XPost: alt.usage.english, rec.arts.books.childrens, alt.books.cs-lewis   
   From: hayesmstw@hotmail.com   
      
   On Sat, 29 Apr 2006 19:06:54 +0100, JF  wrote:   
      
   >X-No-Archive: yes   
   >   
   >In message <6u47521ohutbmb25iu5japu328evo6ra3t@4ax.com>, Steve Hayes   
   > writes   
   >   
   >>I quote the opening paragraph"   
   >   
   >I've already done that!   
   >>   
   >>"This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather   
   >>was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the   
   comings   
   >>and goings between our world and the land of Narnia first began."   
   >>   
   >>It assumes that the reader *already* knows about "all the comings and goings   
   >>between our world and the land of Narnia", and sets out to explain the origin   
   >>of a phenomenon already familiar to the reader.   
   >   
   >Where on earth did you get that bizarre idea from? Look -- let me spell   
   >it out for you. Volume 1 in any chronicles means the first book. It   
   >doesn't matter when the volume was written. Volume 1 of The Narnia   
   >Chronicles is 'The Magician's Nephew'. One means the first. Say it to   
   >yourself over and over again. Sorry about the big words.   
      
   Is there any evidence at all that it was called "The chronicles of Narnia"   
   during his life time? I doubt it. He wrote a book called "The lion, the witch   
   and the wardrobe", a stand-alone book, complete in itself. When it proved   
   popular, he wrote a sequel, "Prince Caspian", and so eventually there were   
   seven books, but until some time after his death "The lion, the witch and the   
   wardrobe" was Book 1 in boxed sets. And I don't think the boxed sets were   
   called "The chronicles of Narnia". That's a recent innovation, as is calling   
   is "spce trilogy" "The cosmic trilogy" - a posthumous publishing decision.   
   Perhaps your publishers might decide to do something similar with some of your   
   writings when you pop your clogs.   
      
   >Right. Now for the second phase in the awesome task of spreading   
   >enlightenment. Volume 2 in any chronicles mean the second book. In The   
   >Narnia Chronicles it's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'. Just to   
   >be helpful, in the boxed set Volume 2 is printed on the paperback's   
   >spine just above the title: LWW. Not Volume 6 or 9, or even 69. But   
   >Volume 2.   
      
   But in this case, however bizarre in may appear, the books themselves preceded   
   the "chronicles". They were not conceived or not published as "chronicles"   
   until much later. It is an anachronism (sorry about the big word, but I can't   
   think of a shorter one).   
      
   >To recap: the first book is volume 1, the second book is volume 2. The   
   >third book, A Horse and his Boy, is marked 3. Are you beginning to see a   
   >pattern emerging?   
      
   The first book, "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe" is Volume I, later   
   changed to Volume II. The second book, "Prince Caspian", is Volume II, but I'm   
   not sure where they put it now, not that it matters.   
      
   >I was going to remove the cross-posts because I avoid posting to groups   
   >I don't subscribe to. I thought it would be a kindness to you, then I   
   >saw that it looked to me as if you'd added them in the first place.   
      
   Yes, I did add them, because the original poster was asking for advice on   
   reading Lewis's books, and especially his children's books, and the other   
   groups might be better sources of advice than aue.   
      
      
   --   
   Steve Hayes   
   Web: http://www.geocities.com/hayesstw/stevesig.htm   
        http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Methodius   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)