Book Review: Voyage of the Dawntreader

Book Review: Voyage of the Dawntreader by C.S. Lewis

I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately so I thought it might be good to pick up this book, especially with the movie being released recently. I have read the Narnian Chronicles at least eight or nine times and Voyage of The Dawntreader is probably my 2nd favorite of the series (Horse and His Boy is first). It starts of delightfully "There was a boy called Eustace Scrubb and he almost deserved it . . ."

The story follows the return of Edmund and Lucy to Narnia, bringing their disagreeable cousin Eustace with them. The trio are tossed (literally) into the sea and eventually a voyage aboard Caspian the 10th's newest ship, The Dawntreader. They are seeking out the seven lost Lords of Narnia who disappeared during Caspian's predecessor's evil reign. Reepicheep the mouse is aboard as well, seeking his destiny at the end of the world. Through their many adventures, Eustace begins to change and it altogether a merry quest. I find Lewis's style refreshing - he can express much with very few words and the simplicity of his writing makes the text which is now over 50 years still feel fresh and contemporary. There is moment where Aslan helps Eustace which still moves me every time I read it - an obvious allusion to Christ washing us clean. An altogether brilliant and short read - I rate it 4 ninja stars out of 5.

P.S. The image is from a much older paperback version of the book which is the one I got when I was a kid. To me, only this old set looks and feels right.