The Narnia Tag!

 Good tidings my people!

Today is the last day of April, so May is almost upon us! Is it just me, or does May scream NARNIA? The snow is melting, flowers are starting to bloom, creation and adventure is everywhere, overall Aslan is on the move. Sure, I know that most people think of March or April in what I just described, but where I live the snow doesn’t usually melt until May and flowers definitely don’t come out before Mother’s Day. It can be like this in the earlier months, but we all know that it is an illusion and it is going to snow again.

(Which I am the cause of because I am Jadis the White Witch and proud of it.)

Since I am in such a nostalgic mood for Narnia, it is the perfect time to fill out a tag! This tag was bestowed upon me by two of my favorite peeps: Olivia @ Meanwhile in Rivendell and Sarah Seele @ Sixty Something Trees. Thanks, you two! You both know my love for Narnia so I appreciate it greatly.

I’m taking a small moment to mention that there are SPOILERS AHEAD. If you haven’t read ALL SEVEN BOOKS of the Chronicles of Narnia, then read no further! The Chronicles of Narnia is my favorite book series of all time, so I really don’t want the marvelous surprises taken away from you.

Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you

2. Rate your degree of “Narnia fanatic” (nostalgic, serious, maniacal)

3. Answer the questions below

4. Tag 5+ bloggers

5. Have fun!

Scale of Fanaticism:

1. Nostalgic Fanatic: You read the book and/or watched the movies as a child and the word Narnia gives you a warm feeling.

2. Serious Fanatic: You rediscovered the wonder of Narnia after you were older and have read the books and watched the movies.

3. Maniacal Fanatic: You have lived Narnia from childhood, hid in closets on more occasions than is healthy, have read and watched all the movies including the BBC version.

I protest! This isn’t fair! Anyone who knows me would tell you right away that I am a Maniacal Fanatic, but according to this I wouldn’t be because I haven’t seen the BBC version. Trust me, it’s not for lack of trying! I want to see it so badly but I haven’t had a chance.

I basically live and breathe Narnia. It fills me with an unimaginable joy every time I think of it. So I am breaking the rules and am calling myself a Queen Fanatic. You can surmise what that means.

Questions:

(Note, at first I was disappointed that there were only seven questions, but then I realized that’s because there are seven books so I highly approve)

1. Who’s your favorite Pevensie sibling?

I feel a wee bit called out as Olivia said that we in the Narnia fandom tend to not pick favorites, saying that all of them are the best and wonderful in their own way. Which is so try, man! They are the best! But, Olivia chose a favorite so I must too. I’m admitting something that I have never admitted before (besides to my sister a few weeks ago). I actually do have a favorite Pevensie.

Any guesses?

I feel like this Pevensie is the least appreciated of all of them.

I have seen people specially take time to mention all three of the others, but people say that this person is just kind of there.

That isn’t true. This character is one of the most amazing characters of all time and I relate to this person in a million ways.

They are all precious, but I have to admit this one is my favorite.

Peter.

People talk about how Edmund the Just has a heart-wrenching redemption arc. People talk about how Susan the Gentle was mistreated and deserved a better ending. People talk about how Lucy the Valiant is so pure and has a goodness and faith that exceeds all things.

I agree with all of those statements 100% and don’t want to down any of them because I love them all and wouldn’t change them for the world.

I just have a special place in my heart for Peter the Magnificent and it’s probably the fault of movies and William Mosley because they were my introduction to the world and I’ve been loving it ever since.

‘At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside.....Peter felt suddenly brace and adventurous.’

Just read or watch The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Everyone is always looking up to Peter and asking him what he thinks. He has to plan an army for crying out loud! He just wants to take care of his siblings and do the best for them. He is so humble, too! He was never cruel to Lucy when they all thought that she was making Narnia up, then as soon as he found out it was real he was sorry and asked for her forgiveness.

Source

In Prince Caspian I feel so much for him as he has the responsibility of guiding them all to where Caspian is. He is the leader and has to make big decisions which are usually having to split a vote. My favorite part of the whole series is the glorious scene where he apologizes to Aslan for having lead the group wrong and Aslan says to him, “My dear son.”

My heart can’t get any fuller.

Peter is my precious son and I will love him a bit more than the others for my whole life.

(I am also super bitter that in the movie they made him and Caspian hate each other because in the book both are so respectful of the other and it is the best dynamic. But other than that the movies are my favorites)

(I wrote this all before I learned that Megan Chappie feels the same way yet she beat me to publishing her post. You should check out hers HERE)

2. What is the most underrated Narnia book?

The Last Battle.

The first time I read it I hated it like so many others do. What?? This is how it all ends?

When I reread it in May of 2018 I went in without remembering a single thing that happened. I had read it so quickly and didn’t like it that I completely forgot what happened. I love that because it gave me a new chance to see it a different way.

Source

I do protest what happens to Susan, but that is my only problem with the book. It is profoundly beautiful and majestic and a perfect ending to a brilliant series.

Shift is so horribly manipulative yet REAL. I hardcore relate to Puzzle which probably isn’t good. C. S. Lewis gave us A UNICORN. Allllllllllllllll of it is fantastic and makes me weep with joy and sadness.

3. Who is your favorite Narnian king?

Frank the cabby! His reverence at Aslan and awe of the newly created world sparks wonder in me. He makes me cry. I mean, all of the books make me cry in someway, but it doesn’t make it any less special. I know that he and his wife, Helen, were the best first king and queen of Narnia that anyone could ask for.

Source

4. Who is your favorite Narnian queen?

I can’t pick between Susan and Lucy so I will stubbornly say both of them.

Source

5. Which non-human Narnian do you like best?

Like best? Who came up with this painful question??

