(#41) / The Voyage of the Dawn Treader / by C. S. Lewis / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader / by C. S. Lewis

ISBN-13: 9780064471077 / HarperCollins Publishers

p. 288/ $6.99 (Barnes & Noble)

1952

Body of Content

Summary: In this Narnia story, the two youngest siblings (Lucy and Edmund) feature predominately – as they older siblings are occupied with other activities.  As the children stay with their ill-tempered cousin (Eustace), they enter Narnia – this time not through the wardrobe but instead through a painting.  Falling onto the deck of the Dawn Treader, they meet the former prince, and now King, Caspian.  The plot centers on a quest – as Caspian looks to investigate the disappearance of seven key vassal figures of Narnia.  Often at sea, this adventure centers on water themes and exploration – carrying the typical Narnia magic along the way.

Critique: In many of the Narnia books, Lewis draws on other world stories to create Narnia’s characters.  It is often said that Lewis draws on Christian theology for the message of his Narnia books.  But Lewis also draws on pagan mythologies – redacts them – revises them – reallocates them – and inserts them into his stories.  Aslan returns as a character – the symbolic translation of the Bible’s Christ – the proverbial “Lion of Judah”. 

But in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Lewis inserts imagery from other sources – like a dragon – a staple of medieval folklore and Germanic and Nordic traditions.  Elsewhere, mermaids appear in his book – showing an interest for more modern mythology supplied by New World explorers/sailors.  One-legged creatures appear on an island scene, too.

Yes – overall – the Narnia books contain a Christian message (as authorial-intended by Lewis), but the language – the symbols – the development of his allegories are not straightly determined by theist traditions.  Lewis, himself, is not troubled by that reality, and neither should the audience per se.  But while the Narnia books are categorized as Christian literature, the methodology is mixed more than many readers are aware.  The better genre for Narnia is simply the label of fantasy literature.   

Teaser: The story of Narnia continues as the youngest siblings set off in an epic adventure.

Information about the Author: see entry #35.

Supplemental Material

Genre: Fantasy / Christian Fiction

Curriculum Ties: Philosophy – mythology

Booktalking Ideas: 1) The siblings have a new addition in their adventures – with their insolent cousin, Eustace.

Reading Level: see entry #35.

Challenge Issues and Defense: Pretty safe title for teenage ages. Some magic and mythology is contained within the book – but the (Christian) parents who object to Harry Potter on those grounds usually give C. S. Lewis a pass.  

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: I wanted two separate series included in this project – and titles from Narnia and Hunger Games accomplished that intention.

Last Thoughts

References: n/a

Listening to (Music):

Artist – “Katy Perry” / Album – various playlists   

(#36) / The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Visual Companion / by Jude Fisher / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Visual Companion /

by Jude Fisher

ISBN-13: 978-0618154012/ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

p. 72/ $7.00 (Amazon)

2001

Body of Content

Summary: The work by Jude Fisher is a complementary text to The Lord of the Rings canon.  In her work, she provides summary-type material to the folklore – information that might have slipped the reader’s or viewer’s attention when reading the official Tolkien works or the Peter Jackson helmed film projects.  This is the first entry in her supplemental sources (she also wrote a second and third companion resource corresponding to the subsequent release of the theatric films).  In her work, she broadly highlights the people classes – of hobbits, of men, of elves, of dwarves, of the wizards, (and) of the dark forces.  She then spends time in each chapter highlighting key figures – key characters within that class group.  The information provides important information regarding the characters, while screen shots of the first film provided a visual context to the narratives. 

Critique: This is a more teen-friendly reference guide to the films and the books written by Tolkien.  The famed author actually wrote something akin to a reference guide – when he wrote the work The Silmarillion.  The book acts like an official history guide to his four Middle-Earth books – the three Lord of the Rings titles and their chronological prequel The Hobbit.  But The Silmarillion does not tell a narrative story – not one that would easily redact into a film.  It serves as a text to provide context, tradition, and history to the events leading up to the books in the narrative canon.

In Fisher’s work, she has taken that same intent – but made a more useable product – particularly with the inclusion of photos as an easy media to provide instant recognition – if a reader has seen the film version.  Given that the canon books include very different types of character names – from Gimli the Dwarf to Legolas the Elf – from the man Boromir to the hobbit Meriadoc Brandybuck – such a visual help to the readers is a welcomed one. (The book also contains a geographic map of Middle-Earth.)

Overall, the companion book acts like a reference book – and in that way, it provides an entry-level encyclopedia into the famed works of Tolkien.

Teaser: Tolkien’s classic work now has a companion resource – in the form of a visually aided encyclopedia.

Information about the Author: Jude Fisher actually is a pseudonym – as Fisher’s real name is Jane Johnson.  She also has written books under the name Gabriel King.  The 51-year-old author hails from England, though she married her husband, a tribal nomad, while researching a story in North Africa.  Besides writing efforts, Johnson served as an editor over some very famed fantasy, science fiction, and thriller genre authors – including Dean Koontz and George R. R. Martin.

