Chronicles of Narnia Box Set Paperback – Box set, May 13, 2025

In my new book, PASSPORT TO NARNIA: A NEWCOMER'S GUIDE, I try to put to rest the controversy about the order in which the books should be read, and for good reason: Lewis himself did not write these books as an interlocking whole, as did Tolkien (THE LORD OF THE RINGS) and J.K. Rowling (the Harry Potter novels). Lewis wrote that he wrote the books as they occurred to him, which is why he himself had no preference in which the books SHOULD be read. My contention is that the important thing is to READ these novels, not worry about the reading order. Besides, HarperCollins, his publisher, has made a decision to publish the books with THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW first, followed by THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE because, as is stated on the copyright page of the one volume hardback & paperback editions, "Although THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW was written several years after C.S. Lewis first began THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. HarperCollins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred.Regarding the seven novels themselves and their readability: Great books come from great writers who can not only are outstanding storytellers but also offer more than mere diversion: Lewis, a celebrated scholar, teacher, writer, and popularizer of the Christian faith, was a literary giant; and when we read the Chronicles of Narnia, we see the world filtered through his worldview. The books and the writer are in this case inseparable; the books come from the writer and are deep expressions of his humanity, his views on courage and sacrifice and honor, which are at the heart of these seven novels. Having sold 85 million copies since 1950 (when the first book in the series was published), you can rest assured that the books have stood the test of time, entertaining and illuminating five generations of readers.The only complaint I have about this boxed set is that the production values are mismatched: the covers are gorgeously printed, but the interiors use very cheap pulp paper, with blotty ink printing that obscures not only the text but the wonderful Pauline Baynes artwork. Since mass market paperbacks are routinely printed on pulp paper, the problem here seems to be the presswork: The over-inking of these pages obscures the printing of the text and obliterates the artwork. Since the one volume editions are issued from the same publisher, with readable text and no glaring deficiencies in the presswork, I hope that the publisher takes the time to correct what is otherwise a handsome, affordable, boxed edition.A few comments about the forthcoming movie: the trailer looks wonderful and captures the sense of wonder that is Narnia. Early reviews are positive and, from all indications, Disney Pictures has a winner of a film and the beginnings of a major, new franchise. To my mind, the best thing about the movie is that it will prompt a certain number of people to go into the bookstores and look for the principal texts; I came to the Narnia books late in life, but reading them did what good fiction is supposed to do: Those books took me out of this world and into C.S. Lewis's wonderful and enchanting world of Narnia, and isn't THAT what superb storytelling is all about?Bottom line: Despite my reservations about the printing of the interiors of these books, this is the edition of choice because of its price and portability. If you haven't read these books, now is the time to start: After December 9, when the film is released, everyone will be rushing to the bookstore to see what is next.I look forward to the film release and also look forward to re-reading the Chronicles of Narnia again, just as soon as I finish re-reading Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS from cover to cover (including the appendices).

Arrived in great condition. I ordered for the older typeface and colored, original illustrations. Was not disappointed. A great set for kids (and adults!!) A great series that one doesn’t grow out of enjoying. Would be a beautiful set to give as a gift to keep as one grows-enjoy it as a read aloud to kids/grandkids. Lewis continues to be a treasure.

A set for the grandchildren. This is one of the great book series! Narnia story is enchanting, encouraging.

Bought for grandson birthday. He loves the set, enjoyable read.

This Full-Color Collector's Edition is beautiful and everything I had hoped it would be for my 8-year-old granddaughter. There are several different versions of this popular and classic Chronicles of Narnia book series, but I think this one is the best because it contains color illustrations from the original artist, Pauline Baynes. Some of the other publications featured on the market have black & white illustrations inside, and cover art featuring other artists and movie media.At first, I was going to get the hardbound collection until I watched several helpful videos which revealed that the cover art on those books is only on the paper book jacket. The books themselves are just a plain solid color (at least in the videos I saw). I personally don't like loose book jackets for children's books because they can easily get torn, bent or lost, if removed.This Full-Color paperback book collection features sturdy covers made of heavy paper stock with beautiful artwork by Pauline Baynes in vibrant colors in a glossy, sturdy finish on both the front and back of each book. The books appear to be well made with a tightly glued binding. The pages are printed on a high quality semi-gloss paper with a smooth finish and easy-to-read font. Color illustrations by Baynes are dispersed throughout the book, which draw in the reader's attention and reinforce the story.This 7-book collection comes neatly packaged in a beautiful, sturdy book box, also covered with Pauline Baynes illustrations, which displays very nicely on a bookshelf.I'm so glad I chose this version of the classic Chronicles of Narnia. It is definitely a Collector's Edition, which will be an atteactive addition to my granddaughter's book case.

Sometimes classics get a bad rap for being "boring' and 'hard to follow' but that was anything but true for this fantasy book! I was amazed at how there was such a wide variety of fantastical elements throughout the series. medievle times, bits of romance, talking creatures, and overall good morals and Christian elements to the books. The scenes were well written, characters were relatable and felt real. There was never a dull moment throughout the books. From the moment they enter the wardrobe and stumble across Narnia, your hooked, you can't put the books down and your sleep schedule is suffering greatly because of your, "Just one more chapter" mindset. This book is great for all ages, and makes a great read-aloud as well as a personal novel. Now quit reading this review and at this series to your TBR!