Aslan is the given so we aren’t even going to include him. Of all the others, I have to say...Mr. Tumnus.

Once again, the deep nostalgia for the movies is coming through. I remember watching this movie about a war and not knowing what was going to come then suddenly Lucy was in a new world with a new friend. Mr. Tumnus brings a whole new level of happiness to my life.

AND (I can’t possibly narrow it down to a single creature) Puddleglum. He is my favorite wet blanket in the whole universe. I can’t hope to say anything original about him, but I’ll say this: His loyalty never fails to make me doubt less.

6. Which book deserves a movie?

I know that a lot of people don’t want to see them as movies but it was my introduction to the world so I really, really, really do. I have been wanting to see a movie of The Silver Chair ever since The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) came out. If they make that one (even though the actors are too old now) then they have to continue with the rest of the series!

What is the one thing you did as a Narnia fan that you do not regret?

No regrets! My birthday theme was Narnia a few years ago, I’ve hidden in closets millions of times and don’t think any of it is a waste of time.

Especially for all of the times that I’ve started at a painting of the ocean in my grandma’s basement hoping that it would move. I swore that it did once, just ever so slightly.

That’s it! A lot of people have done this tag already so I won’t nominate anyone new, but if you want to fill it out then please do! Thanks again to the ladies who tagged me!

Thanks to all of you for reading! Anyone shocked by my favorite Pevensie? Does anyone else love the movies like I do? How did you get into the Chronicles of Narnia?

MovieCritic

Inklings // July 2020: The Silver Chair

Hello, all my readers!

The first "blogging event" that I participated in, was a monthly link up called Inkling Explorations. It was hosted by Heidi, and this is how it worked: Each month she would have a prompt and bloggers could join in talking about their favorite scene from a book or movie that involved that. I participated in July 2016, August 2016, and September 2016. After that, Heidi stopped doing them.

Well, my exciting news for today is that Heidi has started them up on her blog Along the Brandywine! I am so pumped to be joining again!

July 2020's prompt: A scene on the edge of a cliff

Naturally, I'll be talking about one of the books from my favorite series, The Chronicles of Narnia! This excerpt (copied exactly from my edition) is from book 4, The Silver Chair. I love this book, and in fact, it is the only book that I have read three times! Enjoy this scene!

Note: There aren't spoilers here, as the scene I am putting happens in the first chapter, but you'll probably be very confused if you haven't read the pages that come before this.

'Right ahead there were no trees; only blue sky. They went straight on without speaking till suddenly Jill heard Scrubb say, "Look out!" and felt herself jerked back. They were at the very edge of a cliff.

Jill was one of those lucky people who have a good head for heights. She didn't mind in the least standing on the edge of a precipice. She was rather annoyed with Scrubb for pulling her back---"just as if I was a kid," she said---and she wrenched her hand out of his. When she saw how very white he had turned, she despised him.

"What's the matter?" she said. And to show that she was not afraid she stood very near the edge indeed; in fact, a good deal nearer than even she liked. Then she looked down.

She now realized that Scrubb had some excuse for looking white, for no cliff in out world is to be compared with this. Imagine yourself at the top of the very hightest cliff you know. And imagine yourself looking down to the very bottom. And them imagine that the precipice goes on below that, as far again, ten times as far, twenty times as far. And when you've looked down all that distance imagine little white things that might, at first glance, be mistaken for sheep, but presently you realise that they are clouds---not little wreathes of mist but the enormous white, puffy clouds which are themselves as big as most mountains. And at last, in between those clouds, you get your first glimpse of the real bottom, so far away that you can't make out whether it's field or wood, or land of water: further below those clouds than you are above them.

Jill stared at it. Then she thought the perhaps, after all, she would step back a foot or so from the edge; but she didn't like to for fear of what Scrubb would think. Then she suddenly decided that she didn't care what he thought, and that she would jolly well get away from that horrible edge and never laugh at anyone for not liking heights again. But when she tried to move, she found she couldn't. Her legs seemed to have turned into putty. Everything was swimming before her eyes.

"What are you doing, Pole? Come back---blithering little idiot!" shouted Scrubb. But his voice seemed to be coming from a long way off. She felt him grabbing at her. But by now she had no control over her own arms and legs. There was a moment's struggling on the cliff edge. Jill was too frightened and dizzy to know quite what she was doing, but two things she remembered as long as she lived (they often came back to her in dreams). One was that she had wrenched herself free of Scrubb's clutches; the other was that, at the same moment, Scrubb himself, with a terrified scream, had lost his balance and gone hurtling to the depths.

Fortunately she was given no time to think over what she had done. Some huge, brightly coloured animal had rushed to the edge of the cliff. It was lying down, leaning over, and (this was the odd thing) blowing. Not roaring or snorting but just blowing from its wide-opened mouth; blowing out as steadily as a vacuum cleaner sucks in. Jill was lying so close to the creature that she could feel the breath vibrating steadily through its body. She was lying still beacuse she couldn't get up. She was nearly fainting: indeed, she wished she could really faint, but faints don't come for the asking. At last she saw, far away below her, a tiny black speck floating away from the cliff and slightly upwards. As it rose, it also got further away. By the time it was nearly on a level with the cliff top it was so far off that she lost sight of it. It was obviously moving away from them at a great speed. Jill couldn't help thinking that the creature at her side was blowing it away.

So she turned and looked at the creature. It was a lion.'

Source: Art by jet097
Found on Pinterest

There you have it! You'll have to read the book to find out what happens!
Heidi will link up eveyone's posts at the end of the month, so be sure to keep an eye out HERE.

Readers, what are your thoughts on The Silver Chair, the fourth book in the Chronicles of Narnia (some say it is the sixth, but nope, don't read them that way)? Are you more like Jill or Eustace when it comes to heights? Thanks for reading, and stay safe and healthy!

