You know that specific smell of an old bookstore? It's a mix of vanilla, dust, and maybe a little bit of magic. That’s exactly what hits you when you crack open a fresh Chronicles of Narnia box set. It’s weird, honestly. C.S. Lewis wrote these books over seventy years ago, yet they still feel like they were written yesterday for a kid sitting under a tree.
Most people start with a lion, a witch, and a literal piece of furniture. But there is a massive, ongoing debate that splits the fandom right down the middle: how do you actually read them? If you buy a modern box set today, it’s probably numbered 1 through 7 starting with The Magician's Nephew. This drives the old-school purists absolutely insane. They’ll tell you that starting anywhere other than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a crime against literature. They might be right.
The Great Ordering Debate: Publication vs. Chronological
If you pick up a Chronicles of Narnia box set at a shop like Barnes & Noble or order it on Amazon, the spines usually tell a specific story. They want you to read the "history" of Narnia from the creation of the world to its end.
- The Magician's Nephew
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- The Horse and His Boy
- Prince Caspian
- The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
- The Silver Chair
- The Last Battle
Here’s the thing: C.S. Lewis didn't write them in that order. Not even close. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe came out in 1950. The Magician's Nephew, which is the "prequel," didn't show up until 1955. When you read the prequel first, you lose the mystery. You already know where the lamp-post came from. You already know who the Professor is. It’s like watching the Star Wars prequels before the original trilogy—it works, but you miss the "I am your father" moment of surprise.
Lewis himself actually weighed in on this. In 1957, a young fan named Laurence wrote to him asking about the order. Laurence's mother thought they should be read chronologically. Lewis wrote back saying he basically agreed with the kid. He thought the chronological order was probably better. But scholars like Walter Hooper have spent decades arguing that the publication order preserves the specific "unveiling" of the world that Lewis intended.
Why the Physical Box Set Matters in a Digital World
We live in a world of Kindles and iPads. So why does the Chronicles of Narnia box set remain a top-seller every single year? It’s the art.
Let's talk about Pauline Baynes. She was the original illustrator, and Lewis actually admitted her drawings were better than his own descriptions. Her pen-and-ink work defines Narnia. When you see a map of Narnia folded into the back of a box set, it isn't just a piece of paper. It’s a portal.
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Modern sets sometimes use movie tie-in covers. Avoid those. Seriously. There is something fundamentally "Narnian" about the classic illustrations that the CGI films couldn't quite capture. The tactile experience of pulling a slim paperback out of a tight cardboard slipcase is a core memory for millions of readers.
The HarperCollins Influence
HarperCollins has held the rights for a long time now. They’ve experimented with every format imaginable. Hardcover, mass-market paperback, "signature" editions with gold foil. The most common version you’ll find is the 1994-standardized edition. This is the one that permanently cemented the chronological ordering as the "official" way.
Deep Cuts: What Most People Forget
Everyone remembers Lucy Pevensie meeting Tumnus. It's iconic. But Narnia is so much weirder and darker than the Disney movies let on.
Take The Horse and His Boy. It’s basically a desert western set in a fantasy world. It doesn't even take place in Narnia for most of the book; it’s set in Calormen. It deals with some pretty heavy themes—slavery, forced marriage, and identity. It’s often the "forgotten" book in the Chronicles of Narnia box set, yet it’s many critics' favorite because it’s a standalone story that enriches the lore without relying on the Pevensie kids.
Then there’s The Last Battle.
Wow.
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If you haven't read it since you were ten, go back. It’s intense. It’s about the end of the world, false prophets (Shift the Ape is a terrifyingly relevant villain), and a literal apocalypse. Lewis wasn't pulling punches. He was writing for children, sure, but he treated them like adults who could handle big, scary ideas.
The Inklings and the Oxford Connection
You can't really talk about this box set without mentioning J.R.R. Tolkien. They were best friends. They sat in a pub called the Eagle and Child in Oxford and read their drafts out loud.
Tolkien actually hated Narnia.
He thought it was too jumbled. He didn't like that Lewis mixed Greek myths (centaurs and fauns) with Father Christmas and talking beavers. Tolkien spent years perfecting the linguistics of Middle-earth; Lewis just threw everything he loved into a pot and stirred. But that’s why Narnia works. It’s a dream-logic world. It doesn't need a 500-page appendix on elvish verbs to feel real. It feels real because of the emotions.
The Spiritual Undercurrent
It is no secret that Lewis was a Christian apologist. Aslan is a Christ figure. But you don't have to be religious to appreciate the Chronicles of Narnia box set. The books stand as incredible feats of imagination regardless of your worldview.
Lewis called it "baptizing the imagination." He wanted to create stories that made people feel the "taste" of certain virtues—courage, honesty, sacrifice—before they ever encountered those words in a textbook or a sermon.
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Buying Guide: What to Look For
If you’re looking to buy a set for yourself or a kid, don't just grab the first one you see. Look for these specific details:
- Illustration Quality: Ensure it includes the Pauline Baynes drawings. Some cheap editions strip these out or shrink them until they’re unreadable.
- The "Full-Color" Trap: There are editions where the Baynes drawings are colored in by other artists. Some people love this; others think it ruins the classic look. Check the interior before you buy.
- Hardcover vs. Paperback: The paperbacks are great for reading in bed, but the spines break easily because the books are quite thin. If this is a "forever" gift, go for the cloth-bound hardcovers.
The Netflix Factor
Netflix bought the rights to Narnia a few years back. Greta Gerwig is slated to direct. This means the Chronicles of Narnia box set is about to get a massive surge in popularity again. Prices usually spike when a new trailer drops, so if you've been eyeing a high-quality collector's edition, now is probably the time to pull the trigger.
Why We Keep Coming Back
Narnia is about the longing for something "else." That feeling when you’re a kid and you just know the world is bigger than school and chores.
The box set is a physical manifestation of that hope. It’s seven separate doors. You can finish The Voyage of the Dawn Treader—which is essentially a series of short stories about greed, dragons, and the edge of the world—and immediately jump into the subterranean gloom of The Silver Chair.
The variety is staggering.
One book is a high-seas adventure, the next is a political thriller about a kidnapped prince in an underground kingdom, and the one after that is a creation myth.
Actionable Steps for New (and Old) Readers
If you have a Chronicles of Narnia box set sitting on your shelf, or you're about to buy one, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Try the Publication Order First: If you’re a first-time reader, start with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Then read Prince Caspian, Dawn Treader, Silver Chair, Horse and His Boy, Magician's Nephew, and finally The Last Battle. This is how the world was revealed to the public, and it keeps the mysteries intact.
- Read Out Loud: These books were meant to be heard. If you have kids, read a chapter a night. The prose is rhythmic and clear, making it perfect for bedtime.
- Look at the Map: Don't skip the maps. Trace the journey from Cair Paravel to the Lone Islands. It helps ground the "dream-logic" of the world into something tangible.
- Check for the "Unfinished" Bits: After you finish the set, look up The Wood Between the Worlds—an unfinished fragment Lewis started. It gives a glimpse into how he built his multiverses.
Narnia isn't just a series of children's stories. It's a foundational piece of Western fantasy. It’s about the fact that even if you grow up and "get too old" for fairy tales, you eventually reach an age where you start reading them again. That’s a Lewis quote, by the way. He was right. You’re never too old for the wardrobe.