Quote:
Originally Posted by Rbneader
There are certainly kids who could be upset by the Narnia series. I simply didn't run into any that I remember. I put that down to the way Narnia books gloss over potentially troubling scenes. Like the Hobbit - the Hobbit is a story of failure, torture, death and woe, but troubling details are elided (a particularly egregious example is the 5 Armies' 'and then Bilbo got hit and slept through it all').
|
Narnia and The Hobbit are two of my most vivid childhood reading memories, because of the extremely strong emotions and images brought to mind. Aslan's death was horrendous and deeply affecting for me when I first read it. I was very much upset at the time and can still feel that emotion in the pit of my belly when I recall the scene, though I don't believe I've been "damaged". In The Hobbit, I remember a few things fairly clearly - the troll and spider captures were spine-chilling, Mirkwood evoked creeping dread, the book was amazing and terrifying and I loved it. Another book that I recall had similar long-lasting effect on me, and I can still recall the visceral horror, was Snugglepot and Cuddlepie (a book generally considered suitable for very young children), when Mr Lizard was kidnapped and found with a rock on his head.
I loved, and still love, all of these books, and don't regret my exposure to them in the least. But they all upset me.