Friday, June 10, 2011

The Narnia Covers, book 4: The Silver Chair


Book 4: The Silver Chair

This was a really cool cover. It was intriguing--why is that guy attacking a chair? Is the chair indestructible?! The chair attacker was a mystery, androgynous, long hair, slightly royal looking outfit, you can't see the face. What an exciting and mysterious cover! It almost looks more like a classic rock album cover than a kid's book cover--like a Led Zepplin album or something. I'm fairly confident I remembered it right (no missing sea monsters here.)

What I remember from the story: (this feels like I'm writing a school book report, 25 years after reading the book...)

Just two kids, a boy and a girl (girl's named Pole?) go on a quest with a weird swamp man, Puddleglum (who lived in a wigwam?) At some point they are walking in some deep canyons, and they find out that the canyons spell out a word (zero memory of what the word was.) They go underground where there is a race of people (or dwarves or something) being used as slaves by some baddies. I want to say giants. The whole thing takes place underground. The kids are trying to free the slaves, and also escape themselves. I feel like I remember this one pretty well.

I can't remember what the chair was. Was it a magic chair? I got nothing about the chair.

I also, very specifically, remember that this book was where I first learned the term "stop being a wet blanket." But I can't remember who was being the wet blanket.

Thinking back, this one should have been my favorite book in the series. If I remember correctly, it was the only Narnia book where you worried about the outcome--the only one that made you think, "How are they getting out of this?" Compelling! Of all the books in the series, I feel like this one is best suited for a movie. Self-contained with a spooky, tense plot.

Silver Chair--from here on we move into strange territory (I won't lie to you, I've got a yawning black hole in my memory bank where The Horse and His Boy should be.)

By the way, I have a big run tomorrow, the Utah Valley Marathon. I'm going for a personal record: Slowest Time Ever. It'll be my 8th marathon, but my training hasn't been the greatest. Here's hoping it doesn't rain like it did last year. I'd better go buy a plastic poncho. My poncho saved my bacon last year! Wish me luck!

8 comments:

Pica said...

These covers make me want to reread the Narnia books. I loved the first couple, and never got through the rest, but I'm going to give them a second try. These covers are fun!

P.S. You flipped the cover again.

P.P.S. Good luck on your run! :D

Meredith said...

The Silver Chair is awesome. I reread it earlier this year, and you're right. It's spooky and totally worrisome. I think it's the darkest of the books.

Chris said...

Good luck running!
I want an illustration of you competing for Slowest Time Ever.

Nathan said...

I reversed it AGAIN!? This is so weird! The only one I haven't reversed is Book 1, which is totally symmetrical.

I'm fascinated by this--because I swear they all read left to right illustration wise.

edith said...

We have been speculating on why you reverse the covers--artistic people inhabit their left brains more as opposed to their right brains?
When I described the covers to my family, I reversed only one. I'm one/seventh artistic. Or something.
This is a fun blog series!

Unknown said...

This keeps getting stranger- another reversal on the image. There must be some sort of right brain/left brain thing going on. That or you subconsciously want everything to read from left to right, which actually would make sense. I am really impressed at how close your memory is on everything else though. I doubt I could recall it these this well.

stuckinmexicogirl said...

It's funny because even though you flipped the cover there is a newer cover of the Silver Chair that is flipped like that and looks similar.

I really enjoy reading your blog! :)

Helene said...

I only read the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but somehow I am certain that the chair belongs to the witch. If all else fails, blame the witch.

Also, enjoy your run!