Once upon a time, in a land far away, there existed a disreputable witch and a princess who had a secret penchant for cross-dressing. These two unlikely characters found themselves thrown together in a peculiar twist of fate, and their lives would never be the same again. The disreputable witch, known throughout the kingdom for her mischievous deeds and vile curses, had always lived a solitary existence. She was feared by the villagers, and her reputation as an evil sorceress was well-deserved. However, deep down, beneath her jagged exterior, the witch harbored a sense of loneliness and yearning for connection. On the other hand, the princess, trapped within the confines of her royal upbringing, longed to break free from the constraints placed upon her by her gender.
The highpoint of ‘The Magician’s Nephew’ is of course the actual creation of Narnia itself. I like it that it is Aslan the Lion who creates Narnia by singing a song and that he makes all the animals talk.
Strawberry became far more than the average horse and I think it was great for him, considering the way that Jadis treated him when she rampaged through old London town. He is playing one day when he meets a girl named Polly next door and the two of them discover what Digory s Uncle Andrew is creating in the attic magic rings that will take the wearer to new worlds.
On the other hand, the princess, trapped within the confines of her royal upbringing, longed to break free from the constraints placed upon her by her gender. She found solace and liberation in donning the clothing of a man and exploring the world outside the palace walls. While her secret provided her with a sense of freedom, it also isolated her from the people she loved.
Reading Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew
I have never read all the Narnia books before. I read The Magician’s Nephew and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe when I was little, but then I got bored when I started The Horse and His Boy and found out that it introduced new characters when I thought we were going to stick with Peter, Susan, Lucy and Edmund for a while, or at least Polly and Digory. And that was the end of my Narnia reading as a child.
But a few weeks ago I decided to give it another try. The cat is out of the bag – I know that the series covered many characters, and I now know about the Aslan/Jesus metaphor – another aspect of the books that I wasn’t aware of when I first read them. I also watched Lion, Witch, Wardrobe and Prince Caspian recently and it got me in a Narnia mood.
Even though I’ve never read through the Narnia series, The Magician’s Nephew was a book that I returned to a lot as a child so it was pretty familiar to reread. I also used it in my senior paper about children’s literature and the changing view of the British Empire through the 20th century. Sounds kind of obscure but it was really fun to write. So in a way I was returning to an old favorite.
Reading The Magician’s Nephew for fun was much different than the last time I read it for my paper though. I found myself enjoying it much more than I expected, even though the story is a familiar one to me. Digory Kirke lives in London with his aunt, uncle, and sick mother. He is playing one day when he meets a girl named Polly next door and the two of them discover what Digory’s Uncle Andrew is creating in the attic – magic rings that will take the wearer to new worlds.
C.S. Lewis meant The Magician’s Nephew to be a prequel to the rest of the series, and I found that although a lot does happen in this book, there is a lot of set up and not as much action as in future books. It does have some memorable scenes and characters it though – the evil queen who wants to take over whatever land she is in, Uncle Andrew who is slightly mad and power crazy but is intimidated by the queen, Strawberry the talking horse, Digory, Polly, and of course Aslan.
Lewis also did a good job of telling the creation story while still making it his own. I love the idea of Digory et. al. watching as Aslan creates Narnia, and the way Lewis describes each person’s reaction to what is happening before them. The Queen is just too obsessed with power to notice, Uncle Andrew ignores Aslan as much as he can, convincing himself that he is just a silly lion and argues with the queen, and Polly and Digory want to simply observe the creation but are constantly distracted by the Queen and Uncle Andrew. The only character that is fully present is the London cabby and his horse who came along by accident – the most unlikely king of Narnia.
That’s one of the things I like about Narnia. It’s characters from our world are regular every day people who are introduced to Narnia and Aslan, and it is from that place that they do amazing things. That is seen over and over again throughout the series. It is something that Lewis himself focuses on, and I’m excited to look at that further in these blog posts.
The story has a very 50’s children’s story feel to it, almost as if Lewis is narrating the story himself, which I liked. I feel like that’s not seen as much anymore with the author directly talking to the reader, and I felt like I was being read to.
I also liked the way The Magician’s Nephew set up The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (I need to find an abbreviation for that) by explaining the lamp-post, the Queen, and the wardrobe.
So although I found other Narnia books more action packed than this one (I am currently on The Voyage of the Dawn Treder), I enjoyed being reintroduced to Narnia and the characters that it holds. And whether you see Aslan as Jesus or simply as the lion in Narnia, there is no denying that he is awesome.
They find themselves in a dying world and wake up an evil empress named Jadis. They accidentally take her back to their world, before taking her with them to where the world of Narnia is to be born.
By a curious twist of fate, the paths of the witch and the princess collided one fateful day. The princess, disguised as a commoner to embark on one of her secret adventures, stumbled upon the witch's cottage deep within the forest. Startled by the unexpected appearance of an intruder, the witch immediately cast a spell to remove the disguise. Much to her surprise, she discovered the true identity of the princess. Rather than unleashing her wrath upon the princess, the witch's heart softened. She, too, understood the struggle of feeling trapped and misunderstood. A strange spark of connection emerged between the unlikely duo, as they began to share their hidden desires, hopes, and dreams with one another. The witch revealed her deep longing for companionship and love, while the princess opened up about her desire to challenge societal norms and expectations. As they spent more time together, the witch and the princess formed an unbreakable bond, seeing in each other the strength and authenticity they had each been searching for. The witch used her dark magic to help the princess achieve her dreams of defying societal expectations. Meanwhile, the princess offered the witch a glimpse of humanity and love she had long forgotten. News of their unusual union quickly spread throughout the kingdom, causing quite a stir among the villagers. Once seen as a disruptive force, the witch became a symbol of acceptance and understanding. People began to question their preconceived notions about witches, realizing that true character lies beneath the surface. The princess, now known as the Princess of Rebellion, embraced her true identity and led a movement to challenge the gender norms that had kept her confined for so long. With the support of the witch and their growing community, she inspired others to break free from the shackles of society's expectations. In the end, the union of the disreputable witch and the cross-dressing princess taught the kingdom a valuable lesson about acceptance, love, and the power of individuality. Together, they shattered long-standing stereotypes and created a world where everyone could embrace their true selves, regardless of societal expectations..
Reviews for "A Magical Friendship: The Disreputable Witch and the Cross-Dressing Princess Join Forces"
- Sarah - 2 stars - I was really excited to read this book, as the concept seemed unique and intriguing. However, I found the execution to be lacking. The story felt disjointed and the characters were underdeveloped. The supposed romance between the disreputable witch and the cross-dressing princess felt forced and unnatural, lacking any real chemistry. Overall, I was disappointed and felt let down by the promising premise.
- Mark - 1 star - I couldn't even finish this book. The writing was confusing and jumbled, making it hard to follow the plot. The characters were shallow and one-dimensional, with no depth or complexity. The supposed humor fell flat, and I found myself rolling my eyes instead of laughing. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it was a complete letdown. I would not recommend it to anyone.
- Jennifer - 2 stars - This book had so much potential, but it fell short. The storyline had potential, but the execution was flawed. The pacing was off, making it difficult to stay engaged. The characters lacked depth and development, making it hard to connect with them. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. Overall, I was left feeling unsatisfied and wanting more from this book.