MovieCritic

Book Review: Till We Have Faces - by C. S. Lewis

Hello everyone, and happy February!

Last month Olivia, who blogs at Meanwhile in Rivendell..., hosted a read-along for one of her favorite books, Till We Have Faces! I, of course, am late and just finished it today but still want to talk about it. I am going to do my regular style of review, then get into my thoughts on the last part aka book two.

My guarantee: On ALL of my reviews there are NO spoilers unless I give you warning: This is spoiler free.


Till We Have Faces - by C. S. Lewis:

This is retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid.
Two sisters, one whom the people called beautiful and one ugly, love each other dearly. It involves the people in their lives and the beliefs of the people of Glome.
(That is really vague, but how do I even say anything about this without giving anything away? )
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Retelling.
Characters: 8, the character arcs were fantastic!
My favorites:
Orual: I don't know if I can count her as a favorite, but she is our narrator and I pity as well as relate to her.
Psyche: How can you not like her? She is so good and kind.
The Fox: Thinking about him after wards I don't agree with his thoughts completely, but he is reasonable.
Bardia: He was helpful even when he wasn't sure of things and just overall loveable.
Words: 8, C. S. Lewis has some masterful storytelling.
"Child, to say the very thing you really mean, the whole of it, nothing more or less or other than what you really mean; that's the whole art and joy of words."
Quotes: 9, I don't know why, but one time the King called someone "mandrake root" as an insult cracked me up.
Content: 5, there are sacrifices, blood, killing, and death. and what I mean by that is that there are a lot, a lot, a lot, of suggestive things. I bothers me, but I need to stress to you that if you decide to read it then read it to the end because:

"And you won't understand the wonder and glory of my adventure unless you listen to the bad part."

The setting for this book is in a pagan culture. As in this book features gods, but if that bothers you know that C. S. Lewis was a Christian so you look for allegories.
Originality: 10! This story and it messages were incredible! I don't even know how to put it. This goes deep.
'But if I practiced true philosophy, as Socrates meant it, I should change my ugly soul into a fair one.'
Good For: anyone who has lost someone, C. S. Lewis fans, anyone who loves the message of beauty lies within.
Age Range: I would say this is at least PG-13 if not PG-15. I mean, anyone can read this, but there is a ton of suggestive stuff as I already said, and a lot is going on. I don't even understand half of it and feel that I need to reread this a lot of comprehend some things.
Overall Score: 8.



For the read-along:

I was not expecting it to be what it was. Where do I even begin? I finished this book a few hours ago and it almost seems like I have been walking in a daze. How do I even write some thoughts on this? I know a few things for certain: that ending was incredible, and I need to read this again sometime.
I liked being able to read the original myth after wards and see all of the differences. I also liked how Lewis included part of it in his story to make it Orual's motivation for writing her story to correct it.
An impression that I got from this is that true beauty lies in your heart and soul, not in how you look.

Favorite Quotes from the last section:

1.
'This was only the first stroke, a light one, the first snowflakes of the winter that I was entering.'

2.
'Of the things that followed I cannot say whether they were what men call real or what men call dream. And for all I can tell, the only difference is that what many see we call a real thing, and what only one sees we call a dream. But things that many see may have no taste or moment in them at all, and things that are shown only to one may be spears and water-spouts of truth from the very depth of truth.'

3.
'But by the death which is wisdom I supposed he meant the death of our passions and desires and vain opinions.'


A huge, huge thank you to Olivia for hosting this! And thanks to all of you for reading! Can any of you make more sense of this than I can?

MovieCritic

Till We Have Faces: Chapters 8-21

Hiya, all!

Time for part two of Olivia's (Meanwhile in Rivendell...) Till We Have Faces Read-Along!

I am combining two discussions in this post because I am a little late and need to catch up. Make sure to read both of Oliva's posts for chapters 8-14 and chapters 15-21.

Spoiler alert! If you haven't read Till We Have Faces don't read any more of this post! I will be talking about all my thoughts on it with no restraint.

Till We Have Faces - by C. S. Lewis: Chapters 8-21

Format: Questions and then thoughts.

Discussion Questions:

Chapters 8-14:

1.  Psyche is described before her "sacrifice" as being painted and costumed beyond recognition.  Do you see any additional Crucifixion parallels in that?  Why might Lewis incorporate any of those sort of parallels into a character who does not seem meant to be a Christ figure?

I'm drawing a blank here. I can't think of any other similarities (though I'm sure there are quite a few). And I don't know the inside of Lewis's brain, haha! Um, any thoughts from any of you?

2.  Bardia claims that "You see [the King] at his worst with women and priests and politic men.  The truth is, he's half afraid of them."  Why would the King be afraid of them?  Does he recognize some strength in them that he knows he does not possess?

I know that sometimes to the people or things that I am most afraid of I can seem rather loud and crazy because I don't want others to know that I am afraid of them, but mostly because I am trying to convince myself that there is nothing to fear. That's what I thought of when Bardia said that, though I wouldn't compare myself to the King in any other way.

3.  Orual feels it is her duty to squelch any flickers of joy after she is separated from her sister and presumes her dead.  The Bible says we are to grieve with those who grieve.  Does this mean it is wrong to take pleasure in anything (for a period of time) after we have suffered a loss?

'The grief was coming back with my strength. So was the Fox's.'

I believe there is a time for that, but then we do need to learn to grow and see the joy in things again. I really liked this bit:

'Now, flung at me like frolic or insolence there came as if it were a voice, no words, but, if you made it into words it would be, "Why should your heart not dance?"'

