Thursday, August 30, 2001

The Voyage Of the Dawn Treader

by C.S. Lewis

In the third of the series, the elder children are gone, and in fact, it’s to be the younger children’s last voyage as well.  We are introduced to Eustace, a blister who is relieved of his sin (allegorically speaking, his dragon’s skin) by Aslan’s terrible, but gentle, claws.  The character of Reepicheep is fleshed out, and emphasis is put on honor and adventure.

Lewis’ economy of language is amazing; he writes simply, but says what needs saying.  And he straddles the fine line between adventure (addressing topics such as slavery, killing, feasting and even romance) and writing for children with Christian allegory in mind.  One has to admire his skill and precision in his prose and subject matter. 

[read twice]

four stars