In the following days and weeks I will be reviewing "The Magician's Nephew" chapter by chapter. It is a splendid book in the series "The Chronicles of Narnia" written by: C. S. Lewis.

Chapter I - The Wrong Door

     C. S. Lewis doesn't waste any time, in this classic tale, to do what so many writers instruct up and coming writers to do, and that's to know what audience your writing for and then target that audience. He starts by letting the audience know that this story happened when granddad was just a child; around the time of Sherlock Homes. He tells of how children were expected to dress and just a hint of what school may have been like. So the targeted audience is children.

     Then he introduces two children: Polly Plummer and a boy named Digory. They both really don't "hit it off" right away but as time progresses Polly finds out that Digory's dad is in India and his mother is very ill and could possibly die; so I think she feels a lot of compassion for him and so they become buddies for the summer.

     Well because it was a rainy cold summer they decide to do some exploring in the attics of the apartments where they were living; which were all in a row and connected. There destination was the empty apartment at the end of the row, and as fate would have it they entered the wrong apartment and ended up in a place that Digory was told never to go and that was in his Uncle Andrew's study.

     Uncle Andrew's study was quiet and spooky; it was full of wierd books and gadgets. On one of the tables were a couple sets of rings; green ones and gold. These rings made a humming sound and they were very intriguing to Polly; in fact she really wanted one.

      Polly and Digory both thought they were all alone in Uncle Andrew's study (in the attic) when Uncle Andrew stood up from a high backed armchair that sat in front of the fireplace. Well, as you might suspect, Polly and Digory were as surprised as a stray cat who walks into a dogs house; they didn't know he was in the room! Uncle Andrew acted quite peculiar; going over to the study, and attic doors and locking them. Uncle Andrew asked them to stay awhile for a little experiment, but Digory knew that something was up! Digory became very indignant and ordered Uncle Andrew to let them out right away for the best reason he could think of: it was supper time. Finally, Uncle Andrew acted as though he would let them go, but says that he doesn't want Polly to leave without having what intrigued her the most, and that was one of the rings. Digory tells her not to touch them, but against Digory's wishes Polly takes one of the yellow rings. To Uncle Andrew's delight and to Digory's horror Polly disappears without a sound or a trace.

     The first chapter ends right there, but it plunges you right into the action of the story, and it only gets more exciting from here on. So check back in a few days and I'll have chapter II of this book ready for another review.

Chris Flight