4.  Psyche suggests that "people are most ashamed of . . . the things they can't help".  Is this true?

I find this to be the exact opposite for me. Things that I can't change I tend to just accept and look at the bright side, but with anything that I can help or it is my fault I feel terrible about.

Chapters 15-21:

1.  When thinking about Psyche as she was before the debacle of the Great Sacrifice, Orual characterizes the time as "when she was still happy, and still mine."  How does this sum up the possessiveness of Orual's love for Psyche?  What does it say about how she views her?

Love is selfless. Orual has only ever been loved by the Fox and Psyche, where she has been abused by others. She doesn't want to let go, which I completely understand and my heart bleds for her.

2.  Lewis describes Orual's reaction to the King's potentially fatal illness in this way:  "The largeness of a world in which he was not . . . the clear light of a sky in which that cloud would no longer hang . . . freedom."  Isn't it extraordinary how the author is able to capture and convey the feelings of an abuse survivor so accurately?

Yes. I tend to feel sorry for characters like the King, but not this time because he just hurt so many people all the time and did terrible things.

3.  In this book, Lewis gives a lot of insight into the realities of life as a soldier.  How much did Lewis's own experience as a WWI veteran influence his writing, both in general and in this book?

I feel like most of Lewis's war experience is pored out through Bardia. War also gives an appreciation of life, and I feel that expressed through his writing.

A Few Ponderings:

The part where Orual convinced Psyche to take the lamp reminded me a lot of the story of Adam and Eve. I don't blame Psyche because Orual was being cruel, but there are a lot of paralells. Psyche was in a sort of paradise and then she couldn't get in again.

The way it is written takes away the suspense. I love stories told in first person, but because it is past tense you know that Orual is going to live through everything because she is writing it.

I am quite surprised where the story is going!


Personal Highlights:
(Please pardon me if my punctuation or spelling is off on these quotes. I'm listening to an audiobook so I don't know how it looks.)

Chapters 8-14:

1.
"It is these chances that nourish the beliefs of barbarians."
"How often, grandfather, have you told me that there is no such thing as chance?"
"You are right, it was an old trick of the tongue."

2.
"And don't look at my face, look at my sword! It isn't my face that's going to fight you."

3.
"And you won't understand the wonder and glory of my adventure unless you listen to the bad part."

4.
"One can't dream things like that because one's never seen things like that."

5.
'"You don't think...possibly not as a mere...hundreth chance there might be things that are real though we can't see them?"
"Certainly I do! Such things as justice, equality, the soul, or musical notes."'

6.
"A good man might be an outlaw and a runaway." (This reminded me of Robin Hood, heehee!)

7.
'"You don't believe in the divine blood of our house." I said.
"Oh yes, of all houses, all men are of divine blood for there is the God in everyman. We are all one."'

Chapters 15-21:

1.
"I've played chess too long to hazard my queen." (Yes! Chess!)

2.
'The memory of his voice and face was kept in one of those rooms of my soul that I didn't likely unlock.'

3.
'I was with book as a woman is with child.' (This is so accurate, because once you have a story idea it is with you constantly!)



Thank you so much to Olivia for hosting! As well as thanks to all of you for reading! What are your thoughts on this?

MovieCritic

Till We Have Faces Read-Along: Chapters 1-7

Hello again, everyone!

This is my first post in the second of the two read-alongs that I am participating it! This one is hosted by the lovely Olivia at Meanwhile in Rivendell... and it is all about Till We Have Faces.

I am a huge C. S. Lewis fan, but that being said I've only read The Chronicles of Narnia and Reflections on the Psalms, so as soon as I saw Olivia announce this I knew that I wanted to be part of it!
Make sure to read Olivia's post about this week's thoughts HERE.

Spoiler alert! I will be giving my thoughts all about the book Till We Have Faces, so if you haven't read it don't continue any further!

Till We Have Faces - by C. S. Lewis: Chapters 1-7

Format: Questions and then thoughts.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of the book's opening line and paragraphs?  Why are they effective?

It really gives me the impression of the narrator being tired with life, and it was very effective to make me wonder how the person got that way!

2. Orual often talks about a "smell of holiness" entering (or contaminating) a space.  How could a character believably recognize holiness in a scent?  Why would Orual be repulsed by it from infancy?

I really liked Olivia's response for this one. To me the smell that Orual is referring to is the sacrifice smell of blood. That would definitely be repulsive to me and I agree with it "contaminating" a place.

3. A major element of the plot is Psyche's beauty.  Orual says, "She made beauty all around her. . . . When she picked up a toad ⎼ she had the strangest and, I thought, unchanciest love for all manner of brutes ⎼ the toad became beautiful."  Is there foreshadowing in this?  Does it remind you at all of the Beauty and the Beast fable?

The most beautiful hearts are those that show love to everything! Psyche is so sweet and caring, I can see that reflecting on the people or things that she interacts with. Oh, I hadn't thought of the Beauty and the Beast connection!

4.  What do you think of the foreshadowing that you have seen so far, in general?  Is it effective or obvious?

Um, I have absolutely no idea of what is going to happen next, so I am still interested! It is keeping me hooked!

5. The practices of the "Great Offering" ritual dictate that the offering be "bound to the Tree," and that "In the Great Offering the victim must be perfect."  Do you see a connection here to the crucifixion of Jesus?  If so, do you think it was intentional on Lewis's part?

See, this is why I love read-alongs, because things are pointed out that I would never have thought of! I do know that C. S. Lewis meant to put a lot of allegories or connections in his books, but I've also read that he didn't mean to and always was impressed with the things people pointed out in his books, so I don't know if this was one of those times or not. But, from my experience with him so far I bet that he meant to do that.

