This is possibly my favourite Narnia, but I'd not paid much attention to the landscape, so thank you. I'd not put two and two together and realised the marshes were the Fens, and you are right, it feels very authentic and that surely does ground the more fantastical elements. I don't remember Jill crying that much though!
If I had my copy to hand I'd go and count up the crying (I am a Jill fan). I think of her as quite resourceful. I do remember her doing a line in nauseating girliness in Harfang, but as that was all to gull the Giants it was to her credit.
Thank you for another immersion in Narnia, Shelley. I'd almost forgotten this book until I read your comment about Jill bursting into tears every five minutes. The landscape descriptions are very evocative, but that map looks positively Tolkien-esque. A nod to the Inklings, perhaps?
I agree with you about The Last Battle (more on that next month!) and thanks for sharing your post. I really must go back to Alan Garner, I've recently read his Powsels and Thrums' which was brilliant.
I'll look forward to reading that! I haven't read Powsels and Thrums - yet. If you do revisit the Weirdstone trilogy and can figure out what happened in Boneland, please do let me know. I'm genuinely baffled.
This is possibly my favourite Narnia, but I'd not paid much attention to the landscape, so thank you. I'd not put two and two together and realised the marshes were the Fens, and you are right, it feels very authentic and that surely does ground the more fantastical elements. I don't remember Jill crying that much though!
I didn't think it's too much of a stretch to imagine that Lewis knew the Fens around Cambridge and used the landscape as inspiration here.
(I may have slightly exaggerated the frequency for comic effect, but there is nevertheless quite a lot of crying.)
If I had my copy to hand I'd go and count up the crying (I am a Jill fan). I think of her as quite resourceful. I do remember her doing a line in nauseating girliness in Harfang, but as that was all to gull the Giants it was to her credit.
Thank you for another immersion in Narnia, Shelley. I'd almost forgotten this book until I read your comment about Jill bursting into tears every five minutes. The landscape descriptions are very evocative, but that map looks positively Tolkien-esque. A nod to the Inklings, perhaps?
Could be. All of Pauline Baynes’ maps for the series are in that style and it's possible she was influenced by Tolkien's maps.
Possibly my favourite of the books. Definitely in the top six!
Which one is languishing in 7th place?
The Last Battle. Check out my most recent post (coincidence, honest!)
https://talkaboutpopculture.substack.com/
I agree with you about The Last Battle (more on that next month!) and thanks for sharing your post. I really must go back to Alan Garner, I've recently read his Powsels and Thrums' which was brilliant.
I'll look forward to reading that! I haven't read Powsels and Thrums - yet. If you do revisit the Weirdstone trilogy and can figure out what happened in Boneland, please do let me know. I'm genuinely baffled.
I haven't read Boneland at all yet but I'm intrigued so will hunt down a copy!
I am so enjoying this series and after reading this I feel I must return to reading them again. Thank you!
Thank you so much!