Another Narnia?

I can’t help but feel that if C.S. Lewis had lived in the 21st century, the books he wrote that comprise the Chronicles of Narnia would be condemned by some for being too religious, and by others for not being sufficiently religious. Likewise, Tolkien’s books might share a similar fate.

Why do I Think That?

Things have changed since they wrote. Because it has held to biblical morality, Christianity has fallen out of favor among the intelligentsia, who work very hard to malign the Christian faith. Some Christians have over-reacted to this, rejecting anything that smacks of sorcery, magic, or secularism. So, the Chronicles of Narnia, beloved by Christians and non-Christians in the past are now read primarily by Christians. And some Christians condemn Gandolf’s sorcery, apparently not convinced the allegory contained in the Lord of the Rings rescues The Lord of the Rings and cannot purge it from the taint of evil.

Why do I care?

Because I just read F. E. Higgins’ book, The Black Book of Secrets.

I read a lot of children’s books. If you look at some of my earliest blog posts, I recommend books for boys, books for girls, and books to read aloud as a family. (I also recommend books for adults, too: murder mysteries by women and men, science fiction, fantasy, and so many more for adults that I’ve given up searching for links.)

This book for children was very different than any I have read. While only part way through, I wondered if I wasn’t reading another Chronicles of Narnia, if only because the moral underpinnings of the story seemed so obviously Christian, and yet, nothing Christian was ever mentioned, and the only remotely Christian character isn’t one to emulate. From what I can tell, the author may or may not be a Christian. Who can know at a distance unless someone declares her faith or lack of faith?

And so, I hesitate to recommend it

I hesitate only because I’m afraid I would scare off any non-Christian, even though I can’t imagine anyone offended by the morals that are subtly woven through the book.

I hesitate because I fear any Christian may choose to avoid the book because it isn’t overtly Christian, even though the theme of the story is astonishingly Christian-friendly.

But I recommend it anyway

This is a book that can be read at a superficial level just for the excellent prose, but it is also a book to discuss with an older child. Why does the main character, Ludlow Fitch, do what he does? Who is Joe Zabidou really, and what is he doing? What does Ludlow learn from him? And why doesn’t Joe intervene when everyone expects him to do so?

There is a small amount of inappropriate language in this books, so I would give it a PG rating. But the moral message of this book — which I stress is subtle and unobtrusive, makes it still worth the read.