6. Orual struggles to find truth throughout the whole story.  Already, we can see her torn between the "primitive" traditions of her community priest and the rationalism of her Greek tutor.  Though we trust the Fox more, we can sense flaws even in his reasoning.  Where, between the Fox and the Priest, might truth lie?

Truth is sometimes hard to find because everyone thinks that they are right. I feel drawn more to the Fox's explainations, because overall they make more sense to me. I could be wrong, though!

7. Psyche claims (speaking of marriage) that "To leave your home ⎼ to lose you, Maia, and the Fox ⎼ to lose one's maidenhead ⎼ to bear a child ⎼ they are all deaths."  What does this assertion reveal about this culture's sexual politics?

Reading this I thought of Psyche's mother. To leave her home and all of that was certainly caused her death, but even before that she was unhappy. I do admit that this is the one part of the book that is disturbing me a tiny bit, but it is being shown as wrong and harmful.


Personal Highlights:

1.

'He had all sorts of saying to cheer himself up with: "No man can be an exile if he remembers that all the world is one city." and "Everything is as good or bad as our opinion makes it."'

2.

'All she was saying seemed to me so light, so far away from our sorrow.'

3.

'"Not even for you, Psyche, will I pity Redival, whatever the Fox says."

"Would you like to be Redival? What? No? Then she's pitiable."'

4.

"We have made little use of the Fox's teaching if we're to be scared by death"

5.

"And because it was so beautiful, it set me longing, always longing. Somewhere else there must be more of it."

I was thinking about adding some thoughts to each of those, but they speak for themselves.


Thank you to Olivia for hosting! Make sure to check out the conversation, HERE.

Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

It's So Classic Tag!

Greetings!

Rebellious Writing is celebrating two years of blogging, and are hosting the It's So Classic Blog Party!

Awesome, right? Classics are some of my favorite books so I'm excited to fill out their tag, but it will also be really hard!

It's So Classic Tag:
Rules:
1. Link your post to Rebellious Writing (http://www.rebelliouswriting.com/)
2. Answer the questions
3. Tag at least 5 bloggers.


1.What is one classic that hasn’t been made into a movie yet, but really needs to?


*cracks knuckles* Now, this is my kind of question. The thing is, I know that there are a lot of film adaptations of classics that I haven't seen yet. I'm just going to copy Nicole and say the rest of the Chronicles of Narnia books. I love them so much! Movies of The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician's Nephew, and The Last Battle would be so great! As long as they don't mess them up! Make them like how they made The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

2.What draws you to classics?


(Note: Most of the classics that I read were written before 1900, so that is what I'm talking about.)
Whenever I am having a reading slump, or can't find any good books I go back to the classics because I know that there is a point, a message, or a moral. I know that I can find a story that will teach me something.


3.What is an underrated classic?


North & South - by Elizabeth Gaskell! I just read it this year, thanks to a friend's suggestion, and I LOVED IT SO MUCH. Ah! But, no one has ever heard of it! Every time I mention it people ask, "Oh, is it set during the Civil War?" The question makes sense, but no, it is set in England, now go read it.

4.What is one classic that you didn’t expect to love, but ended up loving anyway?


Well, I don't love it, but I was expecting to hate Frankenstein - by Mary Shelly, but it actually is really thought provoking. The characters do some really bad things that makes you want to pull your hair out, but that is the point. It shows that there are consequences to your actions, and that if all you show someone is hate, you will turn them into a monster.

5.What is your most favorite and least favorite classics?


No! This question is way too hard! Pick one favorite out of all of the many that I love?? Fine, I'll decide.:
Most favorite: Anne of Green Gables - by L. M. Montgomery. It is so beautiful! (It is also my favorite book of all time).

Least favorite: Candide - by Voltare. It is terrible.


6.What is your favorite character from a classic? Or if that is too hard, one is your favorite classic character trope (e.g. strong and silent, quiet sidekick, etc.)


(This was the hardest. question. ever.)
Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Ever since I started The Hobbit, I loved him. I actually wrote a post about him HERE (It was one of my first, so don't judge.).


7.What’s a popular classic that you felt wasn’t actually that great?


Popular? I know that 2001: A Space Odyssey - by Arthur C. Clarke is really famous, but it is so long, not a lot happens, and it is very confusing. Not my favorite.

8.Who is your favorite classic author?


Jane Austen, of course!


9.In your opinion, what makes a classic a classic?

"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." 
~ Italo Calvino

10.Relating to newer books, what attributes does a book need to have in order to be worthy of the title “classic”?


As I said in question #2, there has to be a deeper meaning. When reading books like A Tale of Two Cities - by Charles Dickens, and To Kill a Mockingbird - by Harper Lee, I thought that they were super boring. It was only after I finished them, and I sat back, just thinking about the stories, did I realize how truly amazing they were, and are now two of my favorites. I am currently reading Agnes Grey - by Anne Brontë, and I think that the first line in there sums up what a lot of newer books are:
'All true histories contain instruction; though, in some the treasure may be hard to find, and when found so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut.'
Whereas, to be a classic, the message or theme might be hard to find, but when you do, it is so great, you'll never forget it.

Okay, rant over.


And I tag:
PioneerGirl
Kara Lynn
Korin
Megan Chappie

I don't know how much you guys like classics, so only do it if you want to!


Happy Blogoversary to Rebellious Writing!

Thank you so much for reading! What do you think of my answers?

MovieCritic

The Silver Chair Read-Along: THE END!

Hello!
Today I am participating the final discussion of Amber at Seasons of Humility's The Silver Chair Read-Along! It has been so much fun re-reading this!

To read Amber's thoughts on this week, click HERE.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read The Silver Chair, don't read any more!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair ~ Chapters 12-16

Discussion Format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and four questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes:

'All this takes time to write down; it happened so quickly that there was only just time to see it.'

