Like The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, this--the fourth book in the series--deals with Aslan callingchildren from our world (Eustace, cousin of the Pevensys, and Jill, Eustace's somewhat priggishschoolmate) into Narnia to destroy a witch. But while they know he called them and that they are sent ona specific mission, they are not clear as to what that mission is until they almost blow their chance tocomplete it.
The Silver Chair's most memorable character--and possibly the most memorable (and this reviewer'sfavorite) of all the characters Lewis ever created--is the marshwiggle Puddleglum. Perpetually gloomy,he has apparently been chastised by other marshwiggles for being too flighty and bubbly. Through it all,though, Puddleglum proves to be the book's moral center, a character of unwavering loyalty to Aslan, thetask put before him and his Narnian ideals. He is also surprisingly brave.
One of the purposes of The Silver Chair is to introduce us to Aslan's Country. Is it heaven? Somethingmore? Something less? This book provides only glimpses of what the land is ultimately like, butreenforces the idea that what matter's about Aslan's Country is that Aslan is there.
Well written, The Silver Chair is surprisingly laconically paced for a road trip/adventure tale in which thefuture of the very world in question may be at stake. The characters are well-defined, with the villainsbeing (in the case of the bad giants) wildly overstated and (in the case of the witch) eerily understated. Lewis proves again that he is, if nothing else, a master of the written word. Lewis could write aboutgrass growing and it would interesting to read.
Additional Notes:
The Silver Chair is this reviewers second-favorite of the seven Chronicles of Narnia books. . . . How isthe witch in this story related to the one in the first story? Are they the same, or are they just supposedto be remarkably similar? Is there some message here about the true nature of evil?
