THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA [The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe]
Yes, you could see two books in the picture but sad to say due to the unrelenting wave of responsibilities piling up on my stack of unfinished tasks, I only managed to finish the one with the movie version already, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.
However, I've read some 1/4th of the 3rd one in the row entitled The Horse and His Boy but I'll just talk about it as soon as I manage to complete all of my tasks at hand.
Well, Narnia is actually a book which could be most appropriately given to growing up children for I personally find it to be written for them. The story is told in simple terms which virtually everyone could understand and contains out-of-this world points which most likely would be of interest to young boys and girls.
The plotline is simple and every bits and pieces of the story could all be recalled in a flash top it up with illustrations which could eventually foster faster comprehension to its readers.
Although the universe of the story could, in some ways be similar to that of TLOTR and HP Series, i find it very short to the point that it seems I was deprived of vital circumstances that could have pointed the reason as to why this or that happened. I hate to say this , but the story seemed dull. Add up the scarcity of characters who most likely are very hard to picture in mind should illustrations were not present.
I've seen the movie and it seemed better than how it went in the book. I did not picture a whole battlefield with green grass enveloping the travelers who come in search for Aslan nor did I vision a batallion of gargoyles, tree ghosts, elves, dwarves and trolls battling under the evil queen's command. Neither did I saw a good battle between the protagonists and the antagonist. It all seemed to me as children on stage portraying the character traits suggested in the book. It's dull, truly dull and I honestly felt the hunger for more DETAILS.
I should say now that it was due to the book that I learned the importance of side stories which frequently adds more volume to novels. It quenches the reader's thirst for something to ponder about which later in the story could give dramatic changes to how readers hoped or foresaw the whole story to end.
The bottomline, The Chronicles of Narnia, with all its seven books did not much satisfied my craving for a world I longed to be utterly familiar with. It is indeed a children's book as its label suggests.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS [The Fellowship of the Ring]
You are right if you've guessed that the book is thickly clad with descriptions ranging from the clothing of the characters to the weather situation as it happens in the story. TLOTR is definitely the opposite of Narnia.
The universe of the story is richly written in carefuly selected and arranged prose narratives making it as vivid as the real world can be. What particularly amazes me is that it seemed to me as if the writer, J.R.R. Tolkien really did made some sort of a History of Hobbits to the point that it's not a fiction but a revealing fact. I've felt that with Tolkien's narrative. And it could have possibly been even more clearer to me if ever I've read the prequel first to the series, entitled The Hobbits before leafing through the pages of the first one.
But with that, it had been so confusing on my part. When I was in some 1/4th of the story already, only then that I found that Hobbits, Elves, Dwarves, Men and wizards in the story share similar attributes physically, only, they differ in height and ornaments that they put in their bodies.
I usually picture an elf and dwarf to have an image that is very far from that of humans, and so as hobbits, if ever they've been a part of folk tales.
Yes, the plotline seemed realistic due to the clarity of descriptions, but sometimes, I feel the whole novel is outpouring with unnecessary points which could be trimmed out to achive brevity and speedy comprehension.
It's much like those classic novels containing an immense number of descriptions that could have been written rather simpler than the way they are seen today.
I came to the point that I am totally intrigued about what would come next but due to the overwhelming statements and unworthy citations I literally fall out of my desire to finish the whole story.
I even had resigned to continue reading it at one point but with my inclination to know what happens next won over my boredom. Thank God or else you probably won't be seing this review.
Nonetheless, overall, I should argue that the story is worthy of being comapred to Rowling's books for it somewhat contains the same elements which readers of Harry Potter have found very exciting and worth finishing to the very end.
HARRY POTTER SERIES
The picture is a shelf-ful of my potter books. the first six are of course in paperback covers since it has just been recently that I discovered its wonders and the seventh one, the hard cover. But as soon as I leave school to pursue my goals, I'll find a way to buy the first six in hard cover version and I would be happier if I could buy it personally in a bookstore from the U.S. Hehe..
Now with my review. Without bias or anything, I should say that the Potter series still hold the number one spot on my list with regards to these three books.
It's detailed and is written in the simple lexicon having a world that is richly painted with characters and settings that highly supports the narratives. It's as if a reality brought in print and an interesting historical record of a boy who, at first do not contain the bearing of a hero, as literature defines it, or a powerful protagonist who could blow away adversities and hindrances in a flash.
In my opinion, the subtlety of the friends C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have all been combined in the head of Rowling, less the negative sides of the former and more of the creative side of the latter.
As you continue reading the potter books, it's as if for every event in the story is a climax which later on would be replaced by an increasing feeling of satisfaction as the story nears its end.
And in every volume is an ever-perplexing twist which could paint a smile on reader's faces after saying "I thought the story would end this way..." then after finally releasing the copy from the tight grip, "... but better end it that way..."
**More to follow...
Please leave some trace by commenting on what you've read.. thank you.
Posted by Nicky Guinto on December 28, 2007 at 10:16 AM in Books at Friendster Blogs
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