Under her real name, Johnson has published five children titles (three of which hail from the Eidolon Chronicles) along with two adult titles.  As Fisher, she has produced a trilogy (Fool’s Gold) and four companion books to the Tolkien books – the last of which serves as a complete companion over the entire canon.  As King, she used the name as a pseudonym – co-writing four titles with M. John Johnson – a few years before using the Fisher name (Wikipedia, 2011).       

Supplemental Material

Genre: Reference / Fantasy

Curriculum Ties: Philosophy – worldviews, mythology / History – culture, geography  

Booktalking Ideas: 1) “Have you ever wanted more information about your favorite characters form The Lord of the Rings series – now is your chance!” 2) “Trace the histories and the events that shaped The Lord of the Rings literary universe!”

Reading Level: The book contains a nice mix of pictures and narrative – ideal for teen audiences (15-19).

Challenge Issues and Defense: The book is more about characters, geography, and history – and overall, it does not carry the violence or magical overtones of the books and film versions.  Challenges may arise to the series or the films – but it is difficult to assess a similar threat to this resource.

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: Tolkien’s classic trilogy is adult literature – and this represents a good redaction to fit younger audiences in the teen demographic.

Last Thoughts

References:

Wikipedia. (2011). Jude Fisher [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jude_Fisher

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Hans Zimmer / Album – “Inception (Movie Soundtrack)”  

(#35) / The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia Series) / by C. S. Lewis / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe (Chronicles of Narnia Series) / by C. S. Lewis

ISBN-13: 9780064471046 / HarperCollins Publishers

p. 224 / $6.99 (Barnes & Noble)

1950

Body of Content

Summary: In this novel – the first in the series written by the author, but the second chronologically in the series – Lewis tells the story of four young siblings – of Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter – who stay in a mansion in the English countryside – in order to avoid the city bombing during WWII.  In this mansion, they soon discover a magical wardrobe that leads to an even more magical kingdom.  They encounter various talking animals – a fawn, some beavers, etc. – who tell them that their kingdom is under the spell of the White Witch – stuck in a perpetual winter – but that the siblings’ arrival could change the events of their world.  The animals long for the return of their true king, Aslan – and when he does return – the children must face the prospects of all that they have heard of this magical place.  

Critique: C. S. Lewis’ tale is basically an allegory for the death of Jesus Christ – with Aslan the Lion as the messianic translation.  According to this Narnia novel, Aslan’s death acts as a sacrifice – corresponding to the atonement model dealing with substitutionary atonement.  Theologians have long asked the question – “how” exactly is Jesus’ death meaningful?  Various explanations – or “atonement models” – have been submitted over the centuries by scholars and theologians to articulate doctrines attached to the personhood of Jesus Christ.

What is interesting is that Lewis chooses the “substitutionary atonement” model – which in itself is the view popular within the last few centuries – and overall, provides a very Western way of looking at the issues – but it is not the only explanation given – nor is it the dominant view throughout church history. 

I wonder what the Chronicles of Narnia would look like – particularly how the story of the Witch vs. Aslan would play out differently – or what the outcomes of the children’s lives would look like – if Lewis had chosen another atonement model as the basis for his work – if he had chosen the “Christus Victor” model – or the “Ransom Theory” – or the “Satisfaction Theory” – or the more recently lobbied “Betrayal Model”. 

All of these models could work within the Narnia story – but doing so would require different approaches to character development, a different literary climax, and subsequently an altered denouement.  While such a proposal – of altering the basis for a work – seems a little far-fetched, the novel’s chief purpose is to explain the meaning of Aslan.  Lewis takes – what I would call the safe route – by electing to use the substitutionary model.  A more creative and clever rendition could have occurred if the novel utilized some of the other atonement models.  This is not a fault of Lewis’ work – but at the least, I wish to expose a basic assumption on Lewis’ part – that, for him, the substitutionary model is chief.         

Teaser: Four British youngsters enter a land of fantasy and magic – and they find themselves at the heart of an ancient struggle.

Information about the Author: C. S. Lewis was an English author and professor at Oxford – teaching classes dealing with literature – particularly those dealing with medieval literature and mythologies.  The famed author was also friends with J.R.R. Tolkien, as they both taught at the same university.  Lewis credits Tolkien as a key person in his conversion to Christianity. 

Lewis’ works include many apologetic and religious books, including Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, A Grief Observed, The Space Trilogy, The Great Divorce, along with seven entries into the Narnia canon.    

Supplemental Material

Genre: Christian Fiction / Fantasy

Curriculum Ties: Religion – allegory, mythology  

Booktalking Ideas: 1) Can four brave, young souls sway the outcome of an epic battle between good and evil? 2) What role does the story’s setting during WWII affect other aspects of the storytelling process?

Reading Level: The Narnia books follow the “two under rule” – where a library collection should also have resources that fit two years below the marketed range.  And in this manner, the book is likely read by 12-15 year-old teens.

Challenge Issues and Defense: The religious, allegorical content could offend some parents – particular if held in a public school.  The best defense is to have a wide range of fantasy titles – from various worldviews – including the Golden Compass book from His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman – which basically, by the author’s own admission, is an allegory for atheism.

