The Magician's Nephew

 by C.S. Lewis

Libby audiobook 4 hours

read by: Kenneth Branagh

Published: 1955 (this version in 2005)

Genre: children's fantasy fiction

I have read this book before in print, but hadn't read it for quite a while. I like having audiobooks on my phone, especially for drive time. I didn't realize until just now (getting ready to blog it), that Kenneth Branagh was the narrator! I almost want to get it again and re-listen . . . 

I knew this was the Narnia "origin" story, but I didn't remember the details. (It's possible that more than twenty years have passed since I last read the book.) Uncle Andrew is a completely selfish jerk. Polly and Diggory are curious children. I liked the description of the "between" world. I really liked when they saw the guinea pig there!

 

The magic rings that transport them from world to world is an interesting device. (Lewis and Tolkien were contemporaries . . . )

The children going through the empty attic crawlspaces - such a kid thing to do!

The witch. Aslan. The animals. I had forgotten about Strawberry's master and his wife coming to be in Narnia. 

I very much enjoyed listening to this story.