"You are of high courage, and therefore, I doubt not, you come of a noble blood in your own world."

'All felt that they had earned what Scrubb called a "breather."'

"'Friends,' said the Prince, 'when once a man is launched on such an adventure as this, he must bid farewell to hopes and fears, otherwise death or deliverance will both come too late to save his honor and his reason.'"

'Jill held her tongue, (if you don't want other people to know how frightened you are, this is always a wise thing to do; it's your voice that gives you away.)'

"'Hush!' said the Panther. 'The poor child's crazed, and no wonder after being lost inside the hill. She doesn't know what she's saying.' 'That's right,' said an old Bear. 'Why, she said Prince Rilian was a horse!'"

General Impressions:

These chapters are my favorites of the whole book! Once again you have Puddleglum come to the rescue.

This is me so often:

"'We've been there, too,' snapped Jill. She was very angry because she could feel enchantment getting hold of her every minute. But of course the very fact that she could still feel it, showed that it had not yet fully worked."

The allegory! It is so beautiful!:

"'But,' said Eustace, looking at Aslan. 'Hasn't he---er---died?' 

'Yes,' said the Lion in a very quiet voice, almost (Jill thought) as if he were laughing. 'He has died. Most people have, you know. Even I have. There are very few who haven't.'"

Sorry that this is so short, I just love all of it!!!

Discussion Questions:

1. Which part of the chapter featuring the Witch ("The Queen of Underland") impacted you the most?

Of course all of Puddleglum! He is the best! Also:

"For the last few minutes Jill had been feeling that there was something she must remember at all costs. And now she did. But it was dreadfully hard to say it. She felt as if huge weights were laid on her lips. At last, with an effort that seemed to take all the good out of her she said:

'There's Aslan.'"

2. Would you have been tempted to visit Bism if offered the opportunity? Why or why not?

I'm like Jill and don't like places underground. I love snow so much I wouldn't want to go down there and miss enjoying the beautiful whiteness!

3. How did you feel about the ending of the story—for Narnia, for Caspian, for Eustace and Jill?

I'm a little sad that Eustace and Jill didn't get to say a proper goodbye to Rilian, but I love all the rest of it. I can't imagine it any other way.

4. What was your favorite line or scene in the whole book? If you've read the other books in the Chronicles of Narnia series, how does this one rank in your opinion?

I can't pick favorites! All the quotes I have included in these posts! I can't pick a favorite for the books either, though I really love The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Last Battle. All of them are amazing!


Thanks again to Amber for hosting this! I had a great time!

Have you read this? What do you think? Thanks for reading!!

MovieCritic

The Silver Chair Read-Along: Part II

Hello, all you Narnia fans!
Today I am participating in week 2 of Amber at Seasons of Humility's The Silver Chair Read-Along! Last week was so much fun, so I am here once again, even though I am almost a week behind.
It is the fourth (not sixth!) book in The Chronicles of Narnia.

To read Amber's thoughts on this week, click HERE.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read The Silver Chair, do not read any more!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair ~ Chapters 7-11

Discussion Format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and four questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes:

'The three travellers scrambled to their feet and joined hands. One wanted the touch of a friend's hand at a moment like that.'

'And a smell of all sweet smelling things there are, filled the room.'

'However tired you are, it takes some nerve to walk up to a giant's front door.' (As I said, fear...)

General Impressions:

Okay, I just want to quickly mention Puddleglum. He has really progressed! He still is the Marsh-Wiggle we all love, but I think he has learned a lot. He still has caution and doesn't get his hopes up, but he knows when the others need to be encouraged. This is one of my favorite parts with him:

"'Steady, Pole,' said Puddleglum. 'Those big fellows wouldn't be crawling in there if it didn't get wider later on. And there's one thing about this underground work, we shan't get any rain.'"

It just makes me so happy! He is so positive. Even Eustace and Jill think he is not too bad!

"'I say,' whispered Scrubb to Jill. 'He may be a wet blanket, but he's got plenty of pluck---and cheek.'"

Then, here is the Puddleglum that we are used to.

'"It's hardly what I'd call a Chance," said the Marsh-Wiggle. "But it's all the chance we're likely to get."'

One of the scenes that has made a big impression on me from these chapters is right after they figure out that they had messed everything up. The way things had been going and the way they had acted this whole time, you can very well expect them to blame each other. I can understand that. I don't think I would have been any better.

But, they don't blame each other. They all start apologizing, and taking the blame on themselves. They say such things as:

"It's my fault."

"I'm worse."

"You're the only one who isn't to blame."

"Didn't try hard enough, though."

Eustace puts this the best when Jill suggests that there is some mistake: "So likely, isn't it? No. We must own up."

This character growth is so excellent! They all acknowledged that they each had did something wrong, not one of them is perfect. Do they despair at this? Do they give up?

No. They make a new plan and keep going.

Wouldn't it be great if we could all "own up" to our own faults? I know I would be better if I did. But it's hard. It's really, really, hard. We just have to aim to be like Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum.

Discussion Questions:

1. Which character's journey/growth resonates with you the most so far? Do you relate more to Eustace, Jill, or Puddleglum—or perhaps Prince Rilian?

Remember how last week I was saying that I couldn't really relate to Jill? Well, I spoke too soon. She is probably the person I relate to the most this time! I feel like this almost every day:

'Puddleglum's question annoyed her because, deep down inside her, she was already annoyed with herself for not knowing the Lion's lesson quite so well as she ought to have known it.'

I can only strive to be better and improve myself like she improved herself!


2. Did you find yourself liking the giants at any point in these chapters, or did they seem like villains to you from the beginning?

Well, having read this before, no. At the beginning I think of them as, my sister's favorite word for describing sort of villains, "slimy".