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: The book represents a lighter title within the fantasy genre.

Last Thoughts

References: n/a

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Hans Zimmer / Album – “The Dark Knight (Movie Soundtrack)” 

(#12) / I Am Number Four / (directed) by D.J. Caruso / (Movie)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

I Am Number Four / (directed) by D.J. Caruso /

(based upon the book) by Pittacus Lore (i.e. Jobie Hughes & James Frey)

ASIN: B004SBQAN8 / Touchstone Pictures & DreamWorks

$17.99 / 109 minutes

Release date: 2011 / Rating: PG-13

Body of Content 

Summary: John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) lives on a beach-front property with his guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant).  After an accident exposes his secret, John and Henri leave their lives behind in Florida and move to a small, forgotten part of Ohio – hoping their secret is not detected by their enemies.  But John Smith holds secret abilities and powers – powers that he is just beginning to understand and control.  When he starts falling in love with an artistic, popular, high-school girl by the name of Sarah Hart (Dianna Argon), John Smith might just bring danger to the both of them.  Set within the fantasy genre, I Am Number Four is the film adaption of the book by the same name.  As the first book in the series, the authors (and perhaps filmmakers) will have a chance to tell more of this narrative story. 

Critique: The film I Am Number Four is a good example of a fantasy film – that tries at several turns not to come across as a science fiction genre film.  To elaborate, a fantasy film often accepts the magical elements within it – not trying to explain the methodology behind them. 

[Spoiler Alert] John Smith has several, for lack of a better word, magical powers – such as generic powers like more-than-human strength and speed along with more particular powers like telekinesis and light projection from his hands (as a possible weapon).  The film never tries to explain the powers in the kind of language that science fiction offers – whether it is a heavy analysis of genetic, biological, or technological language.  The film does mention that John Smith is going through a transformation like “alien puberty” – which does a little to advance science fiction elements – but, overall, helps fill the assumptive mode of many fantasy stories.

While the bad guys (i.e. aliens) have advanced weaponry, the movie does not provide much detail into the operations or processes that govern them.

This is not so much a criticism of the film, as much as it is a critique.  The film version fits more within the fantasy genre.  Having not read the book, whereby the authors might have more space to devote such details into the narrative, I do not know the genre relationship between the film and the book.  With more books planned in the series, the genre may even morph – as science fiction and fantasy are two brothers of the same genre tree.  But overall, the film feels like a comic book adaptation – with a main character as a superhero – though even comics go both directions – fantasy (cf. Superman and X-Men) and science fiction (cf. Batman and Iron Man).    

Teaser: Born on another world and living as an exile on Earth, John Smith must face his fears and a group of aliens seeking his destruction.  

Information about the Author: D.J. Caruso is an American filmmaker – responsible for a host of small to moderate budget films.  Those titles include The Salton Sea, Taking Lives, Disturbia, and Eagle Eye.  The 46-year-old filmmaker also directed some episodes of TV programs – including The Shield, Robbery Homicide Division, Smallville, and Dark Angel (IMDB, 2011a).  Besides cinema and television, Caruso has directed a handful of music videos – including “Sometime around Midnight” by The Airborne Toxic Event (Wikipedia, 2011), which represents a popular and heavily stylistic and conceptual creation.

In his personal life, the director hails from Connecticut. Besides having Italian heritage, Caruso attended Pepperdine University.  Further, Caruso is married – and the couple has five children (Wikipedia, 2011).    

Supplemental Material

Genre: Fantasy / Action / Drama

Curriculum Ties: Sociology – xenophobia

Booktalking Ideas: 1) John Smith lives with a secret – trying to hide in plain sight.  But will his enemies find him out? 2) Sara Hart is falling for John Smith – but when she learns his secret – will that change everything?

Reading Level: With the standard PG-13 rating – along with the film portraying several high-school-aged characters – grades 7 and up would have interest in the film – with more interest in grades 10 through 12 given the age of the lead character and love interest.    

Challenge Issues and Defense: The film contains a run-of-the-mill PG-13 rating.  The profanity and drug references are typical for the rating.  The action sequences contain fantasy elements, but also have, what IMDB terms, “horror film” elements that “could be too gruesome for young children” (IMDB, 2011b).  Even without the language and the drug references, the film is still a PG-13 rating, which is probably the reason the filmmakers allowed those elements to stay in the final production.  The film does not contain much artistic merit – critically speaking.  Some challenges may enter the library based upon section placement – and like The Animatrix, librarians may want to move the title from children literature into YA or from YA into adult sections – as a possible resolution.      

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: I originally watched the movie to gain evidence/data – whether to read the book series.  I am still on the fence about that dilemma.  But the movie is somewhat entertaining and worth some commentary. 

 Last Thoughts

References:

Internet Movie Database (IMDB). (2011a). D.J. Caruso [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0142286/

Internet Movie Database (IMDB). (2011b). I Am Number Four [Webpage]. Retrieved from

            http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1464540/parentalguide#certification

Wikipedia. (2011). D. J. Caruso [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/

wiki/D._J._Caruso

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Switchfoot / Album – “The Legend of Chin”