Jamie Dacyczyn's Reviews > The Silver Chair

This is one of the Narnia books that I remember the least about. Since it doesn't involve any of the original four Pevensie children, I think I dismissed it a bit. I think I may have only read it once before....so this reread was pretty much a fresh start. I was surprised that I actually liked it. Not as much as "The Dawn Treader" or "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", but more than "The Horse and His Boy" or "The Magician's Nephew".

There were, of course, some moments of old timey misogyny, such as a repetition of the "fact" that girls can't keep maps in their heads and/or they don't know directions. I also find it a bit suspect that when it comes to beings that are true evil, they seem to be female: the White Witch and this serpent woman whose name I can't remember right now. There are bad guys that are men, of course, but they tend to just be greedy. Methinks C.S. Lewis may have some Lilith energy in mind when he's writing his baddies....

There was also one chapter where I reverted back to being a twelve year old. Our protagonists need to trick some giants into believing that they're quite happy being prisoners in a castle. "Gay!" one of the characters shouted. Then they kept exclaiming how they needed to be gay! They just kept using the word "gay", exclamation point! and I just couldn't help giggling. Who knew CSL was such an advocate? To make matters worse, Jill then ran around the castle, smiling prettily (being gay!), and then it said she "made love" to everyone in the castle. And later there was a line that referenced "hooters" outside the window. Listen, I can't be mature under these conditions. It was just too many things in one chapter.

Anyway, on to the last book!