Dragaera

A question re: Beginning Fantasy for Youth

David Dyer-Bennet dd-b at dd-b.net
Mon Nov 25 09:38:53 PST 2002

Matthew Hunter <matthew at infodancer.org> writes:

> On Mon, Nov 25, 2002 at 10:34:00AM -0600, David Dyer-Bennet <dd-b at dd-b.net> wrote:
> > "Casey Rousseau" <casey at trinityhartford.org> writes:
> > > Rachel wrote:
> > > > The only caution about Narnia is I wouldn't recommend it to someone of
> > > > Arabic background, at least not _Horse & His Boy_. I have a friend who
> > > > was amazed that her boyfriend hadn't read them, and then after
> > > > re-reading them decided not to suggest he read it, because he's Iranian
> > > > and these days is a little sensitive about that. CS Lewis was way too
> > > > obvious about his own prejudices in that book.
> > > Yes.  In case anyone is not aware, Narnia is fairly explicitly Christian
> > > allegory.  For that matter, so is Ender's Game, but Ender seems to slip
> > > under most people's radar.  Card and Lewis are two writers who make no bones
> > > about their religious beliefs.  To me it enriches their fiction, but YMMV.
> > Fascinating.  Narnia ticked me off, but Ender's Game which I read
> > *much* later slipped completely past me.  In fact I really can't see
> > any allegory there even now.
> 
> Ender's Game seems clean to me too.  The later books are a little 
> more arguable, and certain of Card's work is very explicitly 
> religious.

Like _Saints_, for example?  Didn't bother me a bit there, since it
clearly belonged.  

> As for Narnia, no denying the allegory, but it's a good story 
> nonetheless.  It's not a book that tries to convert you, it's 
> just told from an explicitly Christian viewpoint.  

That's what bugged me, it's *not* explicitly christian.  It's a
fantasy world, with non-christian fantasy religious elements, which he
whips the covers off at the end and blatantly associates with
christianity.  That's what pissed me off about it.
-- 
David Dyer-Bennet, dd-b at dd-b.net  /  http://www.dd-b.net/dd-b/
 John Dyer-Bennet 1915-2002 Memorial Site http://john.dyer-bennet.net
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