The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe & The Golden Compass
"It takes 'Once upon a time' to reach the heart." - Philip Pullman
Today we’re doing things a little differently and bringing a pairing to the podcast for discussion: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis and The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. It was a daunting task to cover both these well-loved classics in a single episode, but the ensuing conversation was rich and rewarding. We touch on our past experience with each book, what we loved about revisiting both of these fantasy worlds, and the philosophical under- (or should we say over-?) tones of each book. Then we contrast each classic’s views on the nature of childhood and the experience of growing up, and end with some musings on the role of children’s literature in ethical and moral exploration. And, yes, we do manage to get a few additional pairings in there as well!
This is a packed episode but we still only managed to touch on a handful of the questions these books inspire. We’re looking forward to discussing both The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe & The Golden Compass TONIGHT at 7pm ET with our Patreon Lit Scholars. It’s not too late to join us for what is sure to be a thoughtful, nostalgic, and passionate conversation. Head to patreon.com/novelpairings to sign up and join us!
Here are a few links on Narnia, His Dark Materials, Lewis, and Pullman to enrich your listening:
Reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with C.S. Lewis (cslewis.org)
Far from Narnia: Philip Pullman’s secular fantasy for children (New Yorker)
Why was Turkish Delight C.S. Lewis’s guilty pleasure? (JSTOR)
We’ve loved reading children’s fantasy classics this month, and we’re looking forward to diving into historical fiction in March with Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and Catherine Called Birdy. Throughout the month, we will have a variety of bonus episodes and events to help you read deeper and more critically. It’s never too late to join our community. We have a whole backlog of classes and content for you to enjoy and welcome you to our events no matter how far you’ve read in the book (or whether you read it at all!). March is going to be a fantastic month of reading and learning, filled with lively conversations you won’t want to miss! Come join the coziest, nerdiest community on the internet.
We hope you enjoy today’s episode and are looking forward to an incredible semester filled with fantastical journeys, coming-of-age stories, orphans, scamps, and more!
Happy Kid Lit Reading,
Chelsey & Sara