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Have you never read Narnia, or do you want a child to discover it? Here is a path in five steps.

The first step

Un enfant et un adulte lisent au coin du feu

The first step

Five steps through the door

Have you never read Narnia, or do you want a child to discover it? The path is five steps.

Lucy steps into the snow through the coats

Step 1

Through the wardrobe

Begin with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It is the first book written, the shortest and the best known.

Step 2

Choose what comes next

Then Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The Magician's Nephew reads very well as a return to the beginning.

The children find their palace overgrown by the forest

Step 3

Explore the world

Characters, places, creatures and objects. The map and the history help you find your bearings across the centuries.

Step 4

Understand what you have read

Aslan, the myths, Lewis's sources: keys for going further than the adventure.

Step 5

Meet Lewis

A boy who lost his mother, a wounded soldier, a professor, Tolkien's friend.

An Oxford professor's study in the 1940s

The seven Chronicles

Begin with the Wardrobe.
Spoiler-free summaries on each book page.
Keys for reading, and Lewis's life, if you want to go further.

Step 1: through the wardrobe

Begin with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It is the first book written, the shortest and the best known. From the age of eight, whether read alone or aloud, it takes only a few evenings. Read the spoiler-free summary on its page first, then the book. Look at the full summary only afterwards.

Step 2: choosing what comes next

Two orders are possible: the order of publication, and the order of the story, which current French editions follow. Our advice: after the wardrobe, go on with Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; The Magician's Nephew reads very well as a return to the origins, before or after Prince Caspian. Following the order of the French editions is no problem either. All the arguments are in Which order to read the Chronicles?, and the seven books are presented in The seven Chronicles.

Step 3: exploring the world

After each book, look through the entries: the characters, the places, the creatures, the objects. The entries contain spoilers, but they are always marked. The general map and the history of Narnia help you find your bearings across the centuries.

Step 4: understanding what you have read

Narnia reads as an adventure. To go further, several articles offer keys: who is Aslan?, the myths, Lewis's sources of inspiration, the Christian reading, presented with nuance, and the question of allegory. Everything begins with How to approach Narnia?.

Step 5: meeting Lewis

Behind the wardrobe there is a fascinating man: a boy who lost his mother, a wounded soldier, a professor, Tolkien's friend, a man who came to love late in life. His page, his biography, his chronology and his bibliography open the door to his other books.

For parents

The books suit children from 7 or 8 when read with an adult, and from 9 or 10 when read alone.
The Last Battle is the darkest: the end of the world and death take a large place in it. It may raise questions, and that is all to the good.
The films (2005, 2008, 2010) can extend the reading, but they change the books a great deal: see the differences between the books and the films.
Everything is set out in our guide for parents and teachers.
Still a question? See the frequently asked questions. And for playing as a family: the Narnia quiz, the Turkish Delight recipe and the calendar of dates to celebrate.

And then?

A precise question? Narnia and Lewis in 34 answers.
In the mood to play? The games room: the Turkish Delight recipe, the calendar of Narnian dates.
Who is who? The great register of characters.

Where would you like to go?

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