A Guide Through Narnia

Book excerpt: A Guide Through Narnia was one of the first in-depth studies of C.S. Lewis's seven Chronicles of Narnia. The focus and organization of this revised and expanded edition is on why Lewis wrote the books as fairy tales, the best "Form" for his ideas. It is written for both students and scholars who want to expand their understanding of these popular classics. Chapters include: -Seeing Pictures: How the books were written, chronological summaries, publication history -Selecting the Ideal Form: Why Lewis chose the fairy tale form, fairy tale elements and style -Seeing Man as Hero: Child heroes -Stealing Past Dragons: Characteristics of religious fantasy, allegory and "supposition," Christian elements -Stepping Through the Door: Themes and effects of fantasy -Dictionary of Names and Places Martha C. Sammons is Professor of English at Wright State University.