3. Which moment in these chapters made you feel the most emotion, be it frustration, relief, aversion, eagerness, or happiness?

I always feel some mystery/suspense when I read about their trip underground. I am always hanging on to every word! I love C.S.Lewis's descriptions:

'It was full of a dim, drowsy radiance,..."

'It was very sad, but with a quiet sort of sadness like soft music.'

'It was a dark, flat voice---almost, if you know what that means, a pitch black voice.'

4. What are your first impressions after meeting Prince Rilian and seeing the role of the silver chair in the story? If you've read the book before, do you remember what you felt when you read chapter 11 and discovered the truth about the Black Knight?

I was so surprised! I honestly didn't see it coming. I remember reading along, fully into it, then just sitting there dazed for a minute once a read who he was!



Thank you so much to Amber for hosting this! I am having so much fun rereading this!

Have you read this? Any thoughts on my thoughts? Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic

The Silver Chair Read-Along: Part I

Hello!
Through the month of January, Amber of Seasons of Humility is hosting The Silver Chair Read-Along! Since I wasn't able to participate in her last read-along, and The Silver Chair is the fourth book in my favorite series, so I am here to participate!

To see Amber's thoughts for this week and to join the read-along, click HERE.

Yeah, there will be spoilers. So if you haven't read The Silver Chair, please don't read any further!

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair ~ Chapters 1-6

Discussion Format: your favorite quotes, general impressions, and four questions to answer for each week's reading

Favorite Quotes:

'They were making a riotous noise, but it was much more like music -- rather advanced music which you don't quite take in at a first hearing -- than birds' songs ever are in our world. Yet, in spite of the singing, there was a sort of background of immense silence.'

"When they were dragging themselves upstairs to bed, yawning their heads off, Jill said, 'I bet we sleep well to-night'; for it had been a full day. Which just shows how little anyone knows what is going to happen next."


General Impressions:

Unlike the other times I have read this, I am noticing that there is a lot of difference in the characters and their perspectives. Sometimes that is good, but at other times it isn't. Even the scenery changes, depending on how you look at it.:

'It would have been a depressing place on a wet evening. Seen under a morning sun, with a fresh wind blowing, and the air filled with the crying of birds, there was something fine and fresh and clean about its loneliness."

Eustace:
To me it seems like he is the most hopeful of all of the characters. He hoped that he might get back into Narnia and he has hope that they will find the lost Prince. The Narnia air and the knowledge that Aslan chose them makes him stronger. He really is trying to be better than he was. With that said, he thinks he knows what is best for Narnia, and gets annoyed when it is not going that way. I think he is the one I relate to the most.

"'It's an extraordinary thing about girls that they never know the points of the compass,' said Eustace. 'You don't know either,' said Jill indignantly."

"'Now, will you say the words after me?' 

'What words?' asked Jill. 

'The words I'm going to say, of course.' answered Eustace."

Jill:
Jill seems to have the biggest range in emotions. One moment she is sad, then angry:

'Jill suddenly flew into a temper (which is quite a likely thing to happen if you have been interrupted in a cry).'

then excited, then full of pride, then sad, then scared:

"'It must be a dream, it must, it must,' said Jill to herself. 'I'll wake up in a moment.' But it wasn't and she didn't.". 

For some reason I'm having a harder time understanding her then the other times that I have read it. A lot of things don't happen the way she thinks they are going to. At one point she is so excited to be going on an adventure, then she claims she is "sick of adventures". Isn't life one big adventure? Do we ever get tired of it? We just need to keep on, and remember the signs.

'The window looked west into the strange land of Narnia, and Jill saw the red remains of the sunset still glowing behind the distant mountains. It made her long for more adventures and feel sure that this was only the beginning.'

"'How beastly one feels after sleeping in one's clothes,' said Jill, sitting up.

'I was just thinking how nice it was to not have to dress,' said Eustace.

'Or wash either, I suppose,' said Jill scornfully."

Puddleglum:
At one point, Puddleglum tells Jill:

"'Ah,' said the Marsh-wiggle, shaking his head. 'I see you're making the best of a bad job. That's right. You've been well brought up, you have. You've learned to put a good face on things.'"

But, why does he shake his head as he does it? Why is he always so depressing? He claims that he isn't, he says:

"...but I'd better not tell you that story. It might lower your spirits, and that's a thing I never do."

Which obviously shows us how what we think of ourselves is wrong. Though, sometimes he has caution when the others don't, which maybe shows us that he is wiser then we think.

Aslan:
You can't really explain Aslan. He is so powerful. I'm just going to put down the quotes that I think describe him the best.:

'It was deeper, wilder, and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice.'

'She knew at once it had seen her, for it's eyes looked straight into hers for a moment and then turned away -- as if it knew her quite well and didn't think much of her.'

"'I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms.' said the lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.'"

"'Scrubb said that we were to call to---to Somebody---it was a name I wouldn't know---and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open.'

'You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,' said the Lion.

'Then are you Somebody, sir?' said Jill.

'I am.'"

This last one, wow! That is so... profound. This is an amazing allegory: It really relates to our relationship with God.

One last thing to mention: fear. How being afraid can effect how you do things. It has effected each of the characters. Fear can stop you, right in your tracks. Once you are afraid, everything is harder. At the mention of Ettinsmoor:

"At this there was a greater tu-wooing than ever, and noises of birds shifting their feet and ruffling their feathers, and then all the owls started speaking at once. They all explained how very sorry they were that they themselves could not go with the children on their search for the lost Prince."

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you think of Jill's first impressions of Aslan and Narnia? If you were in her shoes, how might you react to the Lion and the new world in which you arrived?

