75 Years of Narnia: Ranking the Chronicles

On this day (#NarniaDay) in 1950, C.S. Lewis introduced the world to the land of Narnia with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Although Lewis did not originally intend to write any sequels, it was only the first of the seven Chronicles of Narnia.

But which Narnia book is the best?

To mark the 75th anniversary, we asked the NarniaWeb global community to submit their top 3 favorite Narnia books and received an overwhelming response! Here are the results along with just a few of the hundreds of comments we received.

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#7

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia

3% voted 1st place
22% placed in the top 3

I like Prince Caspian most, because of the animal-characters, that are in it and also the magic and beauty of Narnia, like the trees and the dwarves. I also feel like in most of the following books (chronological order), it’s only getting worse and worse for Narnia.

The real DLF

I love the Pevensies regaining some of their old courage, strength and skill as the Narnian air begins to work on them. In particular, the boys remembering how to be kingly, and High King Peter–unlike in the movie–assuring Caspian that he is there to help Caspian gain his throne, not to supplant him.

Constant Reader

#6

The Last Battle

7% voted 1st place
32% placed in the top 3

The Last Battle always felt like the perfect culmination to the series! As a child my heart broke when I thought it was the end of the world I had come to love. But when you find out that it was really just a temporal place that alluded to something even more real and magnificent, gave me so much hope that it is the same way for our own world. That it’s truly “only the beginning of the real story,” and that one day we will also be reunited with all of our friends of old.

Maria

At first, I hated it because it didn’t feel anything like the other books. It was just one bad thing after another, but when Lewis made the pivot, it went from my least favorite to my most favorite. It was a shock. The definition of a eucatastrophe.

Son of Aslan

#5

The Silver Chair

12% voted 1st place
42% placed in the top 3

The mood of The Silver Chair is so wonderful and contrary to many of the other books. Everything is grey, grumpy, sinister, sad. We visit ruins, cannibalistic castles, dystopic underground cities. Lewis does so much excellent expanding and adding of the lore and cultures within Narnia that are mostly unique to this story. And Puddleglum’s speech is perfect. The victory is sweet and personal. Yes, Narnia is spared an invasion. But it’s really about the saving of one lost soul from the power of lies and misery.

Forrest

The Silver Chair is my favourite Narnia Chronicle because of the rustic wintry setting and the heart behind it, that Eustace is trying to find the son of his good friend Caspian.

Jonathan Paravel

#4

The Magician’s Nephew

12% voted 1st place
44% placed in the top 3

I grew up reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and I can distinctly remember when my mom read me The Magicians Nephew before bed and having the realization of how things came to be in Narnia. The lamp-post “growing” because the witch throws the iron rod–love details like that. I grew up a believer so we were big on after reading, discussing what biblical truths we could find in that section of the book (we did that in all the books).  I don’t know, these books hold a special place in my heart and I will love them forever!!

Sarah Brannon

I think the protagonists are the best in the entire series; they’re deep, nuanced, and work as well together as they do separately. Their first scene together is quick, a brief exchange on a single page, but you immediately bond with them. All the characters are magnificent; the villains bring up this issue of greed beautifully. The book has a super creative magic system and travel mechanism; it’s basically a multiverse, which is really cool to read. Besides learning about the origins of several characters and elements we’ve seen in other books, this story also stands on its own. Finally, the creation of Narnia scene is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever read.

Hanna Bianca

#3

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

12% voted 1st place
45% placed in the top 3

It has the best opening line of any of the Narnia books, and one of the greatest of all time, standing equal with the openings of Pride and Prejudice, The Hobbit, and A Tale of Two Cities

Luthien3720

You really feel so connected to each character. Eustace as he transforms from cruel to kind, Caspian as he grows more confident, Reepicheep as he befriends Eustace, and Lucy in the magician’s house.

Anna Kate

The imagery towards the end when they’re sailing to the end of the world is immaculate; sailing through the sea of lilies, drinking the seawater, and always being in awed, hushed reverence as the sun grows brighter always fills me with peace.

Joey

#2

The Horse and His Boy

20% voted 1st place
47% placed in the top 3

“I was the lion!” I love that line so much I got it tattooed! It sums up why The Horse and His Boy is my favorite book. Aslan seems to be absent for the majority of the story, but in that moment your understanding is flipped on its head and you see how he has been working providentially throughout Shasta’s life!

Matt

The Horse and His Boy just has this timeless feel too it. Almost like you can go on reading it over and over again and not get tired of it. Even though the plot is pretty predictable it still invites you too keep reading it. The characters are funny and loveable (I especially enjoyed the rivalry between Cor and Aravis) and the story itself is relatable. In my opinion it’s the most heartwarming Narnia book in the series.

Jessica

I appreciate how unapologetically different it is from the other six in that, while the others follow characters from our world, this is the only book that mainly follows a character from the world of Narnia. But more than its novelty, I appreciate the main character’s journey. Shasta’s story begins almost like that of Moses: being found as a baby in a small boat and raised in a country that is somewhat opposed to his own people. Yet he increasingly becomes interested in the land of his origin, not knowing that Aslan would use him to help rescue his people and those of Narnia. I also love the dramatic irony of Shasta meeting the Pevensie children as adult kings and queens. To those familiar with Narnia it’s like having two of your friends meet who don’t know each other. Dearest of all to me is the journey of Shasta feeling lost, confused, and chased only to realize that Aslan, whom he didn’t know, had been helping, protecting, and comforting him from the beginning.

Friend of Shasta

#1

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

31% voted 1st place
66% placed in the top 3

Yes, it’s the most popular, but there is a reason for that. There is undeniable magic in our introduction to Narnia. Lucy walking through the wardrobe into the wintry forest is iconic. Aslan sacrificing himself on the Stone Table poignantly rips away hope from the reader, only for it to be restored with his resurrection. There’s a reason I’m a grown man and still check the backs of wardrobes to this day.

Wardrobe Door (Aaron)

It’s a stand-alone story (doesn’t need the others to support it); tells a version of the great story of Salvation; contains realistic characters and development; is set in its own world with creatures and landscape; has historical credibility for its setting (draws me into England at the time my parents were the ages of Susan and Peter, as well as into Narnia); leaves us feeling good at the end.

Coracle

The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe is simply the epitome of magic! It’s the beginning of the adventures in Narnia for the Pevensies ! It’s all about courage & strength & love & family & sacrifice! The connections to the Bible in this story specifically have strengthened my faith and love for Jesus so deeply. I get a special beautiful feeling when I read these books, one I haven’t found anywhere else on earth. And I am forever grateful for the way these characters have changed my life forever in the most beautiful way. They’re simply ineffable.

Abby Harris

It just heals my heart.

Askgilla

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A Good Number

A few years after The Last Battle was published, a reader wrote to Lewis asking if they should expect anymore Narnia stories. “I’m afraid there will not be any more of them,” Lewis replied. “You see, once a story stops telling itself to me inside my head–like a tap turned off–I can’t go on. And if I tried to, it would only sound forced. Anyway, seven is a good number.”

Thank you for voting, NarniaWebbers!