silver Chair had a very different feel in the beginning from the previous installments, but as the adventure grew, so did my fondness for the characters, mostly new to the reader. I ended up liking this story very much as it advanced. Very fun read.

Dive into the world of Narnia with new fantastic characters, stunning new settings, and much more! Time has gone by in Narnia, and King Caspian is old and wrinkled, his son has gone missing. Where is he?In this thrilling novel, Jill and Eustace set out on a quest with Aslan himself, facing unimaginable dangers and a visit to the underworld.Read the book to find out what happens!-Scarlett

We ordered the Kindle version after discovering that we somehow didn't bring our paper copies when we moved last spring. Oops. My husband and I have read all of the Narnia books multiple times, but this is the first time that my kids have been old enough to understand and be interested.On all levels this is a wonderful story. On a simple level it is entertaining, fast moving and relatively short. The language is, like all of C.S. Lewis' writing, superb. The character of Puddleglum is pure gold-- an incredibly interesting and memorable character with some really fun quotable lines.On a deeper level this book is super encouraging. C.S. Lewis was a Christian, and this novel speaks strongly to a couple of points: the necessity of daily reminding ourselves of God's Word (because the world is complicated, confusing and deceitful and it is easy to get turned around), and that God's faithfulness to us is not dependent on our faithfulness to Him or our getting everything right. Without giving too much of a spoiler, my favorite part of the book is near the end, when the main characters find themselves facing a direct attack of the equivalent of the serpent in the garden; the enemy, in the guise of a friend, whispering "logical" arguments to them to convince them that everything they know to be true is just their imagination. How they are freed from this situation you will have to read the book to find out!

Arrived new but not a very well done movie. Donated.