I know so much more about Aslan, I'd like to think that I'd act differently, but if I were in her shoes and had never heard of Him or Narnia, I would probably be scared like her.


2. Which scene or character has made you laugh (or smile) the most so far? What makes it (or him/her) so amusing?

The whole conversation between Scrubb, Pole, Trumpkin, and Gilmfeather! We quote it on a day-to-day basis! "What do you mean the girls are all killed? What girls and who killed 'em?"


3. How did the recounting of Prince Rilian's disappearance make you feel? If this is your first time reading the book, do you have any theories about what happened to him and why? If you've read the book before, did you notice anything new or more impactful when rereading this scene?

To me, this time I really was focusing on Drinian's part in it. The way he, of all the people, is worried about Rilian, and how he takes the blame for Rilian's disappearance. He just really seemed like a true friend, to me.


4. What do you think has been Jill and Eustace's greatest challenge so far on their journey? What do you think they might struggle with in the future based on how they've already acted?

I think having the constant fear of giants. It makes them annoyed with each other and impatient. That's what fear can do to you.


Thank you so much to Amber for hosting this! I am excited to continue reading this!

Have you read this book? What do you think? Do you agree with me?

MovieCritic

Books I read in 2018

Happy 2019 everyone!!

I am so excited of what this year will bring!!! But, before I go into that, I am going to post a list of all the books I read in 2018! If I reviewed it, I have linked to it. Here are the links to my 2016 list, and 2017 list! I hope you enjoy!

This year was a little bit of a disappointment because I read some really bad books for school or challenges. Bleh, I always felt gross after reading them. I have hope, that this year will be better!


New-to-me Reads:

Mansfield Park - by Jane Austen (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)
Danny the Champion of the World - by Roald Dahl
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief - by Wendelin Van Draanen
Night of the Ninth Dragon - by Mary Pope Osborne
The Rumpelstiltskin Problem - by Vivian Vande Velde
The Goose Girl - by Shannon Hale
The Merchant of Mars - by Ronald Pisacuro
The Zookeeper's Wife - by Diane Ackerman
Flipped - by Wendelin Van Draanen
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - by J. K. Rowling
The Cure - by Parker J. Cole
Time to Say Goodbye - by Parker J. Cole
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - by Kate Douglas Wiggin
When You Reach Me - by Rebecca Stead
Frankenstein - by Mary Shelley
Rainbow Valley - by L. M. Montgomery
The Beet Queen - by Louise Erdrich
Lady Susan - by Jane Austen
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - by Ann Brashares
Uncommon Type - by Tom Hanks
Mary Poppins - by P. L. Travers
Candide - by Voltare
The Midwife's Apprentice - by Karen Cushman
The Adventures of Robin Hood - by E. Charles Vivian
The Haunted Showboat - by Carolyn Keene
Death Comes to Pemberly - by P. D. James
Charlotte's Web - by E. B. White
The Body in the Library - by Agatha Christie
The Book Jumper - by Mechthild Gläser
Romeow and Juliet - by Kathi Daley
The Tales of Beedle the Bard - by J. K. Rowling
Angela's Ashes - by Frank McCourt (I didn't read all of it, because I cried it was so terrible, but I did so much I am counting it)
The Wild Robot - by Peter Brown
I Got This: To Gold and Beyond - by Laurie Hernandez
Enna Burning - by Shannon Hale
Mark Twain in Virginia City - by (I'll have to look this up)
Funerals are Fatal - by Agatha Christie
Cinder - by Marissa Meyer
Scarlet - by Marissa Meyer
Treasure of Hope - by Ceciliy Wolfe
Cress - by Marissa Meyer
Winter - by Marissa Meyer
Stars Above - by Marissa Meyer
Missing! - by Émile Gaboriau
The Travelers Story of a Terribly Strange Bed - by Wilkie Collins
Murders in the Rue Morgue - by Edgar Allan Poe
The Ten-Thirty Folkstone Express - by Sax Rohmer
Sarah, Plain and Tall - by Patricia MacLacnlan

Total: 48

Yikes, I need to review more!


Rereads:

The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis:
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle

The Anne of Green Gables Series - by L. M. Montgomery:
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
Anne of the Island
Anne of Windy Poplars

Total: 11


My 10 Favorites New-To-Me (No specific order):

1. Flipped - by Wendelin Van Draanen

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - by J. K. Rowling

3. When You Reach Me - by Rebecca Stead

4. The Adventures of Robin Hood - by E. Charles Vivian

5. The Wild Robot - by Peter Brown

6. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - by Kate Douglas Wiggin

7. The Rumpelstiltskin Problem - by Vivian Vande Velde

8. Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief - by Wendelin Van Draanen

9. Cress - by Marissa Meyer

10. Winter - by Marissa Meyer

The Mount TBR 2018 challenge:

Click here for Bev's original post.

I picked Pike's Peak, which is Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s, and I did 15!:


Mansfield Park - by Jane Austen
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - by J. K. Rowling
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - by C. S. Lewis
Prince Caspian - by C. S. Lewis
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Frankenstein - by Mary Shelley
Rainbow Valley - by L. M. Montgomery
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - by Ann Brashares
Mary Poppins - by P. L. Travers
The Adventures of Robin Hood - by E. Charles Vivian
Funerals are Fatal - by Agatha Christie
Missing! - by Émile Gaboriau
The Travelers Story of a Terribly Strange Bed - by Wilkie Collins
Murders in the Rue Morgue - by Edgar Allan Poe
The Ten-Thirty Folkstone Express - by Sax Rohmer


The Mount TBR 2019 challenge:

I once again, pick Pike's Peak! I am really excited to participate again!


Thank you so much for reading this huge post! Have you read any of these books? Are they your favorite?

Happy 2019!

MovieCritic