Planet Narnia

The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis

By: Michael Ward

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

For over half a century, scholars have labored to show that C. S. Lewis' famed but apparently disorganized Chronicles of Narnia have an underlying symbolic coherence, pointing to such possible unifying themes as the seven sacraments, the seven deadly sins, and the seven books of Spenser's Faerie Queene. None of these explanations has won general acceptance, and the structure of Narnia's symbolism has remained a mystery.

Michael Ward has finally solved the enigma. In Planet Narnia, he demonstrates that medieval cosmology, a subject which fascinated Lewis throughout his life, provides the imaginative key to the seven novels. Drawing on the whole range of Lewis' writings, Ward reveals how the Narnia stories were designed to express the characteristics of the seven medieval planets - Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Luna, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn - planets which Lewis described as "spiritual symbols of permanent value". Using these seven symbols, Lewis secretly constructed the Chronicles so that in each book the plot-line, the ornamental details, and, most important, the portrayal of the Christ-figure of Aslan, all serve to communicate the governing planetary personality.

Planet Narnia is a groundbreaking study that will provoke a major revaluation not only of the Chronicles, but of Lewis' whole literary and theological outlook.

©2008 Oxford University Press, Inc. (P)2019 Tantor

great commentary on C.S. Lewis's works.

An insightful look into the process of Lewis's writing style, and immensely useful for upcoming writers looking into weaving mythology into their own works.

this book was phenomenal

It paints an incredibly imaginative picture of the meaning woven into the Narniad. Imagination heightened and sharp. Not frivolous fancy. Worth thought, researchlh, and discussion.

Beautiful and Academic

This is a beautifully done examination of Lewis! While this book is noticeably academic, it is performed well, and progressed smoothly between sections. If I had a critique, it would be that I wanted to hear more! I am looking forward to my next reading of the Narnia septet and delving into Lewis further.

By Jove

By Jove I think he's got it. Excellent theory and I think it is spot on. Worth a listen if you enjoy C. S. Lewis' works

Incredible

This was an exhaustive study of the Lewis corpus.. This author is an incredible scholar; siting examples of Lewis’ other writings, the authors he admired , authors he criticized, Bible references! You may need a dictionary handy to look up the terms he eloquently uses with ease. I wish my education had included the depth and range of the author’s. If you thought CS Lewis was brilliant before reading this book you will be delighted to discover more. I highly recommend this book. The reader was wonderful- pleasant voice and cadence.

Fascinating!!

This was incredibly fascinating! Dr. Ward presents his argument in a very compelling and detailed way. As a HUGE Narnia fan I loved this. The reason I’m only giving this 4 stars is because I got a little lost in all of the academia. I felt like Lewis’ Random Trilogy was referenced more than the Chronicles. It made me wish I had reread the Random Trilogy before starting this one. I want to go back and study the sections of the book that just talk about Narnia.

The Answer to the Narnian Riddle

Long thought beautiful, good, and true but unorganised and a bit random, C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia did indeed have a powerful and logical armature, now revealed by Michael Ward. The moment I read his premise, that each single book in the Narniad is actually a literary incarnation of a different medieval planet, I knew it to be true, as his Space Trilogy and most internally revealing work, The Discarded Image, endorse the particular Medieval Christian astrological view, and as I had read the Chronicles over and over again in childhood and in youth. The premise is obviously true, and thoroughly researched. Ward's groundbreaking thesis expounds in glorious detail the inner workings of Lewis' mind as expressed in his works and life and the planetary basis, though itself resting on the foundation of orthodox Christian doctrine, was the joists and studs, the skeleton, which (nearly) invisibly held the house together. Superbly narrated, this book is a must-listen for anyone who desires to understand Lewis and his works on a fundamental level.

Brilliant

Can’t wait to go back and read through the Narniad again now that it’s evident what Lewis was up to.

A Detailed and Well-presented Argument

In Planet Narnia, Dr Michael Ward provides a detailed and richly-footnoted argument (although the footnotes aren't included in the audiobook) for C.S. Lewis employing a Ptolemaic cosmology in his beloved series, The Chronicles of Narnia. If you're the kind of person who wants all the arguments considered and they fascinate you, you'll likely enjoy this book. I think Michael Ward is correct in his assertion and I find his argument compelling.

But if you primarily want the gist of his argument without all the detailed references to Lewis's scholarly works, his poetry, and particularly the Ransom trilogy, or Ward's explanation of what other Lewis scholars have thought and why they missed this insight, etc., you might prefer to listen to Dr Ward himself give a series of 12 lectures, each about 20 minutes long, called "C.S. Lewis: Christology and Cosmology," also available here on Audible.

After this, I find myself listening to Narnia and Ransom cycle for the first time

This is a scholarly book of Literary Criticism by a well-credentialed scholar and professor. Though he is also an ordained minister, this is not a book about Lewis’s faith as such, though it does discuss Christological themes. It is a grand introduction to imaginative reading and the medieval world view, so important to Lewis in his scholarship, poetry, and fiction. It has made my enjoyment of Narnia anew, as a child enchanted by it. It also got me interested in his poetry.